Page 37 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - November 2013 Edition

Man Abducted By ET in 1973 Tells Story UFO abduction in '73 Hickson and Parker together in a room with a years, but have never really let up. "You don't changed my life, Miss. hidden tape recorder, hoping to catch them in a never have no privacy," he said. Parker married later in 1973 and lie. "Me and the other investigator got up man says and left to let them talk, to see if they were eventually took oil industry and out-of-state construction jobs to escape the attention. going to say, 'Well, we got them fooled,' but "By the time you get somewhere and Associated Press they didn't," Ryder said. "They were really they figure out who you were, I'd just go," he concerned." said. "I'd just go find another job somewhere." On the tape, Hickson tells Parker, "It Parker attended some UFO conventions, scared me to death too, son. You can't get over and was once hypnotized by Budd Hopkins, a PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Charles Hickson never it in a lifetime. Jesus Christ have mercy." noted UFO investigator. He briefly tried to regretted the notoriety that came his way after "I don't know what happened to them," capitalize on his story in 1993 by starting a he told authorities he encountered an Ryder said. "I wasn't there with them, but I Louisiana company called UFO Investigations unidentified flying object and its occupants 40 know you don't fake fear, and they were fearful. where he and partners would produce television years ago on the banks of the Pascagoula River. They were fearful." segments on the subject. Until his death in 2011, Hickson told his story to The next afternoon, the story was Parker moved to Moss Point in 2006 and anyone who would listen. splashed across the front pages of newspapers in in 2010 suffered a stroke that limited him But Calvin Parker Jr., the other man Pascagoula and Gulfport. Overnight, physically. He's on disability aid now, but present for one of the most high-profile UFO Pascagoula became a magnet for news reporters sometimes boats by the site of the encounter cases in American history, has never come to and UFO investigators. when he goes fishing. He said that just recently terms with what he still says was a visit with Widespread interest in UFOs began in he met a woman at a gas station who already gray, crab-clawed creatures from somewhere the 1940s with an incident at Roswell N.M., in knew who he was. else. He says the encounter on Oct. 11, 1973, which UFO enthusiasts believe the government "I'm always recognized," he said. turned his life upside down. got its hands on a crashed UFO and alien There's no historical marker on the river "This is something I really didn't want to bodies. The government spent decades denying bank noting the encounter, and stores don't sell happen," