by Truman Bethurum

A great many people have stated and some under oath, that they have seen flying saucers. Some have added that they saw odd looking little people running to get back into them, or away from them and into the brush. You’ve read about many of these incidents in your own daily papers, in popular magazines and even in books. Some of you are convinced that flying saucers do exist. Others scoff and deny their existence. Governments insist in their news reports to the people that flying saucers do not exist and that those deluded persons who said they saw such things had only seen some weather bureau contraption for testing the upper air. Yet it has been stated by government personnel that “They sometimes show up on radar screens.”

In his newly published book entitled FLYING SAUCERS FROM OUTER SPACE, by Major Donald E. Keyhoe, as you will see by the following quote from THE MIRROR, Los Angeles Daily of Friday, October 2, 1953, we get a closer view of the situation:

“SAUCERS ARE FROM OTHER WORLDS,” MARINE MAJOR SAYS.

The great flying saucer riddle explodes into fresh prominence with the publication of this book by a retired Marine officer. He has cooperated closely with the Air Force’s own investigators (Project Bluebook) for the last two years. Keyhoe says flatly that the saucers are of interplanetary origin. He supplies potent arguments to back his belief.

For the saucer believer his new evidence (official government sightings and findings) will seem well-nigh irrefutable. For the non-believer and scoffer, his book will provide sobering food for thought.

These are facts, not theories, which Keyhoe offers in his new volume five. Countries in addition to the United States are now investigating unidentified aerial objects: England, France, Canada, Norway and Sweden. The Air Force now has in its possession genuine motion pictures of flying saucers. For the first time, a saucer has been photographed by Air Force F-86 pilots during simultaneous ground radar and visual sightings, and the Air Force Intelligence has completed a secret analysis of all evidence to date.

The movies were made on July 2, 1952, near Tremonton, Utah, by a Navy warrant officer and official photographer. They show saucers maneuvering … Keyhoe contends that the government has been reluctant to reveal its complete findings to date for fear of frightening the public. He says that the rash of sightings over the nation’s capitol last summer was genuine and was deliberately fluffed off by an Air Force general in a key press conference to allay press and public suspicions and mounting worries of the populace.

Sightings have not decreased. The government has clamped down on releasing data on most of its own reports.

Many mysteries remain unsolved, such as why the saucers do not land or communicate with us if they are interplanetary. Keyhoe does not pretend to know all the answers, but he makes a strong case for the theory that we are under prolonged and detailed observation by someone from outer space.

This book [see full pdf download below], I hope, will add much to your knowledge of flying saucers and the space people who bring them here.

Men who have seen the flying saucers with their own eyes again and again cannot agree with any denial that they exist, any more than Pasteur could agree with the French scientists who hounded him because, according to their knowledge, bacteria could not exist, let alone cause disease. It can be possible, however – and I claim it is – that there is a kind of matter which science knows nothing about which, guided by intelligent beings of other worlds, is able to overcome the difficulties so insuperable as yet to us, and travel through space as easily and directly as you can travel in your “horseless carriage”, that amazing vehicle in its turn considered only the foolish dream of visionaries and less than a hundred years ago.

Surely, everybody – all these reputable men – who report seeing flying saucers are not “off the beam”. The Air Training Command of the Air Force recently stated that more than 1,000 reports of flying saucers were received at Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio, in 1952. Other thousands of reports have accumulated from all parts of the world. The attitude of the public has largely changed from indifference and derision to increasing interest and concern. Therefore, I feel sure that now you will give some credence to my story.

But since I am going to tell you, the general public, a story of adventure so amazing that you can hardly help being incredulous and perhaps doubt my veracity, first I must tell you something about myself, so you will know me and know about me, so that you can judge more easily whether or not you are to believe that I speak the truth …

I, Truman Bethurum, was born at Gavalin, California, on August 21, 1898, a few miles out of Perris, California towards Riverside, in what was then a gold mining area. Old timers will recognize the names Santa Rosa mine, also the Good Hope. There were many other workings, but these two were the principal ones. I believe a boom in the gold mining business is what led my parents to move to Gavalin. My father’s job at the mines was pumpman and hoist man. He also tried his hand at dry farming around his home near the Santa Rosa mines.

