SIGHTINGS

SIGHTINGS

Triangles Over Baghdad & NY - Disc, Cylinder, Diamond UFOs Elsewhere
Joseph Trainor - Editor
UFO ROUNDUP
Vol 3, No 51
12-22-98


UFOs INTERVENE IN OPERATION DESERT FOX

Large triangular UFOs were seen in Iraq and upstate New York before and during Operation Desert Fox.

On Thursday, December 16, 1998, at 2:31 a.m. local time, "a triangle-shaped pattern of lights" appeared over downtown Baghdad and was picked up by CNN's night-vision video camera. The lights hovered in position and moved slowly to the right, as Iraqi anti-aircraft tracer fire streaked away into the night.

The scene appeared on CNN's live broadcast, which aired in the USA at 6:31 p.m. Eastern time, Wednesday, December 15.

According to ufologist Ignatius Graffeo, "I did see a triangular formation of lights moving very slowly at about" 12:55 a.m. Baghdad time that Thursday "on an NBC news report of the bombing...The light was steady, and it was definite and very striking." He described it as "a V-shaped formation like the one at Phoenix," Arizona on March 13, 1997.

The UFO "was against a black night sky and very different from the 'greenish' tracer fire moving across the sky, which did not hold their position for any length of time."

According to the Boston Herald, Fort Drum, the U.S. Army post in upstate New York, was a staging area for the four-day Operation Desert Fox. The Herald reported, "Along with the additional air assets, the Army is sending a battalion of light infantry troops from Fort Drum, N.Y. and nuclear-biological-chemical experts from several bases to watch for any attack by Iraq against Kuwait and other neighbors in the region." (See the Boston, Mass. Herald for December 17, 1998, "U.S. to pump up military muscle," page 22.)

Three weeks ago, around November 30, 1998, MUFON New York received reports of triangular UFO activity over Evan Mills, N.Y. and nearby Perch Lake, just west of Fort Drum.

According to Larry Clark of MUFON New York, a woman living on Perch Lake reported heavy UFO activity. "First there were triangular craft that have appeared in the local sky. The woman (witness) reported the sighting of a 'Pine Bush' triangle that moved at treetop level and continued out over the lake before disappearing."

"A teenager from the local Civil Air Patrol (CAP) told the woman that they have also spotted a craft over Evan Mills...Within the last few weeks, the woman has regularly observed a large bluish light with a small red streak at its center." She had reportedly seen the UFO "hovering for hours" over her property and a large undeveloped tract of land nearby.

Evan Mills is on Highway 37 approximately 75 miles (125 kilometers) north of Syracuse, N.Y. (Many thanks to Errol Bruce-Knapp, Ignatius Graffeo, and MUFON Eastern director George A. Filer for the news items.)

VIRGIN MARY PREDICTED ALLIED AIR STRIKE

On Sunday, December 13, 1998, Patricia Mundorf, a Roman Catholic seeress who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, claimed that she had just been visited by an apparition of the Virgin Mary (also known to Catholics as the Blessed Mother--J.T.). The apparation warned Mundorf that an air attack against Baghdad was imminent.

According to Ms. Mundorf, Mary said, "The United States will attack Iraq. My children, I have warned you of this conflict. The Red countries will not back you on this, and now you will face the greatest possibility of nuclear and bacterial war on your land."

Strangely enough, Ms. Mundorf experienced her Marian vision three hours before President William Jefferson Clinton ordered the attack. According to columnist Robert Novak, the president decided to launch Operation Desert Fox on Sunday while flying home from the Middle East. (See the Boston, Mass. Herald for December 22, 1998)

(Editor's Comment: I guess that means the former Miriam bat-Joachim is not a Democrat.)

TRIANGULAR UFOs SPOTTED IN SOUTHERN SPAIN

On Sunday, December 13, 1998, at 1:40 a.m., a triangular formation of red and white lights was seen passing over the small town of El Marche, Andalucia province, Spain, located 55 kilometers (33 miles) east of Malaga.

According to Antonio Salinas of Socidedad de Investigaciones Biofisicas (S.I.B.), "The formation of lights was flying very slowly. The witnesses had them in view for ten minutes. All of the bright lights moved in tandem, as a formation with a single structure, which itself was invisible."

"The UFOs were flying to the northeast, on a bearing of 060 degrees. The object appeared to have come from the southwest in a straight line, from bearing 280 degrees and the (Mediterranean) sea."

(Editor's Comment: With this flight path, the UFO formation would have come from Ceuta, Morocco.)

At 2:15 a.m., a second formation of lights appeared over Frigiliana, near El Marche, where they were seen by gas station attendant Miguel Armijo. He described the UFO as "red lights going at a very slow velocity."

