On the UFO Hunters episode "Alien Fallout", Bill Birnes questioned Colonel George Sarran about the following entry in his notes:
“- 100 helicopters- Robert Grey airfield, came in, for effect”
Colonel Sarran was unable to explain the entry. The implication was that he'd uncovered a massive helicopter operation and then buried the evidence. A bit of digging reveals the probable source for the helicopter notation.
According to October 1982 issue of the MUFON Journal article written by John Schuessler:
On 19 March 1982 I was called by Lt. Col. George Sarran from the Department of the Army Inspector General office in the Pentagon. Col. Sarran explained that his office had received the inquiry from the Air Force Liaison Office because the Air Force had concluded their units were not involved. He explained that his interest was in the possibility that Army helicopters were involved. He would be investigating that allegation. He stressed that the U.S. Army had no opinion about the unidentified object or UFOs in general.
Lt. Colonel George Sarran made these notes, in March or April 1982, probably during a phone conversation with UFO investigator John F. Schuessler in preparation for their first meeting in May. The "100 helicopters" notation seems to be just a recording of Schuessler’s comments. Compare them to earlier published statements by John Schuessler:
One significant helicopter operation took place at Gray Air Force Base near Killeen, Texas, where more than 100 helicopters came in from the field “for effect.”
-The Spectrum of UFO Research: The Proceedings of the Second CUFOS Conference (Sept. 25-27 1981, book published 1988 (Published first in UFO Report Winter 1981 Vol. 9, No. 4: Texas UFO Trauma by John Schuessler)
The unit operating out of Ellington AFB in Houston had landed before the sighting time. Robert Gray Field had 100 helicopters come in from the field at one time "for effect," but claimed to have avoided the Houston area. Hence, no one claims the helicopters that filled the Huffman area sky that winter night.
"Cash-Landrum Radiation Case" by John F. Schuessler -MUFON UFO Journal November 1981 pg. 6:
Update: Another clarifying entry found:
At the Robert Gray Field near Fort Hood a spokesman said they might have 100 helicopters from the field home at one time "for effect", but he claimed they avoided the Houston area. "Blind Terror in Texas" by John F. Schuessler, The Unexplained(UK magazine) 9(107) 2121-25, (1982)
Update: On a site hosting a video of the UFO Hunters episode, one of Col. Sarran's co-workers spoke on his behalf:
AuthorexitpleasantrealtyThe characterization that Mr. (Former Colonel) Sarran was lying is quite incorrect - - you have to know Mr. Sarran as I do and have for six (6) years - - he literally (even after retirement and becoming a businessman) writes down notes copiously. As soon as we saw this episode we knew someone had mentioned "100 helicopters" and he had merely wrote it down...........if they had shown all the notes instead of just that line you would have probably seen more info - - this man doesn't lie.
It made for a "gotcha" moment on the UFO Hunters show, but in this case, the charges are false.
In 1981, Betty Cash and Vickie Landrum were encouraged by Allan Hendry of CUFOs to write to their Congressmen to ask for the government to help with their UFO problem.
“When Betty and Vickie contacted their congressmen, their frustration was heightened. all they received in return was a form letter telling them about the now defunct Air Force project ... and a suggestion they contact a cult group in California.”
- UFO Report Winter 1981 Volume 9, Number 4, "Texas UFO Trauma" by John Schuessler
The Air Force project is obviously Blue Book, but what is being characterized as a "cult group", and who was the party sending this form letter?
After Project Blue Book closed, the Air Force answered UFO inquiries with a form letter fact sheet and a list of organizations that were investigating aerial phenomenon. The letter and resources were updated over the years, but here's a copy from around the right time of the Cash-Landrum incident.
Below is the text for entry for Frank Stranges' NICUFO:
NATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE ON UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS
7970 Woodman Ave.. Suite 207, Van Nuys , CA 91402, Phone: (213)781-770
"Individuals Interested in investigating "the truth concerning UFOs and associated phenomena." Probes UFO reports and relates findings to governmental agencies and the general public via the press, radio, television and newsletters. Holds seminars produces and distributes books and cassettes. Bestows awards. Maintains library of 1700 volumes."
So the best match for the "cult group" seems to be Frank Stranges' NICUFO, leaving the question of who sent the form letter. This quote clenches it all:
“Congressman Charles Wilson didn’t reply until July and then all he did was recommend that they contact Ufologist Frank Stranges.” -The Cash-Landrum UFO Incident pg. 121
Charles Wilson, aka "Good Time Charlie," member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 2nd district of Texas.
Here's a true rarity. Wendy Connors presents recording of Vickie Landrum's initial UFO incident report to NUFORC (the National UFO Reporting Center). She cleaned it up for audio quality, editing out only address and phone numbers. Here's the original announcement for it:
Wendy Connors 16 Feb 2005 07 Subject: Big Doings On SDI Saturday Night
"Big doings on Strange Days... Indeed - this week. Errol and I will be presenting new audio clips of importance to the field of Ufology....