We lived in the mining area until I was about two years old, and then moved to Redlands, California, late in 1900 or early 1901, where I became old enough to start to kindergarten in the Old Lugania Avenue School. My first grade was in the “brand new” Lincoln School near Colton Avenue and Texas Street.

About this time dissension stepped in and my parents became estranged and divorced.

My father had a sister and brother-in-law who had answered the call of the desert in 1901 to what is now the Great Imperial Valley. They persuaded him to come to the new town of Holtville and seek his fortune. We arrived in the summer of 1904 and I, as a child of six started in the fall in the second grade. Our school was in a large tent house, all grades in the same room.

In 1910, my father pushed the doors of his blacksmith shop closed and with his brother bought out a shop in Elsinore, California, where I attended school a short time in the sixth grade.

Back to Holtville to sell out and move to a new townsite called Seeley and a new blacksmith shop. We lived in Seeley to finish my grammar school and my high school education – attending three different schools in the process, first in Imperial, one-half term in Holtville, back to Imperial, one year at EI Centro, then to half a year at Imperial. No sheepskin. All this schooling was broken up by the necessity of helping to earn our living in my father’s shop.

Finally I decided to go on my own, working in cotton gins and later on dredges for the various water companies in the valley at that time. Later I left the valley and was again working in Elsinore district at various jobs; meeting there the girl who was later to become my wife and the mother of my two lovely daughters.

After twenty-one years of happy home life fate kicked me in the face, as it had my father before me, and I found myself again alone and bewildered.

A second world war was on and had to be won. I accepted a job in a plant doing work to help win this war, and stayed from September 9, 1943 until after V. J. Day, always with one thought, to do all I could to help win this war for my country. Bonds were my strong point, taking a large percentage of my wages. I was on the selling committee too, and the departments where I sold bonds were the first 100 percent participating.

In July of 1945 I again met a lady whom at first sight I decided should be my wife, and on October 6th Mary and I were married.

The humdrum of factory work was telling on my nerves, and I decided my first choice for a change would be outside construction work, repair and maintenance of equipment. I have been on this type of work, the Bishop tunnels, Friant Kern Canal, Cochuma Dam near Santa Barbara, Goleta Highway tunnel, State Highway construction at Benton near Bishop, California. And later in the Nevada desert near Glendale, Nevada on a realignment job on Highway 91, from July until October 15, 1952. While employed as Batch Plant operator and as night mechanic on the water trucks I had, I suppose, one of the most startling and unbelievable experiences that any human being has ever been confronted with.

My many friends and acquaintances have looked upon my story of the flying saucer and crew from Clarion with various reactions. My close friends, knowing that truths are the only statements that I would make. Others have been concerned whether I might not need some form of mental treatment. The first mentioned group are the ones who have made it possible for me to withstand the ridicule and harassment of the second group.

My many good and trusting friends will know from my use here of their names and nicknames of my respect, acknowledgment and appreciation of their friendship and trust in me during a very trying period.

Whitey and Marie Edwards, together with Cathy and Lola; Blackie Gregson of Las Vegas; the Wilson family of Overton; the Marshalls of Logandale; the Perkins boys working on the job with me while on vacation from their pre-medical studies at the University of Utah; their many kind words and deeds are never forgotten. Some of the Leavett boys will probably recall a few talks we had. Timberline Riggs and Son; also the Perkins Restaurant family; the Ivan Jones Service Station, where I spoke of an airplane inspection of the Mormon Mesa area. Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell of The Oasis Hotel in Bullhead City, Arizona, where I lived while working on Davis Dam. The hotel owners, Ross and Nancy Finley; the Smiths of the Bullhead City Stationary and Novelty Store; the O. C. Bucks at the station where I purchased many gallons of gasoline for my truck. Also Paul Richardson of the Mid-City Bar and Restaurant, where I boarded most of the time while I worked in Arizona. My friendly visits with the Thurstons on the Nevada side of the Colorado River. The friendliness of Chuck and Mary McGinnis of Davis Dam. One could never forget the music and smiles of Millie and her Novachord of Chloride. Both helped me to forget my troubles and my doubters.

