Halt, Charles I.
: 'You Can't Tell The People',
: 'You Can't Tell The People', : 'You Can't Tell The People', Halt (Officer in charge) : 150 feet or more from the initial, I should say suspected impact point. Having a little difficulty, we can’t get the light-all to work. There seems to be some kind of mechanical problem. Let’s send back and get another light-all. Meantime, we’re gonna take some readings from the Geiger counter, and err, chase around the area a little bit waiting for another light-all to come out again.
Adrian Bustinza (Sergeant) [on a radio in the background, obviously trying to organise more light-alls] : ...to security control.........that’s mark .... 155...number.....
Halt : OK, we’re now approaching an area within about 25-30 feet. What kind of readings are we getting.....err
[Break in tape]
Nevilles (Sgt, Geiger Operator) : Just minor clicks,
Halt : minor clicks
[Break in tape]
Voice over : [These voice overs are recorded over the initial recording and are not related to incident. It is the voice of Colonel Conrad, the Base Commander] Do you think it’s going to be a nice day today?
Voice over : Yeah, I think so
Halt : What are the impressions?
Nevilles : Just one, but....
Halt : Is that all the bigger they are?
Nevilles : Well, there’s one more well defined over here.
Bustinza : [on a radio] ...Sergeant Bustinza to security control....
Halt : We’re still getting clicks
Bustinza : ….. Sergeant Bustinza. Well we’re outta gas... we’re at east gate...east gate, over
Halt : Can you read that on the scale?
Nevilles : [examining the area with a Geiger counter] Yes Sir. We’re now on a five tenths scale and we’re reading about..er..third, fourth………
Halt : OK, we’re still comfortably safe here?
Bustinza : [on a radio] you don’t have a light-all or [?] … .....or anything....duty security. Can you hear me?....Sergeant.... a light all, with gas please.
Bruce Englud (Lt) : [the on duty Flight Chief] We’re still getting minor readings.......we’re getting a good indentation.
Bustinza [on radio] : ... security D to security
Nevilles : This one's dead
Englud: Let’s go to the third one over here
Nevilles : Sort of, whatever it is.
Bustinza : [on radio] ....Sergeant Bustinza .....security.....
Nevilles : Yes, now getting some residual.
Halt : How can you read that? The meters definitely giving off pulse.
Englud : About the centre
Halt : Yes, I was gonna say, let’s go to the centre of the area next, see what kind of reading we get out there. Keep reading the clicks. I can’t hear the clicks. Guess you all.... is that about centre Bruce [asking Englund]
Englud: Yes
Halt : OK let’s go to the centre.
Nevilles : Yes I’m getting more.......
Halt : That’s about the best deflection of the needle I’ve seen yet. OK, can you do an estimation? We’re on a point five scale, we’re getting ....having trouble reading the scale.
Englud: At err, approximately 0125 hours
[Break in tape]
Noise over : Deep cough
Nevilles : We’re getting rad at err a half a [sounds like milliren]
Unknown voice : Chuck.
[Break in tape]
Noise over : Loud gong noise. [Not connected with the forest recording]
Halt : ......... best point, I haven’t seen it go any higher.
Englud: Well, it’s still flying around
Halt : OK we’ll go out toward the....
Englud: Now it’s picking up ...
Halt : This out toward the indentation were we first got the strongest reading. It’s similar to what we got in the centre.
Nevilles : Right near the pod. It’s right near the centre.
Englud: This looks like an area here across where there could be a blast. It’s in the centre.
Englud: It jumped up towards seven.....
Halt : What?
Englud: It just jumped towards seven tenths there.
Halt : Seven tenths, right there in the centre?
Englud: Ah, Ah.
Halt : We found a small blast what looks like a blasted or scruffed up area here. We’re getting very positive readings. Let’s see, is that near the centre?
Englud: Yes it is.
Nevilles : Well, we assume it is..
Englud: This is right in the centre....dead centre...
Nevilles : picking up more as you go along the whole area there now...
Halt : Up to seven tenths.......
Bustinza : [on radio, still struggling with the transmissions] ..... 55, this is our last call......
Halt : .......or seven units. It’s going on the point five scale.
[Break in tape]
Halt : OK why don’t we do this, why don’t we make a sweep now I’ve got my gloves on now. Let’s make a sweep out around the whole area about ten foot out and make a perimeter run around it, starting right back at here at the corner, back at the same first corner where we came in. Let’s go right back here.... now I’m gonna have to depend upon you counting the clicks.
Englud: Right.
Halt : OK, get the light-all on it.
Englud: Lets sweep around it
Nevilles : It was flying
[Break in tape]
Halt : Put it on the ground every once in a while.
Background : We have lights nearby.......
Englud: This looks like an abrasion on the tree......