The sketch Armijo gave to S.I.B. showed this array of lights:

* * * 0 0 0

At 3:40 a.m., two triangular light formations were seen by Spanish policemen in Torrox, a town of Andalucia about 70 kilometers (42 miles) east of Malaga. Officer Gregorio Cabello Algan of the Guardia Civil (Spain's national police--J.T.) said he saw "a formation of three bright red lights."

Officer Rafael Gonzalez Mora of Torrox's municipal police said he saw "a formation of white lights. Two minutes later, a second formation of red lights crossed the sky."

Here are sketches of the UFOs they observed. The first looks very much like the "Lubbock Lights" of 1952.

El Marche and Torrox are located on Spain's southern coast about 300 kilometers (180 miles) south of Madrid.

The sightings were reported in local newspapers and on the TV news program Andalucia Directo, Canal Sur (Channel South) on Tuesday, December 15, 1998. (Muchas gracias a Antonio Salinas de S.I.B. para esas noticias. See also the Spanish newspaper Diario for December 15, 1998, "Vecinos de El Marche aseguran haber avistado un OVNI sobrevolar la costa.")

UFO SIGHTINGS CONTINUE IN NORTHERN ITALY

On November 7, 1998, at about 8 p.m., a couple in Casalmaggiore, a town near Cremona, 140 kilometers (84 miles) southeast of Milano (Milan), "observed a white sphere, luminous, much larger than a star, that traversed the sky... The same object, and a similar one, appeared before two gentlemen at the Teatro Regio in Parma, around midnight."

Parma is 125 kilometers (75 miles) southeast of Milano.

On Saturday, December 5, 1998, "a green disc measuring 20 centimeters at arm's length was sighted near Castelbuttano. The object had a definite shape and dropped down in a power dive. The object did not leave any trail."

On Monday, December 7, 1998, at 11:05 p.m., "a motorist who was driving toward Pavia," a city 75 kilometers (45 miles) south of Milano, "had noticed in the sky a blob of light that speedily ascended in a perpendicular trajectory, covering several hundred meters of distance. The object appeared as a luminous piece of yellowish-orange color. In one-tenth of a second, the UFO had described a course toward the witnesses 'with a direction almost perpendicular and at an incredible velocity."

The witness estimated that the sudden had "generated a force of 20 G's and 'nothing living could have survived such a furious velocity.'"

Also on December 7, "a triangular blue light was seen flying over the Piazza de Ferraris in central Genoa," a major port city 300 kilometers (180 miles) northwest of Rome, "at about 5 p.m." (Grazie a Michaele Loda, Maria Elena Parodi e Alfredo Lissoni di Centro Ufologico Nazionale, CUN, per questo rapporto.)

UFOs ON THE MOVE IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA

On Sunday, December 13, 1998, at 2 a.m., a woman living in Katherine, Northern Territory (N.T.) Australia reported sighting "two tennis-sized red balls illuminating the sky."

"I think there is something going on out there," ufologist Keith Douglass of Alice Springs, N.T. said, "I got the report from a couple of different people saying they were about two or three kilometers up in the sky at 2 a.m."

Katherine is located 960 kilometers (600 miles) north of Alice Springs.

On Monday, December 14, 1998, at 2:10 a.m., witness Warwick S. reported, "I had just gone outside to have a smoke and enjoy the beautiful night/early morning" in Rapid Creek, N.T. "I said a prayer, looked up and around the Milky Way... I saw a shooting star, and then to my right, a flashing light approaching. At first I thought it was a plane, as the Airport is not far away. It flew past me, slowly observing me and letting me observe it. It maintained the same speed (5 kilometers/hour) and then flew out to sea."

Warwick estimated that the UFO was "20 meters up, lights were blue, red, yellow and orange. It was ten minutes in view," adding that he felt "scared, excited, overwhelmed, maybe a bit disappointed because they didn't stay to chat." (Many thanks to Diane Harrison of UFO Network Australasia for this news story.)

CYLINDRICAL UFO FLIES OVER LONDON

On Thursday, December 16, 1998, at 9:05 a.m., David W., his wife and two children were driving on Manthorpe Road, heading into Brewery Road in London when they spotted a UFO.

"The sky was clear blue, with slightly patchy cloud near the horizon," Dave reported, describing the UFO as "a solid white cylinder, smooth but reflective surface with rounded edges, no visible wings, markings or other appendages."

The UFO, he added, "flew like a slow-moving missile, travelling 'a level straight line' east to west, from Abbey Wood to central London. My first thought was that the Iraqis were bombing London!" (Many thanks to Marc Bell and Errol Bruce-Knapp for this news story.)

