The Rendlesham Forest UFO - What really Happened?

I posted a reply at the end of page 11 expressing my profound doubts of the whole case. The thing that bothered me was Jim Penniston's interview with Angela Joiner dissected and discussed by the guys from Paratopia. The guys names were Jeff Richmond and Jeremy, the host. I'd never heard of them but they do podcasts on UFO's and paranormal events.
Penniston comes off badly in what is essential a cross examination by Joiner of the "binary download." Listen to this interview and come to your own conclusions as to the veracity of Jim Penniston.

reply to post by spacehoax1


Paratopia are victims of their own success. Their hosting provider claimed their plan had unlimited bandwidth but their site used too much bandwidth and they had to remove all but the last 10 episodes.

They have a link to www.angeliajoiner.com... for episode 117, but for some reason all that gives me is a blank page

But I don't need to hear their podcast to learn Penniston changed his story...Burroughs was there too, and makes it clear that Penniston's version of events is not accurate.

Originally posted by Arbitrageur

Originally posted by Thunda
I dunno- people have there own thoughts and beliefs on this, but it seems far more to it that a simple misidentifcation of a lighthouse.

I'm not trying to be uncivil here, but at least Firemoon realizes that Venus is not the lighthouse and demonstrates some awareness of both sides of the debate, which is an awareness your statement about "a simple misidentifcation of a lighthouse" fails to demonstrate. I've never heard anybody suggest this was "a simple misidentifcation of a lighthouse" so you're dismissing a nonexistent position.

Really? Youve never heard someone dismiss the whole case as a misidentified lighthouse? How about seven posts up from you? rigel4 makes this exact dismissal, and I have heard it many, many times. Its the easy way out for people who have never really looked into the case and are 'popularist skeptics'- "Rendlesham? Wasnt that just a lighthouse?"

Im guessing from your response you think that maybe Venus and a lighthouse are to blame for the mistake made by the Military personnel- and maybe a bolide too? Thats great- you are entitled to your opinion.

I can assure you I do have 'some awareness of both sides of the debate'- how could one come to ATS and not be exposed to both sides of the arguement, but as I keep repeating, it comes to a point where you have to choose to believe someones testimony or not. I think I have made my choice on that, and I have a right to do so, as do you. Can we just leave it at that between us?

Originally posted by Thunda
Really? Youve never heard someone dismiss the whole case as a misidentified lighthouse? How about seven posts up from you? rigel4 makes this exact dismissal, and I have heard it many, many times.

I didn't read it that way. The post doesn't say the lighthouse was the only thing involved, in fact it implies other things when it says "misidentification from the ground".

However I should have been more clear, I've never heard anybody informed about the case say it was just a lighthouse. People who are ill-informed might say anything.

reply to post by Arbitrageur


Ok, well Im really not going to argue the minutae of a three line post, but I suppose we can agree on that. Uninformed people can say anything.

Originally posted by Arbitrageur

But I don't need to hear their podcast to learn Penniston changed his story...Burroughs was there too, and makes it clear that Penniston's version of events is not accurate.

You have no clue what could have been "slipped in his coffee" since then. Penniston has been cased and followed ever since the entire incident occurred. Answer this? What does the guy have to gain from making up the story in the first place, or the several other people who corroborate the incident in some form or fashion? It's quite clear that the Gov. have the ability to discredit individuals very effectively simply by making them alter their stories in such a way as to draw doubt? To deny the fact that something highly unusual happened that night is pure ignorance - whether we can quantify or say exactly what it was is neither here nor there.

Penniston's story has changed so much over the years because it's my opinion that he's lying about the whole thing. Think about it. You are involved in one of the most celebrated cases in modern Ufology. You tell your story. It's real. Those are the facts. You don't keep changing the narrative. You don't keep adding things. There are inconsistencies to his story, and when there are inconsistencies to a supposed fact-based narrative, then something's wrong with the narrative. It feels like he's lying about it. Now, we get a story about a supposed "download" of binary code. It's like they just want to keep the story going.

