Part 6 :You Can't Tell the People The Cover Up of Britain's Roswell ... The Evidence of Jim Penniston ... The Evidence of Edward Cabansag

You Can't Tell the People 

The Cover Up of Britain's Roswell 

by Georgina Bruni 

THE EVIDENCE OF JIM PENNISTON 

James W. Penniston has completed twenty years’ service in the USAF. He was only eighteen years old when he joined in July 1973. He was promoted to sergeant when serving at the Strategic Air Command Elite Guard at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and was then posted to RAF Alconbury in England. Following his tour at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, he arrived at RAF Bentwaters in the summer of 1980 where he was promoted to staff sergeant. 

On Christmas night 1980 Staff Sergeant Jim Penniston was the on-duty flight chief for the Woodbridge base. He had been on duty since 18.00 hrs and was enjoying a midnight snack when he received a call from Sergeant Coffey at Central Security Control. Coffey told him that Airman First Class Cabansag was on his way to pick him up and he should head for the east gate and make contact with Police 2, which was Staff Sergeant Bud Steffens and Airman First Class John Burroughs. He thought it unusual that he was given no information about the call-out, but was simply told that Burroughs would brief him on arrival. When Penniston arrived, Steffens informed him that he and Burroughs had seen some funny lights in the woods and that there might be a problem. Penniston thought it might be an air crash; he had been in the Air Force for seven years and had been involved in numerous crash retrievals. Steffens pointed out that there had been no noise as the craft came down, so it could not have been an air crash. ‘It didn’t crash, Jim. It landed,’ he said. 

Penniston looked down the perimeter road and could see what appeared to be different coloured lights, and thinking it could be a fire he radioed Central Security Control. Master Sergeant J. D. Chandler, who was the overall flight chief for both bases, asked him to stand by whilst he made enquiries with the control tower at Bentwaters. When Chandler came back on the radio he informed Penniston that the tower had checked with Heathrow airport, RAF Bawdsey and RAF Watton. Apparently a ‘bogie’ (the USAF term for a UFO) had been tracked and lost fifteen minutes earlier when it had dropped from radar imaging over Woodbridge. 

Penniston was still convinced it was a downed aircraft and requested permission to investigate. Chandler contacted the shift commander and a few minutes later Penniston was instructed to select two airmen to accompany him. He decided that Burroughs should stay at the east-gate post and Staff Sergeant Steffens should join his patrol. But whatever was out there, it must have scared the hell out of Steffens because he refused to go back into the forest. Realizing that Steffens was serious, he summoned Burroughs and Cabansag and the patrol drove down the east-gate road towards the forest. From the edge of the road they could see a bright light through the trees and because it was on British territory he again radioed Central Security Control for permission to continue the investigation. Probably sensing there might be a problem, he requested back-up assistance. The patrol then turned right and, taking a sharp left turn, drove up the adjacent logging road into the forest, but due to the rocky terrain they had to abandon the vehicle and proceed on foot. Meanwhile, Master Sergeant Chandler had made his way over to Woodbridge and parked his vehicle on the side of the road near the flightline. 

As Penniston’s patrol moved in closer to the lights they began experiencing difficulty with their radios, and he instructed Cabansag to stay back at the vehicle to act as a communications relay between the patrol and Chandler. Penniston and Burroughs continued through the forest towards a bright white light which was just sitting in a clearing. It was so intensely bright that it caused them to squint as they stared in its direction. All around them was the commotion of animals and birds that seemed to be in a terrible frenzy, but apart from the noise of the creatures there was no other sound to be heard. Penniston was now 50 metres from the object and had lost all radio contact with Central Security Control, and contact with Cabansag was becoming increasingly difficult. At this stage he instructed Burroughs to stay back at the tree line to act as a radio relay back to Cabansag, but Burroughs had lost his calm and was becoming highly agitated and thus did not acknowledge the order. As a result, that was the last contact anyone had with the patrol until the incident was over. 

At a distance of 50 metres Penniston was just close enough to realize it was a metallic-type object, but it was not a conventional craft, not like anything he was familiar with or any prototype he had heard of. The air surrounding it was electrifying, causing him to think he was moving in slow motion and the sensations of his hair and skin gave him the feeling that he was surrounded by static electricity. The birds and animals had scattered and everything was now deathly quiet. Penniston moved to within 20 metres of the phenomenon and could make out a shiny black opaque triangle about nine feet in width and six feet high. At times giving an almost glasslike appearance. He would later describe it as being the size of a tank. White light was mainly emitting from the top portion of the object, with some intense white light visible at its base. From where he was standing, he noticed a bluish light on the left-hand centre side and a red light on the right, both of which were flashing alternately. The lights seemed to be moulded into the very fabric of the object. Personnel normally carried cameras which they used to photograph people who ventured too close to the perimeter, so Penniston removed his camera from its case and bravely began to photograph the object, snapping away as fast as he could and making rough notes in his jotter at the same time. 

Having finished the film he moved in closer, to within 10 metres of the object. He then began to examine it, walking around looking for an opening of some kind, but he realized there were no visible seams. Although in awe, he gathered his wits and made an even more courageous move and at one point he actually slid his hand over the surface of the object, which felt warm to the touch. There were raised symbols etched on to its left-hand side, which seemed familiar but he did not know why. The unusual markings measured approximately three to four inches in height and covered an area of about three feet in diameter. There were no obvious life forms, but he sensed there was some sort of life presence within the object. One thing is certain: he was sure it was under intelligent control. 

Suddenly there was a tremendous bright flash and both men hit the ground, burying their faces in the dirt to hide their eyes from the intense light. The object lifted silently up to about four feet off the ground and started manoeuvring very slowly and carefully through the trees. Having raised up to a few hundred feet, it hovered momentarily before disappearing in the blink of an eye. The patrol spotted more coloured lights visible about half a mile away and, according to Penniston, they followed them until they too disappeared from sight. There was still no radio contact and the patrol decided to turn around and head back to the base, first stopping on the way to examine the landing site. Burroughs was the first to notice the ground impressions. 

There were three, all triangular in shape and each appeared to be about three metres apart. The witnesses were now wondering how they were ever going to explain the incident to their superiors. As they made their way back to the base they saw another light flash through the sky. On arriving at Central Security Control, Penniston ran into Master Sergeant Chandler, who told him that they had been very concerned because there was negative contact with the patrol for almost three hours. It seems Chandler had returned to base when he lost contact with the patrol. Penniston told Chandler, ‘You’re not going to believe what we saw tonight,’ to which Chandler replied, ‘Yeah, if it’s anything to do with what I saw a while ago I would believe you.’ At the termination of their shift, the airmen were instructed to report to the shift commander’s office. 

After being debriefed they were given a history lesson citing the official Blue Book and informed that what they had observed was no longer reportable through Air Force channels. Penniston was told that the Blue Book project was an official Air Force investigation of the UFO phenomenon, which was terminated in 1969, following the conclusion that there was no threat to national security. Penniston and Burroughs were also advised that some things are best left alone and it was suggested that they try to forget what had happened and not discuss the matter with anyone. Penniston says it was this mentality that prompted the shift commander to delete the report from the blotter and replace it with something totally unrelated, such as ‘investigated aircraft crash off the installation’. He claims there was an Accident and Complaint Report form (1569) filled out, but this consisted of only a few sentences and there was no mention of an unidentified craft. Penniston is sure that Lieutenant Fred Buran was the night-shift commander on duty. Following this meeting they were debriefed by Captain Mike Verrano, the day-shift commander. He advised them to return to the suspected landing site in daylight to look for any physical evidence. They were then given a six-day official break to get over their ordeal. 

