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