Another thing bothers me about this binary download. The code was deciphered to point out coordinates at Hy Brasil. There are english words to the effect. "...EXPLORATIONOGHUMANITY..." in part of the decoded message. Well, if the "aliens" know english...why communicate it in a binary form that takes a certain amount of explication. Why not just use english letters??

That's why it seems like it's all just made up. He's told us a new story....it just wasn't thought through logically enough.

Originally posted by Vrill
reply to post by gambon

 

Usually a prank comes out and is told it was a prank (not long after it happens in fact) if this was a prank pulled on this base, it would have came out years and years ago.

Not if they came under pressure from the uk gov and had official secrets imposed on them due to if this got out it would provide a HUGE public upswing in support of cnd and those wishing to have american nukes removed from britain , inc the ussr

Originally posted by kronos11

Originally posted by Arbitrageur

But I don't need to hear their podcast to learn Penniston changed his story...Burroughs was there too, and makes it clear that Penniston's version of events is not accurate.

You have no clue what could have been "slipped in his coffee" since then. Penniston has been cased and followed ever since the entire incident occurred. Answer this? What does the guy have to gain from making up the story in the first place, or the several other people who corroborate the incident in some form or fashion? It's quite clear that the Gov. have the ability to discredit individuals very effectively simply by making them alter their stories in such a way as to draw doubt? To deny the fact that something highly unusual happened that night is pure ignorance - whether we can quantify or say exactly what it was is neither here nor there.

well he HAS gained money , an ego boost and expenses paid trips over the world to talk about it(the event)



just found some info re the rad detector (from Radiation Readings Revisited (C.J. Pearson, 2010)

"The AN/PDR-27 has two GM tubes, one for very low, to low, measurement and one for medium to high readings. The medium to high tube is in the main body of the meter. The low range one is in the silver probe. The tube in the body is for high levels of gamma radiation measurement. The body is made from cast aluminium and so only gamma can pass through the body of the meter. The probe end is open to air usually. The probe end has a sliding sheet of metal which, when in place will ensure that any beta radiation is stopped, therefore only gamma will be measured. Remove the metal sheet and both beta and gamma can be detected."

now ,if i remember rightly mention is made of removing the shield in one of the statements , halts i think, which means they were using the smaller external probe which is the low range probe.This may also explain how this type of detector was used on casualties in exercises as has been mentioned before.

hmm I have just been reading the mod files , and this struck me , I have never noticed this mentioned before

MoD files page 41...airman "wallace" (larry warren)statement..

"As they approached a clearing in the woods on the second night, they noticed a brightness in the distance and the sound of helicopters overhead"

I find this interesting as We are told there are no radar returns on either of the nights, so this is either wrong , or maybe the helis were under the radars altitude range?

? what follows is a tale of him seeing cameras and lights set up etc , but why mention the sound of helis? if the rest of the tale is made up re seeing "casualties" being treated by medics and plain clothes people standing around?

Ok I've finally found Steve La Plume's story which is part of Rendlesham's greater story but still linked to events in late 1980. Please note that the full transcription appeared on the now defunct rendlesham-incident.co.uk

I have edited the story down into a number of parts without missing the main points.

But if you wish to see the entire post then use. web.archive.org...

Search on rendlesham-incident.co.uk...

Select the latest date possible and then follow the link "Articles" > Steve La Plume’s forum posts (2009)

Here goes:


Steve La Plumes Story : Part 1

Introduction

My name is Steven Robert LaPlume. When I had just turned eighteen years of age I was an Airman in the United States Air Force stationed at RAF Bentwaters. I want to go into detail about my time there related to the UFO incident/sighting. I know I am but one in this mess, however I want to have my voice heard for a change. I truly believe what happened to me did in fact happen and I also think the incident has been underplayed or ever shadowed by the “big show” that happened in late Dec. of 1980.

When I arrived at RAF Bentwaters, I ran into someone ..his name was Larry Warren and became good friends for a bit of time then after the incident it was really a bit intense. I got kicked out of the Air Force soon after my sighting.

