Friday, February 14, 2020

AATIP's UFO Medical Study and the Cash-Landrum Case


The Cash-Landrum UFO case was a small part of the Pentagon's AATIP studies.

Popular Mechanics has a new article out by Tim McMillan, Inside the Pentagon's Secret UFO Program, and it looks at a number of issues concerning the AATIP and AAWSAP story. One of the questions it seeks to answer is whether or or it was a UFO program. He points to one of the studies contracted by the program, one written by Dr. Christopher "Kit" Green, “Clinical Medical Acute & Subacute Field Effects on Human Dermal & Neurological Tissues.”

McMillan quotes Dr. Green as saying:
However the 2019 documentary, Third Eye Spies by Lance Mungia disclosed that:
"(Kit Green) tells me he regularly collaborates with Hal (Puthoff), but on what, neither one of them will say. ...Turns out that Kit and Hal really were collaborating. Kit brought Hal into a top-secret Pentagon UFO assessment program revealed in December 2017 by the New York Times. Oh, and Hal says they have recovered UFO debris, but that’s another story.”

For some background on the UFO-related carerer of Dr. Green, I recommend Keith Basterfield's article: Christopher 'Kit' Canfield Green - further information

About Dr. Green's AAWSAP paper, McMillan says that:

"In light of the cumbersome clinical language, just a cursory scan reveals the entire focus was on examining injuries that may have occurred after contact with UFOs or UAP. In fact, the very term 'UFO' appears 16 times in the report; the word 'anomalous' is used 27 times... 'Advanced Aerospace Systems Applications Program' is mentioned in bold on four occasions."

The paper also mentions the Cash-Landrum UFO encounter on 7 occasions, but does not contain a thorough examination of it. It's an important element though. The Cash-Landrum case is regarded as a benchmark of sorts for other UFO injury cases. Cash-Landrum investigator John Schuessler included the case in his 1996 booklet, and it was a key refence for Green's paper: 
“The Schuessler catalog, UFO-Related Human Physiological Effects, was complied in 1996 by MUFON's past Director, John F. Schuessler. Covering the time period 1873 - 1994, the catalog comprises a summary of 356 selected cases of UFO-induced physiological effects on humans during close encounters.”


McMillan also notes:

"Green also stresses that while his work focused on encounters with unknown or unidentified aerial objects, all of the injuries he assessed could be accounted for by known terrestrial means, and did not provide any evidence for extraterrestrial or non-human technologies."

McMillan's story included this link to the full AAWSAP study by Dr. Green archived from Scribd:


Keith Basterfield has done an analysis of the paper and some comments on what it contains.


Update:

In late March 2022, the DIA released 38 of the DIRDs, including Dr. Green's original paper.


. . .

For more information of the interest of the US government in the Cash Landrum case, please see our previous articles:



The US Government’s Cash-Landrum UFO Investigations

The US Government’s Cash-Landrum UFO Investigations, Part Two

For documents and literature on the C-L case, please check:
The Cash-Landrum UFO Case Document Collection

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Monday, December 23, 2019

Remembering Donald Keyhoe and the Birth of Ufology

The end of December marks the anniversary of the Cash-Landrum case, which we traditionally remember this time each year. Betty Cash, Colby and Vickie Landrum reported a terrifying UFO encounter that they said changed their lives on Dec. 29, 1980. 

Without the field of Ufology, the Cash-Landrum sighting might have have been forgotten and the story never revealed or investigated. Without Donald Keyhoe, there might never have been Ufology. This year, we look at the 70th anniversary of the article that established the foundation for the civilian study of UFOs.


Beliefs about extraterrestrial visitors goes back much further than the flying saucer wave of 1947, but it was mostly a matter for the fringe, from spiritualists and Forteans to crackpot science fiction fans. That began to change in December of 1949, when the news was abuzz over an article, "The Flying Saucers Are Real" by Donald E. Keyhoe in True magazine, cover dated January 1950. The article prompted a negative reaction by the Air Force.