Halt : OK, we’ll catch that on the way back, let’s go around
Englud: We’re getting interest right over here. It looks like it’s an abrasion pointing into the centre......
Halt : It is
Englud: .....of the landing area.
Halt : it may be old though. There’s some sap marks or something like that. Let’s go on back around.
Unknown voice : Err
[Break in tape]
Nevilles : It also gives some extension on it.
Halt : Hey, this is an awkward thing to use, isn’t it?
Nevilles : Normally you see I carry it on my...on my ears but this one broke.
Halt : Are we getting any further? I’m gonna shut this recorder off until we find something.
Nevilles : Picking up
Halt : Pickin up.. What are we up to? We’re up to two-three units deflection. You’re getting in close to the pod?
Nevilles : Picking up something...picking up.
Halt : OK. It’s still not going above three to four units.
Nevilles : Picking up more though, more frequent.
Halt : Yes, you’re staying - you’re staying steady up around two to three to four units now.
Bustinza : [still struggling with the radio] 155
Englud: Each one of these trees is facing at a blast, what we assume is a landing site, all have abrasion facing in the same direction towards the centre. The same.......
Halt : Let’s go around a circle here. Turn back down here.
Robert ("Bob") Ball (Master Sergeant) : Try the other tree.
Nevilles : Picking up something ...a ........
Halt : Let me see that. You know I’ve got a funny ....... you’re worried about the abrasion. I’ve never seen a tree that’s, err..
Ball : That’s a small sap mark
Halt : I’ve never seen a pine tree that’s been damaged, react that fast. [Interference, voices all talking together]
Nevilles : You got a bottle to put that in?
Halt : You got a sample bottle?
Englud: Yes put out the...that’s for the soil sample..... [interference]
Nevilles : Yes Sir.
Voices : [excited]
Halt : From now on let’s [gap] let’s....
Englud: You’ll notice they’re all at the same...
Halt : Let’s, lets, lets identify that as point number one. That stake there. So you all know where it is if we have to sketch it. You got that Sergeant Nevilles?
Nevilles : Yes Sir. Closest to the Woodbridge......
Halt : Closest to the Woodbridge base.
Nevilles : Be point one?
Halt : Be point one. Let’s go clockwise from there.
Nevilles : Point two?
Englud : Go ahead.........
Halt : Point two. So this tree is between two and point three.
Ball : Burroughs and two other personnel requesting ..... riding on a jeep, that err, your location. [Airman John Burroughs arrives with a patrol]
Halt : Tell them negative at this time. We’ll tell them when they can come out here. We don’t want them out here right now.
[Break in tape]
Halt : OK the sample, you gonna want this sample number one? Have em cut it off, include some of that sap and all..... is between indentation two and three on a pine tree about err.....about five feet away...about three and half feet off the ground.
Nevilles : ........I’ll just put it in there for now, I’ve got some more..........
Halt : There’s a round abrasion on the tree about three and a half, four inches diameter. It looks like it might be old, but er, strange there’s a crystalline....pine sap that’s come that fast.
Frail (Sgt) : [seems in the distance] .……Sergeant Frail……
Halt : You say there are other trees that are damaged in a similar fashion?
Englud: ........centre of the landing site............[interference]
Halt : OK, why don’t you take a picture of that and remember your picture. Hey, I hope you’re writing this down. It’s gonna be on the tape.
Nevilles : You got a tape measure with you?
Halt : This is your picture, the first picture will be at the first tree, the one between err...mark two and three. Meantime, I’m gonna look at a couple of those trees over here.
[Break in tape]
Unknown voice : We are getting some.....
[Break in tape]
Halt : We are getting readings on the tree. You’re taking samples from on the side facing the suspected landing site?
Englud: Four clicks max.
Halt : Up to four. Interesting. That’s right were you’re taking the sample now.
Englud: Four
Halt : That’s the strongest point on the tree?
Nevilles : Yes sir, and if you come to the back, there’s no clicks whatsoever.
Halt : No clicks at all in the back
Nevilles : Maybe one or two
Halt : It’s all on the side facing the....interesting.
Halt : Looks like it f.....… twisted as it got....as it sat down on it, looks like something twisted it from side to side.
Englud: Ah, Ah
Halt : Very strange. We’re at the same tree we took a sample of with this, what do you call it.....the starscope.
Englud: Ah ah, Stargazer
Halt : Getting a definite heat reflection off the tree, about three to four feet off the ground?
Englud: Yes...the same side in....
Halt : the same place were the ......is
Englud: .....we’re getting heat directly behind us. I think we got the same thing off to your right.
Halt : There are three trees in the area immediately adjacent to the site within ten feet of the suspected landing site; we’re picking up heat reflection off the trees.
