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