Both Woodie and Enos, mechanic and welder on the Mesa job, showed a spirit of cooperation and belief in me that was enlightening and heart warming. Two families of workers at Davis Dam, Dales who was electrician and motor winder, Chuck who was the power house machinist, had a detailed perspective of me and my experiences. One could see and easily detect their mental change, due probably to some disgruntled worker speaking derogatorily of me and my “so-called” experiences, and their final change of attitude, favorable to me in the last weeks of my work in Arizona. I was very happy to see their changed attitude, for I had looked upon them as friends from our first meeting.

Last but not least is my fondest memory among my Arizona friends, the Nick Lause family living about a mile south of Bullhead City, the owners and operators of that wonderful fishing spot called Rainbow Haven. Nick and his lovely wife, two daughters and grandson diffused a feeling of friendliness and cooperation that would take more than a lifetime to forget. If Captain Aura Rhanes and her crew from Clarion would only land the scow in their immediate vicinity, so that they might have tangible and irrefutable evidence of the truth of my story, a prayer of mine would be answered.

You, as reader of this book, will not think it strange that a man’s friends will be divided – that some will trust him and believe what he may tell them and others, since no proof of strange things can be given them, will doubt and scoff. But so that you may know why some do believe, I add to the above the copy of a letter written by J. R. Groom, Treasurer for LU.O.E., LOCAL UNION NO. 12, on stationery of the INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS, Los Angeles California.

Mr. Groom writes, and I quote:

“TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Mr. Truman Bethurum, Register No. 284207, has been a Journeyman Engineer since July 1942, working under the jurisdiction of Local Union No. 12 of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

Our records in this office show that he is a reliable and trustworthy man. He is capable of heavy duty repair; very capable as a welder and operating engineer. He has always been agreeable to accept employment in remote areas. He has been sought after by employers for his ability to handle electric arcs and layout work of the highest quality.

I take great pleasure in recommending Truman Bethurum to anyone that needs his services.

Very Truly Yours,

(SIGNED)

J. R. GROOM, TREAS.

LU.O.E., LOCAL UNION NO. 12″

This letter is dated September 21, 1953, and I do not think that Mr. Groom would have written it if he had any doubts whatsoever of my veracity, integrity and sanity.

From here, I shall go on to tell you some of the conclusions which have been reached, and my interpretation of the viewpoints of the various scientists with whom I have freely discussed the visits of the space people with me, of the approximate locations of all visits, our conversations and all pertinent facts that I have gathered from those eleven visits.

First of all, these space people had some difficulty in their first attempts at landing on our earth, and due to this difficulty, apparently just summed up the situation and returned to their own planet and made the necessary changes or alterations in their scows which they deemed to be necessary or advisable. Probably a very long period of time as we know it was consumed in this research and work. Perhaps many attempts were made before at last they were able to actually hover and finally land and set foot upon the soil of our earth.

You may wonder at these statements. They are my own conclusions, after thinking back on some of the statements made to me by Captain Aura Rhanes, and also after discussing these conversations with various men of scientific knowledge.

Reenactment of meeting between Truman Bethurum and Aura Rhanes

Some statements were made to me by Captain Rhanes which led me to believe that probably the scow is not of solid steel, as it appeared to me, but has within its foot thick walls both refrigeration and insulating installations, as in some of our first conversations she had said, “We are well insulated against all outside influences.”

However, in recent weeks, electronic experts interested in the subject of space ships, have informed me that a magnetical field or shield about the saucer, as Captain Aura Rhanes indicated to me they possessed, would insulate and protect the scow from heat, cold and space debris, giving ample insulation from all outside influences. This must be so, for the surface of the saucer from Clarion was always as smooth and gleaming as burnished steel, containing no dents or scars of any kind.

Also at one point Captain Aura Rhanes had mentioned, “Our conditioning works just right.”

I have also discussed the weight of the scow, if it were constructed of solid steel walls, and every scientist I have talked with has agreed that with anti-magnetic or anti-gravitational power the weight, as we know it, would be no problem to these space people.

