| Did Howard Hughes ever get a chance to view a | | | | got right to the point. "They want me to figure |
| captured or crashed UFO and its occupants? I | | | | this thing out and I want you on board," Hughes |
| have long pondered this question and there may | | | | explained. That was the end of their meeting. |
| now be an answer to it. According to a former | | | | A few weeks later Hughes took Linda's father |
| employee of Hughes Aircraft, he did. The visit | | | | aside again and told him to forget about their |
| allegedly occurred not long after the crash of an | | | | previous conversation in the office. He gave her |
| alien spacecraft near Roswell, New Mexico, in | | | | dad the impression that there were too many |
| 1947. You may think this story belongs in the | | | | hassles and not enough money for him to get |
| BELIEVE OR NOT file and you may be right, but I | | | | involved with that project. Her father felt it was |
| feel compelled to pass it on to you anyway. | | | | more plausible to believe that Hughes wouldn't |
| Linda is a retired teacher. She taught in public and | | | | have been able to run the show and didn't want |
| private schools for over thirty years and has | | | | to get involved with something he couldn't fully |
| emailed me an impressive array of diplomas and | | | | direct. Or, perhaps he knew or had learned |
| certifications. She also emailed a few photos and | | | | something more about the project that turned |
| some paperwork that verifies the fact that her | | | | him off to it. |
| father probably worked for Howard Hughes. | | | | It wasn't until many years after their conversation |
| Because she asked for anonymity, I cannot say | | | | in that office that Linda's father came to realize |
| much more about her or divulge where she | | | | that Hughes might have been talking about a |
| currently lives at this time. I have encouraged her | | | | crashed UFO and, specifically, one that probably |
| to come forward at some point and tell her own | | | | crashed or was shot down during the summer of |
| story in her own words. | | | | 1947. Her dad had never shown any type of |
| Linda says that her father was involved with | | | | interest in UFOs or Aliens. Linda believed he might |
| Hughes Aircraft as early as 1942, but the | | | | have come across the information about one of |
| timeframe that concerns this story is the year | | | | the UFO crashes from the tabloids that his wife |
| 1947. It was during the summer of that year that | | | | read. The timing would have been correct |
| Howard Hughes was obsessed with getting his | | | | because I saved issues of the National Enquirer |
| oversized wooden seaplane nicknamed the | | | | and other supermarket tabloids during the 1970s |
| "Spruce Goose" ready for a test flight. Officially | | | | and recall articles about alien and military |
| known as the H-4 Hercules, the aircraft flew only | | | | encounters and UFO crashes. |
| once on November 2, 1947. The amount of time | | | | I asked Linda if her dad might have been kidding |
| and work that went into getting the Hercules | | | | her about the Hughes incident. "Oh, no," she said, |
| ready for that flight was unbelievable. | | | | "Dad never told tale tales. He had enough true |
| Her father worked closely with Hughes during the | | | | stories about Hughes and other important people |
| Hercules project and later became a full-time | | | | he met throughout the years... He didn't need to |
| employee of Hughes Aircraft. The two men met | | | | make up stories... I am certain he was telling me |
| after he was referred to Hughes by a mutual | | | | the truth." I also asked Linda how many times |
| acquaintance just after the USA declared war on | | | | they discussed that story after he first told it to |
| the Axis powers and entered World War II. Linda | | | | her. She replied, "Not more than a couple of |
| told me that Hughes used as her dad as a | | | | times... He wasn't interested in UFOs... He told me |
| "problem solver." He had a knack for being able to | | | | the story on a whim because he thought it might |
| look at most any mechanical problem and quickly | | | | give me a chuckle or two... Dad had nothing to |
| suggest a practical solution. He also had the kind | | | | add to the story and I believe that's why we |
| of temperament that allowed him to work with | | | | never discussed it much." |
| the eccentric billionaire. | | | | Unfortunately, her father passed away a few |
| Hughes was besieged with a number of problems | | | | years ago. I doubt he realized the impact that the |
| during the summer of 1947 including a U.S. Senate | | | | story had on his daughter. Before she heard it, |
| inquiry into the way he had managed funds for | | | | Linda barely gave the subject of UFOs a second |
| the Hercules and XF-11 Photoreconnaissance | | | | thought. Afterward, she slowly became fascinated |
| Aircraft projects. Linda says that shortly after he | | | | with the subject and told me, "My father told me |
| testified at the Senate hearings, Howard Hughes | | | | that what Howard said he saw sounded a lot like |
| returned to oversee work on the Hercules and | | | | what the tabloids were describing as crashed alien |
| spoke to her father about his possible | | | | spaceships... and the bodies that he viewed fit the |
| involvement in an important government project. | | | | descriptions of aliens... I do not believe everything |
| According to Linda, Howard Hughes and her | | | | that politicians tell me, but I never saw a reason |
| father were not friends and her dad would | | | | to disbelieve what they were saying about UFOs. |
| probably not be considered a part of Hughes' | | | | What would they have to gain by lying about |
| inner circle if such a thing existed. However, he did | | | | them? It wasn't until my father told me the story |
| spend a lot of time with Hughes during the | | | | about Howard and the material that I began to |
| Hercules project and the two had a casual | | | | doubt their denials..." |
| working relationship as long as her father delivered | | | | Linda said that she started reading UFO articles |
| the goods. She told me that her dad said he was | | | | published in some of the mainstream newspapers |
| busy brainstorming with some engineers when | | | | and magazines. Those tidbits awakened a casual |
| Hughes summoned him into an empty office. | | | | interest in learning more about the subject. |
| Hughes had a kind of inquisitively stern look on his | | | | However, after retired Colonel Jesse Marcel came |
| face and that usually meant that he wanted some | | | | forward to expose the Roswell UFO cover up, |
| advice on how to solve a problem or was about | | | | she went out of her way to learn as much as |
| to start a new project. | | | | she could about UFO crashes and military |
| Howard stepped away from the door to the | | | | encounters. "I purchased a used copy of a book |
| office, but didn't close it. There was enough noise | | | | by Donald Keyhoe and read it cover to cover," |
| outside of the office so that no one could hear | | | | Linda told me. "That book opened my eyes... I |
| their conversation anyway. Howard sat down on | | | | now believe there is much more to the subject |
| a stool near the window. Linda's father stepped | | | | than what we're being told." |
| over to where he was sitting and listened intently. | | | | I asked Linda why she waited so long to tell the |
| Hughes hated repeating himself and despised | | | | story she heard from her father about Howard |
| people that were not good listeners. Hughes told | | | | Hughes and the strange aircraft. "I am a very |
| her dad that he had been contacted by a "high | | | | private person... I believe in doing all I can to |
| ranking member of the United States Armed | | | | promote education and to encourage students to |
| Forces" while he was in Washington, D.C. | | | | stay in school. I want them to go as far as they |
| The billionaire was used to receiving unusual | | | | can in life... I do not want to become the poster |
| requests from the military. He was known as | | | | child for government conspiracies... You seem |
| someone that could keep a secret and solve | | | | legitimately interested in discovering the truth |
| complicated problems. According to Linda's father, | | | | about UFOs and Aliens. I believe that if people |
| this one might have been the mother of all the | | | | have a chance to learn about the story that my |
| most secret and complicated situations that the | | | | father told to me, they might feel compelled to |
| government ever faced. Hughes said that he | | | | come forward and share their own experiences |
| visited a military base on the way back from the | | | | and information with you." |
| congressional hearings. He didn't mention where it | | | | I have a million more questions for Linda, but it is |
| was located and provided few details about what | | | | obvious that her father was given little more than |
| happened there. | | | | a thumbnail sketch about Howard Hughes |
| Linda's father said that Hughes seemed | | | | experience with a strange object and its |
| uncomfortable talking about his visit to the base. | | | | occupants. He was only able to tell her what |
| He hated situations that he couldn't personally | | | | Hughes had told him. Not the best scenario, so I |
| control and seemed to indicate that the entire | | | | cannot say for sure that this story involves a |
| event was orchestrated and controlled by the | | | | crashed UFO and it's occupants. I can say that I |
| military. With the exception of Hughes, no civilians | | | | believe Linda's dad heard a story about a strange |
| were present. Howard said that they showed him | | | | aircraft and unusually tiny crewmembers from |
| a new type of aircraft. Most of it was in pieces | | | | Howard Hughes and that he told it to his daughter |
| and it was obvious that the thing had crashed or | | | | just the way he heard it, straight from the |
| been shot down. Hughes assumed it might have | | | | horse's mouth. |
| been something that the Russians cooked up. | | | | I have been researching Linda's story for about a |
| It wasn't until Hughes got closer to the material | | | | week. I have spoken with her over the phone on |
| that he noticed it was anything but conventional. | | | | several occasions. With her permission, I recorded |
| He didn't pick up or touch any of it, but told | | | | the calls and subjected them to a voice stress |
| Linda's father that it looked like "the damnedest | | | | analysis using an inexpensive testing unit I |
| stuff I've ever seen." The military officers present | | | | purchased a few years ago. If accurate, the |
| told him that despite the fact that it was in | | | | results indicate that she was not being deceptive |
| pieces, the material was extremely resistant to | | | | during our conversation. As a experienced UFO |
| heat, cold and pressure. They also said that it was | | | | researcher, I was pleased that she cooperated |
| almost impossible to penetrate, yet it might have | | | | with various requests I had for more information. |
| been an implosion that caused the crash. Howard | | | | That is almost always a good sign. |
| never said if it had any writing on it and provided | | | | Linda has emailed enough documentation to make |
| no further details about the material or the | | | | me believe that she is who she claims to be and |
| aircraft. | | | | that her father was employed at Hughes Aircraft. |
| Hughes told Linda's father that the dead bodies of | | | | The materials she provided indicate that he |
| the crew members from the aircraft had also | | | | probably worked for Howard Hughes on specific |
| been recovered by the military and were mostly | | | | projects as a consultant before he became a full |
| intact. He said they allowed him to view the | | | | time employee. Because Hughes never told him |
| bodies and described them as looking like | | | | that he actually saw an alien spacecraft or |
| "dwarves" or "deformed midgets" wearing | | | | referred to the dead crew members as aliens, |
| seamless flight suits. He added no details about | | | | we have to fill in the blanks with some careful |
| where or how they were being kept. Instead, he | | | | speculation. |