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The lighter side
Was a UFO really over Lodi in 1947? Check out the government's response
Thursday, September 18, 2008 6:24 AM PDT
Did a UFO hover over in Lodi back in 1947? According to newspaper accounts, it did! On July 7, 1947, many local residents reportedly saw a UFO. Some say it caused unexplained blackouts and a crop duster to crash. They believe that the accident was spurred by magnetic energy from an intergalactic craft.
But skeptics tout that there is a logical explanation. They surmise the blackouts were caused by people trying to save energy. The pilot's GPS system simply failed to work, because satellites hadn't been invented yet.
As your never-inquiring reporter who ever sleeps, I decided to get to the bottom of this tenacious tale. I figured the best source of information would be the federal government. They have been quite helpful in providing information on strange sights in the sky. So helpful, in fact, that the U.S. Air Force has provided the public with at least three completely different versions of what happened in 1947 near Roswell, N.M.
To research these issues, I have taken full advantage of the Freedom of Information Act. This law allows us to search government records, which have been historically hidden from the public. It is a fairly simple process to engage. Just write the federal agency in question and ask for the specific documents under FOIA. Using a form letter, the agency will cheerfully answer, stating they have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
Since I've been planning to publish my findings on the Lodi incident, a white van with tinted windows has been parked across my street. I've also heard strange clicking sounds in my phone. It's probably just my imagination. However, it's a good thing that I now communicate with my editor only by carrier pigeon.
After hundreds of hours of researching these mysteries, my work has paid off. It is in a memo, written to a high-ranking government official on July 9, 1947, shortly after the Lodi incident.
CAUTION: This memo should only be read by mature audiences, as it could change the entire belief systems of modern civilization. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! (Lines represent government blackouts):
"Dear------------:
The incident in Lodi, Calif. on 7 July 1947 is-------. The craft in question-------------------------------. The downed plane was a result of-------------------------------. The press should be told------------------------------. The President------------------------------. A committee should be formed to---------------------------. The threat assessment is------------------------------. This memo is for EYES ONLY."
As far as the NASA and the Air Force are concerned, I'm sorry to report that only one statement has been received from both agencies. That statement is: "Where's Lodi?"
At the conclusion of this investigation, agonizing questions still remain. If there is nothing to hide, then why are all those lines blacked out? And if UFO sightings are the result of secret American technology, then how were we able to defy the laws of physics back in 1947? Government officials just repeat the same answer: "You simply have a wild imagination."
I can only use my wildest imagination to speculate on what lurks beneath those mysterious, felt-penned, forbidden fragments.
Steve Hansen is a Lodi writer and satirist.
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dyan wrote on Sep 24, 2008 7:42 PM:
Bob Loblaw wrote on Sep 24, 2008 3:28 PM:
dyan wrote on Sep 24, 2008 2:07 PM:
lodi boy wrote on Sep 24, 2008 1:58 PM:
In time we'll learn the truth. "
dyan wrote on Sep 20, 2008 8:53 AM:
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