Project Beta : The Story of Paul Bennewitz, National Security, and the Creation of a Modern UFO Myth

THE HORRIFYING TRUE STORY OF A GOVERNMENT-AUTHORIZED CAMPAIGN OF DISINFORMATION THAT DEFINED AN ERA OF ALIEN PARANOIA AND DESTROYED ONE MAN'S LIFE. In 1978, Paul Bennewitz, an electrical physicist living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, engaged in some aggressive radio monitoring of the nearby Sandia Labs, then managed by the Department of Defense. When he became convinced that the strange lights hovering over the labs and Kirtland Air Force Base signaled the vanguard of an extraterrestrial alien invasion, he began writing TV stations, newspapers, senators -- and even President Reagan -- to alert them. For the most part Bennewitz received form-letter replies, but Air Force investigators paid him a visit, as did Bill Moore, author of the first book on the Roswell incident. Before long Moore -- then a new force in civilian UFO research -- was tapped by a group of intelligence agents and a deal was struck: Moore was to keep tabs on Bennewitz while the Air Force ran a psychological profile and disinformation campaign on the unsuspecting physicist. In return, Air Force Intelligence would let Moore in on classified UFO material. This is Bennewitz's harrowing tale, told by fringe-culture historian Greg Bishop. It is the troubling account of the custom-made hall of smoke and mirrors that eventually drove Bennewitz to a mental institution, as well as the story of the explosive propagation of disinformation that began in 1979 and reverberates through the UFO community and pop culture to this day. The shocking true story of the United States government’s quest to hide the reality of extraterrestrial contact, even at the cost of its citizens.In 1978, Paul Bennewitz, an electrical physicist living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, became convinced that the strange lights he saw hovering in the night sky were extraterrestrial. He reached out to newspapers, senators, and even the president before anyone responded. Air Force investigators listened to his story, as did Bill Moore, the author of the first book on the infamous Roswell UFO incident. Unbeknownst to Bennewitz, Moore was hired by a group of intelligence agents to keep tabs on Bennewitz while the Air Force ran a psychological profile and disinformation campaign on the unsuspecting physicist. In return, Air Force Intelligence would let Moore in on classified UFO material. What follows is a scandalous true tale of disinformation, corruption, and exploitation, all at the hands of the United States intelligence community. The shocking true story of the United States governments quest to hide the reality of extraterrestrial contact, even at the cost of its citizens. In 1978, Paul Bennewitz, an electrical physicist living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, became convinced that the strange lights he saw hovering in the night sky were extraterrestrial. He reached out to newspapers, senators, and even the president before anyone responded. Air Force investigators listened to his story, as did Bill Moore, the author of the first book on the infamous Roswell UFO incident. Unbeknownst to Bennewitz, Moore was hired by a group of intelligence agents to keep tabs on Bennewitz while the Air Force ran a psychological profile and disinformation campaign on the unsuspecting physicist. In return, Air Force Intelligence would let Moore in on classified UFO material. What follows is a scandalous true tale of disinformation, corruption, and exploitation, all at the hands of the United States intelligence community. The horrifying true story of a government-authorized campaign of disinformation that defined an era of alien paranoia and destroyed the life of Paul Bennewitz, an electrical physicist--P. [4] of cover Very few venture outside at night during the New Mexico winter.