After turning in their weapons and signing off duty, Penniston and Burroughs returned to the landing site and found broken branches scattered on the ground. These appeared to be from the canopy of trees where the object had crashed through as it landed. They also found three indentations on the ground, which they realized were the marks left by the UFO. There were also scorch marks on the trees facing the landing site. It was a relief for Penniston who needed some proof to believe that it really had happened, but for Burroughs it was a reminder of something he would rather have forgotten. 

Penniston then took photographs of the landing site and, along with the ones he had taken of the UFO, delivered them to the base photo laboratory on Bentwaters. He then dropped Burroughs off at his home (they both lived in Ipswich), because apparently he was still very shaken. Penniston went home, changed into civilian clothes and visited a British friend, a painter and decorator, where he collected some plaster of Paris. He was going to return to the landing site with the intention of making some casts of the three triangular ground indentations left by the object. This was for his own peace of mind as he desperately wanted some lasting proof of what he had witnessed the night before. 

There was no one at the site when Penniston arrived, so after pouring the plaster into the depressions, he waited about forty minutes for them to mould. He had just finished storing them in the boot of his car when Captain Mike Verrano and Major Edward Drury turned up with a British civilian policeman. Drury wanted to know what Penniston was doing in the forest. ‘I’m just looking around,’ he said. After he had described the incident to the policeman, Drury advised him to go home and get some sleep. Penniston intended to do just that, but first he had a job to do, which was to seal the plaster casts in plastic wrapping and hide them in a safe place. A point made by Penniston is that the forest terrain was very solid, almost frozen, and even the tyres from military vehicles did not leave much of a depression so the object must have had some weight. 

Although Penniston was on official break, he was instructed to report to the base commander at 09.00 hrs the following morning (27 December). Colonel Ted Conrad debriefed him and Penniston was then told to report to the AFOSI, where he met with two special agents. He was told the craft had returned a few hours earlier but it had not landed. He was then debriefed for approximately ninety minutes, and at that stage it seems they were confident that the incident was under control. Penniston did not tell them he had approached the craft or touched it but he did mention he had taken photographs. 

After processing and reviewing any film, airmen were supposed to turn them over to the AFOSI, but when he later called at the base photo laboratory to collect the films, he was told there were none. Penniston was simply informed that they had come out fogged. He was not convinced, however, because the cameras they carried were good quality military stock. After the UFO returned on the third night, Penniston was again called by the AFOSI. This time he was required to go over every single detail of his own encounter, from the moment he checked in at guard mount until he handed in his weapons and went off duty the following morning. 

About a week after the initial incident Penniston was told that a special team would be doing some electronics work on the perimeter of Woodbridge and he was instructed to brief personnel to ignore the activity. He thought it very odd that these people were not wearing military uniforms but were dressed in civilian attire. He later learnt that they were a containment study group from Langley, the CIA research centre. 

For years Penniston would hear stories about the incident circulating among military personnel. Many of these tales were erroneous but he never spoke out. He had already tried to do that once when he approached Brenda Butler in 1983. Brenda and her colleague Dot Street had not known his true identity and had given him the pseudonym James Archer. Both researchers had considered him a valuable witness to the case. However, something went wrong and a planned second meeting, when Penniston promised to produce some important evidence, never took place. 

It is unfortunate that the meeting did not go as planned because he would turn out to be one of the most important witnesses. It would be more than ten years before he would go public, and in 1999 Penniston finally confessed to me that he was indeed the mysterious James Archer. He also told me a slightly different version of his meeting with Brenda and Dot. Apparently, it did not last very long because one of the women persisted in asking questions about nuclear weapons and wanted to know if there were any deployed on the base. 

This has always been a sensitive issue and Penniston could have been in serious trouble for even discussing it. He had top-secret clearance and if anyone asked about sensitive issues he was supposed to report it immediately to his superiors. This was often the case if any of the personnel found themselves drinking in an Ipswich public house with a Russian. This could happen when the Russian fleet were in town. Penniston told me what happened during his meeting with Brenda and Dot: 

Here I am trying to offer them the truth of what really happened with the UFO and they wanted to know about whether or not there were nuclear weapons on the base. I had top-secret clearance and couldn’t discuss those things. I had no choice but to terminate the meeting there and then. The reason I contacted them in the first place was because I wasn’t happy about The News of the World story and wanted to offer them the full facts. They had the first chance to really break this story but they lost that opportunity. 

Penniston had been annoyed about a certain witness testimony being featured in the newspaper, namely that of Art Wallace, the pseudonym of Larry Warren, who he claimed was not involved in the incident. Obviously, Penniston’s full account would have been a tremendous asset at the time. It is possible that he did have some vital evidence to share with the researchers because he desperately wanted the story to be told. However, he wanted it done discreetly because, after all, he was still in the military. 

Not long before his retirement from the USAF the TV documentary Unsolved Mysteries was aired, which became a nightmare for Penniston. This was because for the first time ever his name was mentioned in the media. Penniston heard the programme had been featured on national television, but it was only when the Armed Forces Network for Europe (AFNE) got a hold of it that he was called by the AFOSI for yet another debriefing. Penniston was stationed in Bitburg, Germany, at the time and was absolutely stunned that at the precise moment the programme was to be shown on the AFNE, there was a power cut which lasted throughout the duration of the programme and was conveniently restored as soon as it terminated. 

However, after his retirement in 1994, Jim Penniston would have the opportunity to put his own case forward when he featured in a British documentary of Strange but True?, produced by David Alpin and presented by Michael Aspel. Although there was still a good deal of research to be undertaken, it was considered to be the best documentary on the case so far. Penniston, Halt and Burroughs were flown to the UK to take part in the programme, and researcher Brenda Butler was briefly interviewed. 

It was during this visit to England that Brenda realized James Archer was Jim Penniston. They had met briefly at the Strange But True? recording and although the witnesses and the crew met for a drink in a local public house Brenda refrained from joining them, instead staying outside in her car. Penniston thought this was very strange at the time, but on his return to the United States he received an emotional letter from Brenda, explaining that she had recognized him as the man she had tried to interview more than ten years earlier. However, Brenda told me the reason she did not join the witnesses that day was because the film crew had instructed her to stay away from them. According to Brenda, all the witnesses were separated, and in her research papers she mentions that Halt told her that he had to go discreetly to Penniston’s and Burroughs’ hotel rooms to check which story they were telling. 

After fourteen years of trying to come to terms with what he had witnessed, Jim Penniston finally succumbed to hypnotic regression. The nightmares had become less frequent but they were still difficult to deal with, and he had recently been diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress. A professional psychologist who was known to the family carried out the sessions, which were videotaped. 

The questions to be posed were put together by some of his colleagues, with a suggestion from Penniston that they should not be leading or suggestive. The first of two sessions was carried out in September 1994, with Penniston covering the same memories as he recalled consciously. During the encounter he finds himself beside the craft but the next moment he is further back, standing next to John Burroughs. There is approximately forty-five minutes of missing time. This is interesting because when I asked him if Burroughs was present during the encounter, he replied: 

I don’t remember John being there the moment the craft landed, which appeared to be on landing gear. I gave him an order that he disobeyed, that was to stay back at the tree line. It was a confusing time. I don’t even know if Cabansag was there. I only cared about what was 180 degrees in front of me, an unidentified. I did a 360-degree walk around it and touched the surface, which was warm to the touch. I do know it was there for about thirty to thirty-five minutes. 