I knew I needed to do something to get out of the service but I could not find a loop hole in my contract... Anyway, I took a skin diving knife and cut my belly a bit. I was not trying to kill myself. I was simply trying to show I was serious about wanting to get out. I felt my life was in danger and I found my way out no matter what the penalty. There was just way too much * going on. So I cut myself then went down the hall hoping someone would see …...

Long story short I got busted. Little did I know one of the cops that actually arrested me was a tall guy named John Burroughs. I did not know it but he had his own issues at the time. He and I scrapped a bit during the arrest…End result was I got an article 15, lost all my rank and got all my pay cut and eventually an honourable discharge. ..it was impossible for me to ever re-enter the US military.. It was not that I did not like military life…it was that I felt my life was I danger and I needed to leave … if that made sense. In short I became a professional soldier for hire. After about five years of that I stopped abruptly and got on with my life

Continued .....

Steve La Plumes Story : Part 2

Strange events

I was sitting in my dorm room one day when Larry warren came into my room. I had just had a sighting a few days prior and had kept my mouth shut after the incident. He asks if he can talk and then starts laying out this whole story about UFOs, walking back form Ipswich when he saw it, lights triangular craft splitting apart after all of them coming together, little green men, animals in the forest.I will say this. I never doubted when I was talking to him that what he said had happened had happened. He was deeply disturbed. I have a clear recollection of him talking about this incident. He never sat down, never moved he just stood there and laid it all out in one foul swoop…. after he left it started to all come together for me. They had their sighting about Christmas in 1980.

About three weeks later I have mine. Also a few friends of mine were suddenly getting booted out of the service as well. I believe all had something to do with the UFO incident.

There was one guy from Philly that I will not name who was not part of the UFO incident. He was not all that smart and yet had written down a whole theory about magnetic issues, like flight using magnetics. At the time I did not grasp what the heck he was talking about. But now that this technology was common on mass transport I wonder how in 1980 a dumb boxer from Philly, how did he get hold of this technology? He was getting out on a section 8 which means his elevator didn’t reach the top floor.

There were a few other odd things in the aftermath of all this. I had a good buddy who had met a girl. She was a photographer for the base and worked in the Photography building. Larry Warrens mentioned that there was an underground base under Bentwaters and that at some point he had come up through and elevator in the photography building. So this friend meets this girl. They fall for each other then he gets a TDY to Germany for a month. Next I see him he is looking pitiful. His girl left him and he had shaved all his hair off. When I asked him why he said he was getting a new start. But when I talked to him it was not the same guy I knew a month ago. Maybe she really tore him up but just think it was to strange that this girl entered his life. Left as abrupt as she appeared never to be seen again and he turns up all * in the head.

Mark Thompson has been over-looked. He was run out on failure to adapt charges as well. He was there in the incident on one of the nights and told me that he backed up Larry’s story about the generated lights not working, the pump at the station not working correctly, going on and off when they were trying to fill the light alls. After he went back to Santa Cruz, I never heard from him again.

Why did so many airmen have so much trouble after leaving the service or while they were stationed there during that period of time? I was parts of a large replacement group for the security police that had been there prior and had gotten busted for doing drugs in a big sweep. This is what I was told. If someone investigated the airmen that got removed from service prior to my arrival I bet there might be some things that would mesh with all of us getting booted out. What did they see or get involved with? Most service men don’t get a secret clearance only to go shoot heroin.

Our suicide rate was rumoured to be one of the highest in the USAF. When my fellow airmen who I went through basic with did a TDY (Temporary Duty in the Yonder) at the base he said he fully understood why I got booted out the way I did. He said it was the worst base he had ever been to. I had more than one fellow airman talk to me in confidence about weird dreams they were having. A girl that would visit one guy in the evenings but she was not real a sort of ghost. Then there was another guy who said he would have a dream about waking up and a black gloved hand was in front of him just prior to covering his mouth. Could that be a recollection of chloroform in a glove just prior to knocking someone out? My first thought was it was.

