Kecksburg, PA - Herbie the UFO

Mysterious lights spotted in the sky are common, a quick glimpse of an alien-like creature in the woods on a dark night has been reported by several but a full-blow UFO landing in your backyard is the mother-load. (HT Discusses in Show #323 & #324)

On a cold winter night in 1965 thousands in the midwest saw a streaking fiery illumination dance in the sky but several just outside of Pittsburgh saw it land in the woods. The shape of an acorn but the size of a Volkswagen Beetle with hieroglyphic writings was what a volunteer fireman found in the woods. Some claimed the US Military quickly carted the alien Herbie away and claimed nothing was found.

The Air Force confirmed that there was a large meteor that flew through the atmosphere that evening that most likely was seen all throughout the Northern Mid-West but the folks in Kecksberg believe they got the landing. Conspiracy theories have run amuck, partly due to a documentaries later appearing on the SciFi Channel and more. But here's some observations that make this the ever-growing tale;

The fireman who saw the crashed UFO. - he's always just known as a "Volunteer fireman". Who is he? Does he have a name? is there any confirmed record of this fireman and his sighting or just hearsay?

Reporter John Murphy- He was a radio reporter at the local station and was on the scene quickly in 1965 interviewing those who had seen the crash. As reported in one of the documentaries, Murphy was told by authorities to keep quiet as were other witnesses. He never spoke much about the incident again and many many years later died of a hit-and-run accident in California (sounds suspicious doesn't it? or maybe totally coincidence and just makes our conspiracy-craving brains go wild). His former wife claimed he had much more information than what was reported in his radio reports.

NASA - After some court orders, They claimed it was a "Russian Satellite" which of course was a different story that what the State Police and Military claiming nothing was found. Although it makes good sense. During the height of the Cold War in 1965, would the military really want to be forth-coming about Russian Satellites hitting our nation?

The SciFi Documentary - It's a really entertaining production but it's hard to discount that SciFi has a bit of a vested interest in keeping this tale full of conspiracy and alien references.

At the end of the day, none of the above matters. What's really important to Hometown Tales is that Kecksberg has a giant acorn-like statue outside their firehouse created as a replica from an Unsolved Mysteries show highlighting the tale. Kecksberg displays it with pride and celebrates what has shaped their town.

Radio Show #323 & 324 - Building for the UFOs !

Check out the latest Radio Shows from Hometown Tales. Show #323 we discuss The Amityville home for sale, more on meat, the town of the broken bridge, some other tales of England, dwinkleflunking, the first hamburger of Rome, UFO crash in Kecksberg, PA and much more. Then check out Show #324 where we discuss building the suspense on UFO crashes, heat wave, brain freeze, living with husband and sister's corpse in CA, the cat torturer of Scotland, Giant race, stick in the mud and much much more.

And then you'll start to get excited for our next show on American UFO Crashes !

Chupacabra? Aliens? What did this in Denville

Mike from Denville, NJ woke up to an interesting event this week. Magically a deer carcass appeared on his lawn, completely skinned to the bone. Aliens? the Chupacabra? or just some kids pulling something from the woods.

No signs of struggle, no drag marks. Animal Control on it's way.

HT Radio #285

This week we discuss; the opening of the Ark of the Covenant?, more on the mysterious creature in a South Carolina sewer, the land of mermaids, a creepy El Salvadorian tale, the Crypt of Civilization and much more more. You can listen with the player below.

Michael Jackson a Hometown Tale?

Is Michael Jackson a "hometown tale". We think so. Gary, Indiana definitely touts their reputation of being the hometown of the Jackson 5 and the King of Pop himself. Then of course, there is Neverland Ranch, a portion of land in Santa Barbara County, CA. It's closest "towns" are Los Olivos and Santa Ynez but it was once just a ranch of land until Jackson purchased it and created his own private amusement park and estate. The financial hard times would force Jackson to abandon most of the ranch and sell portions of it. Although, there are no longer rides and amusements, Michael's recent death has kindled rumors of creating a "Graceland-like" memorial for Jackson at the ranch.

So 2 "hometowns" have strong tales of Jackson. What else normally make great fodder for the Hometown Tales brand? Here's a list and some reasons why he fits in;

HUMAN ODDITY
You could say Jackson was odd but more relevant was the classic rumors of Jackson wanting to purchase the bones of another hometown tale, John Merrick, the famous "elephant man". Merrick is an unfortunate example of how cruel the rest of society can be to those who are different. Although, Jackson got a lot of heat from the tabloids about his interest in Merrick. It's actually not that odd. The story of Merrick is pretty fascinating . The bones of Merrick are owned by a Museum, Jackson was interested in buying them for his collection. Any tale-lover could be interested in such a thing.

OXYGEN TANK
And then there is the oxygen tank. Remember, when the rumors circulated about Michael Jackson sleeping in an oxygen tank. What every happened to that craze? The fad was that you could live until 150 years old. Sounds like good material for our show. Walt Disney would be proud.

ALIENS
Isn't the post 1993 Jackson really an alien replacement anyway? Actually, the real Michael Jackson is still around. His alien replacement is who recently died.

ABANDONED
The Neverland Ranch has been more or less abandoned since the criminal investigation of Michael Jackson. Just imagine how much fun it would be to explore the remnants of an old Merry-Go-Round or Zoo. Is the rumor true that they just let the animals go when they closed the zoo? Are they still lurking the valley? Stay Tuned to Hometown Tales.

