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By Monte J. Gottbrecht
11-28-08
(Event: 7-7-1974)
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Editor's Note-On the 28th Mr. Gottbrecht sent an e-mail to myself and Dr. Jacques Vallee; the latter was sought out because he was involved in the investigation of an event that occurred in the same vicinity 3 years later on 12-17-1977; in his response to Mr. Gottbrecht he (Vallee) in part wrote: "It [the Council Bluffs case] is one of the most interesting physical trace cases I know, and any relevant new detail may be very important." see article below. Here is his recent correspondence followed by his original report-FW11-28-08
(Event: 7-7-1974)
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Dear Sir,
I'm sorry I don't speak French. I hope you have ways to interpret my email. It's about the incident on 12-17-1977, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in the USA.
I'm sending some attachments to help refresh your memory and which may contain new information that you were not aware of. Curiously, I haven't seen anywhere, a MUFON sighting report for the incident on that date. But, I have seen the article in the May 2001 issue of Popular Mechanics, and found a news article from a local paper about that night.
The reason I'm writing you, is to inform you that on or about 7-7-74, three years before the previously mentioned incident, my girlfriend (at the time), and I, had a close encounter at the exact same location. Big Lake Park. I'm sending a copy of a MUFON sighting report I filed in 2000, before I ever heard of the 1977 incident. I think I also filed a report with CUFORC or other organization that deals in these matters. Shortly after our close encounter of 7-7-1974, I also went to see Dr. Jack Kasher, Head of the Physics Department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and also Regional Director of MUFON. I have contacted him within the last year, and he still remembers me well.
He believed our story, and since we experienced "missing time", referred me to a hypnotist. Sadly, I never went. I think I was afraid. Since our encounter I have also been very high strung, or nervous, and wonder if I could even be hypnotized if I tried. I haven't been in contact with him anymore, but he again recommended being hypnotized. I now live in Xxxxxx, Missouri, and there is no one even close who I could go to for such a thing. I wouldn't have a problem traveling back to Council Bluffs or Omaha, but I doubt that one session would be that productive.
I just wanted you to know about our encounter, because to me, the object witnessed by us, sounds exactly like the one described by witnesses in 1977, three years after our sighting. The differences being, my girlfriend and I were within 50 yards of the hovering object before it shined a beam on us. The next thing we knew it was daylight and we had obviously experienced "missing time". What we saw was some sort of craft, very close, doing some amazing maneuvers, not just some lights in the sky.
I make no claims of abduction, have no dreams, but have always wondered about the incident. Hearing of the incident that you researched has been somewhat satisfying because it is like have 11 more witnesses to what I have seen, even though 3 years apart. That just makes it more interesting to me, and I'm hoping it does for you, too.
Thanks for your time and I would love to hear back from you any thoughts you may have. Even just a note, that you received my email would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Monte J. Gottbrecht
my girlfriend an i were camping in the backyard in the west end of council bluffs,ia. i noticed an object high in the sky traveling from horizon to horizon like a satalite except it was red and traveling somewhat faster and moving side to side in a wave motion. not a fixed pattern but not exactly random either. it went much slower than a meteor. we stood up from our cots to better watch the skies. a short time later we saw a disc shaped object with red lights on its perimeter from a distance of about two miles. it seemed to be moving above the trees near the missouri river or following the river itself. not quite hovering, but moving slowly while tipping on its sides and demonstrating to us that this was something very unusual. we watched it head south until we lost it below the trees.
we stayed alert and debated if we should go to lewis and clark monument, a park on the bluffs overlooking c.b and omaha. about 5 or 10 minutes after last seeing the object, it flew almost directly over our heads, about a block away, now going north and still just above treetop level. we lost site of it and decided to go ahead and drive to the park.
on the way we were driving through big lake park and i was keeping watch. i saw the object coming in our direction, still at treetop level, except i had the eerie feeling that it was coming for us. we panicked. i wanted to hide under the train bridge near the tennis court and my girlfriend stopped the car about 50 yards short of the bridge. we ran to and under the bridge to hide.
i've never experienced that kind of fear before or since. but, like a couple of prarie dogs we felt compelled to peek out and see more of this incredible object. so we did. it was hovering above a large cottonwood tree near the tennis court about 50 to 75 yards away from us. it was still dark out.
the disc looked about 100 feet in diameter with large red rectangular lights flashing in sequence aroun its edge which seemed to be about 15 feet thick. as we watched, frozen with awe and fear it dipped its edge while hovering. one of the red light went out and in its place a beam of light shot out of it and shined directly at us.
the next thing either of us remember is that it was now daylight and we were back in the car driving towards our original destination of lewis and clark monument.
we called police and they said they had a report of something in missouri valley, ia. about 20 miles to the north. animals were behaving strangely. either they were oddly quiet or behaving wildly. when we drove back through big lake park ther were people there who said they saw nothing.
i don't really know how much time we are talking about here. in 1974 i had never heard of the phenomenon of "missing time", but over the years i became well schooled with the term. we make no claims of abduction.
dr. kasher of univ. of nebraska at omaha, after hearing my story referred me to a hypnotist. i never went. maybe out of fear. i was afraid to know anymore. to this day i feel i know enough.
my girlfriend and i went home that morning and drew identical pictures and repeated identical stories. i've had no credibility ever since. you have to understand at the time i thought the world was coming to an end or something.
in 1977 an article came out in popular mechanics about an incident that happened very near there involving a blob of molten metal falling 500 feet from an object similar in description to what we saw. jacqes vallee came to investigate that occurence. that is why i repeat my story and will always harbor these hazy memories and questions.
in 2001 i filed a report with nicap, but i know that mufon is the proper agency for that now. i've never seen or experienced anything like that since. but i feel it in my gut every day.
The following article is about the more commonly known event which occurred 3 years later; although the amateur astronomer mentioned (Allen) dismisses it (the UFO) as "space junk," the story would soon attract the attention of Ufologists, including Dr. Jacques Vallee.
- click on image(s) to enlarge -
12-20-1977
I understand the feeling of having encountered missing time. I wasn't alone with this either. And I also understand not claiming abduction. My friend does not want to go under hypnosis, but I do. We did not see a UFO at the time of this missing time, but had been seeing them around the time of missing time ( if that makes sense ) Anyway. I understand and I believe you.
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