Associated Press story, The Carbondale Southern Illinoisan,  Dec. 27, 1949
Donald Keyhoe was a retired Marine Major who had been writing professionally since the 1920s, everything from nonfiction aviation to pulp fantasy and science fiction. True magazine had been working on an article on flying saucers, but was stumped. Editor Ken Purdy assigned the job to Keyhoe, knowing his aviation background and military contacts would allow him to dig deeper. It did. 


Keyhoe was able to get factual information on cases, and also to get opinion and speculation on flying saucers from military engineers. Despite lacking physical evidence, some of them were persuaded that saucers were aircraft of an unknown design, and the reported performance of this craft exceeded the technical capabilities of anything that could be made on earth. Ergo, flying saucers came from another planet.

Donald Keyhoe’s article helped coalesce several saucer beliefs into a plausible package. His position was: The flying saucers are real, and are interplanetary spaceships. His secondary principle was that the US government knew about UFOs and that they were keeping it secret, in other words, there was a government UFO cover-up.

The military’s policy of secrecy, coupled with their confusion over the UFO situation fed into the suspicion and even paranoia of saucer buffs. The newly-formed Air Force was able neither to explain or control the saucer problem, and they’d tried hard to avoid talking about. When they did, there were often contradictory statements and explanations that just made matters worse. It may have been more of a foul-up than a cover-up.

Some of Keyhoe's UFO books over the decades.
With the phenomenal success of the article, Keyhoe expanded it into a paperback book released in May of 1950. Much of the flying saucer sensation was fueled by hoaxes, rumors and speculation, but Keyhoe did what no one else could, and he tenaciously focused on real incidents and documentation instead of hearsay. It’s true that his pulp writing style added some drama to the way they were presented, and also some speculation. The Air Force’s Capt. Edward Ruppelt would later offer a left-handed compliment saying, “Keyhoe had based his conjecture on fact, and his facts were correct, even if the conjecture wasn't.”

Keyhoe’s book is more well known today than his article that launched it all. It’s worth remembering an rereading the True magazine piece, where it all the excitement started. 

As long as UFOs are discussed, Keyhoe's story will live on.

True magazine January, 1950, "The Flying Saucers Are Real" by Donald E. Keyhoe
(Hosted at the site, PROJECT 1947, founded by Jan L. Aldrich)
http://www.project1947.com/fig/truejan1950.htm

...


For more UFO history, join us at our companion site, The Saucers That Time Forgot



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Thursday, October 3, 2019

The Cash-Landrum UFO Case Document Collection

The following is a list of important documents, reports, correspondence, news and magazine articles relating to the investigation of the December 29, 1980 UFO encounter reported by Betty Cash, Colby and Vickie Landrum.

When possible, links are included to the material hosted on the Internet.
As new items become available, this page will be updated.



Who's Who in the Cash-Landrum UFO Case

Vickie Landrum's initial UFO incident report to NUFORC (the National UFO Reporting Center), from 2/2/1981. The recording of the historic telephone call that launched the investigation.
Vickie Landrum's UFO report to NUFORC,  Feb. 2, 1981

Betty Cash & Vickie Landrum Tape Recording Made At Parkway Hospital in early February 1981 transcribed and published in The Cash-Landrum UFO Incident by John F. Schuessler

Betty Cash’s hand written statement for the records of Parkway Hospital, 2/7/81

The First Newspaper article
The Conroe Courier printed the first mainstream press on the case, Cathy Gordon's 2-part story: 
"Two women share terror of mysterious encounter" Feb. 22, 1981
"Investigators eye ‘close encounter’" Feb. 23, 1981
Photocopies of the articles are located within the PDF of the Texas Department of Health files:

Weekly World News March 24, 1981 
(published early to mid March) "3 SURVIVE UFO ATTACK"