HT Radio #275

Hear the latest about Bryan's charity fight, the horrible Sea Monkey tragedy in the studio yesterday, a tale for SC about a man too big for a coffin, did they really cut off his legs? Does somehow have the Lost Ark? And more on the UFO Hoaxers of Morristown that got charges pressed against them. Sponsored by Netflix. Try a Free Trial with Hometown Tales.

RADIO SHOW #275 HERE
SUBSCRIBE ITUNES HERE

You Only Have to Pay $250 to Make a Fake UFO

Our friends who made the fake UFO will only need to pay $250 and some community service.
I suppose that would have sucked for them if they went to jail for it. Perhaps we can start donations for their legal fees?

ARTICLE HERE

Hometown Tales Radio Show #262

Some brief discussion of New Hampshire's hometown legend, GG Allin, Hometown Tales survives a tough test, UFOs in Morristown, Manhatten smells like Maple Syrup again and another dog jumps off suicide bridge plus much much more on the latest Hometown Tales Radio Show & Podcast.

UFOs Over Morristown & Lincolnshire

Over the past couple of days there have been a lot of talk about UFO sightings in the Morristown area. It was even reported on WCBS news in NY. Of course CBS emphasized that it was an "unidentified flying object" while the local Morristown paper, the Daily Record, was quick to quote police officers stating it's just a hoax. Meanwhile, no one is sure what the mysterious lights were. Check out more. Daily Record WCBS

As well, There are UFOs over Lincolnshire (on that destroyed a wind turbine)and even a politician who wants to meet the aliens.

Thanks to Matt in Lincolnshire for the update.

Malad City, ID - Cattle Mutilations

New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming have all had reports of cattle mutilations over the past few decades. Animal corpses have been found with inexplicable cuts, marks, excisions and even absence of blood or organs. Alien experimentation? Cults? Black helicopters? Cosmic Vampires? Government cover-up? Everyone has heard of the deaths thousands of cattle and horses. Yet no one seems to have an answer why.

Idaho is no different.

In 1989, two Malad City ranchers reported the deaths of one cow each, killed on the same night. These two cows were killed, sexual organs removed, body fluids drained, patches of hide surgically removed. All the cuts were made with such a sharp instrument that hair on the animals was sliced in two. No tracks, tire or human, were found around the animals even though it had just rained. And one animal was found next to an occupied house. Regardless, the

Sheriffs Department labeled it a cult killing.

But, maybe, Idaho is different. Have these “experiments” gone beyond livestock?

According to a 1979 report, two hunters in the Jerome area of Idaho stumbled across the nude body of a man that had been hideously mutilated. The body was found in the middle of nowhere, nude, his sexual organs had been removed, his lips sliced off, and several other classic mutilation cuts. Although it was in very rugged country, his bare feet were not marked. Again, there were no other tracks, animal or human were evident anywhere. After the police were notified, an intensive search was mounted, and miles away, the mans possessions were recovered, yet no one yet knows how the body ended up where it was found, or even more importantly, what happened to him. By the way, his area has UFO sightings too numerous to mention.

Sacramento, CA - UFOs of 1896

In November of 1896, the skies of northern California played host to unexplainable lights moving west to east past San Francisco, Sacramento and beyond.

Thousands witnessed these strange lights and the dark, oblong shape above it. George Scott, an assistant to the Secretary of State of California took other capitol workers and government officials onto the state capitol’s observation deck to watch.

Newspaper headlines told of a “Flying Airship”, “Mysterious Lights” and a “Wandering Apparition” in the sky. Many blamed swamp gas or a hoax. One report quoted R.L. Lowery, a former street railway employee who claimed to have heard a voice from above call, “Throw her up higher; she’ll hit the steeple.” When he looked up he saw two men seated on a bicycle-like frame, peddling. Above them was a “cigar-shaped body”. Eventually people began to forget about it.

Then the “airship” returned. This time sightings were made as far away as Washington State and Canada. The newspapers again went wild, alleging the work of mad scientists.

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

Yuma, AZ - Flying Discs

At the close of the 1940s “Flying Saucer” Mania was so hot that, in 1951, the United States Air Force had to create Project Blue Book to “Investigate numerous claims of unidentified flying objects (UFOs)”.?One of their first official cases was in 1952 in Yuma.

On April 17, 1952 at 3:05 p.m., a group of Army weather observation students witnessed a flat, white, circular object flying in an irregular trajectory. The object also left a short trail behind it. The sighting took place in all of 7 seconds. What was likely the same object returned to the area the next day, with two more weather observation students seeing it, this time for 5-10 seconds.
Over a week later, an object of a different type was witnessed by off duty M/Sgt. and Mrs. G.S. Porter. It was April 27 at 8:30 p.m. when the couple saw bright red or flame-colored discs, which they estimated to be about the size of fighter planes. Over a period of 2 hours, the discs flew in formation or alone, under a cloud cover of below 11,000′. ?Short weeks later, on June 19, 1952 at 2 p.m., USAF pilot John Lane witnessed a round, white object, which could have been the same that flew the skies in the previous month. Rather than flying erratically, though, this object flew straight and level for a 10 second period of time.

The final unknown sighting in Yuma that turns up in the Blue Book files took place Feb. 4, 1953 at 1:50 p.m. This time, U.S. Weather Bureau observer Stanley Brown, witnessed a white, oblong object flying straight up then leveling off just as a second similar object joined it. During a 5-minute period, the second object flew away and returned to the first. Eventually, the two objects flew out of sight behind some clouds.

USAF’s Project Blue Book declared these sightings as being “unknown”.