I was followed one night by two guys claiming to be German pilots on TDY. I asked about them and no one knew them. I asked one for a cigarette. He gave me one and lit it. Then I told him I knew he was not a German pilot and that I was on to them. It went like this: “Excuse me do you have a light?” German pilot makes like he does not understand. “Oh you don’t speak English?” I produce a cigarette that I got off the bartender not being a smoker. “You got a light?” I gesture a BIC lighter and he gets it and hand me a lighter. I hand it back and then I say in simple slow English. I know your following me. Why are you following me?” German boy just looks at me and says nothing but he screwed up because he did not gesture like he did not understand like he did before. We just made eye contact and started for a split second or so then I walked away. When his partner came back (I had gone to get some food) [...] from behind the lattice work I saw them talk and leave out the back door. “That’s odd” I thought “No one ever leaves out that back door.” There was nothing in the back but an alley. I went back and followed them. They got I a big dark Lincoln town car.. I watched them through the barely cracked open door as they drove in the direction of the gate and remember their tail light going on when the driver slowed for a moment. I saw enough and thought they may have seen me so I closed the door and took off out of the front of the club. What in the hell were two German pilots on TDY (Obviously they flew in to the base) doing in a Lincoln town car in Suffolk England in 1981? These were not a common car at all in that place and time. It was at this moment I knew I was * and I needed to get out. Maybe it was the same dark big car that Larry claims was waiting for him when he was pulled in to the car after being sprayed with something that knocked him out.

OK, here is what I saw and what happened to me. It simple enough of an event but it’s got a few things I feel are overlooked and not fully integrated with the first few nights incident. Remember this event happened about 3 weeks after the big show in the forest.

Steve La Plume's Story part 3

La Plume’s UFO experience
Senior Airman Palmer and I were on duty. I was on the back gate known as the “East Gate” I used to know the exact date. I am not sure why but I have no idea what exact date I had my sighting. What I do know is it was on my third rotation of work after the Christmas three days off I had. Roughly three weeks later (after the big sighting) about 11:00 pm or so.

It was only maybe 15% cloud cover now and the sky was clear for the most part. Stars were bright and it was generally a beautiful night, no fog. It was Palmer who first mentioned the lighthouse and the UFO and the forest to my left (at the end of the long access road to the base). I could see the beacon of the light house as it rotated and I canno believe anyone could mistake that thing for a UFO. I read where a de-bunker said the timing of the beacon and the timing of Halt on the tape were in sync. OK, maybe but I do know that a light house some five miles away wasn’t shining through any trees to the decree anyone would mistake it as being remotely close to them. We were talking about the Airmen, the UFO and little green men and generally joking about it. I saw something over Palmer’s right shoulder. It was up in the sky high in the sky about 45 degrees off the horizon. What I saw looked at first like a satellite moving across the sky. It was maybe a bit brighter but not by much. I mentioned it to Palmer, he turned and looked. It was dancing in the sky. Up and down to a rhythm I can only liken to a heart monitor but it was doing so really quickly about 10 degrees either way. It was a fast mover. I asked Palmer if he saw it too. He confirmed he did and we looked at it for a few moments.

Palmer jumped in the cruiser to go to the Control tower to check. Total sight time was about 3 or 4 minutes. Palmer came back about 15 minutes later and reported the only thing up was a C-130 transport plane and a few Jolly Greens [helicopters] from the Para-Rescue Squadron. Palmer said we had to call it in if we saw anything odd. I said OK. He then got on the radio and said. “LaPlume just saw a UFO” I yelled across the car to him. “You saw it too!”

Within a few moments the phone at the East Gate rang. I went over answered, and it was Lt. Englund. He asked me what I saw. I told him we lost sight of it in some cloud cover over the forest. It hit the fan! He told us to stay there and observe. Very soon after Colonel Halt showed up. I reported the post safe and secure and proceeded to tell him what happened. All the time Palmer stayed back and did not get too involved .Coward or part of it?

After the arrival of Col. Halt, the stream of officers and higher ranking personnel kept coming. There was the Deputy Base commander, I believe of Woodbridge base who brought his wife and teen-aged son. Eventually, the recently promoted General Williams, our Wing commander, came. I was told by Lt Englund not to be nervous and simply tell him what I saw. I did just that and then everyone except palmer and myself jumped in an official Air Force station wagon and went out the East gate toward the forest. We were left with a starlight scope and told to let them know if we saw anything.

