Conspiracy Theories

Area 51, the Raid, and even more mysterious military bases!

My readers know that I enjoy a good conspiracy theory. I’ve even mentioned a couple of my favorites in previous blog posts about The Knights Templar and Rosslyn Chapel. But, as evidenced by the large number of people who expressed interest in storming Area 51 (a PRANK post on social media), it seems I’m not the only one who likes to ponder the what-ifs of the conspiracy theories.

Not to distract from the Area 51 takeover, but there are other bases as equally mysterious as Groom Lake. A couple are near Area 51, but the others are scattered around the country. Some are familiar names and others are shrouded in secrecy. Let’s start with Area 51.

What will people find if they do try to storm Area 51? Let’s examine what we know.

• The site was unacknowledged until 2013, when the CIA admitted it existed
• The official names of the area are Homey Airport (KXTA) or Groom Lake
• According to declassified documents, the site was built to assemble and test the U2 spy plane
• Area 51 has a 12,000 foot runway (commercial runaways are usually 6000 – 8000 feet long)
• The nearest public access is about 26 miles from the base (long walk across the desert for those who want to storm the citadel)
• The “camo dudes” are the contractors who patrol the perimeter of the area and they take their jobs seriously
• Deadly force is authorized

Things suspected at Area 51 (among others):

• Alien spacecraft (from Roswell and other crashes)
• Alien remains
• Reverse engineered technology
• Super secret aircraft
• Alien Landing base
• Development of weather control
• Development of time travel and teleportation
• Tunnels leading to other DUMBs (Deep Underground Military Bases)

If the Area 51 Raid happens, one would assume the USAF (or the CIA or the aliens) would move any objects, materials, bodies, etc. before the storm troopers arrive. Since the stuff would be gone, I’m not sure why anyone would do it (again, this was a PRANK).

Other Mysterious Bases:

Seriously, though, there are a few other bases that rival (or perhaps exceed) the mystery surrounding Area 51. Area 52 is near Groom Lake (at the edge of the Nellis Range). It intrigues conspiracy theorists for the experimental aircraft rumored to fly there. Also know as Tonopah Test Range (TTR), some say a clean nuclear device hollowed out a cavern under the base that is home to up to 25,000 troops. It supposedly has an underground high speed rail system as part of its infrastructure (possibly to move the aliens around to other sites without exposing them to the public).

Dugway Proving Ground is another secretive base. Located in the Utah desert, the base is used to test biological and chemical weapons defense systems (according to Wikipedia). For conspiracy theorists, Dugway may house some of the spacecraft and technology previously stored at Area 51 and may even operate its own alien spaceport.

My favorite secretive base, though, hides in plain sight. Wright-Patterson AFB (WPAFB) is just outside of Dayton OH and was the home of Project Bluebook. Project Bluebook and other iterations of the project investigated UFO reports from 1947 until 1969. in 1976, the files transferred to the National Archives in Washington DC. Barry Goldwater supposedly asked Gen. Curtis LeMay if he could have access to the secret UFO room at  WPAFB. Gen. LeMay allegedly told the Senator that he could not and not to mention it to him ever again. Many believe WPAFB is the home to most of the UFO information, technology, and remains and that Area 51 is a red herring to distract people from the true repository.

What do you think?

There you have it! My take on the (PRANK) takeover of Area 51 and a few other mysterious military bases. There are others that we could look at, but the real question is what do you believe? Are aliens among us? Do we reverse engineer their technology and then release it gradually over time (like the famed Men In Black)? Leave a comment and let me know!

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I haven’t done a post on mysterious things or conspiracy theories in quite a while. I want to remedy that and tell you about Gavrinis, France!

Many of my readers may know about Gavrinis, but I’ll go on the assumption that it is new to everyone. Gavrinis is a small island off the coast of Brittany France. The island itself is uninhabited and is not remarkable in and of itself. However, the passage tomb that occupies a portion of the island is remarkable indeed. First, let’s look at where the island lies and how you can get to it if you want to visit.

Where is Gavrinis?