Later, we'll play Vickie Landrum's first call for assistance to Bob Gribble at NUFORC, about a month after she and Betty Cash became ill from the effects of a UFO they encountered near Dayton, TX. This is the first time this recording has been publicly aired and is unknown to the vast majority of researchers."
The Cash-Landrum portion begins at about 1:20.50: "Yes sir, this is Vickie Landrum from Dayton, Texas..."
“RG” indicates Robert Gribble of the National UFO Reporting Center in Seattle Washington.
(Note- Betty Cash was treated in Parkway Hospital, not Parkview)
Yes sir, this is Vickie Landrum from Dayton, Texas.
RG: Yes.
Uh, a deal came down and it was like fire was coming from it
RG: Uh huh.
It got ahead of us and we had to stop, and we got out of the car,
which I didn’t stay out but just a minute ‘cause I had my
little grandson with me, which I got custody of and I got back in the car.
There was nothing happened to me but my but eyes is burned.
But, but Betty Cash that was with me that night,
knots started coming and she had a real terrible headache.
and so she’s been in Parkview Hospital over two weeks,
I got her out she stayed two weeks and I had to put her back.
And all of her hair has come out.
They can’t find out exactly what is wrong with her, they keep saying
it could be this, or it’s a possibility of that.
But, instead of her getting better, she’s getting worse,
and could it have had anything to do with that thing that we stood and watched,
‘cause we were close enough to it that we felt a fire from it.
RG: How close do you feel you were to that?
Uh, I’d be safe to say it wasn’t more than maybe a block and a half from it.
It lit up the whole element, and I thought that the World was coming to the end, I really did.
I told my grandson not to be afraid, that if he saw something come out
of it, that it would be Jesus.
I thought that way I could explain to him to keep him from going into [unclear]
(a little failure? heart failure? or possibly hysteria?)
RG: Was this a fairly large object?
Yes sir!
RG: Would it be larger than your car?
Yes sir!
RG: and did it land on the ground?
No sir. It come down almost to the treetops, and then it went back up and went to the right of us.
And we counted 23 helicopters. It might have been more.
Come in on 1960 over here...
RG: Uh-huh
We counted those helicopters up there, so there has to be somebody that knew about it.
It was because from that, I don’t want her to die, I want her to get better.
RG: What roadway were you on at the time?
We was on the cut-off road, something called New Caney and Huffman road.
My name’s Vickie Landrum and her name is Betty Cash and she’s in Parkview hospital. Now, one of the doctors believes that we might have got some
radiation, but he is not positive.
He taken her blood and it didn’t show up in any of her blood but, in less than two weeks time she has lost all her hair- except down there at the bottom. And she has- she had hair that you wouldn’t believe.
And I mean this is not a hoax- I’m not calling you for a hoax.
Call the Parkview Hospital and verify what I’m telling you.
I’m not putting you on. I wish somebody would go to the hospital- and see that lady.
RG: We’re going to see if we can’t get some help for you and they’ll call ahead of time and make an appointment.
I- I mean, I- I’ve been afraid to call- afraid that somebody would think I was- you know, that it was a hoax. But since she’s had to go back in the hospital for the same thing and she’s not getting any better.
I have to have help from somewhere, if don’t she’s going to die.
RG: Okay, we’re going to do everything we can to help
Okay, thank you a lot.
RG Thank you.
(Ends)
(Note; John F. Schuessler dates this call as taking place on Feb. 17, but Vickie makes reference to making more than one long-distance call to NUFORC, so he may have the date of a later call. No recording of any later calls are available.)
Acknowledgments: Wendy Connors first presented the NUFORC recording on SDI. Thanks to Giuliano Marinkovic, for preserving Vickie's report and enhancing the audio clarity.
This map below shows the location of the Cash-Landrum UFO sighting, subsequent viewing locations, and the placement of alleged secondary witnesses. Some placements are speculative and are subject to correction.
(Corrections and notations last made 11/9/16)
This may prove helpful to anyone studying the case and trying to pinpoint locations and examining the timeline. Please recall that the incident was not reported until almost two months after it occurred, and the additional witnesses came forward only after the case received publicity over the months and years that followed.
Here's an interesting bit of UFO historical trivia, a letter to Aviation Week from Dr. Leon Davidson about the Avro "saucer" project:
Aviation Week Volume 63, 1955
The recent USAF announcement that Avro has a contract to build what looks like a "flying saucer" (AW, Oct. 51, 1955, p. 14) overlooked one very interesting aspect of this aircraft, related to the Coanda effect on which its operation is based. This was described on pp. 456-465 of the "Proceedings of the Fifth International Congress for Applied Mechanics" (P.P. den Hartog and H. Peters, eds.; John Wiley and Sons. NY, 1939). One significant application of the Coanda Nozzle was its use as a motorcycle engine muffler or silencer. Not only did it silence the exhaust, but the backpressure was less than for free discharge conditions. This indicates that the Avro saucer will probably be remarkably silent in operation. This feature is a further example of the astounding prescience of the great number of saucer observers who since 1947 have not only predicted the shape and performance of the Avro craft, but have also almost invariably remarked on the amazing silence of "saucers" in flight.