Brown's UFO Sighting 'Believable'
This Athens Banner Herald newspaper clipping from 1976 represents an apparent paradigm shift in the way that UFO sightings are viewed. The observer in the article, a man by the name of Paul Brown, is clearly distinguished from the stereotypical view of a UFO enthusiast as a crazy eyed lunatic. Brown is described as being an everyman; “nondrinking, hardworking [man], active in his church”. This establishes the credibility of his claim to having seen a “a 15-foot cigar-shaped craft” accompanied by a “pair of silver suited elfin creatures with white hair and gloves”. This phenomenon was preceded by car radio disturbances in Brown’s car, as well as “blinding lights closing in from the rear.” Brown’s car was then forcibly shoved from the road. The event occurred as Brown traveled down US 29 towards Danielsville, GA and ended as quickly as it began, leaving Brown in shock with his car sitting at the end of “25-foot skid marks”. Brown’s sighting in October of 1973 brought UFO investigator Bruce Henne to Athens, GA to meet with Brown and discuss his experience. Henne considers Brown’s account of the incident to be “valid”, “believable”, and “believed”. NICAP – the National Investigations Committee of Aerial Phenomena – is an organization aimed at uncovering the details and validity of UFO sightings around the US and Henne has aided this institution in their efforts. More recently, Henne has become the state director for MUFON – the Mutual UFO Network – thus posing a greater influence towards MUFON’s efforts of “gather[ing] information on UFO sightings reported by the public, local authorities, and news media”(Gazette). MUFON is a “nonprofit corporation [that was] founded in 1969 [and] calls itself the world's largest civilian UFO research organization,” using volunteer investigators and promoting interest in UFO sightings and discovery for all (Gazette). Nonetheless, they take their work seriously and follow scientific protocol for determining the validity of their sources.
Metadata
- Contributor – Paul Brown, Bruce Henne
- Coverage – Georgia
- Creator – Sharon Fell
- Date – published (3/24/1976), encounter (10/17/1973)
- Description – An account of Paul Brown’s encounter with an unidentified aircraft, his response to this experience, and Atlanta-based UFO investigator Bruce Henne’s interest in this specific sighting.
- Format – Newspaper clipping
- Language - English
- Publisher - Athens Banner-Herald
- Subject – UFO sightings in Georgia
- Title – “Brown’s UFO Sighting Believable”
- Type – Newspaper article
Citations:
Fell, Sharon. “Brown’s UFO Sighting ‘Believable.’” Athens Banner-Herald, 24 Mar 1976. UFO Sightings. Carton 50, Folder 15. Georgiana Vertical Files collection- General topical files, MS 3609. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries. Accessed 7 Nov 2019
"MUFON wants your story." Gazette [Colorado Springs, CO], 4 Aug. 2003, p. LIFE1. Gale OneFile: News, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A106311015/STND?u=uga&sid=STND&xid=deb43ae1. Accessed 12 Nov. 2019