WISCONSIN MAN SEES UFO OVER LAKE MICHIGAN

On Wednesday, December 16, 1998, at about 9 p.m., Mr. Dornberger, 90, of Algoma, Wisconsin (population 3,353) "saw something that he had never seen in his life before"--a luminous UFO cavorting in the night sky over Lake Michigan.

Describing the object as "a very bright light," Dornberger "could hardly believe his eyes as the large object darted around the sky over the lake," performing "incredible maneuvers."

"At first I thought it might be a helicopter," he added, "but after giving some thought to it," he decided that nothing manmade could fly at such speed or perform such maneuvers. (Many thanks to Rev. Billy Dee of UFOSSI for forwarding this news story.)

(Editor's Note: Algoma is on Highway 42, approximately 38 miles (60 kilometers) north of Manitowoc, Wis., the site of last week's "weird critter" sighting. See UFO Roundup, volume 3, number 50 for more details.)

DIAMOND-SHAPED UFO SEEN OVER THE ARIZONA DESERT

On Tuesday, December 1, 1998, at 9:30 p.m., Judi M. and her husband were camped out near the little town of Why, Arizona (population 47), which is on Highway 86 about 120 miles (192 kilometers) west of Tucson, when she encountered a UFO.

"It's a campground, so no light to speak of," Judi reported, "My husband had just gone to sleep, and I was outside alone. I often watch the stars from there because there's an absence of city lights."

"Anyway, I viewed a large diamond-shaped object almost directly overhead. The craft or lights were in a diamond shape, with large lights all over, non-blinking. I didn't hear any engine noise, just saw the lights moving slowly toward the west. It was hard to judge the altitude of the craft. To me, it appeared as large as a (Boeing) 747 while flying directly overhead at about 500 feet."

"There was a bright green light underneath and in the middle of all the other lights...I then noticed another light trailing behind the 'craft.' Hard to judge how far behind, but a significant range, maybe a quarter of a mile, a red light, non-blinking...The lights turned west and, to my surprise, made a slow wide turn and came back toward me, but a little further south of where I stood, about a mile or two."

"As the craft or lights were getting smaller, but still in plain sight, I heard a jet engine--two, actually. Two jets (from the local Barry Goldwater Air Force Base, I suppose) flew across the sky, heading straight for the 'lights.' Now it got my attention. Why were the jets behind them in such a big hurry?"

"Interesting, too, is the fact that the 'lights' were suddenly no longer there, or at least they turned them off." She added that the jets continued on that flight path for five minutes, then turned back and headed back to base. (Email Interview)

UFOs LINKED TO A POWER FAILURE IN KENTUCKY

On Sunday, December 13, 1998, at 10:35 p.m., radio host Bill Boshears of WLW-AM Radio, 770 on your dial, received a strange call on his show, Sci-Zone.

Boshears said a caller phoned in a report about "a blue-colored object descending from the sky in an area near Eastlake Mall" in Batavia, Ohio (population 1,700), a town on Route 222 about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Cincinnati.

Forty minutes later, at 11:15 p.m., across the Ohio River in northern Kentucky, a woman motorist spotted "a blue-colored object over Hopeful-Church Road" near Florence, Ky (population 18,624).

"While traveling southbound on Hopeful-Church Road," she reported, "I spotted a large triangular object that seemed to be hovering. The object was composed of very prominent blue lights which flashed or traced in a vertical manner."

The woman said she "almost struck the curb while looking at the object." With her car engine running, she was unable to hear any sound from the object. She added that she could make out "a triangular structure" from the "skyglow" light from the metro Cincinnati area and from the "partial luminescence caused by the blue lights. The object departed at a low elevation to the southeast."

On Monday, December 14, 1998, at 6 a.m., a 14-year-old boy in Dry Ridge, Ky. (population 58) spotted "a blue-colored object with flames." He added that the object was "big and circular with blue flames" and was "thought to be going down or diving."

At 11 a.m., WLW reported a power blackout in Florence, Ky.

At 4 p.m., the woman witness "saw two black-clad helicopters in the area" along Hopeful-Church Road where she had seen the UFO the previous night.

On Wednesday, December 16, 1998, at 11:50 p.m., a 27-year-old male witness spotted a UFO near his home in Fort Mitchell, Ky. He said he noticed a "star-like object in the sky. From his vantage point, he was looking to the east and was able to view the star-like object at a distance, seemingly at a high elevation to the northeast of Cincinnati."

"The object would dim and come back on again," he reported, "It would dim and rekindle as if it were a candle struggling to stay lit...The alleged object seemed to move from left to right, up and down, as if it were 'sliding' through the sky. Wasn't an airplane, wasn't a helicopter."

Florence, Ky. is on Interstate Highway I-75 about 11 miles (17 kilometers) south of Cincinnati. (Many thanks to Cincinnati UFO researcher Kenny Young for this news story.)