Here is the map showing Gavrinis and its proximity to Larmor-Baden. Visitors to the island travel by boat from Larmor-Baden.

The passage tomb on the island is home to some of the most amazing megalithic art in the world. Twenty-nine slabs make up the sides of the passage with twenty-three of the slabs highly decorated. Below are pictures of the carvings on the slabs.

Experts estimate the site was built about 3500 BC and use stopped about 3000 BC. As an archaeological find, I think they are cool and to think about the people who inhabited the area and how they lived 5000 years ago is amazing. But, since we want to explore mysterious things, what do the carvings mean?

Wikipedia tells us there are common items like axes and staffs carved into the stones. They speculate a horn-like symbol might represent cattle. However, what do the lines and whorls mean? Conspiracy theorists claim they can find evidence of advanced mathematical knowledge in the carvings. Things like the number of days in a year, the circumference of the earth, and, perhaps most importantly, the constant Pi. If true, one has to wonder where such knowledge came from and why it was depicted in the carvings? Did aliens bring the knowledge? Was this an outpost of Atlantis? Of course, we won’t know the answer to these questions, but it is fun to speculate.

Thoughts?

What do you think? Are the carvings simply decorative or are they indicative of advanced knowledge lost over time? If the latter, where do you think it originated? I’m curious to know your thoughts, so leave a comment and let me know!

Connect with me:

If you want to connect with me on social media, I’m on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest. I’d love to get to know new friends and maybe talk about Gavrinis!

I had the opportunity to spend a recent Saturday in Talking Rock, Georgia (near Ellijay, GA) with my children and grandchildren (and the lovely and adorable Lana) at a nice mountain cabin. While there, we discovered a neat little museum near Blue Ridge (home of fairy crosses from The Gemstone Chronicles) devoted to Bigfoot! Called Expedition Bigfoot, it was a neat place! I had no idea Georgia was home to Sasquatch, but it certainly has it share of sightings.

Bigfoot:

If you read the blog, you’ll recall my post about Bigfoot from 2016. That post focused on the Pacific Northwest, where some of the most well-known sightings, photos, and video footage originates. As I found out, though, every state in the contiguous United States, Alaska, and Canada all have sightings. I can’t leave Hawaii out, either. The Hawaiian version, known as Menehune, are humanoid creatures about 3 feet tall. Even if they don’t measure up to the Bigfoot stature, it’s still an unknown creature and makes you wonder.

Expedition Bigfoot:

So, what did we find at Expedition Bigfoot? First, check out this map of Georgia with sightings marked on it. I cropped the bottom half of the state so I could zoom in to the more numerous sightings in North Georgia.

Though it’s hard to see, if you look closely at the map, you can see green pins showing the sightings. Interestingly, a number of sightings occurred near Cleveland, GA, where we go gemstone hunting. I’ll have to keep an eye out when I’m up there!

Another famous sighting happened near Barnesville, GA (bottom middle of the map above, just to the left of the lowermost I75 symbol). The picture of the foot casting below was taken near Elkin Creek in Pike County, GA. If this is an accurate casting, the creature certainly has a big foot!

If you watch The Travel Channel, you’ve probably seen shows featuring Josh Gates. In 2007, Josh cast a Yeti footprint. Below is the casting with Josh Gates in the background. That’s pretty cool!

There are audio recordings at Expedition Bigfoot and you can don a set of headphones and hear cries, thumping on trees, and other sounds attributed to the creatures. Cool stuff!

I know none of this proves the existence of Bigfoot, but it sure makes for interesting speculation. I’ve not seen one, and skepticism runs deep. However, one of the people we spoke with at the museum declared herself not a believer, but a knower, and claims to have experienced many sightings over the years. Who knows? She might be correct!

Which are you? Are you a skeptic, a believer, or a knower? Leave me a comment and let me know! If you’ve seen one, give the details. I’d really like to know! Have you visited Expedition Bigfoot? Let us know and tell us about your own expedition to find Bigfoot!