Captain Aura Rhanes also told me at one meeting that the outside of the scow had been altered for stability in flight. And as I know it is not sharp or pointed at the edges, I can only assume that these sharp or pointed edges would not be desirable in a space ship, even for their tremendous high speed in interplanetary travels.

I believe that I have brought out very vividly in the story which follows, Captain Aura Rhanes’ statements that no auxiliary breathing apparatus was used, needed or possessed at any place on any planet where they had landed; also that they were able to freely move about inside the ship while in flight. This latter statement was doubted in my mind, but I have discussed it with magnetic experts, and they agree that their speed in space would be just like sitting at a table at home on our earth. There would be no feeling of motion within the scow.

I have tried to do a little figuring, and assuming their scow is of a material similar to our stainless steel and solid, the weight may run to well over 35,000 tons. On the other hand, if only the thickness is divided into refrigeration and insulation, together with an apparently solid cover of steel, it may run considerably under this figure. My view is that the scow certainly appeared solid at the edges, also at the opening.

Every person connected with aviation in any manner with whom I have talked – and these include airline owners, pilots, parts manufacturers, physicists and several electronic experts, and also assemblymen of different factories – have agreed to a man that magnetical or gravitational power is the one thing that could make space travel possible. This is what Captain Aura Rhanes and her crew had made known to me over a year before I talked with or met any of these above mentioned men.

The operation of their scow without visible or audible signals brings the question of metaphysics and ontology into the picture, also the magic-like appearance and disappearance of these space people in the presence of people here on earth. Also, much could be conjectured regarding levitation, since at times they made their appearance at locations apparently far removed from a location which might be suitable as a parking spot large enough for a scow.

Some of the gentlemen with whom I have discussed my experience have told me that the magnetic field which of necessity would surround this scow in flight would be insulation in itself, and their belief is that the scow is solid. Also, that this magnetic field would protect the space people from harmful rays and space debris, as scientists call star fragments, dust, etc.

One gentleman, Mr. George Adamski, of Palomar Gardens fame, has stated to an assembled group, including myself, that any metallic space ship, rocket or other device hurtling through space at anywhere near the speed of light without this magnetic power or shield would contact abrasives in space which would act as an emery wheel and grind away at any such device before it could reach the moon or any planet. The noise of any such action alone would make space travel impossible and intolerable to occupants of any space ship.

A Mr. Maury Catch of Magnet Sales Co. of Los Angeles, California, has kindly furnished me some information relative to magnets and electro-magnets and their limitations, etc., as are known and accepted in the United States.

(1) That one or only very few companies own all basic patents.

(2) There are only eight processors licensed in the United States to manufacture or process magnets under these basic patents.

(3) That as far as is known by these processors magnetism cannot be confined or channeled.

Think this over. To me that would be about the same as some automotive manufacturer advertising thus:

We have a superior automobile now on the market, the most powerful, beautiful and most economical ever devised and very reasonably priced – but we do not guarantee that it can be steered or controlled or reversed.

Wouldn’t that sound like a little research is in order?

Several articles have been published in the Los Angeles Examiner lately regarding space travel, sky platforms, the planet Mars, etc. One statement alone would prove to any construction man that the writer of these articles has very poor informants and/or scientific knowledge. The statement was that “Many miners would probably soon be in demand to make a granite stockpile on Mars, 500 miles square and one mile deep, to be chemically processed to supply supposedly absent oxygen so that life could be sustained on Mars.”

I was born in mining country, and have worked on many tunnel excavation projects, and I don’t believe that if all the material excavated, of any nature whatever, including the Suez and Panama canals and any and all other projects on our earth from prehistoric times would closely approximate the magnitude of such a project on Mars. The thing is clearly impossible.

But now that we are back to the seemingly impossible, I shall get on with the story of the amazing thing which happened to me. For I am the ONE MAN, to my knowledge who has actually seen the flying saucers, outside and inside, met and conversed with their people – and that, not once but eleven times.

Truman Bethurum

Excerpt from Aboard A Flying Saucer

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