From Philip Mantle / Flying Disk Press
For decades, the civilian American UFO research group APRO (Aerial Phenomena Research Organisation) was the go-to UFO group headed by married couple Jim and Coral Lorenzen. Like most UFO groups it gradually faded away to be replaced by something else. APRO was without a doubt a pioneering UFO group and for decades after they closed down access to their archive of UFO files and related material was impossible.
It was therefore great news when David Marler, Executive Director of the National UFO Historical Records Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico put out a press release. It seems coincidental that in early November 2023 I had been discussing the location of various files on social media when this great news was released by David Marler, the Executive Director of NUFOHRC. It took the UFO community completely by surprise. Here is the press release in full dated November 28th 2023:
The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) was one of the oldest and largest civilian UFO research organizations in the world. The research files of this organization have been transferred to the National UFO Historical Records Center (NUFOHRC) in Rio Rancho, NM.
Press Release
11-28-23
Dr. J. Allen Hynek, former Scientific Adviser to U.S. Air Force Project Blue Book, cited APRO and NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena) the best civilian UFO groups of their time. Both of these collections of UFO archival records along with the files of the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) are now housed at the headquarters of NUFOHRC.
APRO was founded in 1952 by Jim and Coral Lorenzen, later based in Tucson, AZ. NICAP was started in 1957 in Washington D.C. by Major Donald Keyhoe. CUFOS was founded in 1973 by Dr. J. Allen Hynek in Chicago, IL. All of these records are in the process of being digitized for electronic storage, analyzation, transfer, and ease of access.
The collective files of APRO, NICAP, CUFOS, as well as Dr. J. Allen Hynek’s original U.S. Air Force Project Blue Book files, constitutes the largest civilian historical UFO case file collection in the United States, if not the world.
An appropriate site is being sought in the Albuquerque, NM area for a permanent facility to house this massive collection of UFO research data.
The facility will allow for public access to the UFO data as well as viewing of historic photos and artifacts from the UFO research field. NUFOHRC plans to cooperate with civilian, scientific, and governmental UFO research efforts.
Never in U.S. history has such a vast quantity of UFO records (numbering in the tens of thousands) been centralized in one location.
As a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, a tax-deductible donation may be made to NUFOHRC to fund a free-standing public archive building which will make these files and other historical materials more readily accessible for UFO researchers, academics, scientists, and U.S. government organizations. Donations can be made online or via mail.
For more information, contact Executive Director David Marler at: dbmarler@outlook.com
National UFO Historical Records Center
P.O. Box 15541
Rio Rancho, NM 87174
In short David Marler and NUFOHC were now in possession of what I called the Holy Grail of civilian UFO research files. I have known David Marler for a number of years and I was happy to donate my own humble collection of UFO files and related material to NUFOHRC in 2023. David knows what projects and topics I am working on but it was going to take a good amount of time to go through the APRO files but I was confident that these long ‘lost’ files were now safe and could bear fruit.
Since 2018 I have been working with Calvin Parker on his encounter on the Pascagoula River, Mississippi on October 11th 1973. I worked with Calvin Parker right up until he died in August 2023. I spoke with him on the phone shortly before he died and told him that I’d continue to be the torch bearer for his and Charles Hickson’s encounter and the search would go on for more material.
Thankfully, I was joined in this research by my friend and colleague Dr Irena Scott from Ohio, USA. Over the last five years we have had amazing support from UFO groups and individuals around the world who have supplied us with all they have on the Pascagoula encounter. There are too many to mention but working with these amazing colleagues we have uncovered: documents and photos of the minor injuries on Parker & Hickson, the full transcript of their interview at Keesler AFB, the full unredacted US Coast Guard documents on the USO sighting in the Pascagoula River and the list goes on and on. This is a great example of how UFO researchers can work together. Nothing has come from the false claims of those stating that they ran a MoD UFO project or a secret DoD UFO study. The same applies to so-called ‘whistle-blowers’. They have put nothing on the table. In fact the whole ‘disclosure lobby’ has ignored the subject of alien abductions.
