- Prior to the fateful launch of the space shuttle Challenger
on January 28, 1986, I had the honor and pleasure of sharing conversations
with several members of that crew.
-
- During one of many pre-mission preps for the Challenger
mission, I came upon Lt. Col. Ellison Onizuka in the Vehicle Assembly Building
(VAB) at launch complex 39. I had an assignment to assess some problems
at the Launch Control Center (LCC) and needed to access the main drawing
files. A file operator was there and I went to her for assistance. Ellison
walked in on our conversation and we exchanged greetings. Jokingly, I asked
him if he had important business with her, and he said "yes, Clark"
with a big smile. I told her to help Lt. Colonel Ellison first, and I would
wait. She opened a plastic bag which had a packet of goodies for this very
important customer. Ellison "loved" those chocolate-peanut butter
brownies that she baked for him when he was at KSC on training assignments.
-
- Many astronauts at the KSC knew of my interest in the
study of possible ET intelligence, and my association with Major Donald
Keyhoe, Dick Hall and the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena
(NICAP since 1958), and the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), at Cape Canaveral
and KSC.
-
- Another evening while off-site, I once again accidentally
came upon Ellison. He asked if I could give him an opinion regarding a
topic that was sparking his curiosity. Ellison had a great interest in
ET life and asked me my belief concerning aliens, and if I believed they
have been here on earth? His question caught me by surprise.
-
- As we walked slowly towards our destinations, I briefly
explained what I had learned since 1947, the initial year I entered my
UFO research. I briefly related what I knew regarding the Roswell case
and that I had become more aware of it many years later at the Cape through
several discussions with ABMA (Army Ballistic Missile Agency) personnel
who were at White Sands Proving Grounds near Roswell, New Mexico in July,
1947. These men had worked directly with Dr. Wernher von Braun and his
team of German Scientists who were at that base at that time. Onizuka said
he was aware of that case.
-
- I then told him my belief that life does exist among
the stars and that it has visited earth throughout human history. He smiled
in agreement. I thought to myself, what else does he know? Soon it became
very clear.
-
- Onizuka asked me if my surname had any connection with
McClellan Air Force Base in California? I said not as far as I was aware.
I asked him why? Ellison said he had a surprising experience along with
other USAF aerospace flight engineers and pilots while on military training
duty at McClellan AFB, about eight or nine years prior to his astronaut
training.
-
- He and this group were at this base for specialized training
when they were directed to report to a viewing room. As they were seated,
the room darkened and a movie began without the usual official introduction
by a USAF officer.
-
- They were all startled when a view of a facility similar
to a medical examination room appeared on the screen and small bodies were
observed lying on slabs. He heard several excited comments by the other
officers seated near him. The small, strange looking creatures were humanoid
in shape, and appeared similar to those described by alleged witnesses
at the well-known Roswell site in the Southwest USA in 1947. They all had
large heads, large eyes, slight torsos, arms, and legs. They did not appear
to be of earthly origin.
-
- Ellison then said, " Clark, my God, these highly
trained officers and I were shocked by what we saw. We were not made privy
to what we would see until it happened. We were all caught off guard. Perhaps
it was a test of our psyche to determine our overall reaction. Well, we
were all caught by surprise ".
-
- Needless to say, I was also caught off guard hearing
this revelation from a highly intelligent USAF officer and NASA astronaut.
One who flew his initial space mission 51-C in the space shuttle Discovery
a highly classified Department of Defense (DoD) mission under top secret
conditions. It made me wonder what else Ellison knew, or perhaps had seen,
during his first shuttle mission and USAF career?
-
- I said "that's amazing, Ellison! Were all of you
given any opportunity to question what you saw?" He said, "No!
We were then asked to exit the room and continued our scheduled technical
activities as if nothing special had occurred. In my opinion, I have considered
the possibility that the group was evaluated for individual reactions to
what they saw. Perhaps it was a planned USAF psychological test for military
reasons. Who knows, NASA may have evaluated it in my selection as an astronaut
in 1978. You know, what would my reaction be if I actually saw an alien
being"?
-
- We arrived at our separate building destinations and
briefly discussed his approaching second space mission in Challenger 51-L.
He said he was anticipating a successful flight with Judy Resnik, Christa
McAuliffe, and crew. I asked if we could discuss this topic again; and
he agreed.
-
- Unknown to us both, this would be the last time we would
speak. He, Judy, Christa and the other crew members would be making their
final mission on January 28, 1986. I was at the Kennedy Space Center and
watched in disbelief as they and space shuttle Challenger fell into the
Atlantic Ocean.
-
- Upon leaving KSC for the night after being on duty for
about 15 hours, I was driving home to my Port St. John Apartment when the
disaster finally caught up with my emotions. I pulled to the side of the
main NASA causeway crossing the Indian River and sobbed my eyes out for
about ten minutes. God, how horrible it was, and still is to this day,
in my memory.
-
- God bless you Judy Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe,
Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Gregory Jarvis and Ronald McNair.
-
- Thank you, God, for the honor of knowing all of them.
And, please, if you would - - - make sure Ellison gets those chocolate-peanut
butter brownies up there in heaven.
-
- For more of my inside Kennedy Space Center eyewitness
disclosures, open Stargate Chronicles at www.stargate-chronicles.com
-
-
- Note - Mr. McClelland's site
no longer comes up. It was working fine when this story was posted yesterday.
The link now leads to a different site. We have no idea what the problem
might be.
-
- From a visitor --
-
- I just contacted AlternateRealities.org about the problem
with the McClelland website. My best guess is that this was an accidental
DNS 'hijacking', and they say they've corrected the problem. Right now,
I just get a custom error page, but I think after the DNS changes have
a chance to propagate, all will be well.
-
- Regards,
John
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