Connect with me:

If you want to email about your experience, send it to bill@williamlstuart.com. I also welcome new friends on social media. Find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest, say hello, and let’s connect!

Bigfoot (or Sasquatch, if you prefer)!

Bigfoot:

Frequent readers of this blog know that I have a fascination for conspiracy theories, mysterious places, and other such things. Along those lines, the legends of Bigfoot (or Sasquatch) intrigues me. Though my interest waned somewhat, I recently reviewed Revived by J M Northup, a book with a Sasquatch as one of the main characters, and I’m catching up with the latest in Bigfoot lore.

So, where do the legends begin? Our oft-consulted friends at Wikipedia say the legends mostly begin in the Pacific Northwest. Native American folklore tells us Bigfoot is a hairy bipedal humanoid. So where did the name Sasquatch originate? Again, Wikipedia tells us the name is the Anglicized version of the Halkomelem (the language of the British Colombia First Nation peoples)  word sasq’ets.

Why does Sasquatch attract such attention? And, why do so many people believe in the creature? First of all, Bigfoot is deeply entrenched in popular culture. The creature became popular due to a famous video (the Patterson-Gimlin Film) made in 1967. The video, as grainy as it was, fueled public fascination with Bigfoot. The picture above is a still captured from it. With the release of the video, different groups popped up to either support the idea of Sasquatch’s existence or to debunk the myth.

Evidence:

Despite the lack of physical evidence like bones, Bigfoot believers are legion. Footprints, unclear photos, and other such evidence abounds, but most of the footprints are from other creatures (often bears), and the photos in existence don’t provide indisputable evidence.

To illustrate the divide between believes and non-believers, let’s use the lack of bones as evidence. Believers say it is due to Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) burying their dead. While that makes sense, non-believers would argue there aren’t any bodies because Bigfoot isn’t real.

Where does Bigfoot live?

Believers maintain the creatures exist. And the beasts aren’t confined to the Pacific Northwest or even North America. In Florida, you have the skunk ape (although the US Park Service views this as a hoax). The Yeti inhabits the Himalayas, while the Yowie is Australia’s version. Mongolia has the Yeren and Japan the Hibagon. With all of the different versions of the creature, it’s no wonder belief runs deep. In addition, the stories about the creatures have been around since at least the 6th century (St. Brendan allegedly encountered one during his visit), so we have centuries for the stories to become ingrained in our psyche! We even have road signs!

And that belief has spawned an industry and is worth big bucks! Animal Planet produces Finding Bigfoot (6 seasons and going strong) and  Discovery Channel devoted a special to Bigfoot. We even have an organization devoted to scientific research about the creature – The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization! All of this translates into money for the networks,  donations for research, and fuels the mythology and legends.

Bigfoot and the Media:

Bigfoot also is an advertising, TV, and movie staple. The Messin’ With Sasquatch commercials from Jack Link Jerky come to mind, as does the TV show Harry and the Hendersons. There are tons of others, including the series and special mentioned above.

I know I haven’t answered the question about Bigfoot’s existence. I can’t and, in spite of years of tales and legends, no one else can either. Similar to UFOs, there is no definitive proof Bigfoot exists, yet believers in both abound. As with many paranormal and conspiracy theories, you have to make up your own mind. Or, to quote the X-Files “the truth is out there.”

What do you think about Bigfoot? Real or legend? Are the sightings just hoaxes or is there a species wandering the forests successfully evading capture and hiding its existence? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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If you want to connect with me on social media, find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, You can always drop me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com, too!

Light in the Sky!

I toyed with this post for a while and I couldn’t decide whether to post it or not. I didn’t want anyone thinking I had finally lost my mind, but decided to go for it! While I write fantasy adventure books (The Gemstone Chronicles), and freely admit to being fascinated by the possibilities of life on other planets, I don’t believe in UFOs or little green men from Mars. Moreover, I’ve never thought I had been abducted by aliens, and I can’t say I’ve ever had a close encounter of any kind.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, on a recent visit to Puerto Rico, I was out on my hotel room balcony talking to the lovely and adorable Lana, and I noticed a light in the sky out over the ocean and high up in the sky. I thought it was an airplane coming into the airport (my hotel wasn’t far from there) and I didn’t pay much attention at first. But then, the light started moving erratically. I jokingly told Lana that if I didn’t come home the next day, then maybe I was abducted by a spaceship…

Well, I didn’t get abducted (or did I and the aliens made me forget??), but I took some video of the light that I saw. I apologize for the quality, but the light was quite a distance away. The motion you see in the video isn’t from me moving around, it is the light.