UFO SIGHTED OVER LAKE ERIE

On Monday, December 14, 1998, at 6:30 p.m., a woman witness was outdoors in Avonia, Pennsylvania (population 1,366), a small town 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Erie, Pa, and about one mile south of Lake Erie, when she saw a UFO.

She was "unloading some items from her car when she was startled to see a bright white light with a tail that appeared to pass directly over her head. The object was moving from north to south, and no sound was apparent."

"The object continued to move to a distance of about 30 feet" from the witness "and stopped directly above the roof of my house. The object then appeared as a solid, real white light, and it was motionless. It then began a pattern of blinking off, then blinking on--at about one-second intervals. I became frightened at that point and ran inside, and that was the last the object was observed." (Many thanks to Stan Gordon of Pennsylvania UFO Hotline for this report. You can reach the hotline at this number--area code 724-number 838-7768, if you have a UFO sighting in Pennsylvania to report.)

UFOLOGIST LEWIS SAYS METHOW
VALLEY UFO IS A CAMERA FLAW

The "Methow Valley UFO" photographed by a security camera at Sun Mountain resort lodge near Winthrop, Washington state is most likely a flaw in the camera, Florida ufologist Courtland Lewis said.

(See UFO Roundup Volume 3 Number 50)

"If you go to the website provided and look at the SkyCam image for December 16, about 8:30 a.m., you'll see a glaring radiant object in the same place on the image," Lewis stated.

"The UFO hasn't traveled far in the past month, has it?"

Lewis said the luminous spot was most likely "something on the camera lens" and not a UFO. (Email Interview)

From the UFO Files...

1909: CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS WATCH
A UFO FLY OVER BOSTON

On December 23, 1909, over thirty communities in Massachusetts reported sightings of UFOs, all of which were thought to be the "airship" invented by Wallace J. Tillinghast, a self-proclaimed inventor from Worcester, Mass.

But nowhere were the sightings more dramatic than in downtown Boston, where thousands of people watched the strange display in the sky.

Here's the actual account as it appeared in the Boston Herald:

"At first, those who saw the lights took them for some unusually bright star, shining through the hazy atmosphere. The two strong searchlights were distinguished from the blurred outline as they flashed among the buildings on Beacon Street."

"Visible for a few minutes, the lights disappeared again and shortly after were seen above the Common, crossing over the Charles Street Mall. Many of the skaters in the Public Gardens were attracted by the lights and left the ice to join the throngs of Christmas shoppers who forgot their errands to watch the strange sight."

"The lights moved so quickly that the soon outdistanced the following crowd and served to put to rest the belief that they might have come from a large balloon. At times, when seen from what was taken to be the side of the machine, the lights had the appearance of automobile headlights, casting a bright glow as from a reflection. Then they were seen head on and the vague outline of an aerial craft was barely discernible between the two lights, which seemed to be on either end."

"At the height of 600 feet, which the airship maintained, the lights looked scarcely a fathom (6 feet or 1.7 meters--J.T.) apart, shining with a brightness greater than that of the moon."

"Long shadows were cast by the lights as they floated for a moment and then quickly dimmed. Above the Common the lights remained apparently stationary for somewhat less than half an hour, in apparent contravention of the popular belief that an aeroplane can remain in the air only when in motion..."

"Coming over the Common and proceeding in the direction of Copley Square, the lights were again visible a little after 8:15 (p.m.) This time they passed quickly over Back Bay, followed by a detail of patrolmen from Station #18 in case the operator attempted a landing, and disappeared in the direction (west) of Brookline and Chestnut Hill." (See the Boston, Mass. Herald for December 23, 1909, page 1. See also Fortean Studies, volume 1, "The New England Airship Invasion of 1909" by Joseph Trainor, page 67.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

UFO Roundup offers Christmas greetings to the millions of men and women in uniform around the planet, who are on active duty and cannot be home with their families for the holiday. Whoever you are, whatever uniform you proudly wear, whichever country you serve--here's wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Thirty years ago, on December 21, 1968, three men really did go "where no man has gone before," namely, to the moon. On that day, Apollo 8 lifted off from Cape Canaveral (then Cape Kennedy), Florida for its quarter- million-mile voyage. Astronauts Frank Borman, James A. Lovell Jr. and William A. Anders became the first human beings ever to completely escape Earth's gravity and enter orbit around another world.

Join us next week for more saucer news from around the planet, brought to you by "the paper that goes home--UFO Roundup." Enjoy your Christmas holidays!

UFO ROUNDUP: Copyright 1998 by Masinaigan Productions, all rights reserved. Readers may post news items from UFO Roundup on their website or in newsgroups provided that they credit the newsletter and its editor by name and list the date of issue in which the item first appeared.
SIGHTINGS HOMEPAGE