By Tim Binnall
UFOs and nuclear weapons, modern-day fairy sightings, and the Roswell incident were among the fascinating topics explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. Meanwhile, at the C2C website, we told you about a bizarre 'jellyfish' UFO filmed in Alaska, vandals defacing ancient rock art in Utah, and a forthcoming stamp set celebrating some of America's most beloved cryptids. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
The legendary Roswell was revisited on Tuesday night's program by UFO researcher Don Schmitt, who shared insights from his decades-long investigation into the mysterious 1947 event. Asserting that the true nature of the case was covered up by the government, he noted that it took the Air Force only five hours to squash the initial reports of a flying saucer crash and spin the situation into a downed weather balloon. He expressed sadness that so many of the key witnesses to the event have now passed away, including many who testified to having seen alien bodies. During the conversation, Schmitt stressed the pivotal role Major Jesse Marcel played in the event and reflected on the life of the late Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who he worked with at the Center for UFO Studies.
One of the weirder UFOs we've seen in a while popped up on our radar this past week when an Alaskan woman revealed footage of a bizarre-looking aerial anomaly that has been likened to a jellyfish. The very strange object, which sported 'tentacles' that hung beneath it, was seen moving across the sky in area relatively close to a U.S. military base in Anchorage. After approximately three minutes, the anomaly simply vanished, leaving the woman and her husband scratching their heads. Some online observers have suggested it could have been a clandestine craft, but others argued that it was likely just a kite or something similarly prosaic.
The fairy realm took center stage on Saturday night's show as folklore researcher Jo Hickey-Hall talked about modern sightings of the mysterious entities. She recalled how her initial skepticism about such beings was upended when she encountered a diminutive figure that sported a green glow and an ancient-looking face. Looking back on the experience, she theorized that the eerie stranger was a fairy that allowed itself to be seen by her. Based on sighting accounts she had collected over the years, Hickey-Hall indicated that these beings come in all shapes and sizes with the ability to leave a witness spellbound or terrified, depending on how the otherworldly run-in unfolds.
Suggesting that last week's headline-making cryptid-themed license plate in West Virginia was part of a broader trend unfolding in the zeitgeist, this past week saw news that many of the same legends are set to be celebrated next year by the U.S. Postal Service. The forthcoming 'Mythical Creatures' stamp set will feature Sasquatch, the Lake Champlain Monster, Mothman, the Jackalope, and the Squonk. Understandably met with considerable excitement from cryptozoology enthusiasts, the collection is the latest indication that these legendary creatures have truly become part of the fabric of America.
A longstanding theory in UFO research circles is that the 'visitors,' whatever they might be, have a particular interest in nuclear weapons possessed by humans. Author Larry Hancock made the case for such a scenario on Sunday night's program. Indicating that, over the course of three decades, there were staggering 1,200 cases involving UFOs and nuclear facilities. The incidents, he revealed, followed a pattern wherein the aerial anomalies seemingly followed the evolution of nuclear weapons, initially observing radioactive-materials facilities and culminating with visitations at missile installations. Hancock posited that the non-aggressive nature of the events suggests that the UFOs may be functioning in an oversight role rather than being hostile to humans.
Multiple troublemakers and miscreants made headlines this past week, beginning with an unfortunate case out of Utah where two separate ne'er-do-wells vandalized prehistoric petroglyphs by scratching their names into the rocks. As one might imagine, authorities hope to identify the reprobates responsible for the thoughtless graffiti. Down in Australia, a misguided young man was hit with a hefty fine after he photographed himself 'offering' his vape device to a quokka, an adorable protected species in the country. Also busted by police was a sticky-fingered individual who made off with a massive dinosaur statue from outside a Sinclair gas station in California.
Coast Insiders can check out all this week's shows as well as the last seven years of C2C programs in our enormous archive. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.