Englud: Shine the light on that Bob [Sgt Ball]
Halt : What’s that again?
Englud: Well, shine the light on again Bob
Halt : Why, you having trouble finding it...turn the light on.
Englud: ...then when you want em you’ll notice the white [Suddenly there is a very strange humming sound and the men are silent]
Halt : Hey...........[long silent gap apart from humming noise]
Halt : You’re right there’s a white streak on the tree.
Englud: Indicates er.............
Halt : Let’s turn around and look at this tree over here now. Just a second. Watch, because you’re right in front of the tree. I can see it. OK, give me a little side light so I can find the tree. OK, ahh...
Bustinza : [still on the radio] Alpha 2 security.......
Halt : I’ve lost the tree.
Halt : OK stop! Stop! Light off. Hey, this is eerie.
Ball : Why don’t you do the pods spots..............
Halt : This is strange! Hey, does anyone wanna look at the spots on the ground? Whoops! Watch you don’t step.....
Background : Five beeps from a vehicle arriving on the scene
Halt : ............you’re walking all over them. OK, let’s step back and don’t walk all over em. Come back here - somebody and put a beam on em. You’re gonna have to be back about ten, fifteen feet. You see it ....
Englud: OK fine.......
Halt : OK, lights off.
[Break in tape]
Voice over : [Colonel Conrad] He took this long to document......
Halt : What do you think about the spot?
[Radio interference in background]
Halt : Yeah
[Break in tape]
Halt : ....ready at the first spot? OK, that’s what we’ll call spot number three. Let’s go in the back corner and get spot number one. Spot number one, here’s spot number one right there, spot number one right there. Do you need some light? There it is right here. ...you focused?
Nevilles : Focused
Halt : OK......looking at spot number one through the starlight scope.
Englud: Picking up a slight increase in light as I go over it
Halt : Slight increase in light in spot number one. Let’s go look at spot number two. Spot number two’s right over here. Right here, see it?
Englud: ...........................Slight increase
Halt : OK, get focused on it. Tell me when, OK lights on. Let’s see what we get on it.
Englud: Slight increase
Halt : Just a slight increase?
Englud: Try the centre
Halt : The centre spot, not really centre, slightly off centre. It’s right there.
Englud: Right here
Halt : OK, we’re gonna get your reading on it right there.
Englud : OK
Halt : Tell me when you’re ready.
Englud: Ready
Halt : OK lights on. It’s the centre spot we’re looking at now; almost the centre.
Englud: Getting a slight increase.
Halt : Slight increase there. This is slightly off centre toward the err..one - two side. It’s er..some type of abrasion or something in the ground were the pine needles are pushed back were we get a high radiact...err high reading about a deflection of er, two to three, maybe four, depending on the point of it. Note: [this abrasion corresponds with the exact same position-just off centre in landing site photographs taken by Ray Gulyas]
Englud: Someone wanna check it?
[Break in tape]
Nevilles : Yes
Halt : Are you sure there’s a positive after effect?
Nevilles : Yes, there is, definitely. That’s on the centre spot, there is an after effect.
Englud: What does that mean?
Nevilles : It means that when the lights are turned off, once we all focused in, allowed time for the eyes to adjust, we are getting an indication of heat source coming out of that centre spot...as err......... which will show up on the ...........
Halt : Heat or some form of energy, it’s hardly heat at this stage of the game.
Nevilles : But it is still heat......
[Break in tape]
Halt : Looking directly overhead, one can see an opening in the trees, plus some freshly broken pine branches on the ground underneath. Looks like some of them came off about fifteen to twenty feet up. Some small branches about inch or less in diameter.
[Break in tape]
Halt : 01.48. We’re hearing some strange sounds out of the farmers...
Nevilles : Twenty eight....seven...
Halt : ...... barnyard animals. They’re very very active and making an awful lot of noise.
Nevilles : .......definite pigmentation...........
Halt : You saw a light? Slow down. Where, where?
Nevilles : Right on this position here. Straight ahead in between the trees...[Adrian Bustinza pointed out that someone saw a light going through the trees]
Englud : There it is again......beginning of the gap...right there
Nevilles : It throw the hell off my flashlight there.
Halt : Hey I see it too. What is it?
Nevilles : We don’t know sir.
Halt : OK, it’s a strange small red light, looks to be out maybe a quarter - half mile, maybe further out. I’m gonna switch off for a.......
[Break in tape]
Halt : The light is gone now. It was approximately 120 degrees from the site.
Nevilles : It’s back again
Halt : Is it back again?
