Rendlesham

In late December of 1980 I was a skinny ten-year-old living in La Junta, Colorado; idling away the remaining days of my Christmas break by putting my recently acquired Millennium Falcon through all the light-speed trials and out-of-this-world adventures Han Solo, Chewbacca, G.I. Joe, Evel Knievel and any other action figure I could stuff into the cargo bay could handle. I recall that new-plastic smell like it was yesterday, and the thrill of dreaming about that galaxy far, far away remains a current and constant companion. Little did I know that while I was battling the Dark Side of the Force in my mind’s eye, real-life American Airmen in England were experiencing an event that truly defied imagination - an event whose implications are still unfolding 32 years later.

If you happen to bring up the ‘Rendlesham Forest Incident’ (RFI) within UFO circles, the looks you’ll get often border on sublime reverence and awe. It remains the undisputed Holy Grail of modern UFO research, eclipsing even Roswell with its sheer volume of credible testimony from highly-credible sources. Countless books, articles and documentaries have been created over the years discussing the event - some good, some bad - and some just flat-out hogwash.

When you whittle away the piles of riffraff trying to make a quick buck off this amazing encounter, and those simply craving the glow of the limelight, you’re left with a handful of substance comprised primarily of the military men who lived through it - men still doggedly seeking answers, truth and a modicum of justice from the country they served; and if by some chance you think the book on Rendlesham is closed - then you’ve got another thing coming, friend.

If you’re not familiar with Rendlesham, I encourage you to visit the website created by Darren DeBoy, The Rendlesham Forest Incident. You can also spend an entire day surfing through YouTube reviewing the topic - but it’s hit or miss on the truly good stuff. Another great source for the truly curious is the FaceBook page titled ‘Justice for the Bentwaters 81st Security Police at Rendlesham’, moderated by Jim Penniston and John Burroughs - key witnesses to the RFI, and determined investigators in unraveling all that’s transpired since their experience. Tell ‘em Dale sent you - but mind your manners! The website will give you all the skinny about the encounter, and the FaceBook page will bring you up to date on the most current events, and perhaps make this next section a bit easier to understand for those unaware of what transpired.

In a nutshell,  then-Airman and now retired TSgt Jim Penniston scrawled the images of what he saw displayed on the craft in his notebook. And then he touched it! You can view these images he drew on the Rendlesham website and wonder along with the rest of us.

When Jim got home after the event, he felt compelled to write out twelve pages of binary code that were seemingly transferred to him when he touched the craft - feeling an amazing sense of relief after he’d finished writing it down. Now I’m not one to slam Security Policeman unnecessarily (they are easy targets) - but show me an SP in 1980 who knew what binary code or even a computer was and I’ll buy you drinks all night!  Jim never revealed the code until years later, still in the original notebook - and I completely appreciate and understand why. 

When you’ve got a security clearance, you want absolutely NO questions to your sanity raised. NONE!  If you risk revealing what you personally perceive must be a mental deficiency or lapse, even within the bizarre confines of the event they experienced, then you can kiss your security clearance and military career goodbye.  Anyone who’s ever worn a uniform can vouch for that - especially during the elevated paranoia associated with the days of the cold war.

Jim brought the code elements to public light in 2010, giving just a portion of the code to the producers of the Ancient Aliens television show, which aired their findings in December, 2010.  He didn’t give them the entire code, primarily out of fear of releasing what he thought to be gibberish. He didn’t want to inadvertently hamper the veracity of the event by inserting a series of random numbers he firmly believed would amount to nothing. In his thinking, the first few pages would reveal the code to be meaningless, and he’d get off the hook simply as another key witness to this extraordinary event. But that didn’t prove to be the case. The investigative team found substance in the code, and it prompted Jim to start investigating what the ENTIRE code revealed - and that ladies and gentleman, is what we call ‘the rest of the story’.

In July of 2010, John Burroughs and other witnesses -AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE-  started a deeper investigation of the event,  which later included the full binary code. They’ve consulted numerous mathematicians, physicists and put diligent, proven investigative skills and people to the task. They want no stone unturned in a diligent pursuit of the truth. The results are tentatively planned to be released at an event in June in Woodbridge - but the economic realities we’re living in are starting to rear their ugly head - here and in England; so the results of their investigation may be released in the coming weeks right here in the good ol’ USA. 

The substance of what will be unveiled isn’t clear, but it will be profound - and no doubt profoundly ignored - at least by most.  I, for one, will be paying attention. And I hope you do, too.  You may not see the results on CNN - but you’ll sure as heck see it here. Keep your minds open, folks - tomorrow may be brighter than you think!