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Richard French of the U。S。 Air Force although he was dressed in civilian clothes and was driving a white Mustang。 His neat gray suit and everything else he was wearing appeared to be brand…new。 Even the soles of his shoes were unscuffed； unwalked upon。 He was about five feet nine inches tall； with an olive plexion and a pointed face。 His hair was dark and very long…too long for an air force officer； Mrs。 Butler thought。 Unlike Jack Brown； Major French was a fluent conversationalist and seemed perfectly normal until he plained about his stomach bothering him。 When Mrs。 Butler offered him the Jell…O she suspected for the first time that something was out of kilter。
Richard French was an imposter。 One of the many wandering around the United States in 1967。 For years these characters had caused acute paranoia among the flying saucer enthusiasts； convincing them that the air force was investigating them； silencing witnesses and indulging in all kinds of unsavory activities…including murder。 When I first began collecting such reports I was naturally suspicious of the people making such reports。 It all seemed like a massive put…on。 But gradually it became apparent that the same minute details were turning up in widely separated cases； and none of these details had been published anywhere 。。。 not even in the little newsletters of the UFO cultists。
There was somebody out there； all right。 A few； like Richard French； almost pulled off their capers without drawing attention to themselves。 But in nearly every case there was always some small error； some slip of dress or behavior which the witnesses were usually willing to overlook but which stood out like signal flares to me。 They often arrived in old model cars which were as shiny and well kept as brand…new vehicles。 Sometimes they slipped up in their dress； wearing clothes that were out of fashion or； even more perturbing； would not e into fashion until years later。 'Those who posed as military officers obviously had no knowledge of military procedure or basic military jargon。 If they had occasion to pull out a wallet or notebook； it would be brand…new 。。。 although most men carry beat…up old wallets and notebooks quickly gain a worn look。 Finally； like the fairies of old； they often collected souvenirs from the witnesses 。。。 delightedly walking away with an old magazine； pen； or other small expendable object。
What troubled me most was the fact that these mystery men and women often matched the descriptions given to me by contactees who claimed to have seen a UFO land and had glimpsed； or conversed with； their pilots； pilots with either pointed features or Oriental countenances dusky skin （not Negroid）； and unusually long fingers。
VIII。
Linda Scarberry came home from the hospital on December 23； 1967； bringing with her Daniella Lia Scarberry； her brand…new daughter。 She and her husband； Roger； lived in the basement apartment in the home of her parents； Mr。 and Mrs。 Parke McDaniel。 It was a modest but fortable home and； like Mary Hyre's office； had been a focal point for strangers ever since Linda； Roger； and another couple had seen the 〃Bird〃…the preposterous winged man of Point Pleasant…the year before。
Now there was a steady flow of friends and neighbors stopping by to look at the new baby； one of the few joyous occasions that bleak December。 When Jack Brown's noisy white car pulled into the McDaniel driveway he was weled as so many reporters； monster hunters； and UFO researchers had been before him。 He 'announced himself as a friend of Mary Hyre； Gray Barker； and John Keel and entered the house hauling a large tape recorder which he set up on a kitchen table。 It became immediately obvious that he was unfamiliar with the machine and didn't know how to thread or operate it。
The McDaniel family was used to reporters and tape recorders； and answering the same tiresome questions。 But Brown's questions were not just tiresome。 They were vague； detached； and unintelligent。 He obviously knew nothing whatsoever about the plex subject of flying saucers； and he was totally disinterested in the legendary 〃Bird。〃 His main interest seemed to be me…my present whereabouts and the nature of my relationship with Mrs。 Hyre。
Not surprisingly； he asked the McDaniels how they thought Mary Hyre would react if someone ordered her to stop reporting flying saucer sightings。
Friends and neighbors dropped by all evening to view the new baby。 Although the baby was the center of all attention； Brown totally ignored the child； not even bothering to show polite interest。 When Tom C。； a next…door neighbor； was introduced Brown extended his thumb and two forefingers for a handshake。 He said he was from Cambridge； Ohio； a small town just outside of Columbus； Ohio。 Later a reporter for the Columbus； Ohio； Dispatch arrived and in the course of their casual conversation it became apparent that Brown had never heard of the Dispatch； one of the state's largest newspapers； and； in fact； did not even know where Cambridge was。
His general demeanor made everyone unfortable。 His inability to converse intelligently and his hypnotic； piercing gaze bothered everyone。 Despite the growing coolness； he lingered for five hours； leaving about 11 P。M。 Early in the evening he denied knowing me personally。 Later on he said he and I were good friends。 He seemed surprised that I had not rushed back to Point Pleasant after the bridge disaster。 Perhaps he expected to find me there。
Among other things； he said 〃Gray Barker told him that a UFO had been seen over the Silver Bridge just before it collapsed。 Later when I spoke to Barker about this incident he denied emphatically knowing Brown or anyone matching his description。 Gray had phoned me the night of the disaster and mentioned hearing a radio interview in which a witness reported seeing a flash of light just before the bridge went down。 Afterward it became clear that this was a flash caused by snapping power cables strung along the bridge。
Jack Brown was never seen again。 He did not turn up in other UFO flap areas。 He just got into his white car and rattled off into the night； joining all the other Smiths； Joneses； Kelleys； and Frenches who seem to serve no purpose except to excite the latent paranoia of the UFO enthusiasts and keep one set of myths alive。
IX。
In room 4C922 of the Pentagon building in 1966 there was an L…shaped cubicle occupying about fifty square feet of area。 A gray…haired； grim…visaged lieutenant colonel named Maston M。 Jacks held forth there； sitting behind a cluttered desk and jangling phones。 His job in those days was to handle reporters inquiring about the UFO situation。 His opening line was a show…stopper。
〃There's nothing to it； Mr。 Keel。 It's all a lot of hearsay。〃
On another desk there was a large red folder with the words Top Secret emblazoned in big black letters。 While we talked； a secretary entered and put a newspaper clipping into the folder。
My first conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Jacks quickly turned into an argument。 He parroted the well…known air force anti…UFO line and I explained gently that I had seen some of the damned things myself。 At one point he pulled himself up and glared at me。
〃Are you calling an officer in the U。S。 Air Force a liar？〃
Later on the phone rang and from his inflection it was obvious he was talking to a superior officer。 I discreetly strolled to the far end of the room and stared out the tiny； prisonlike window。 He mumbled something about some movie film and then in a very low voice he added； 〃I'll nave to call you back。…There's somebody here in my office that I've got to stop。〃
After he hung up we resumed our argument。 He had clearly gone through this many times before。 It was all an act。 His moods changed abruptly from rage to politeness to chumminess。 Finally he escorted me down the hall to a library and dumped me。
Jacks told me several times that the air force did not have any kind of a UFO photo file。 A year later； however； a science writer named Lloyd Malian was given over one hundred pictures from