UFOs in the Daily newspapers:

UFO: INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT NATIONAL SECURITY PINCH

By Judith Karns, Observer Managing Editor

They say it isn't so: there ain't no such animal as a "flying saucer." Even though our government spent a decade deeply enmeshed in investigation, (Project Bluebook, Majestic 12), suddenly, one day, a security lid was clamped so tight on the subject of extraterrestrial visitors (some even speculate them to be subterranean) that even the squeak of a mouse couldn't get out. And with that lid came the "official" denial of the phenomenon's existence.

Why, then, asks Flushing residents Shirley and George Coyne, state directors of MUFON (Mutual UFO Network based in Seguin, Texas), should they be singled out as subjects of what they call "intimidation", by what they suspect might be the National Security Administration (NSA), one of our country's more covert intelligence operations?

The Coynes had long been aware that their delving into the touchy subject of UFO investigations could bring on some governmental attention; they'd long heard stories from others who had been involved with the subject for far more lengthy periods of time than they. But it wasn't until Sunday, Jan. 10 of this year, at approximately 11:30 a.m., that they were certain they were targets of some considerable curiosity.

The Coynes were in the bedroom of their two-bedroom mobile home. Shirley was seated on the floor, George in a nearby chair. Reclined on the bed was a woman deeply entranced by hypnotic suggestions brought on by hypnotherapist Virginia Tilly who sat in another chair near the bed.

The scene wasn't an unusual one. The Coynes, through the course of their investigations, often come in contact with subjects who have strong suspicions that their UFO sightings amount to more than just an eyeball perspective. And when this happens, "Ginny", a school teacher and hypnotherapist from St. Joseph, is called in to assist in getting to the bottom of the murky puddle of speculation.

According to Shirley, this particular regression session had been arranged by two telephone calls, one to the subject and one to Ginny Tilly.

As Ginny questioned the regressed subject, in the far distance could be heard the approach of a helicopter. From her vantage point on the floor, Shirley had been entranced in her own way by the sequential flickers of small, voice-activated red lights on Ginny's tape recorder.

At about the same time they became aware that the helicopter was not simply passing by, Shirley became aware that the red lights on the recorder had stopped. And not wishing to disturb the progression of the hypnosis, she ran to an adjacent room to get her own recorder, which she activated. It is on this recorder that the helicopter's approach to a hovering position above their mobile home is recorded.

According to Ginny, the contents of her tape, before it was "shut off", contained the subject's comments about the "hiders" who were at that very minute approaching in "that helicopter", and she also provided a description of the helicopter even though her eyes were closed and the drapes were drawn. It was learned later that the subject had previous experiences with such vehicles near her home in another part of the state. And, "she named a time, a date, and a beach in Virginia where, supposedly, aliens gave the U.S. government the technology to be able to listen in (on private conversations)", said Ginny.

Meanwhile, George had gone to his car to retrieve his camera from the trunk just as the helicopter hovered. Shirley joined him in time to see the helicopter "tipped" down as it maneuvered away from them. Because of its speedy exit, George was unable to get a picture.

It is the Coynes' estimate that, though it did not directly hover again, the vehicle circled the mobile home community during the duration of the hypnotic regression, for approximately one to one and on half hours.

They described it as dull black, and large--at least four to six passenger. (Other descriptions withheld at the request of George and Shirley.) The windows were tinted dark. George noted a "wire" which was visibly draped from the rear of the helicopter to the front, and it was his impression that it was some type of antenna.

Indeed, the hypnotized subject telephoned the Coynes some time later to tell them she had forgotten one detail of the helicopter - what appeared to be a wire connected from back to front.

"I was going to tell you something, but I don't think I'd better," said Wright. And he went on to tell them that just prior to his call ringing through, a man's voice came over the line, "as if someone had picked up an extension in my own home. It was a male voice - 40ish - that said, "Just a minute; I have to handle this,", as if he were somewhere tapping into their line and was talking to someone else."

Wright says his initial impression was that the Coyne's line was tapped, however he says, "It could have been my line rather than theirs. Their phone had not rung yet." Ginny Tilly, though she's certain her actions are monitored through such means as telephone tapping, feels the situation is more one of curiosity and information seeking rather than one of intimidation.

The Coynes have their own ideas on phone tapping, and take into strong consideration their frequent (several each week) one-ring calls which illicit nothing more than a dial tone on answering, and they have given consideration to a bit of information they've received regarding the possibility that those rings are designed to activate a 'bug" (a hidden listening device) in their home.

On March 29, the Coynes were ready to leave on a short trip of several days duration. Before their departure, they made a telephone call to the friend they were about to visit, to indicate that they were on their way. They then proceeded to drive southwest toward the state border. As they neared Bancroft, on their way toward Lansing, Shirley suddenly noticed a familiar sight - a black helicopter. It was hovering beyond an overpass under which they had just driven.

At first, speculation was that coincidence had befallen them. However, their concern mounted as they continued to drive and the helicopter continued to stay in their sight, but too far away to be photographed.

George decided he wanted a closer look, and stopped the vehicle under an overpass to remove his binoculars from the trunk.

The helicopter, which had continued on its way, suddenly turned and came back to pace them for a total of approximately 90 miles. It was the helicopter's return that convinced them they were the subjects of no coincidence.

On Tuesday, April 5, the Coynes witnessed an unmarked black plane circle their mobile home community, the incident possibly having some connection to a disturbance with their microwave oven clock, which stopped, and blinked constant at the time of the Coynes' sighting of the plane.

The Coynes' recording of the helicopter's initial visit to the Flushing area has received some scrutiny from both an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) representative, and a member of the military.

Chuck Pine, an FAA aviation safety inspector out of Kent County Airport, had occasion to hear the recording. He said, "It has a definite 'whoomp'....to me it sounded like a Huey." Pine was hesitant to be adamant in his statement, but did concede that the "Huey" type of air vehicle does have a distinctive sound to it, and the recording did seem to contain that sound. Pine is also a commercial pilot and former air traffic controller.

"I took the tape and drawing (Shirley's artistic rendition) to a fella who's highly placed in the military," said Dan Wright. "He said, 'There's no question in my mind; I'd stake my life on it being a Huey.'" Wright said the information he obtained on the "Huey" (made by the Bell Corporation) suggests that it is for military or intelligence use only, and is not provided to the private corporate sector.

Wright's had some problems of his own lately. He has had reason to believe the FBI was keeping a file on himself, and had requested, through the Freedom of Information Act, a copy of that file.

However, before he received their response that they found nothing on him, he experienced a nine-day period in which he received no mail. Wright purposely waited an extended period of time before contacting the post office, feeling that more credence could be lent to the situation if the period of time exceeded one week.

Upon contacting the post office, he was told that he apparently had gone on vacation, and that the letter carrier probably noticed that his mailbox was full and simply held the mail back.

Wright's response to this was a confession that he had gone on vacation. However, the mail delivery had stopped after his return. He did not have a mailbox, but he did have a slot in his door, and the letter carrier could not have determined how much mail had been stuffed into it. The mail was promptly delivered.

This - what is happening to the Coynes - is very intimidating," said Wright.

"They want the Coynes to know they are being monitored. To me, it begins and ends with all of the documents we have requested, and they don't want an open discussion of the UFO issue.

"Whoever is doing this,... if they want to rattle cages, we are not totally defenseless."