Nevilles : Yes sir
Halt : Well douse flashlights then. Let’s go back to the edge of the clearing then, so we can get a better look at it. See if you can get the starscope on it. The light’s still there and all the barnyard animals have gotten quiet now. We’re heading about 110 -120 degrees rom the site, out through the clearing now. Still getting a reading on the meter about 2 clicks. Needles jumped 3-4 clicks getting stronger. [Bustinza said that when he returned with the light-all the patrol were in a clearing on the edge of the forest]
Nevilles : Now it’s stopped. Now it’s coming up. Hold on, here we go. Now it’s coming up about approximately 4 foot off the ground. The compass has 110 degrees.
[Break in tape]
Halt : Right, I just turned the meter off. Better say that again, about 4 feet off the ground, about a 110 degrees, getting the reading of about 4 clicks.
Nevilles : Yes sir............................[????] Cough; excuse me, now it’s died.
Halt : I ......I think it’s something here on the ground. I think it’s something.....very large....
Nevilles : ....a tree right over......
[Break in tape]
Halt : We just bumped into the first light that we’ve seen. We’re about a 150 -200 yards from the site. Everything else is just deathly calm. There’s no doubt about it, there’s some kind of strange flashing red light ahead.
Nevilles : Yeah, It’s yellow.
Halt : I saw a yellow tinge in it too. Weird. It appears to be making a little bit this way?
Nevilles : Yes sir
Halt : It’s brighter than it has been........It’s coming this way. It’s definitely coming this way.
Ball : Pieces are shooting off.
Halt : Pieces of it are shooting off.
Ball : at about 11 o clock..... [referring to its position]
Halt : There’s no doubt about it; this is weird.
Ball : Look to the left
Nevilles : There’s two lights. One light to the right and one light to the left.
Halt : Keep your flash light off. There’s something very very strange. Check the headset out see if it gets any stronger. Give us....
Nevilles : OK, I have an indication that this is a vague reading too
Halt : A vague reading?
Nevilles : The cable has been removed
Halt : OK.. pieces are falling off it again
Ball : It just moved to the right...went off to the right
Halt : Yeah ....strange, Auh.
Englud : Went off to the right.
Halt : Strange. Ahhh. One again left. Let’s approach the edge of the woods at that point. Can we do without lights? Let’s do it carefully, come on.. OK we’re looking at the thing, we’re probably about 2-3 hundred yards away. It looks like an eye winking at you, it’s still moving from side to side and when we put the starscope on it, it’s sorta a hollow centre right, a dark centre, it’s....
Englud : It’s like a pupil...
Halt : It’s like the pupil of an eye looking at you, winking . ....and the flash is so bright to the starscope, that err.... it almost burns your eye.
[Break in tape]
Added Note: [There is now a huge gap and no indication of what happened next]
Halt : We’ve passed the farmer’s house and are crossing the next field and we now have multiple sightings of up to five lights with a similar shape and all, but they seem steady rather than pulsating a glow with a red flash. We’ve just crossed the creek...
Englud : Here we go...
Halt : What kinda readings are we getting now? We’re getting three good clicks on the meteor and we’re seeing strange lights in the sky.
[Break in tape]
Halt : 2.44: We’re at the far side of the farmers, the second farmers field and made sighting again about 110 degrees. This looks clear out to the coast. It’s right on the horizon. Moves about a bit and flashes from time to time. Still steady and red in colour. Also, after negative readings in the field, we’re picking up slight readings 4-5 clicks now on the meter.
[Break in tape]
Halt : 3.05: We see strange err, strobe like flashes to the err ... almost sporadic, but there’s definitely something there, some kind of phenomena. 3.05: At about err..10 degrees horizon err directly north, we got two strange objects, err..half moon shape, dancing about with coloured lights on them. but err. it has to be about 5-10 miles out, maybe less. The half moons have now turned into full circles as though there was an eclipse or something there for a minute or two.
[Break in tape]
Halt : 3.15: Now we’ve got an object about ten degrees directly south...
Nevilles : There’s one to the left
Halt : 10 degrees off the horizon, and the ones to the north are moving, one’s moving away from us.
Nevilles : It’s moving out fast
Halt : They’re moving out fast.
Ball : There’s one on the right heading away too.
Halt : Yeah, they’re both heading north. Hey, here he comes from the south; he’s coming in toward us now.
Ball : Shit
Halt : Now were observing what appears to be a beam coming down to the ground. [Excited shouting in the background]
Ball : Look at the colours...shit
Halt : This is unreal
[Break in tape]
Halt : 3.30: And the objects are still in the sky, although the one to the south looks like it’s loosing a little bit of altitude. We’re turning around and heading back toward the base. The object to the sou...the object to the south is still beaming down lights to the ground.
[Break in tape]
Halt : 0:400 Hours one object still hovering over the Woodbridge base at about 5-10 degrees off the horizon. Still moving erratic and similar lights beaming down as earlier.