Two months later Penniston went through the second hypnotic regression. This time he was taken back to the time he was debriefed by the AFOSI. This session produced an interesting twist to what happened during the debriefing. At some stage the two agents left the room and two other men replaced them, an American and an Englishman. Penniston was told that the American was from the State Department and the Englishman was from the British equivalent. He was then asked if they could give him a shot of sodium Pentothal, the truth serum. They wanted to record the interview and make sure they had all the facts, they told him. Penniston agreed provided it would put an end to it. During the regression Penniston actually lifts his arm as if to take an injection. The two men questioned him repeatedly, mostly about the structure of the object; they were very interested in its speed and how it made its approach. Penniston told them he did not see it land, that it had already landed when he arrived. In my interviews with Penniston, he explained that most of the time was spent doing sketches of the craft. ‘Draw what you see,’ he was told. After Penniston describes the symbols, the two men start talking among themselves and conclude that there is no point in going any further, that they know what he has seen and the question now is how to contain it. 

The most amazing part of the regression deals with an alien encounter at the scene of the incident. When asked about the possibility of beings being present, Penniston begins to talk about ‘the visitors’. He describes them as being from our future, a dark and polluted world with many difficulties. He explains that they are visiting in teams and each team is assigned a different task. Apparently, the teams know exactly which people they are to target when they arrive in our time. Penniston reveals that some of them are coming here to take sperm and eggs, which are necessary in order to help their species survive. It seems they have a serious problem with reproduction. This all sounds very familiar, and those who fear they have been victims of alien abduction can certainly relate to it. However, Penniston clearly has problems with this part of the regression, which is not surprising considering his long term military background. 

I asked him if he would give me a transcript of those sessions, but he shied away, saying, ‘I don’t know, they are very personal.’ The hypnotic sessions not only confirmed his recollections of the event, but highlighted names he had long since forgotten, including the names of the American and British agents who interrogated him under drug-induced hypnosis. 

Even if we dismiss the information obtained whilst under regression, Penniston’s conscious memory of the events is very valid and of great importance to the case. Apart from the initial debriefing, he also recalls meetings with his superiors, including Wing Commander Gordon Williams. In fact, the AFOSI continued to bother Penniston until his retirement from the USAF in 1993. Penniston claims his sleep patterns are often interrupted by terrible nightmares and he blames this partly on the interrogations he suffered at the hands of the AFOSI and other agents. 

For as long as the military witnesses remained in the service they were the property of the USAF, and the AFOSI made sure they never forgot it. Jim Penniston claims he was harassed by the agency until just before his retirement. He blames them for a missing plaster cast which he had taken of the ground indentations. When his tour at Bentwaters terminated in 1984, he had packed one of the casts in his household belongings that were shipped back to the United States, and the other two he carried in his hand luggage. When he unpacked the crates there were three boxes missing, which included the box containing the plaster cast. He filed a complaint about missing boxes and it took an incredible nine months for them to arrive. When they finally turned up they were badly damaged and there was no sign of the cast. 

During Penniston’s 1984 tour at Grissom AFB, Indiana, he accidentally discovered a listening bug in his home, which was situated on the base domestic site. He could not be sure if the bug had been planted to spy on him or if it had been there for some other purpose, maybe involving the person who had lived there before him, but he doubted the latter and he was taking no chances. 

The device was cleverly positioned inside the living-room wall, close to the telephone socket. The first thing he did was remove it and take it to someone he trusted who was familiar with these gadgets. Not only did it turn out to be a bug but it had a listening range of up to 3,000 feet. Penniston also received harassing telephone calls, which prompted him to change his number. There was mail tampering too, and he confirmed that John Burroughs had received similar harassment. Apparently the mail was often delayed, sometimes for weeks on end, and letters arrived that had been opened and resealed in a fashion that made it obvious they had been tampered with. Since he realized he was under surveillance he always takes precautions. 

The following typed statement is part of the file of alleged witness statements that were officially made for Lieutenant Colonel Charles I. Halt in January 1981. When I told Jim Penniston of its existence, he told me, ‘My statement was handwritten, if the one you have is typed then it was not done by me.’ After sending him a copy of the typed statement, he responded, ‘Statement seems original in content, however, original was not typed. I think Halt summarized statement.’ 

Typed statement allegedly by Staff Sergeant Jim Penniston, typed on plain paper, unsigned Received dispatch from CSC to rendezvous with Police 4 AIC Burroughs, and Police 5 SSgt Steffens at east gate Woodbridge. Upon arriving at east gate directly to the east about 1½ miles in a large wooded area. A large yellow glowing light was emitting above the trees. [Refer diagram 1] In the centre of the lighted area directly in the centre ground level, there was a red light blinking on and off 5 to 10 sec intervals. And a blue light that was being for the most part steady. After receiving permission from CSC, we proceeded off base pass [sic] east gate, down an old logging road. Left vehicle, proceeded on foot. Burroughs and I were approx. 15–20 meters apart and proceeding on a true east direction from logging road. The area in front of us was lighting up a 30 meter area. When we got within a 50 meter distance. The object was producing red and blue light. The blue light was steady and projecting under the object. It was lighting up the area directly extending a meter or two out. At this point of positive identification I relayed to CSC, SSgt Coffey. A positive sighting of the object . . . 1 . . . colour of lights and that it was definitely mechanical in nature. This is the closest point that I was near the object at any point. We then proceeded after it. It moved in a zig-zagging manner back through the woods, then lost sight of it. On the way back we encountered a blue streaking light to the left lasting only a few seconds. After 45 min walk arrived at our vehicle. 

Included with the statement were sketches of a map of the area, details of where the UFO was located and a sketch of the UFO. In separate files there were drawings of the UFO and the symbols that Penniston saw on the object. 

Handwritten comments added at a later date: 

Sgt Penniston has a lot to contribute. He promised me a plaster cast + photos but never delivered. I think he’s holding out to ‘sell’ a story. He is, however, a very competent individual and can be trusted. I’m convinced his story is as he says. He was so shuck [sic] he had to have a week off to recover. 

It is interesting that Penniston’s alleged statement implies that the closest point he was to the craft was at a 50 metre distance, but note that there appear to be missing words in the preceding sentence (‘object . . . 1 . . . colour’). If a copy of his handwritten statement were required, surely Halt would have asked his secretary to type it, or at least someone with more experience in such matters. Assuming Penniston is telling the truth, that he was not responsible for the typed statement, then who is? 

Referring to the handwritten comments on Penniston’s statement: ‘He promised me a plaster cast + photos but never delivered.’ Penniston told me in conversation that Halt had requested a plaster cast and he had eventually given one to him. This was probably the cast that Halt carried with him when he attended a UFO seminar during his trip to England in 1994. Referring to the photographs, Penniston does claim to have a photograph of the landing site, which he managed to coax from an AFOSI special agent. The written comments also state: ‘I’m convinced his story is as he says. He was so shuck [sic] he had to have a week off to recover.’ Charles Halt had previously confirmed that Penniston was so shaken by what had happened that he had asked to be transferred to another base as soon as possible. Probably the best part of these documents are the drawings by Penniston and Burroughs. Penniston has confirmed that he did numerous drawings, many for the AFOSI. One of the drawings shows a map of the area depicting the route taken from the east gate to the landing site and, on a separate page, there is a drawing of the forest area, the UFO and the positions of himself and Burroughs. In the corner of the page Penniston has done a rough sketch of the UFO, which is just an oblong-type box, showing landing legs and three coloured lights. The description of the lights are as follows: blue glow from underneath the object, bluish light in the central position and a large red light at the top (probably due to the passing of time he would later describe the top and bottom lights as being white). Penniston later sketched a set of symbols, which he says he copied from his original jotter. These were the raised symbols he saw on the UFO the night of the incident. He also drew three pictures of the UFO. These drawings are an excellent description of the triangular object, which can be viewed from three different angles. 

At the time of the incident, Jim Penniston was a trained observer with seven years’ military experience behind him. He had also been involved in several downed-aircraft retrievals. He explains that the reason he kept silent for so long was because he was still serving in the USAF. He had been told early in the day that the incident was not officially classified but that it was in his best interests not to discuss it. 