The video:

https://youtu.be/N7REBBQAvcc&rel=0

I honestly can’t say what I videoed. I showed this clip to a friend of mine who is a pilot and his take was that it wasn’t an airplane, but, beyond that, he couldn’t say.

So, what do you think? Is it a plane? A UFO? Maybe a reflection from San Juan lights? How about a weather balloon or something like that? I don’t know, but I thought it was pretty cool! And, to quote a famous TV show, the truth is out there!

Connect with me:

Leave me a comment with what you think the light might be. I would love to know your thoughts! You can also connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or you can send me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to the blog!

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Nuclear Powered Aircraft!?

Readers of my blog and The Gemstone Chronicles know that I spent a decade in US Navy riding submarines and recruiting. I was trained as a nuclear reactor operator, and still keep up with some of the news in the nuclear world. My lovely and adorable bride, Lana, introduced me to a very cool website atlasobscura.com. While browsing the site, I came across an article on a government research facility from the 1950’s in Dawsonville, Georgia. What does this have to do with submarines or nuclear power? Well, this research facility was used to test the radiation effects on various materials and the surrounding forest in an effort to build a nuclear powered aircraft! The map below, though kind of hard to read, shows the layout of the site.

According to our friends at Wikipedia, the site was the Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory (or AFP No. 67) and was run by Lockheed. The purpose was to test various military vehicles and the surrounding forest to assess the effects of nuclear war on the environment and wildlife and the do research on a nuclear powered aircraft. The site was closed in 1971 and sold to Atlanta as a potential site of a second airport. The topography wasn’t suitable for an airport, and nature has reclaimed much of the site. Here is a picture of the hot cell building.

With the secrecy surrounding the site, it comes as no surprise that most of the documents about what was done in the forest remains highly classified. And no nuclear powered aircraft came from the work. It does make me wonder, though, if some of the experiments led to materials used on submarines.

The Dawson Forest Site:

I did further research and found a lot of conspiracy stuff (not surprisingly) about the site. I also found claims of animals with interesting deformities and abnormalities. There are alleged sightings of deer with two racks of antlers, albino black bears, and other such creatures. In the research I did, one of the reactors on site was an open air (or naked) reactor that was hoisted into the air while operational and without shielding, allowing the radiation to blast the surrounding forest. Personnel at the site were in underground shielded areas during the open air testing. The picture below shows the site circa 1960.

The underground facility was supposedly six or seven levels deep, but who knows for sure. When the site closed, the entrance tunnels were collapsed and sealed. One of the remaining visible buildings is the hot cell, which is also sealed and surrounded by barbed wire fencing. The hot cell is where they placed irradiated materials for further study. The building was deemed to be too hot to demolish until the radiation levels subsided more. That might be another 30-50 years…

Today:

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources manages the now public land. There are plenty of hiking and biking trails, and you can kayak down the Etowah River that runs through the site.

As you can imagine, I have to take a trip up there to look around. It isn’t very far from where I live, so maybe next weekend might be a good time to go! When I do, I will be sure to post pics and do a follow-up to this post.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, we never had a nuclear powered aircraft. The USAF did experiment with a reactor in a plane, but that was to test the shielding for the crew. The reactor never actually powered the engines. I do recall when I was in Idaho in the Navy, there was an experiment going on to convert nuclear power for space travel, though, but I don’t know much more than that.

Connect with me:

It looks pretty cool to me, but what do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know. You can connect with me on social media, too. I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. You can also send me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com. And, if you don’t want to miss a post (including my follow-up to this one), subscribe to the blog!