The Barry M. Goldwater Range is a training range southwest of metropolitan Phoenix, near the Mexican border. According to GlobalSecurity.org, the range "serves the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps as an armament and high-hazard testing area; a training area for aerial gunnery, rocketry, electronic warfare, and tactical maneuvering and air support; and a place to develop equipment and tactics."
Topol-M/AL continued his story: "The next morning, wing intelligence units at both Luke and Davis-Monthan were scrambling to compile information. No one knew what had occurred the night before, but for some top officers that were summoned in during or just after the incident, there was an element of anxiety (I would not say fear, though many were disconcerted)."
"The 'hush' order took a few days to trickle down, but it was not a complete wash-up. Because of the sheer amount of public scrutiny, focusing on the 'flares' video and photos allowed for a convenient and plausible explanation. Few in the mainstream press talked about the 'other' sightings that night, focusing on the large triangular craft that had passed over the Phoenix metro area, the outskirts of Tucson, and over Fort Huachuca before slipping in to Mexico," he wrote on AboveTopSecret.com.
U.S. Army Fort Huachuca is a major intelligence training center located southeast of Tucson. It is also the home of the Buffalo Soldiers and was a major post in the fights against the Apaches.
He also explained that, "Neither did anyone mention the F-16s at all. Even though we KNOW there were numerous civilian witnesses to the scrambles (and even a few mentions here and there), NO ONE in the media asked what we all hoped they would, if this entire incident was just 'flares' dropped from ANG aircraft, why then were four F-16s in the air that night, with one pair flying all the way to the Mexican border before turning back to Luke?"
Topol-M/AL seems as interested, and as puzzled as many other people when he wrote, "The incident has quietly fallen down the memory hole for most, but not for many USAF personnel close to the incident that night. There is a considerable amount of information that was never leaked, and for an incident of this magnitude, the mind boggles as to why..."
FOLLOW UP
Naturally, others who discuss unconventional topics on AboveTopSecret.com found Topol-M/AL's account very interesting and several posted questions and comments.
On Jan. 20, 2009, Topol-M/AL elaborated on his first posting: "Gentlemen (or ladies). To begin with, I would like to state a few personal facts before I expand upon my original post. First, I am in no way a 'fanatic' when it comes to UFO or paranormal phenomenon. At least, until that March evening in 1997, and even then, I tried to look to Occam's Razor as a source of comfort, alas knowing what I knew about that night, no simple explanation was forthcoming."
According to Wikipedia.org, "Occam's razor, also Ockham's razor, is a principle attributed to the 14th-century English logician and William of Ockham. The principle states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory." In other words, it is sometimes interpreted to mean that the most simple and most obvious answer or theory may be preferred over a more complex theory.
In his post, Topol-M/AL also pointed out, "Second, I am now retired from active duty from the United States Air Force. I will provide further information, but wish to be discreet as possible. While no one in my unit was ever specifically threatened, we were 'encouraged' to stick with the official story, not in an ominous way mind you, but merely had the 'facts' hammered home. We all received the message that was relayed."
"Yes, I was stationed in Arizona at the time. No I am not comfortable to give any further personal information than that (rank, unit). I will separate what I know below as 'fact' that knowledge gained from firsthand experience and 'alleged' that knowledge gained through trusted sources (friend in other units, other bases)."
FACTS AND ALLEGED FACTS
Topol-M/AL then gives an interesting account of "firsthand" reports to him. "Facts: On the night of March 13th, 1997, an alert klaxon [audible alarm] sounded at Luke, orders for two armed aircraft to perform an immediate take-off to 10,000 feet, and head south-east towards a radar sighting north of Casa Grande, Arizona."
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