Steve La Plumes Story : Part 4

When this was going down I was beside myself. Why did all these people show up? Why was this officers wife and kid here on official Air Force business. Why did she have a 35mm Nikon camera and make the comment. “I hope we get to see one!”

It was a very exciting time for all of them. I was completely clueless as to the events of December 1980. I knew there was a sighting but at this point in time I knew no details other than some Security personnel claimed to have seen a UFO. I did not understand why they insisted on going into the forest. The thing we saw was miles in the sky and while it was technically over the forest was about 30,000 feet up. Nothing happened. We saw nothing and when they returned they seemed a bit let down.

I was posted on the gate the rest of the night, which sucked as it was boring as hell out there in the middle of nowhere and worse the ghost stories and now the UFO thing was a bit unnerving. I was just 18 and was involved in a mess I had no clue how big it was about to be.

After things calmed down Palmer took off to resume duty. He returned about an hour or so later. He mentioned the lighthouse and how they thought it might be that. Even then people were trying to figure out about that damned lighthouse amongst ourselves and we all dismissed it as far as I know.

But then it happened, the second visit.

Here is what I remember and how I remember it:

I was looking toward the forest in particular the light house. I mentioned that there was no way it could have been that. Maybe I thought it but it was in my head at the time. Then I saw the lights of a plane coming in for a landing. I thought it was a plane. Then it got a bit closer, lower than I thought it should be. It was slow too. Was it an A-10? It’s over the forest now nearing the road at the end of the East Gate access road. It’s big. Those lights don’t seem right. Its about 1000 feet off the deck, long like a football field long. Cigar shaped but there are a few clouds in the way.

“Where did they come from it was clear a minute ago?” Palmer and I exchanged a few words confirming that we were both seeing it. I don’t remember ever talking to Palmer again until it was all over. I seem to recall a bluish light under it tracking the ground but I can not say for sure so I have to discount this as not factual. I simply can’t clearly remember. The craft is coming toward me. I have an M-16 machine gun on me. I never even think to take it off my shoulder. Now the front is above my head. I am speechless and immobile. It’s huge. Three American football field lengths or so I perceive it to be. There is still a cloud around it or fog that is preventing me seeing it clearly. Now it’s directly over my head. I see the hatch like square thing on the bottom. It’s structural. There are some lights a yellow one a red one and either a blue or green one. My only thought is “Wow, look at it, remember this moment, you’ll never see anything like this again in your whole life. This is amazing.” Then its moving toward my right and toward the Southern sky much higher and I watch it as it returns to the night sky and blends in with the stars. I can only see the night sky clear with no clouds and full of stars.

Palmer asks “Do you want to call that in?”.”NO” I reply with total certainty. He agrees and we agree to say nothing. Palmer and I never really talked about it after that. I went back to the CSC and talked to my Sgt who gave me about a one minute debrief: “LaPlume what did you see?” I told him what I saw on the first sighting and nothing more. I played it down and knew if I mentioned anything I would be ridiculed so I kept my big mouth shut. I told him I thought it was a satellite but it was moving strange that’s all. He said OK and that’s the only official dealing I had on the matter.

hey there mirageman , i have just been reading those , mebbe you should put a reference in where you got them just to be on the safe side....copyright etc...

Also compare this

"The witnesses have gone on record saying that no aircraft movements had taken place that night. “I visited and worked on the bases for a number of years from 1970 to now [December 2010], I was on the base at the time and it is not possible that a helicopter from the 67th ARRS was flying that night, as we had a bad ground fog for the days of the sighting and ALL flights were grounded at the time.” – [Name Witheld]"

to this

"It was only maybe 15% cloud cover now and the sky was clear for the most part. Stars were bright and it was generally a beautiful night, no fog"

Steve La Plume's Story part 5

Back to the Big Night

Now one thing I need to mention is that when the guys saw the first UFO I was in the day room of the dorm across from mine. They came in about 10:00am or so which is quite late for getting off the night shift. We had already heard a rumour some of the guys saw a UFO. This was during my three days off during Christmas. I was hung over but and asked them about being chased by a UFO. They swore at us and shrugged us off. I actually was interested one of them I asked, verbally abused me and moved on. I clearly remember none of them made eye contact. All of them had their heads down looking at the ground with their gear bags over their shoulders or heavy in one of their hands. They never looked up and pushed through us. I never really knew who they were? After that night my life changed. I had no idea what was going on but wanted out of there.