Preliminary Cash-Landrum report by John Schuessler and Project VISIT, March 4, 1981 
John F. Schuessler’s report on interviewing the witnesses and visiting the sighting location.
Index to the Cash-Landrum Original Case Report 
(All by John F. Schuessler, unless noted otherwise.)
1 - 2 MUFON form: “UFO Sighting Questionnaire- General Cases (Form 1)” with location, sketches of UFO and event data. Name of Investigator, “John F. Schuessler,” “Witness: Vicky Landrum.” Dated March 3, 1981 (“4-3-81”). 2 pages.
3 - 13 Cash/Landrum Case “On-Site Investigation Report, Date: 28 Feb 1981,” Interview with Vickie and Colby Landrum. Handwritten, 11 pages. (Page one on VISIT letterhead.)
14 MUFON “UFO Sighting Questionnaire - Computer Input (Form 2)” “Vicky Landrum”(Basic information on location of sighting and witness data).
15 MUFON “UFO Sighting Questionnaire - Computer Input (Form 2)” “Betty Cash.”
16 -23  Report of meeting and interview with Betty Cash dated 22 Feb. 1981. Handwritten, 8 pages. (Page one on VISIT letterhead.)
24 - 27 Alan Holt, report of (2/28/81) interview with Vickie and Colby Landrum. Handwritten, 4 pages. (On VISIT letterhead.)
28 Al Holt memo: “Conversation with Bill English,” undated. (English of APRO was the first investigator to speak to Vickie Landrum.) Handwritten, 1 page. (On VISIT letterhead.)
29 - 30 Al Holt: “Helicopter Investigation,” 3/10/81. Handwritten, 2 pages. (On VISIT letterhead.)
31 - 33  21 Feb. 1981, 1 pm: “Betty Cash called collect from Dayton, TX” (Phone interview: first witness contact.) Typed, 3 pages. (Page one on VISIT letterhead.)
34 - 35 1st MUFON Cash-Landrum case contact: 20 February 1981,  by phone from reporter Cathy Gordon. “Caller: Kathy Gordon, Conroe Daily Courier...” Typed, 2 pages. (Page one on VISIT letterhead.)
Illustration from the 3/4/81 report.

A Preliminary Report on the Cash/Landrum New Caney CEII Case by Allan Hendry of CUFOS. (Undated, April 1981.) Pages 8-11 of PDF

MUFON Cash-Landrum Case Files (1981 - 1999)
Table of Contents and 9 files, documents totaling 708 pages scanned by MUFON.
Includes case reports, correspondence, legal documents and news clippings.
https://app.box.com/s/zubv3cz8ddfhmjpjg786bs0gvrsdwgtk

MUFON UFO Journal Number 158, April 1981
"Radiation Injuries from UFO"
Brief summary of the Project VISIT report written by Richard Hall

Analysis of Betty Cash's Medical Records, Peter Rank, M.D. letter to John Schuessler  
("complete summary report" of medical data) 4/29/1981 (5 pages). PDF pages 3-7

Injuries from chemical agents? VISIT memo: R. Niemetzow called J. Schuessler 7/5/1981 (1 page) PDF page 1

Dr. R. Leo Sprinkle: Cash-Landrum files and Correspondence
Dr. Sprinkle hypnotized Vickie Landrum in July 1981, then later for a TV program. Files also contain correspondence from Dr. Peter Rank discussing Betty Cash's medical records and condition.
File 1: (PDF 28 pages)  https://app.box.com/s/momf6fpbuq7on2rb6r8u
File 2: (PDF 21 pages)  https://app.box.com/s/rdan7wr5j8vz5stungbu

BERGSTROM Air  Force Base Interview of Betty Cash, Vickie & Colby Landrum, August 17, 1981 (unpublished until CUFON circa 1994) Lengthy statements by the witnesses discussing case details with Air force officers. First step in legal case.
Legal Counseling VISIT memo: Bill Shead & John Schuessler met with Betty Cash & Vickie Landrum 8/23/1981 (1page) PDF page 2

