The Aztec UFO Incident and The Fog of Time (1)

Origin Tales

Just lately, colleague and famous researcher Curt Collins reached out and inquired about “a declare that the Aztec hoax was impressed by a joke newspaper story within the Aztec Unbiased Overview by George Bawra.” [sic] Curt found a blurb (See under) in Garrett M. Graff’s new ebook, “UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here―and Out There,” which precipitated the query. . (For the file, the extra frequent, lengthy held principle for the origins of the Aztec UFO crash narrative is that the story was created out of

By Frank Warren The UFO Chronicles 1-31-2024

entire fabric by two purported conmen, i.e., Silas Newton and Leo GeBauer. This account was borne by then, on and off once more newspaper reporter J.P. Cahn as his former employer, the San Francisco Chronicle handed on the piece, thus Cahn offered it to True Journal).

Snippet from Garrett M. Graff’s new ebook, “UFO: The Inside Story of the US Authorities’s Seek for Alien Life Right here―and Out There”

Curt moreover cited, Jeromes Clark’s piece in Omni journal, within the Sept. 1988 problem and in referencing researcher Invoice’s Moore earlier report on Aztec, he partly wrote:

“UFO researcher William Moore who has investigated the Aztec story dismissed the brand new allegations [By Bill Steinman in the book, “UFO Crash at Aztec, A Well Kept Secret”] as ‘unsubstantiated conjecture.’ And a reporter for the Each day Occasions [Debi Yeager] printed in close by Farmington says no one in Aztec even remembers a UFO crash [*See article below]. ‘A number of years in the past I received a name from a man in California and that is the primary time I ever heard the story’, says the reporter. “I made a decision to test it out. Nobody knew something about it, besides George Bawra [Sic] who’s now useless. On the time he was editor of the Aztec Unbiased Overview. He advised me he had written a tongue-in-cheek story a couple of UFO within the space. Apparently some folks picked up the story as gospel.”

He (Curt) went on to say that, “I’ve seen this repeated many times” (as most of us who concentrate have).

The Farmington Each day Occasions article cited by Moore is seen under:

* Farmington Each day Occasions 1-17-1982

Within the latter a part of 1991, The Worldwide UFO Reporter printed an in-depth article/report by researchers, William E. Jones and Rebecca D. Minshall regarding Aztec, and the assertions of Invoice Steinman; though they didn’t journey to Aztec, they did contact among the acknowledged witnesses Steinman talked to and concluded the next:

“Neither the Scully ebook nor the Steinman ebook is persuasive. The important info every presents is questionable. Everybody we contacted in Aztec, particularly the older individuals who have been adults in March of 1948, is definite that no crash ever came about. It’s clear that the flying-saucer-crash story is a part of Aztec’s folklore however not its historical past.”

One of many witnesses that Jones & Minshall spoke to (additionally) introduced up Bowra, and acknowledged:

“… the crash story could have been began by a newspaper man she believes was named George Bower [sic]; he generally wrote partially true and sensational tales for the native paper to assist enhance circulation.”

Official UFO Dec. 1975

Going again additional to 1975, the journal, Official UFO, printed an article/report, by Mike McClelland, then an investigator for the Aerial Phenomenon Analysis Group (APRO), in addition to Mission Coordinator for the Unidentified Flying Object Report and Data Heart (UFORIC). The title of the article was, “The UFO Crash of 1948 was a Hoax.”

McClelland’s report/article was prompted by the revelations (regarding Aztec) of 1 Robert Spencer Carr, who was primarily generally known as “an American author of science fiction and fantasy.” Carr’s revivification of the Aztec crash story, first talked about on a radio broadcast on Oct. 11, 1974 to advertise the upcoming Flying Saucer Symposium by PSI Conferences in Tampa, Florida “created a media sensation that lasted for months in print and broadcast information.”

With regard to Bowra, McClelland wrote:

“… George Bowra who owned the Aztec newspaper in 1948. From my dialog with him, he impressed me as one who should have been a colourful particular person. He recalled a tongue-in-cheek article he had written for the newspaper years in the past describing his abduction by little inexperienced males from area.”

Letters From Dwelling

On the thoughts of readers at this level is, why not find the unique article(s) cited through the years? The quick reply is varied researchers and or events have tried, myself and shut colleagues included.

A number of years in the past with our first move wanting via the microfilm and or copies thereof the Aztec Unbiased Overview for the problems printed round 1948—we looked for any articles akin to the Aztec narrative, regarding alien craft, crashes, aliens and so on., we received zilch, bupkis, nada.

A breakthrough ocurred once I interviewed George Bowra’s son, Jim (RIP) again in 2013. When questioned concerning the alleged article, he acknowledged:

“my father periodically wrote a tongue-in-cheek … uhh, article … a couple of boy, kinda of a hillbilly dumb child named Warty, and he was writing to his grandmother. Sometimes it will be native politics and metropolis authorities however normally it was simply … one thing. He wrote this one significantly … Warty wrote this one a couple of flying saucer …”

Armed with that info we took one other dive into the microfilm, and with our boots on the bottom colleague, B.M. Marshall–we stroke gold; we lastly understood why the so-called article(s) have been so elusive. As you’ll be able to see (under), the piece(s) wasn’t an article in any respect, it was an everyday column, definitely tongue-in-cheek as described and first printed in July of 1949.