It is worth remembering that following the incident Penniston was debriefed more than any other witness. This included meetings with Wing Commander Gordon Williams, Vice Wing Commander Brian Currie, Base Commander Ted Conrad, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt, Major Malcolm Zickler, Major Edward Drury, Captain Mike Verrano, Lieutenant Fred Buran, the AFOSI special agents, and a British and American agent. The debriefings with the commanders were fairly standard-type procedures where he would make a report, give statements and submit his notes. But the AFOSI debriefings were tape recorded and the ones with the British and American agents were carried out using drug-induced hypnosis. 

Jim Penniston retired from active duty in 1993 with twenty-seven military honours. He also received a letter of appreciation from the President of the United States. As one of the more senior witnesses, he had served in Vietnam and would later be involved in the Gulf War conflict. He is now settled with his wife and family in a small American town and is currently employed as a human resources director for a manufacturing company. 

It is my opinion that Jim Penniston is a most reliable witness. During my conversations with him, he never changed his story and always answered my questions intelligently. He is willing to be challenged by the sceptics who have publicly claimed that his experience cannot be genuine because he did not discuss it in the early years. Yet not one sceptic has gone to the trouble to locate and interview him. If they had done so they would realize that Penniston did try to talk discreetly to researchers as early as 1983 but was unable to go public because until 1993 he was still serving in the USAF. 

Over the years he has searched for a meaning as to what happened in Rendlesham Forest that Christmas in 1980, but has never come to any conclusion. He does not expect the US Government to admit it was extraterrestrial for even he does not know what it was. However, he would like some answers and, rather than the denials, he would be satisfied if the government would admit that it was ‘a craft of unknown origin’ and they are unable to explain it. Jim Penniston sums it up when he says ‘the incident was of biblical proportion’

THE EVIDENCE OF EDWARD CABANSAG 

Nineteen-year-old Edward N. Cabansag was among the latest recruits to arrive at RAF Bentwaters during the month of December 1980. He was fresh out of training school and recalls it was only the first or second day of his official duty at the base when he was unknowingly caught up in Britain’s greatest UFO mystery. Cabansag, of Hawaiian parents, is best remembered for his light-hearted sense of humour and dedication to duty. Because he was the third primary witness to the initial event, I was sure his contribution would add greatly to the testimony of Penniston and Burroughs, but Cabansag had never gone public. 

At a British UFO conference in 1994 Charles Halt told the audience that Cabansag would not talk to anybody because he was in a sensitive position with the government and he did not want to risk his job. Halt told me a similar story in 1998, but when I spoke to Cabansag myself he assured me that at no time since leaving the military in the mid-1980s had he been in a sensitive position and, what is more, he was quite willing to discuss the incident. 

When Cabansag made contact with me, having read an early article I wrote on the case, he was ready to talk. Basically, he had been told to keep quiet about what he had witnessed, but now that others were talking he was prepared to do the same. Nobody had heard of Cabansag, at least by name, until Colonel Halt mentioned him at the UFO conference. Unfortunately, because it is an unusual name, ufologists picking up on Halt’s words misspelt it as Kavanasac, which is the correct pronunciation, but locating him proved a difficult task. The first thing I did was draft him a copy of his alleged statement and ask for his opinion. The following typed statement was signed by Edward N. Cabansag and was from the original CAUS files. 

1981 Statement by Airman First Class Edward N. Cabansag, typed on plain paper

On 26 Dec 80, SSgt Penningston [sic] and I were on Security #6 at Woodbridge Base. I was the member. We were patrolling Delta NAPA when we received a call over the radio. It stated that Police #4 had seen some strange lights out past the east gate and we were to respond. SSgt Penningston [sic] and I left Delta NAPA, heading for the east gate code two. 

When we got there SSgt Steffens and A1C Burroughs were on patrol. They told us they had seen some funny lights out in the woods. We notified CSC and we asked permission to investigate further. They gave us the go ahead. We left our weapons with SSgt Steffens who remained at the gate. Thus the three of us went out to investigate. 

We stopped the Security Police vehicle about 100 metres from the gate. Due to the terrain we had to go on by foot. We kept in constant contact with CSC. While we walked, each of us would see the lights. Blue, red, white, and yellow. The beacon light turned out to be the yellow light. We would see them periodically, but not in a specific pattern. 

As we approached, the lights would seem to be at the edge of the forest. We were about 100 meters from the edge of the forest when I saw a quick movement, it look visible for a moment [sic]. It look like it spun left a quarter of a turn [sic], then it was gone. I’d advised SSgt Pennington [sic] and A1C Burroughs. We advised CSC and proceeded in extreme caution. 

When we got about 75–50 meters, MSgt Chandler/Flight Chief, was on the scene. CSC was not reading our transmissions very well, so we used MSgt Chandler as a go-between. He remained back at our vehicle. 

As we entered the forest, the blue and red lights were not visible anymore. Only the beacon light was still blinking. We figured the lights were coming from past the forest, since nothing was visible when we past [sic] through the woody forest. We would see a glowing light near the beacon light, but as we got closer we found it to be a lit-up farm house. 

After we passed through the forest we thought it had to be an aircraft accident. So did CSC as well. But we ran and walked a good 2 miles past our vehicle, until we got to a vantage point where we could determine that what we were chasing was only a beacon light off in the distance. Our route through the forest and field was a direct one, straight towards the light. 

We informed CSC that the light beacon was farther than we thought, so CSC terminated our investigation. 

A1C Burroughs and I took a road, while SSgt Penningston [sic] walked straight back from where we came. A1C Burroughs saw the light again, this time it was coming from the left of us, as we were walking back to our patrol vehicle. We got in contact with SSgt Penningston [sic] and we took a walk through where we saw the lights. Nothing. 

Finally, we made it back to our vehicle, after making contact with the PCs and informing them of what we saw. After that we met MSgt Chandler and we went in service again after termination of the sighting. 

[Signed] 

EDWARD N. CABANSAG, A1C, USAF 

81st Security Police Sq. 

[Undated] [Handwritten comments added at a later date] 

I’m convinced this is a ‘cleaned-up’ version of what happened. I talked with Amn Cabansag and can say he was shook up to the point he didn’t want to talk. From talking with Chuck Decarlo (C&N) [sic] I can say he is still working today. He might talk if approached right. [signed] H 

The statement is not the full story, however. 

Airman First Class Cabansag had just completed guard mount at the Bentwaters installation when he was instructed to collect Staff Sergeant Jim Penniston. He was to be assigned as the member, which meant that he was to be Penniston’s driver. Cabansag was not given any information at this stage and just assumed he would be working a normal patrol. When he reached Penniston, he was directed to drive to the east gate at Woodbridge, where they were to investigate a possible air crash in the forest. After talking to Staff Sergeant Steffens and Airman Burroughs, Penniston consulted Central Security Control and was given permission to proceed with an investigation. Penniston then instructed Cabansag to drive him and Burroughs to the forest. Cabansag’s statement claims the patrol left their weapons with Staff Sergeant Steffens, but he told me that was incorrect, that he had handed his weapon over to Master Sergeant Chandler who was stationed near the flightline. Lieutenant Fred Buran’s statement also confirms that weapons were turned over to Chandler: 

SSgt Penniston requested permission to investigate. After he had been joined by the Security Flight Chief, MSgt Chandler, and turned his weapon over to him. 

Chandler’s statement tells us that the patrol was on British property when he arrived, which would imply that they were in violation of the Status of Forces Agreement by taking weapons off the installation. It is worth noting the different testimonies regarding who turned weapons over to whom. This only confirms that there are errors in the statements. Could it be that the men did not turn their weapons over to anyone but actually took them into the forest? 