The aftermath

I met a girl. I fell in love and asked her to marry me. But I was a mess mentally. I could not cope. The night I cut myself I was over the edge mentally. My father was a senior master Sergeant in the Air Force and also had a few real deep political connections. Two congressional inquires were sent on my behalf which unnerved the higher ups. Thus the “HONOURABLE” discharge. I was pretty low in my life. I needed to do something to pick my self esteem back up.

Then about the spring of 1982 pulled myself together and joined a mercenary school. My big claim to fame is my involvement with the Iran Contra Affair. But I have been other places and done other things.

What happened to me? Why were three of the guys I was used to working with in the Law enforcement squadron moved to the Air Force OSI soon after the event? Senior Airman Palmer who went over to the AFOSI very soon after seemed to know something or be in on something.

Who were the two guys following me that claimed to be German pilots then left in a dark big Sedan?

Why were my fellow airmen getting booted out of the service on * charges and why was the commander cleaning house? Was it to get best in USAFE like he claimed? Get rid of the dirt so the Squadron looked good?

Larry and I kept in touch after we were civilians again. He mentioned the Omni magazine story and I think everyone knows what happened after that.

I was contacted by Larry Fawcett, gave him my story, what happened. I never spoke publically again after that. I do know this. Larry Warren is a mess. I have no idea what he says anymore is true or untrue… is it firsthand account or not? I have nothing bad to say about him other than the fact that he was messed with he was missing for a few days and returned with a story of underground UFO stations under the base. I know everyone involved has had issue some way or another.

I just wanted to tell my side of the story so at least someone out there knew what happened and how I feel that it is so totally tied into the events of Christmas 1980 there just has to be something there. One last word I have never made a dime off this and never intend to. I think it cheapens and discredits the case.

As far as I know La Plume lives in China now. He has made occasional appearances on radio show but maintains a low profile.

His story simply adds more ingredients into the mix of what is a strange recipe. It all points to something beyond the events of the three nights in late 1980 going on at the Twin Bases.

reply to post by gambon


Thanks !

I tried to in the first post gambon. I actually used the "wayback machine" to verify what I had on file/ But ATS has failed to render it properly.

I will try again by giving full instructions in the first post again

The story is very intriguing.

reply to post by mirageman

lol i just typed in steve laplume to google
( steve the pen or steve the writer?sounds like a nom de guerre?)
no worries , i pm you as well before i saw this , just a link to sources covers asses regards copy .

I have never noticed that the sound of helicopters was reported on the second night before ,in the files released by the mod ...have you?

Originally posted by gambon
reply to post by mirageman

 

lol i just typed in steve laplume to google
( steve the pen or steve the writer?sounds like a nom de guerre?)
no worries , i pm you as well before i saw this , just a link to sources covers asses regards copy .

I have never noticed that the sound of helicopters was reported on the second night before ,in the files released by the mod ...have you?

edit on 23-8-2012 by gambon because: (no reason given)

edit on 23-8-2012 by gambon because: (no reason given)

I think Warren claimed he heard helicopters and "here it comes" over the radio. This sounds very similar to Halt's tape where he states "here he comes from the south now". I'm paraphrasing as I am trying to remember this without referring to files. You would think that helicopters would be audible on the Halt tape if they were in the sky at anytime. However we have to remember that the tape is not running continuously and the forest may have muffled any sound.

Steve La Plume's sighting happened in January 1981 and is a totally separate sighting from the Dec 1980 events. Sorry if this confused anyone.

It reads as a romance or some sci fi book, how can one remember gestures, details of staring at each other, saying what and what not.. are you sure this story is real?