December 1980
"I was assigned to C flight, and was on my three-day break. I woke up late (and a bit hung over). The time was right around 10:00 hours - I had wandered over to the barracks across the way as the day room was better and most of my flight was barracked there. Soon afterm, three or four airmen came in and were razzed pretty hard about the UFO that had chased them through the woods over by East Gate at Woodbridge.
I remember that I actually wanted to hear what they had to say, but the airmen who were carrying there gear bags over their shoulders and still had on there uniforms and blue jackets form the nights shift mumbled a few swears and shined us on.
We had heard a rumor of a UFO in the woods but not much came of it for a while until Larry Warren (boy is this going to open a can of worms) came into my dorm room about a month later.
Larry had heard I had a sighting and wanted to confide in me.
I know that there has been much broo ha ha over the Christmas incident of 1980 but little has been said about the sighting that Senior Airmen Palmer and myself had a few weeks later.
A few things to point out is that when we saw this thing it was like a plane or a satellite in the sky. Very far off and basically just moving up and down kind of zig zagging in the southern sky. It head out toward the North Sea and we lost it behind the forest.
The thing I remember most was that once Palmer confirmed with the tower that the only thing up were a few choppers and a C-130, we decided to call it in because we had been instructed to report anything like that.
Well man the shit hit the fan for Palmer and me. As soon as he called it in the phone rang in the shack at the East gate. Lt. Englund was there and told me to report - which I did. He then told me to stay put and keep an eye out. I relayed this to Palmer.
Col. Halt, the Bentwaters Deputy Base Commander showed up - also present was a high ranking officer whom I thought may have been his eqivalent on Woodbridge with his wife and son. No lie! I remember the Nikon camera around the kid's neck. But mostly I remember his wife being all excited and saying "Oh boy, maybe we get to see one" or something very close to that.
Lt. Englund finally showed up and told me not to be nervous but that Col. Williams would be here in a minute and would ask me to report and I was to say all safe and secure. He also informed me that the Col was just voted a General by Congress a few days earlier. I had just turned eighteen. (no pressure Steve just stay calm).
After reporting they all jumped in an official Air Force Blue with yellow lettered station wagon and headed out toward the forest. I was baffled as to why since the thing was miles in the sky and just went over in that general direction. I did not protest I just let them go and screwed around with the starlight scope we were given to "keep an eye on things".
About an hour later they came back and went their separate ways. Of course they posted me on the gate for the rest of the night instead of riding around with Palmer (who was LE not Security). My security clearance had not come in yet and I was usually stuck giving latrine or lunch breaks to the LE's. Otherwise, I was at the Bentwaters or Wodbridge front gate or stuck out at East Gate looking for East End Charlie - the WWII German pilot ghost.
Later, and I don't remember how much later but I think about an hour, Palmer came back to check on me. All was quiet and we shot the bull for a few minutes when we both noticed there was a craft out toward the Orford Light house. Now I know everyone thinks the lighthouse is what the others saw but I saw the lighthouse here and the craft to the side over there..sort 'a speak. It came in very low and I estimated about 1000 feet off the deck. I only had the trees to use as a reference. The thing came right out over the forest and had a pale blue light under it, which illuminated the ground.
The craft came directly toward us and soon we were both engulfed in the light and the craft was directly overhead. I remember thinking " Wow this is like the coolest thing I have ever seen". I was not scared, just in complete awe. Then it went to the southern sky and made its way up until I /we could not tell it from a star. And it was gone. We decided not to call that one in.
As God Almighty is my witness this is how I remember it. I have three thoughts in closing.
1st - If it was a UFO why did Palmer and I see it and no one else?
2nd - Palmer was very "stand offish" and was later assigned to the AFOSI. I feel he was involved somehow in this and might even believe it was some sort of hallucination experiment like he may have sprayed me with something and I was given suggestive thoughts. I don't know just a thought here.
3rd - Why would all this brass come out of the wood work at one in the morning if there was not something going on?
I offer no explanation I still have no idea what I saw other than its size shape and lack of noise. As far as the others who had the big incident I have no doubt they believe they saw what they saw.
As a side note - I "snapped" and got kicked out of the service. Soon after and about a year later I became a mercenary just like the books say. Presently, I am still active as a freelance military advisor as well as consult on "Project Management Techniques".
I wish none of this ever happened to me, and I just stayed in and did my time there. I thought it a pretty cool base and great guys to work with."
Formerly:
A1C Steven R. LaPlume
81st Security Police Squadron
RAF Bentwaters / Woodbridge
1980- 1981
Presently:
Lt. Steven R. LaPlume
Recondo Mercenary Unit
1982 - Present
