Antônio Villas Boas

Injured by the UFO

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by  Charles Lear

Starting in 1947, UFOs seemed to be engaging humanity in a step-by-step process. In the first few years, only the UFOs were reported. Then, there were accounts of occupants showing themselves during what has become known as the 1954 French Wave. An intimate encounter was described by Brazilian farmer, Antônio Villas Boas, in 1957, and Betty and Barney Hill reported that, in 1961,they had been abducted. So far, no one was hurt during any of the encounters, but that would change in 1964.

On Tuesday, June 2, 1964, an eight-year-old boy named Charles was playing in a lot behind his grandmother’s laundromat. What happened next was described in the Nov. 1964 APRO Bulletin. Across an alleyway, a black, top-shaped object, which he described as being half as tall as he was at the time, appeared over a building.

According to Charles, he got the impression that it knew he was there. He moved to the left and it moved to the left. He moved to the right and it moved to the right. He crouched behind a block of concrete and then stood up and moved to the right. Once again, the object mirrored his movement. The object then shot towards him, causing him to brace for impact, but it moved up and hovered over him. According to Charles’ grandmother, as she watched through the door of the laundromat, flame came down from the object that completely engulfed him. The object then flew off and Charles ran towards her with his hair on fire. Read more →

UFOs, Contactees, Humanoids and a Thorn in the Side of the Air Force

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by Charles Lear

The year 1957 was a very interesting one in UFO history. In that year, UFO occupant reports were accepted as worthy of investigation by serious organizations such as the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization and Civilian Saucer Intelligence of New York; Contactees were in the spotlight thanks to the Long John Nebel Show; and Maj. Donald Keyhoe USMC ret. became the director of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. The main question in the early days of flying saucers had been  whether or not they came from outer space. The Air Force had assured the public that they were working to find the answers to the mystery, but now the public’s faith in the Air Force was waning and the mystery was more complex. Who to believe and what to believe were now complicated by competing factions and commercial interests. A person could get in there and diligently research and investigate, sit back and enjoy the circus or join the circus and cash in.

The editorial in the May, 1957 CSI News Letter No. 19, “The Price of Being Too Factual,” encapsulates the state of UFOlogy at that time. It begins with the announcement that Leonard Stringfield will no longer be issuing the periodical Orbit. This was the newsletter for his organization, Civilian Research Interplanetary Flying Objects. Stringfield had a reputation for being a no-nonsense investigator and was a trusted source for sightings reports. That he was unable to cover his printing costs while a “tongue-in cheek entertainer,” like John Nebel, and “a purveyor of a gospel,” such as George Adamski, were able to maintain a mass audience is noted as boding “ill for the future of UFO research.” Providing hope is the news that NICAP is under new management and the writer ends by encouraging readers to support the organization and that “it’s time to put up or shut up.”

NICAP was founded in 1956 by T. Townsend Brown, who claimed to have developed an anti-gravity device. Keyhoe had been instrumental in recruiting many prominent people, including Rear Adm. Delmar C. Fahrney USN ret., to sit on NICAP’s board of governors. NICAP had lofty ambitions and having a paid, full-time staff was one of them. An $85,000 a year payroll for that staff, which included Brown, was “suggested” and an argument ensued that resulted in Brown leaving and Keyhoe taking over as director. Read more →