Dr Irena Scott and I have also obtained firsthand eyewitness testimony from UFO witnesses that first spoke up in 1973 and others who we have either located ourselves or have stepped out of the shadows in these last five years. In fact they are still coming forward with several new witnesses being interviewed in the last few months. Some of these witnesses were in the direct vicinity of where Parker & Hickson had their encounter. Mr Charles Anderson was driving across the bridge that goes over the Pascagoula River when he saw the ‘blue UFO’ down below him. Mr Louis Lee was working on the opposite side of the river that night as a crane driver in the shipyard. As soon as he got in his cab he could see this ‘darn thing’ out over the river. And most fascinating of all are Mr and Mrs Blair. They were on the opposite side of the river that night and saw the Parker/Hickson encounter and they had their own alien abduction experience as well.
HISTORIC AUDIOFILES OF THE 1973 PASCAGOULA ENCOUNTER RECOVERED FROM THE ‘LOST’ APRO FILES
It was much to my surprise and delight that I received a message from David Marler on Thursday December 28th (2023) asking the following:
“Do you have any of Harder’s regressive hypnosis tapes related to Pascagoula? I just found one in the APRO audio tapes. I’m listening to Calvin under hypnosis. Yes. I’m not with it now. But there are references to the event occurring just days before. Also, there is recorded discussion between Hynek and Fred Diamond.”
I replied immediately that I did not have this material and could I have a copy please. David, being the gent and genuine UFO researcher that he is, digitized these audio cassettes for me and they are now with me and Dr Irena Scott.
A colleague is already on standby to try and boost the sound quality of these files and they will be sent to him shortly.
There are five separate audio sequences. They are:
- Dr James Harder hypnotic regression on 10-14-73 (October 14th, 1973) of Calvin Parker re Pascagoula MS UFO incident on 10-11-73.
- Dr James Harder interviewed in wake of Pascagoula MS incident on10-11-73.
- Pascagoula MS 10-11-73 incident interview with Hickson and Parker by Sheriff Fred Diamond.
- Sheriff Fred Diamond Interviewed by Dr. J Allen Hynek re the Pascagoula Incident on 10-11-73.
- Sheriff Fred Diamond plays secret recording of Calvin and Parker to Hynek re the Pascagoula Incident on 10-11-73.
At my request David Marler took a couple of photos of the original tapes including one of himself holding them. These photos and all of these audio files remain copyright David Marler/NUFOHRC.
It goes without saying that they are a huge find and are a significant part of the history of the 1973 Pascagoula alien abduction account and to the wider study of such experiences. I cannot thank David Marler enough for his cooperation with this and for proving up with copies of this truly fascinating material. David is still going through the APRO files and who knows what else might turn up. As yet we have not decided how to make this new information available in public. We will take it one step at a time with the first step being the enhancement of the sound quality of these audio files.
REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION
Dr Scott and I know that there are others out there that have more information on this case. With the greatest of respect all we ask is that whatever you might have, no matter how insignificant you might think it is, to please share it with us. We are looking for anything: newspaper cuttings, photos, correspondence, ephemera and so on.
OTHER WITNESSES
Over the last five years we have literally interviewed dozens of eyewitnesses to the UFO events back in 1973. Most of these witnesses were perfectly willing to allow us to use their real names. There were a few that were not happy with this so we simply used a false name instead. No problem. We are confident that there are still other witnesses out there that have yet to go on the record. What we would like to ask is for you to contact us and allow Dr Scott and I to document your sighting. We can do this in complete confidence if so required.
CONTACT
If you would like to contact us regarding any of the above I can be contacted on face via private message or directly on email:
https://www.facebook.com/philip.mantle.9
Attached are two photos of the newly discovered cassette tapes plus another with David Marler holding the tapes. The other photo is of Brian Myers (left) and David Marler handing over the APRO files which are behind the two men.
About the author:
Philip Mantle is a long-standing UFO researcher and author from the UK. He was formerly the Director of Investigations for the British UFO Research Association and the MUFON Representative for England. He is the founder of FLYING DISK PRESS and can be contacted at: www.flyingdiskpress.com