National Enquirer August 5, 1981 
"UFO Terrorizes and Burns Three in Car" PDF pages 19-20. This story documents Vickie Landrum's first hypnosis session and the surfacing of the detail of the UFOs' "little blue lights."
https://app.box.com/s/zvelar3gubgiee5zwgi3
or http://www.ignaciodarnaude.com/avistamientos_ovnis/UFO%20Sighting%201980,Texas,25%20helicopters-1.pdf

John F Schuessler's first C-L case presentation at the CUFOS Symposium


The Spectrum of UFO Research, J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies, Mimi Hynek, ed. (1988)
John Schuessler's first lecture on the Cash-Landrum case from Sept. 1981 is presented, and it serves as as an excellent introduction to the case, telling the story of the events, and discussing the early months of the investigation. The narrative of the encounter is followed by speculation about the injuries and their source. Includes photographs, the Q & A session that followed Schuessler's lecture, and his 1988 update on the case.
http://www.cufos.org/books/The_Spectrum_of_UFO_Research.pdf

(Reprinted in UFO Report Winter 1981)

Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation investigation report by Russ Meyer. Investigated scene Sept 16, 1981. 
(Discloses sighting location unknown, medical help refused.)

APRO Bulletin Vo. 29 No. 8 Sept. 1981 Coral Lorenzen, editor

MUFON UFO Journal November 1981
"Cash-Landrum Radiation Case" by John F. Schuessler
MUFON UFO Symposium 1982 (July 2, 3, 4) Toronto, Canada
“Radiation Sickness Caused by UFOs" by John F. Schuessler, M.S.
MUFON UFO Journal January 1983 pg 14,15

APRO Bulletin Vol. 30 No. 6 August 1982 Coral Lorenzen, editor
"Rumors Permeate Cash-Landrum Case" by Coral Lorenzen
http://www.openminds.tv/apro-bulletins

APRO Bulletin Vo. 30 No. 9 September 1982 Coral Lorenzen, editor
"The Cash Landrum Case Analysis" by Coral E. Lorenzen
http://www.openminds.tv/apro-bulletins

The Unexplained Mysteries of Mind, Space and Time, 
(UK) Orbis Publishing Limited, Vol 9, Issue 107, 1982.
"Blind Terror in Texas" by John F. Schuessler

DAIG investigation, U.S. Army Inspector General's Office, Washington, D.C., Report by Lt. Col. George C. Sarran
Includes some handwritten case notes.

John F. Schuessler’s VISIT 5/9/1982 report on Sarran’s investigation 
(11 pages w/ cover): PDF pages 21-31 

Helicopter Witness appears: VISIT Investigator's Notes Summary: Interview with John Plaster, Huffman Helicopter witness  9/25/1982 (4 pages w/ cover.) PDF pages 32-35
MUFON UFO Journal October 1982 pg. 3
"Pentagon Investigates Cash-Landrum Case" by John F. Schuessler

APRO Bulletin Vo. 30 No. 10 October 1982 Coral  Lorenzen, editor
"More on Cash Landrum" by Coral E. Lorenzen
http://www.openminds.tv/apro-bulletins
MUFON UFO Journal December 1982 pg 8
"Technical Review of Radiation in  Cash-Landrum Case" by Paul Stowe (MUFON Research Specialist in Nuclear Technology)
Followed by comments from Dr. Peter Rank

MUFON UFO Journal September 1983 pg 3
"Cash-Landrum Case Investigation of Helicopter Activity" by John F. Schuessler

John F. Schuessler File: the Cash- Landrum Radiation Case
 The AFU (Archives for the Unexplained) in Sweden hosts an incredible collection of UFO documents, including this batch of newspaper clippings and case files.
Schuessler, John F - Cash-Landrum Radiation Case - VISIT report.pdf