When I arrived, S Sgt Penniston, A1C Burroughs and Amn Cabansag had entered the wooded area just beyond the clearing at the access road. We set up a radio relay between SSgt Penniston, myself and CSC. 

As they moved through the forest Cabansag recalls seeing unusual coloured lights and it soon became evident that there were difficulties with their standard military Motorola radios. It was during this time that Penniston claims he instructed Cabansag to stay back near the vehicle where he was to act as a relay communications between the patrol and Chandler, but Cabansag does not recall separating from the patrol. 

Cabansag’s statement, more than any of the others, points out that the men were following a lighthouse beacon. I thought it entirely possible that after the encounter with a landed object, the men may have momentarily mistaken the lighthouse for the UFO, but the witnesses deny that the lighthouse played any part in the encounter. 

Let us examine Cabansag’s statement more closely. 

(a) It states that he and Penniston were patrolling the Woodbridge base when they received the call, but according to Penniston’s recent testimony he was taking a midnight snack at Woodbridge when he received the report and Cabansag claims he was still at Bentwaters when he was instructed to join Penniston at the Woodbridge base. 

(b) The statement refers to Police 4 having seen some strange lights, but Penniston says Burroughs and Steffens were assigned to Police 2, and both Penniston and Cabansag have since confirmed they were Police 1. 

(c) Cabansag’s statement makes a definite point that they were in constant contact with Central Security Control, but the witnesses claim they lost contact with CSC, which is exactly why Cabansag and Chandler were performing a relay. 

(d) There is a reference to PCs. The letter P is somewhat messy because it has been typed over another letter, but the initials PC do not stand for anything in the USAF that I am familiar with, therefore I can only assume it means police constable. 

This, of course, would point to the two British policemen who were sent into the forest, but this is questionable because Cabansag writes, ‘Finally, we made it back to our vehicle after making contact with the PCs and informing them of what we saw.’ This would imply that he made contact with the PCs while they were still in the forest. However, PC Dave King states, ‘There were no Americans out there, not a soul. We didn’t report to the base because when we got back to our car there was no one there so we just left and went home.’ Is this the story Cabansag was advised to tell? Apparently, he was so nervous at being brought before Lieutenant Colonel Halt that he signed a document without even looking at it. I asked him to explain: 

The only thing that I signed was for Colonel Halt. I didn’t type anything out. Maybe someone else did it and asked me to sign it. Besides, I couldn’t type, I had never used a typewriter before. I don’t even remember what I signed. I was so nervous, I just signed it. I don’t remember talking to Halt, I remember sitting in his office in fear of Halt. I was fresh from school. 

I wondered if he knew what a PC was and if he recalled seeing any PCs in the forest. 

Yes, I know what they are, but I didn’t see any PCs in the forest and I never talked to any of them . . . I never spoke to any British policemen. 

Cabansag’s statement reports the following: 

After we passed through the forest we thought it had to be an aircraft accident. So did CSC as well. But we ran and walked a good 2 miles past our vehicle, until we got to a vantage point where we could determine that what we were chasing was only a beacon light off in the distance. 

However, in a recent interview he denied he walked a distance of two miles or anything close to it. He also denies that he mistook the lighthouse for the UFO. Here is Cabansag’s own story of what he believes occurred that night. 

Because I was new, and probably green, I thought it was some sort of prank or a fraternity thing like they do in college. I recall being assigned to Security One, driving Penniston over to the east gate and meeting up with Burroughs and Steffens. We thought it was going to be a downed aircraft. It was Burroughs who made the report. We had to wait for Master Sergeant Chandler to meet us because we had to hand our weapons over to him and get permission to proceed further. 

I’ve read all that stuff about me being a com-link, but I can’t remember any of that. I remember being with Penniston and Burroughs, there were only three of us, Sergeant Chandler stayed back with the jeep. We all saw something, and I kept thinking this was a joke, but as we got closer and closer we could see a light, and our radio transmissions were cutting out. 

I remember what I saw; it was to the right of the lighthouse. It was cone-shaped – egg-shaped, with lights running around its belt from left to right. They were blue, white and red lights, flashing, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow. Then we saw flakes of metal coming from it. It is difficult to describe. We were all trying to make sure what we’d seen . . . It wasn’t the lighthouse. I saw the lighthouse, this wasn’t it, it was to the right of the lighthouse. 

Cabansag does not remember seeing a landed object in the forest or chasing an object for two miles. He explained: 

You know, I don’t remember any of that. It seems like I have a blank there somewhere. I don’t recall walking the two miles either. I would have remembered that. It couldn’t have been two miles; it was cold out there. I know what they’re saying, but I can’t recall, maybe I was told not to discuss it, maybe they blocked it, I don’t know. 

Cabansag was concerned after reading Jim Penniston’s account of what had occurred, and it was obvious he had a complete blank of what had taken place after they entered the forest until they saw the object to the right of the lighthouse. 

I’m very confused. I may have been with Chandler, but then I can’t remember separating from Burroughs and Penniston. Why do I just recall? – I have a blank. I really don’t remember anything about the thing landing. The next day, or a couple of days later, I heard Lieutenant Englund or someone had gone out with Geiger counters, and some people were saying, ‘How could it get in the small space between the trees?’ But this was all second-hand information. I wasn’t involved in any of the other nights and I didn’t know what else went on. I carried on with work as usual. It was never discussed, I remember that. 

Whatever I was expecting to hear from Eddie Cabansag, it was not that he had experienced missing time. But as you will see, all the evidence points to there having been an incident involving a triangular object that landed in Rendlesham Forest. There is no doubt that he was out with the patrol that night, his name is firmly linked with the incident. Of course, there is a possibility that he is knowingly holding back information, but I doubt he would want to discredit Penniston and Burroughs, and I certainly did not consider him to be dishonest in his recollection of what had occurred. But what really concerned me was that, as he was telling his story, I realized he was recounting the before and after, but was not discussing what happened in-between. It is as if there is a chunk of time missing from his memory. 

It is possible that Cabansag was not a witness to the actual landing. In his statements, Penniston points out that due to the radio transmissions breaking up, he stationed Cabansag back at the jeep to act as a communications relay. But Cabansag believes he was with Penniston and Burroughs the whole time. However, Penniston does not suggest that Cabansag was with him during the encounter with a landed object. He told me that Burroughs and he had headed on foot towards the tree line, which was approximately fifty metres away from the object. At this stage, Penniston seems to have lost all radio contact with Cabansag. It was not until he was put under hypnotic regression that Penniston discovered he had experienced forty-five minutes of missing time, and apparently Burroughs also experienced the same. If all three men are reporting the exact same phenomenon then we must seriously consider if they were involved in something even more sinister than witnessing a UFO. Were they abducted or were they somehow locked in a different time or dimension? 

It is interesting that Cabansag does not remember getting into the vehicle and returning to the base but recalls that he and Penniston went back on patrol immediately after the incident. One of his concerns at the time was why they would allow a new recruit to go out on patrol and not know what the patrol was all about. When I asked him if he was absolutely certain they were not carrying weapons in the forest, he confirmed they had handed over their M-16 rifles but that John Burroughs was still carrying a sidearm. Lieutenant Colonel Halt did not coerce him into denying the incident but he admits that ‘they’ made out it was the lighthouse beacon. ‘I had, and still have, better than average vision. There was no fog, it was a clear night and I could see something moving which was silver in colour with lights,’ he said. 

Although Penniston and Burroughs were given a six-day break, Cabansag was not given any time off but instead was promoted to a day job. Usually day shifts are carried out by the A Flights, but although he worked permanent days he was still officially assigned with C Flight. It seems that some of the witnesses were moved to day duties following the incident. Was it because they were now afraid of night duties or was it to keep an eye on them? 

