textfiles/ufo/UFOBBS/1000/1061.ufo

SUBJECT: The Majestic Twelve                                 FILE: UFO1061

PART 18

      The recent issue of JUST CAUSE also contains the statement by
Larry Fawcett and Barry Greenwood that they have been told that this
document is actually a retyped version. This fact was reportedly
revealed in 1983 to Peter Gersten by an Air Force officer and was
either forgotten or over-looked until just recently. However, the Air
Force source who is cited is said to be none other than Richard Doty
himself.

      In light of the fact that it has recently become common knowledge
that Mr. Moore does (for his own reasons) delete documents which he
obtains, and that he is rather aggressive in his research, I believe
that Mr. Moore did in fact retype or have this document retyped. But
does this negate the value of the document, or indicate that it is
a hoax? Perhaps this explains why no one can verify if the document
is genuine, because technically it is a forgery. It would appear that
it is up to Mr. Moore to reveal a clean, accurate version and to finally
reveal the facts behind its acquisition.

      According to film producer and director Linda Moulton Howe,
she has had independent confirmation of MJ-12 and reportedly was shown
a set of documents containing much of the same, if not identical,
information. However, the actual name of the group in question was
not "Majestic" but another similar sounding word containing the letters
M and J. Could it be that the term "Majestic" was a substitution in
a clever attempt to withhold a key bit of information which only someone
with true inside information would be able to identify?

      If there is reason to question the accuracy of the information
pre-sented in the original AQUARIUS/MJ-12 document as well as the
information in the recent documents pertaining to MJ-12, does this
logically imply that the 1980 Kirtland/Bennewitz events should be
considered questionable?  Any single-witness UFO sighting has always
been somewhat questionable, this is exactly why we look for multiple
witnesses and any other supporting evidence. If Richard Doty, or Paul
Bennewitz were alone in reporting these incidents then the Kirtland
events would never have become as major an issue as they have. However
there were numerous individuals involved not only in the events
precipitating preparation of the documents themselves. A brief summary
of the incidents is as follows:-

      Early 1980, Paul Bennewitz becomes involved in observing and
      filming objects which he has sighted on the ground and in the
      air near Kirtland AFB and the Manzano range. Reportedly his
      wife was also present to witness some of the first landings
      he witnessed and filmed in the Coyote Canyon area. Subsequently
      he contacts Earnest Edwards of the Kirtland Security Police who,
      over the period of the next few months, becomes concerned and
      requests the guards on the Manzano Weapons Storage Area report
      to him any sightings of unusual aerial lights. At the beginning
      of August 1980 three guards report sighting an aerial light
      which descends on the Sandia Military Reservation.  This is
      the first sighting described in the complaint form signed by
      Richard Doty. Edwards reports the sighting to Doty unaware that
      Doty has already heard from Russ Curtis (Sandia Security Chief)
      that a Sandia Security guard sighted a disc-shaped object near
      a structure just minutes after the sighting by the three Manzano
      guards. Doty includes these reports and several others in his
      Complaint Form and forwards the report to AFOSI Headquarters
      in Washington.


From this point on many other persons became involved. Bennewitz was
called down to a meeting at Kirtland AFB at which several major Air
Force officers and Sandia personnel were present, including a Brigadier
General.  Earnest Edwards has confirmed that the three guards under
his command reported what was described, and that the meeting took
place. Bennewitz has confirmed that Doty and Jerry Miller came to
his home to view his materials and there is a document signed by Thomas
A. Cseh, Commander of the Base Investigative Detachment, to confirm
this. Finally there is the complete set of documents which were released
by AFOSI Headquarters under cover of the Department of the Air Force
relating to the described events.

      There seem to be only two possibilities to consider. One: that
this is one of the most profound deceptions that has been undertaken
with the sanction of the USAF, involving a civilian, for purposes
which can only be imagined. The other: that the events happened as
described and that the intervening years, subsequent developments,
and misguided researchers, have only clouded the facts. Perhaps there
was also some effort made on an official level to defuse the sensitive
nature of the events.

      Would Richard Doty have perpetrated a hoax, involved other
officers in his deception, sent the hoax on to AFOSI Headquarters,
and then spread certain information to civilian UFO researchers? For
what purpose? And would he still be in the Air Force if he was discovered,
knowing the public relations catastrophe that could result from AFOSI
in Washington releasing the subsequent documents? It seems inconceivable
that the Base Investigative Detachment, and the Department of the
Air Force, would not have quickly and easily discovered the hoax and
subsequently labeled the entire matter as such, knowing their previous
predilection to do just that.

      A few simple telephone calls have served to clarify much of
the truth of the initial incidents. We must avoid the temptation at
times to "shoot first and ask questions later" which can result in
spreading misinformation ourselves. It is advisable to use tact in
approaching witnesses as we have no God-given right to call up strangers
and demand that they answer questions, particularly when sensitive
matters may be involved. Is it any surprise that some of these people
may not want to be bothered by every person who plies them with questions?

end of part 18

          
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