My wife's niece said to me, "Why don't you write something about UFOs?" OK, Gabe, here it is. But I must stress that this is written for those who don't know anything about the subject. Those who do may find some interesting quotes from people they know, and some folks they don't know. I am thankful to all that have urged me to continue this pursuit. In doing so I have become associated with, and met many interesting and believable people who are experiencers through the Ventura / Santa Barbara County chapter of MUFON (The Mutual UFO Network). My efforts have been greatly aided by Alice Levy, Doctor Roger Leir, and Derell Sims of MUFON, and by Michael Lindemann, of CNINews. My ongoing UFO education is greatly due to Susy, and Donna, and, Skye, who sends me endless info from the Net. Thanks especially to my wife, Elaine, who has put up with my travels, and time devoted to this search for truth. This is how it all started:

UFO 1: First Encounter

There was nothing unusual about that summer evening in 1954, in Darien, Connecticut. A bunch of us kids had gathered at one of the girl's houses to play badminton. I don't remember the girl's name, or why I happened to look up at the sky that evening...but I did.

It came from the northeast, curving toward the southwest and New York City. I suddenly realized it was very big...and very high. I had become used to noticing such things as a volunteer in the Ground Observer Corps where I taught aircraft identification to other volunteers, most of them housewives. The setting sun cast its rays up toward the silver object. At first I thought it was an F-102, a delta winged jet fighter...but no, this craft had a triangular fin on the bottom of it, clearly visible in the up cast rays of the setting sun! Indeed it was made up of four perpendicular triangles of equal size! And...it made no sound. I was stunned as I gaped, my eyes following its progress toward New York. It wasn't going overly fast, about 350 mph. I was sure of what I was seeing! UFO! The three-letter acronym, flashed in my mind like a bright neon sign. I gave the report to the Air Force, and never heard anything more about it. Three years later, reading a book on UFOs, turning a page, I saw a drawing staring back at me... the same craft I had seen in Darien...but this one was seen in Colorado.

Since moving to Carpinteria six years ago, I have witnessed two different events. On February 23, 1994, I left work and turned onto Carpinteria Ave. headed toward Santa Barbara. My attention was drawn to a very large, very bright, white light. It hung at the left end of the broad green meadow about a quarter + ways up the coastal mountain range. It was very bright, but it did not cast a beam, nor shadows, nor light on the hills behind it, or the ground below. The only movement seen, was a slow right to left revolution every once in awhile. The object stayed in that position for almost three hours before it disappeared. It was witnessed by myself, my wife Elaine, John Bristol, co-worker Brenda Breeland, and a County Sheriff's Deputy, who stopped and asked me what I was looking at. He thought it was a blimp! I explained to him it was much larger than a blimp, and had it been one, even head-on, the light from the electric sign would flicker. I don't know what this object was. I took a time exposure picture of it, which moved a little, even though I had it braced on top of my car. When I had it blown up to a 5 x 7, you can clearly see a round object, with several strange appendages coming out of it's side.

On August 8, 1995, about 10:00pm, I was getting out of my car on Carpinteria Ave. when I looked up and saw a large object come in off the ocean, large orange flames roiling from front to back, as flame would burn off of an ablative shield on a re-entering space capsule. It moved in a flat trajectory toward the mountains and Ojai. But the thing that set this event apart, was the fact that the object trailed behind it an orange trail filled with black diamonds...the kind you see when a jet fighter takes off in full afterburner! The diamonds are caused by the tuning of the exhaust nozzles; making them smaller to produce more thrust. A small piece broke off the burning craft, and as it arced to earth, it too left an orange trail studded with black diamonds! This was not a normal aircraft that crossed our town burning. I don't know for sure what it was. Again, it didn't make a sound. My friend Bruce, and his friends, saw this one from the beach at the end of Linden Ave. I am sure it wasn't a meteor. It could have been one of the many "black projects" the Government is running, that got into trouble. Or, it could have been a damaged craft from elsewhere. I don't think we'll ever know on this one. There was no report of a crash...but I'll never forget this sighting!

I know I'm not alone in having the experience of seeing UFOs. I was surprised to see a couple that I know from Carpinteria show up recently at a UFO lecture at UCSB. While talking to them, I found they had both had sightings: the man twice had seen objects come in off the ocean, over-fly our town, and head for the mountains. The woman, had had a close sighting of a saucer shaped object in her home state of Indiana, when she was only nine. There are many others I know here in Carpinteria who have told me their stories. As with the couple mentioned above, I have no reason to question what any have told me. They are good, hard working, solid citizens. Those of us who have seen strange things in the sky, night or day, are convinced that UFOs are real and that they are not from this planet. We are also convinced US Government has been keeping their existence, and their crew's existence, one of it's most closely guarded secrets, for many, many years.

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