Not all the military statements are dated and according to Halt he interviewed the witnesses about a week later. However, Cabansag claims he was instructed to report to Lieutenant Colonel Halt on the morning of 26 December, a few hours after he had gone off duty. This being the case it means that Halt was involved in the debriefings from day one. Before he was summoned to Halt’s office, Cabansag had been in the showers and it was there that his colleagues suggested he should go along with what he was told. ‘Just go along with what the officers tell you, then you don’t think about it anymore, that way you don’t get into trouble,’ they advised. ‘That morning everyone was talking about it, but it soon went quiet,’ said Cabansag. He claims he was never interviewed by the AFOSI but Lieutenant Colonel Halt told him it was ‘very hush-hush’ and advised him not to talk about it on the base. Cabansag says he was left alone and not bothered by the AFOSI agents. He believes this was because he followed advice and played dumb. 

Let us examine the handwritten notes on Cabansag’s statement: ‘I’m convinced this is a “cleaned-up” version of what happened.’ Whoever wrote this may not have seen the original statements made to the flight commander on the morning immediately following the events, or they might have been aware of the nature of the event but pretended they were uninformed. One message reads: ‘I talked with Amn Cabansag and can say he was shook up to the point he didn’t want to talk.’ Cabansag told me, ‘I don’t remember talking to Halt. I remember sitting in his office in fear of Halt. I was fresh from school. I didn’t give any statement.’ 

There is mention of talking to the CNN defence journalist Chuck de Caro, who had carried out research on the case for a TV documentary. The message reads: ‘From talking with Chuck Decarlo (C&N) [sic] I can say he [Cabansag] is still working today. He might talk if approached right. [signed] H.’ We must consider who would be in a position to have these statements in their possession – someone who talked with de Caro with the initial H. The only person I can imagine who would have had access to those statements with the initial H is Charles Halt, who was indeed contacted by CNN and did correspond with Larry Fawcett of CAUS. Halt also admits the statements were made at his request, but denies he is responsible for the written comments. 

The fact that Cabansag signed a statement he did not even read may seem somewhat naive to the average person. However, if you can imagine that the youngster, fresh out of training school, was facing a lieutenant colonel who also happened to be the deputy base commander, you can understand how nervous he must have been. Most Security Police and Law Enforcement personnel, especially new recruits, would not expect to have an audience with a commander of Halt’s status. The highest-ranking officer who would have interviewed them under normal circumstances would probably have been Major Malcolm Zickler. 

The problem now facing Cabansag is the realization that he experienced missing time during the encounter. This has clearly bothered him and he can find no solution as to what happened to him during that period. The remarkable thing is that he has unknowingly lived with it all these years, and it was only when I asked him to piece together his story that he realized there was a blank in his memory. It is certain that this missing time took place during Penniston and Burroughs’ encounter with the UFO and, although he was not in close range to the object, it is just possible that he was also drawn into the encounter. 

Edward Cabansag was promoted to senior airman soon after the incident and completed a two-year tour at RAF Bentwaters. Six months after leaving England he retired as a security policeman, then spent four years with a combat team stationed at army bases. Since retiring in 1985 he has become a martial arts expert. He lives with his wife and children in California.

THE EVIDENCE OF ADRIAN BUSTINZA 

Adrian Bustinza joined the USAF in 1977 and after basic training he was assigned to Mather Air Force Base, California. It was in the course of this tour that he encountered a UFO incident, which occurred during a midnight shift when he and other personnel witnessed the object hovering over the base near the weapons storage area. But nothing more was said about the incident and he was not debriefed. Before arriving at Bentwaters in 1980, he had been stationed in Alaska on temporary duty. During his tour at Bentwaters he was promoted to sergeant. 

Bustinza is not exactly sure what night he was involved in the incident, but thinks it was probably 29 December because he specifically remembers it was the last night of his midnight shift with D Flight before he went on his three-day break. Due to the Christmas holidays, there was a skeleton staff on duty and he was the only non-commissioned officer assigned to the Woodbridge base. When the report came in around midnight he was still in the alert area at Bentwaters, preparing to make his way over to Woodbridge. The airman on duty at the east-gate post did not describe exactly what he saw but thought it looked like a fire in the forest. Sergeant Bustinza immediately alerted his acting commander, Second Lieutenant Bruce Englund, who in turn contacted Lieutenant Colonel Halt. Englund was instructed to check out the situation and, with Bustinza acting as his driver, they collected Master Sergeant Bobby Ball. Ball was on his break, having worked the long Christmas and Boxing Day shifts, and when the patrol arrived at his home on the domestic site (751-C Woodbridge) he was not in uniform and they had to wait for him to change. 

The men then drove to the forest to meet with patrols who were already on site. As they approached, a group of airmen rushed out of the forest and told Englund that they had encountered a bright light which was surrounded by a strange yellow mist. Englund reported the matter to his superiors and was instructed to round up more personnel and collect some light-alls. Englund’s patrol then headed for Bentwaters to carry out the orders, leaving the patrols in the forest. 

Instead of taking the shortcut they took the usual route back to Woodbridge, through the country roads. Bustinza remembers Englund cautioning him to drive carefully because there was a lot of commotion with the wildlife, and deer and rabbits were running out of the forest. Whilst Englund was dashing all over the installations, other patrols had arrived in the forest and they seemed to be without any form of supervision. There were problems with the vehicle engines, which would not start, and arguments were breaking out as to whether they had gas in them or not. 

It was then that Lieutenant Colonel Halt arrived. The replacement light-alls were not functioning properly but Halt was becoming bored waiting for more replacements and, according to Bustinza, he selected several officers to accompany him on a search for the UFO. 

As they moved through the forest, equipped with only a starscope (an image intensifier), they found triangular indentations burned into the ground at three different standpoints. Bustinza commented that it must have been a heavy object that had made these marks. Halt was instructing Sergeant Nevilles to take readings of the indentations with a Geiger counter and Bustinza was instructed to radio Central Security Control to arrange for more light-alls. 

It was during this period that Bustinza recalls someone had reported seeing the UFO on the ground. Bustinza was having problems trying to contact CSC for replacement light-alls, the static was getting much worse and finally Halt ordered him to the Woodbridge base to collect replacements. Bustinza explained the situation: ‘Everything was malfunctioning, people were excited, all running in different directions.’

When Bustinza returned to the edge of the forest there was a British police car parked on the roadside and two police officers were guarding the entrance to the logging road. Whilst trying to catch up with Halt’s patrol he saw lights moving through the trees and the forest was bathed in a yellow mist rising about two to three feet off the ground, almost to knee height. As he drew nearer to the lights he realized it was some sort of object that seemed to be hovering about 20 feet off the ground, literally bobbing up and down. When he caught up with the patrol he found twenty to thirty personnel, including Lieutenant Colonel Halt, surrounding a huge UFO which was parked in a clearing near the farmer’s field. Bustinza remarked how amazed he was that such a huge craft could have landed in such a small area. 

As soon as Bustinza arrived at the clearing Lieutenant Colonel Halt instructed him to join the other men who were surrounding the object. Bustinza was in awe as he stared at the circular craft with its rainbow flashing lights and recalls feeling completely helpless. At that point he noticed two men dressed in black military uniforms, who he thinks were there to investigate the incident. ‘They were just standing back watching what was going on,’ he explained. He remembers their uniforms were unlike anything he was familiar with. There were also two civilians standing close by who were taking photographs of the craft, and Lieutenant Colonel Halt ordered Bustinza and another airman to confiscate their cameras. He also recalls seeing other people taking photographs and filming the event. 

Adrian Bustinza is adamant that Lieutenant Colonel Halt was in charge of the patrol that night. But originally Halt had denied Bustinza was present. The following is edited from my interviews with the witness. 