The first point out of Flying Saucers particularly in Bowra’s Letter From Dwelling column was printed within the March twenty fourth, 1950 weekly problem of The Aztec Unbiased Overview.

(This was not the primary point out of Flying Saucers within the paper, extra on that later).

The Aztec Unbiased Overview March 24, 1950

Additionally in that problem was an editorial likewise by Bowra merely entitled, “Flying Saucers” (see under). The commentary cites the Flying Saucer (UFO) occasions which occurred for 3 days in neighboring Farmington the week prior, providing a circumspect if not derogatory demeanor to the happenings at the moment. In distinction, the Farmington Each day Occasions felt the sightings merited, entrance web page, headline information. The March 18th (1950) version of the paper in massive, caps, entitled their main article, as “HUGE ‘SAUCER’ ARMADA JOLTS FARMINGTON.”

Farmington Each day Occasions March 18, 1950

The gist of Bowra’s editorial was continued in his different column, “Rips and Tears.” (See under). In absorbing all three parts (the Letter From Dwelling column; the editorial and the Rips and Tears column) of the that version that addressed or talked about Flying Saucers, it’s clear that the occasions of close by Farmington are what instigated the concentrate on the Saucers (UFOs).

The Aztec Unbiased Overview March 24, 1950

The Aztec Unbiased Overview March 24, 1950

Though Bowra’s fictional character Warty, in writing to Grandma within the Letter From Dwelling column proven above spoke of saucers, it was in generalizations and never occasion particular. With the precise articles now in play and conjecture apart, methinks even essentially the most ardent skeptic would agree it will be a stretch, to place it mildly that the aforementioned piece is what birthed the Aztec UFO crash narrative. Nonetheless, like Flying Saucer/UFO sightings throughout that point, Warty wasn’t completed, he would broach the subect once more within the Could fifth, 1950 problem (of the Aztec Unbiased Overview). This time, he experiences a sighting (See under).

In distinction to the primary point out of Flying Saucers within the column, Letter From Dwelling, in the place Warty (Bowra) spoke in broad strokes, right here (proper) albeit within the repeatedly described tongue-in-cheek method, on this occasion, printed on the week of Could fifth, 1950, Warty is facetiously reporting a couple of particular (fictional) Flying Saucer (UFO) occasion.

Though the primary point out of George Bowra, in reference to Flying Saucers (UFOs) by an out of doors supply (Desert Journal) occurred in 1950 (extra on that later), essentially the most important was in McClelland’s piece in December of 1975. Essential to notice, as acknowledged beforehand, McClelland wrote:

“He [Bowra] recalled a tongue-in-cheek article he had written for the newspaper years in the past describing his abduction by little inexperienced males from area.”

For the file, starting along with his son, who additionally labored for the paper—nowhere has there been one other report or reference to Bowra writing about “abductions” whimsical or no within the Aztec Unbiased Overview, or anyplace else for that matter.

Conversely, abductions have been dropped at the American mainstream by way of “The UFO Incident, the 1975 American made-for-television biographical movie starring James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons based mostly on the alleged 1961 alien abduction of Barney and Betty Hill.” The film splashed throughout screens in October, and was the speak throughout kitchen tables from coast to coast. Bowra was 77 by the point McClelland spoke to him; the previous by no means took Flying Saucers/UFOs critically as his penscript demonstrates; I imagine, given his age, then present media protection of the TV film and abductions, and thru the fog of time—he conflated “abductions” along with his earlier writings re Flying Saucers by way of his pseudonym, Warty again within the day.

Conclusions

With the Sept. twenty ninth problem of 1950, the title of Bowra’s column was modified to “Letter To Grandma” and by March of ’52 it was taken off the entrance web page. Over time variations would seem, e.g., Letter From Grandma, Letters To Warty from Rimrock and Letters From Cousins.
Warty (Bowra) would write once more (Letter To Grandma) about Flying Saucers within the Nov. ninth, 1951 problem, recalling the mass sightings (Farmington Saucer Armada) of the 12 months earlier than and attributing the occasions to the “energy of suggestion.”

As I replied to Curt relating to his inquiry, I wrote:

“Did George Bowra write a fictional account that describes what is understood at the moment as The Aztec Incident? No. Did he point out Flying Saucers which was an on and off once more convo based mostly on media consideration? Sure, in his light-hearted letters to Grandma.”

Moreover, Franky Scully first wrote about “The Aztec Incident” in his column for Selection journal on Oct. twelfth 1949—months earlier than Bowra would typically point out Flying Saucers; stated article was mainly an summary of what would later turn out to be his bestselling ebook, Behind the Flying Saucers (Henry Holt and Firm, 1950). Furthermore, on the identical time, whereas Scully was enlightening his readers, likewise Silas Newton was spilling the beans on the golf course.

Lastly, it’s clear from studying Bowra’s penscript above—there’s nothing that resembles, the Aztec UFO narrative, crashed Flying Saucers, aliens or abductions. The one Flying Saucer/UFO particular occasion he cites in his fictional, whimsical account printed within the Could, fifth 1950 problem which described seeing a UFO via the again window of his “retailer constructing,” capturing at it, after which realizing it was solely a mirrored image of a “swinging mild globe.” Full cease.