At the close of this year, even the most positive among us has had trouble dealing with 2020. With a global pandemic changing the way we live, political upheaval, racial divides, and an election fraught with venom and strife, even the threat of murder hornets don’t faze us after all that 2020 has dumped on our doorsteps. So learning about how a local man’s experiences point to the fact that we’re not alone in the universe may just be the icing on the cake of the year that made us question every other area of our lives.
You may be surprised to learn that the subject has a name — UFOlogy, which is noted as the array of subject matter and activities associated with an interest in unidentified flying objects (UFOs). According to the Mutual UFO Network (mufon.com), UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists. The non-profit 501-C.3 organization that was founded in 1969 notes that the mystery surrounding UFOs has historical roots in the early 19th century when unexplained “ghost fliers” were spotted in Europe and North America and numerous “ghost rockets” were reported in Scandinavia during the 1930s.
During the Second World War, Allied airmen reported seeing “mystery airships” or “foo fighters” while in flight. After the War ended, aviator Kenneth Arnold reported spotting a “flying saucer” near Mt. Rainier, Washington in 1947. Media hype following this report brought the concept of flying saucers to the forefront of the public eye during late 1940s and early 1950s as a result. During the Cold War, US, British, Canadian, Danish, Italian, and Swedish governments have each collected reports of UFO sightings, although most governmental programs have been officially reported to be shut down as recently as 2012, although US Defense Department allocated $22 million on the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program in 2017.
Organizations around the world continue to collect information from amateur astronomers and regular folks who happened to be in the right place at the right time to view an unexplained event in the sky. One such US organization, the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), documented that nearly 3,000 sightings were reported in Ohio in 2020 alone (nuforc.org). In fact, the organization’s information compiled in 2018 listed Ohio in the top five states for reported UFO sightings (after California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Florida.)
While the stigma of UFO sightings may keep people from sharing their stories publicly, according to the statistics above, people do come forward to share that information in order to make sense of what they’ve seen. One such witness came forward recently to share his story locally in the hope that others may be emboldened to share their experiences as well. For the purpose of this story, the witness will be referred to as Joe; he has asked to remain anonymous for the protection of his family. Those wishing to share their experiences you may send messages to Ufo@weeklyvillager.com. Please note: this address has been set up and is managed by Weekly Villager staff; messages and/or information will be forwarded to Joe as deemed appropriate.
Joe’s experience began in an unlikely way, back in 2017 when he was on his way home from the 3rd shift at his job in Garrettsville. Traveling near the McGuire property on SR 82 (near Shanks Downes Road), he noticed strange lights above the field. He stopped to try and take a few photos on his phone to show his wife, hoping he’d get something clear enough to hang on his wall. On his trusty flip phone, Joe captured lights from what he identified as two distinct aircrafts. He recalls being mesmerized as the two seemed to signal to each other by the use of the lights which seemed to blink alternately to each other, as if communicating. He noted seeing the brake lights of another motorist that night, who paused briefly at the sight, then kept on moving. When a third larger craft appeared between the two, Joe felt the need to leave. “I wanted to get out of there — it was getting too crowded,” he joked.
About a year later, driving through the same area, he noticed some intense lights in that area, in a wooded area off in distance. “They appeared to be looking for something,” he noted. He stopped his truck to get a better look. From the distance, he thought he spotted figures. Once again, he tried to capture photos on his phone. He remembers a bright light, which illuminated the inside of his truck. The light’s intensity made him cover his eyes, but with his phone in one hand, he managed to fire off a series of photos. The photos show the intense movement of a charm that hung from the rear view mirror, showing that the parked truck had experienced pressure from a force of some kind, although Joe noted that he wasn’t afraid, and didn’t feel like he was in danger. He showed the photos to his friends and family on the tiny screen of his flip phone, but after a time, he forgot about them.
It wasn’t until he began the task of deleting old photos and contacts from his trusty flip phone about a year ago that he came across those photos again. When he and his wife downloaded the photos to a computer to get a closer look, they were astonished at what they saw in the background…
Joe’s story continues in our next edition (January 8, 2021).