Dr. Gary Posner: The Cash-Landrum UFO-Radiation Case
Dr. Gary Posner became interested in the medical aspects of the Cash-Landrum case in late 1981 and conducted his own research, and his site hosts a page presenting his correspondence with people involved, including the previously mentioned radiologist, Dr. Peter Rank. 
Gary P. Posner, M.D.: The 1980 Cash-Landrum UFO-Radiation Case

Radiation UFO Injuries by Richard C. Niemtzow, M.D.
also published in Flying Saucer Review vol 29, no. 3, 1984

MUFON UFO Journal November 1983 pg 12 
"UFOs and Hot Rings" by James McCampbell

MUFON UFO Journal January 1984 pg 3 
"Estimate of the Situation 1984 the (sad?) State of UFOlogy" by John F. Schuessler
discusses APRO’s criticism, claims of USG UFO

MUFON UFO Journal February 1984 pg 7 15 
"UFOS Seen Over East Texas" by John F. Schuessler
(Vickie Landrum provides a tip on another UFO case)

Legal Documents: From the Damage Claims Form to the Attempted Civil Lawsuit
Quest Publication: The Cash-Landrum File: Civil Action No. H84 348
CUFON (Computer UFO Network) also hosts a collection of documents connected to the legal case.
(Note: The Defense conducted an investigation about if the UFO was a US military device. No documents from this investigation have surfaced.)

MUFON UFO Symposium July 1984
"Cash-Landrum Case: Speculation About the Medical Effects" by John F. Schuessler. 

Pursuit: Science is the Pursuit of the Unexplained
First Quarter 1985, pg.18-21
"Diamond Fire- A Close Encounter of the Military Kind" by Harry Lebelson 

MUFON UFO Symposium Saint Louis, Missouri, June 28, 29 & 30 1985
"The Medical Evidence in UFO Cases" by John F. Schuessler.
"Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" by Peter A. Gersten (link to cover and table of contents only)
MUFON 1986 UFO Symposium
"Cash-Landrum UFO Case File: The Issue of Government Responsibility" by John F. Schuessler. 

MUFON UFO Journal June 1986 pg 16 
Letter from Steuart Campbell, Response from Betty Cash.

MUFON UFO Journal July 1986 pg 10
"Cash-Landrum Case Hampered" by John F. Schuessler

MUFON UFO Journal  October 1986 pg 12
"Cash-Landrum Case Closed?" by John F. Schuessler

CIA File: Remote Viewing Session, Jan. 26, 1988
An attempt by remote viewer Gabrielle Pettingell, and the interviewer Ed Dames to identify the object in the Cash -Landrum case. Link to complete 16-page session file:
Stage IV-V Training, Cash-Landrum Object, Viewer 95 26/01/88

UN Presentation 1992: UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS:
"The Medical and Scientific Evidence" by John F. Schuessler

(Sturrock Panel) Physical Evidence Related to UFO Reports:
The Proceedings of a Workshop Held at the Pocantico Conference Center, Tarrytown, New York, September 29 - October 4,1997

The Cash-Landrum UFO Incident 
Three Texans Are Injured During an Encounter with a UFO and Military Helicopters 
by John F. Schuessler (1998 LaPorte, Texas Geo Graphics Printing Co) out of print

Peter Gersten's notice of Betty’s death, including an obituary written by John Schuessler. 

Vickie Landrum Obituary
Big Thicket Messenger, Sept. 23, 2007:

AATIP document: Clinical Medical Acute & Subacute Field Effects On Human Dermal & Neurological Tissues by Dr. Christopher (Kit) Green
The Cash-Landrum case is referenced in one of the 38 Defense Intelligence Reference Documents (DIRD), products of the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP), a 53 page paper, dated 2009, authored by Dr. Kit Green.

Television Coverage: See this article for a collection of television reports on the case:

If you know of major omissions, please report them to


C. 2013 Curtis L. Collins
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