G. BRUNI: Can you tell me what happened in the forest that night? 

A. BUSTINZA: At the beginning we had radio contact because we were getting directions. I think my call sign was Alpha One, but it’s been a long time. At the time I was the only non-commissioned officer in charge at Woodbridge, there were only six of us on duty at the Woodbridge base that night. Although in the forest there was a staff sergeant, and we had a lieutenant. Nevilles was out there, I remember him getting some Geiger readings that were impressive. I remember saying, ‘Oh shit, there’s radiation there,’ because at one stage I was standing right next to Nevilles. 

G. BRUNI: Colonel Halt denied you were with his patrol. 

A. BUSTINZA: Halt was there! I remember him because he was giving me orders, but later he denied that anything happened. We were in the woods towards the direction . . . [nervous tension as he describes the events] everything was moving . . . Colonel Halt later tried to tell us it was our imagination. I remember he approached myself and another, and ordered us to confiscate cameras from some British nationals. I went over and took their cameras and gave them to Colonel Halt. He put them into bags and told us that they would be dealt with at a higher level. 

G. BRUNI: Can you specify if it was a craft out there, or was it just lights you saw? 

A. BUSTINZA: There was a landed craft. There was a yellowish haze on the ground; it came up to about knee level, like a low fog, it was very yellow. Everything was so weird, animals were acting strange and nobody had a sense of direction. People had camera equipment, not the normal equipment, and there was a lot of it. 

G. BRUNI: Was Halt was out there when it landed? 

A. BUSTINZA: Let me think. Yeah, when this thing landed, Colonel Halt was already there. You see, I didn’t see it land; it had already landed. I saw it take off; it kind of hovered at first, and then took off. When I arrived it was going in and out through the trees, and at one stage it was hovering. Then it went over to a clearing at the edge of the forest. By the time we got to the clearing it had already landed. 

G. BRUNI: Do you think it was under some kind of intelligent control? 

A. BUSTINZA: In my opinion, at that time, I thought we were dealing with extraterrestrial visitation . . . I can’t say I saw beings, but I saw the outlines of something. 

Larry Warren claims Major Zickler was out in the forest and recalled seeing him step out of his vehicle and fall in some mud. I asked Bustinza if he could remember seeing Zickler at the site. Not only was he sure Zickler was not present, but during one of my conversations with Bustinza he explained that it was not Zickler who had fallen in the mud, but himself. It occurred after the UFO had taken off when Halt’s patrol were chasing it through the forest. Apparently, he had slipped on a pile of manure and the men had made fun of him for days afterwards. It seems it was one of the few parts of the incident they felt comfortable discussing, probably because it had some reality to it. I wondered if this had happened in the farmer’s field, but he said he knew there were cattle in the field adjacent to the forest but this had taken place inside the forest itself. 

Bustinza is not sure how long the UFO was sitting in the clearing, and although it seemed like a very long time he thinks it was probably only between fifteen and thirty minutes. It was obviously a much larger object than that witnessed by Penniston and Burroughs earlier that week. He claims it was huge, at least 30 feet wide, with strange markings on its body. It was difficult to define its shape because it was constantly distorting, but he recalls it being like a soluble aspirin, and at times like a mushroom, with a thickness to its middle. As it lifted off there was no sound but he felt a cool blast, like a breeze. The object then separated into three different lights, which went off in different directions. During the encounter he is sure there were twenty to thirty personnel surrounding the craft and other people further back with the trucks, which were still not functioning. 

One interesting twist to the Rendlesham Forest puzzle is Adrian Bustinza’s conversation with CAUS investigator Larry Fawcett in early 1984. When ‘Busty’, as his friends know him, was discussing the incident, he told Fawcett he had seen Lieutenant Colonel Halt talking to somebody or something and he thought he heard Halt say he would contact the electronics division and they would try to get a part from another world. 

I was interested to know what he meant by ‘a part from another world’, but although he recalls something to do with an ‘electronics division’ he cannot recall mentioning anything about ‘another world’. Of course, it is possible that Bustinza is trying to play down the alien connection because of what it represents and, although he is in agreement with most of Larry Fawcett and Ray Boeche’s interviews, he challenges other points concerning Larry Warren and General Gordon Williams. 

Major General Gordon Williams does not believe the episode Bustinza refers to ever happened. With this in mind I asked him if the USAF had such a division. He explained that the ‘Electronics Division’ was probably the Electronics Systems Division (ESD). This is one of the principal product divisions of what used to be the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC). Headed by a four-star general, AFSC was responsible for Research and Development and initial procurement of weapons systems, in fact anything that needed to be developed or tested. ESD looked after developing all things electronic such as the Aeronautical Systems Division (ASD) and aircraft. It was also involved in the Cobra Mist Over the Horizon project on Orfordness which closed down in 1973. 

A few years ago AFSC merged with the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) and according to an air force source, it is now part of the Air Materiel Command. Could this be what Adrian Bustinza was referring to? I asked Williams if a security police officer would know anything about this division. He replied, ‘A security guard at Bentwaters, bright or not, would have a one in a million chance of knowing about ESD/ASD.’ So was the craft in trouble, did it need repairs and, more importantly, did its crew need help from the USAF? If so, then are we expected to believe they were aliens! Or was this indeed an experiment being carried out by the USAF. 

Adrian Bustinza had emphasized how confusing it was during the encounter with the UFO, but he positively recalls Lieutenant Colonel Halt was standing facing the object and talking directly at it or to something that he could not define. If Halt was involved in this encounter he could have been talking into his pocket recorder, and that might be what Bustinza heard. But then why would he be talking about getting parts from the electronics division? If an alien encounter was involved, were they communicating messages to Halt, who in turn was making verbal notes on his recorder? It is difficult to imagine that the radios were functioning at that moment due to the static that seemed to be prominent during the encounter. 

It had been a long night for Sergeant Bustinza but the drama was not over yet. Later that morning he was instructed to report to Major Zickler’s office for a debriefing on what had occurred in the forest. He would also be required to report to the base commander, Colonel Ted Conrad. But Bustinza’s worst experience was when he was collected outside his dormitory and whisked off in a black Cadillac by two mysterious men in black. 

In the mid-1980s he gave interviews to American researchers, and although he was prepared to discuss part of his involvement in the actual incident he denied government agents ever interrogated him. UFO investigator Larry Fawcett talked to Bustinza on 20 April 1984 and questioned him on a briefing that was supposed to have taken place. He told Fawcett that he was debriefed by Major Zickler, Lieutenant Colonel Halt and the base commander. When Fawcett asked him if he remembered any of the witnesses being threatened, he said no that they had just warned him. He concluded it was the work of the CIA. 

Adrian Bustinza was in fact interrogated, but the reason he refused to discuss it with Larry Fawcett at the time was because he was afraid for his life and his family. I talked to him on several occasions and finally, eighteen years after the incident, he agreed to talk about his experience at the hands of his interrogators. The following is part of that interview: 

G. BRUNI: Adrian, can you tell me what happened immediately after the incident? I know it is difficult for you to talk about. I only want the truth, nothing more and nothing less. Can you tell me about the interrogations? Where did these take place? 

A. BUSTINZA: I was debriefed in Major Zickler’s office the first time, but later I remember being picked up in a car. I know this is going to sound like science-fiction, but these men were your typical ‘men in black’, black suits, white collar and tie, RayBan type dark glasses. It was very scary and confusing because I didn’t know where they were taking me. They were very intimidating. 

G. BRUNI: Where did they take you? 

A. BUSTINZA: I was taken to the security area near where the metal bunkers are. I think it was the photo lab, but I can’t remember leaving it. We went underground, down some stairs into a tunnel. We walked through the tunnels and there were light bulbs hanging on the side of the walls. I was taken into a small room and ordered to sit on a wooden chair, which was very uncomfortable. I was told to look directly ahead, neither left nor right, but straight ahead. It was difficult because someone was shining a light bulb in front of my face and it was blinding me. I was really scared and confused and thought I had done something wrong; remember I was very young at the time. I remember thinking, where is my staff sergeant, where is my lieutenant, why am I the only one here going through this? I felt completely helpless. They asked me repetitive questions. They told me I would later be debriefed by my superiors, I was. They asked the same questions over and over again. I wasn’t allowed to ask any questions and they threatened me by mentioning some government code. I told them I worked for the government too. They told me I mustn’t talk to no one about this. A tall man, I could only see his shadow, moved forward and said, ‘Bullets are cheap, a dime a dozen.’ It was very scary. 

G. BRUNI: What kind of questions did they ask you? 

A. BUSTINZA: They asked me what I saw. I told them. And they asked me if anyone had filmed it, was anyone taking pictures of it? They asked me who I had talked to, who I had told. 

G. BRUNI: Was it the same men who picked you up who interviewed you? 

A. BUSTINZA: At about that time everything was fuzzy, but I remember the two men who had picked me up led me into the room then left. There were two or three men in the room but I couldn’t see their faces because of the bright light shining at me. I could only see shadows, but the man asking the questions wore a black overall-type uniform. 

G. BRUNI: How long were you in the room? 

A. BUSTINZA: Forever! They just kept on asking repetitive questions. They told me I had been chasing lights. I kept saying, ‘No, we saw something else,’ but they kept repeating, ‘You don’t get the picture, do you? You saw a light and that light was a lighthouse beacon.’ I said, ‘No, it wasn’t a beacon,’ and that’s the moment the guy came over to tell me ‘Bullets are cheap and a dime a dozen.’ At that stage I just wanted to get out of there so I said, ‘OK, it was a beacon.’ They then said, ‘Let’s go over this again.’ They wanted to make sure I knew it was a beacon. 

G. BRUNI: Can you describe the tunnels you were in: were they narrow or wide? 

A. BUSTINZA: They were wide enough to get a truck through. There were tunnels all over that base but we weren’t supposed to talk about them. They would take you from point A to point B. They were accessible through the security area. 

G. BRUNI: What were they used for; did any lead to the North Sea? 

A. BUSTINZA: As far as I know they had been built in case of a nuclear attack or for an emergency. They were escape routes. I don’t know where they all led to. 

G. BRUNI: What happened after you were released from the interrogations? 

A. BUSTINZA: I was upset after being treated so bad, I mean I was a sergeant with the United States Air Force. I considered going AWOL. The only comfort I got was when Major Zickler called us into his office and briefed us. He said that any information we gave would be confidential. I felt comfortable with him and my lieutenant. Not one of us would talk about it afterwards. Sometimes we would get ridiculed, guys going on about UFOs, but we had to take it, we couldn’t discuss it. There was a gag order on that incident and we were told that what we saw was a lighthouse beacon. There were many nightmares after that. 

During the ensuing days Bustinza was debriefed by Base Commander Colonel Ted Conrad and summoned before Wing Commander Colonel Gordon Williams. Conrad gave him a lesson on how to deal with the press, should they start asking questions, and Williams apparently told him that he did not want to personally know anything about what had happened and informed him that it was a matter for the people who were dealing with it. Of course, Colonel Williams had to be careful that he did not get caught up in the drama, it was in his best interest to leave it to the AFOSI to investigate. 

When Bustinza returned to his duties three days later, he was assigned to the swing shift with D Flight. It was during this time that his patrol was assigned to guard a C-130 aircraft that had landed on the Woodbridge base. It was not unusual for C-130s to land at Woodbridge, they were constantly arriving and departing, but they seldom needed top-aid security. This was presumed to be the very aircraft that was alleged to have transported the video film and photographs of the UFO to the USAFE headquarters at Ramstein Airbase in Germany. Former Master Sergeant Ray Gulyas told me: 

‘Captain Verrano was given a video film taken by a military wife living on Woodbridge base. He was instructed to give it to the pilot of a plane that was waiting for it.’ Of course, whilst Bustinza was on his three-day break other flights had arrived which needed security. These aeroplanes were said to have flown in from Washington with the purpose of transporting specialists to investigate the landing sites. It seems that the evidence was quickly removed from Britain to the safety of the headquarters in Germany, later to be transported to the Pentagon. One wonders if Britain’s defence departments were ever informed of these goings-on. 

Not long after the incident, Adrian Bustinza was sent on temporary duty assignments to other bases around the world. On his return to Bentwaters he joined a special team as a guard of honour for Major General Walter H. Baxter, who replaced Lieutenant General Bazley as commander of RAF Mildenhall. After the incident most of the witnesses appear to have been transferred to other bases on temporary duty. According to an Air Force source, this was normal procedure. Military personnel witnessing these kinds of incidents, or anything they should not have been privy to, were intimidated and immediately moved to another flight and, as soon as it was possible, transferred to other bases. In some cases, an agent would befriend them with the purpose of finding out if they talked about the incident, and if they did, steps would be taken to intimidate them further. It seems the Air Force did not want personnel spreading stories about UFO encounters; it was not good for the morale. The 81st Security Police Squadron at RAF Woodbridge and Bentwaters was already low on morale. There had been the big drugs bust, and the week of UFO events and its aftermath did not help matters. However, in 1981 the squadron received a big boost to their morale when they were awarded an ‘Outstanding Evaluation’ and won the USAFE title for best squadron. 

But did Adrian Bustinza talk? 

He has since complained of being harassed by the AFOSI. When he left RAF Bentwaters he was posted to Malmstrom AFB, Montana, where he had a very difficult time. He told me: ‘I had nothing but problems with my superiors at Malmstrom. I was stripped of a star and put back as an airman senior first class – demoted from sergeant.’ It is worth noting that Bustinza was a good security policeman. His skills were recognized by his commanding officer Major Zickler, inasmuch as he had Bustinza promoted to sergeant before his time. Zickler told me himself that Sergeant Bustinza was worthy of his promotion. Was the USAF trying to pressure him into retirement because he was talking? General Gordon Williams told me that it was a serious matter to strip an airman of his rank and there had to be a very good reason for it. Bustinza claimed that for years after he left the service he was under surveillance. ‘I had a call from RAF Bentwaters,’ he told me. ‘I knew I was being watched after I left the service, little things were noticeable. I’m in security so I know about these things.’ His mother told me that he had a briefcase full of material relating to the incident, but Bustinza claims he has since destroyed it. 

Larry Fawcett sent me Halt’s tape recording of the incident. The tape is edited. I was worried about keeping it and Larry told me to dispose of it. I disposed of the briefcase. I took everything out and burnt it in the garden . . . I was concerned for my family, my parents, especially for my father who works for the government. 

Adrian Bustinza retired from the Air Force in 1982 and is now a supervisor working on criminal investigations with the State Justice Department. He lives with his wife from a second marriage and his children in the United States. 

Does he have anything to add to what happened? 

People have exaggerated on this case. If you’re not going to deal with the truth, then don’t deal with it at all. I still can’t believe it happened. I can tell you, I will never forget the interrogation and the threat, ‘Bullets are cheap, a dime a dozen.’ That stuck in my mind. 

I asked him if he would confirm Larry Warren’s story that there were small aliens present at the landing site. I realized this was a difficult question for him because he was clearly uncomfortable with it. But he answered as best he could: 

We were in denial. We went through a denial stage on this. I’m not ready to talk about it. I know Larry was upset because he thinks I let him down by not talking about the underground, but I’m not ready to talk about this.

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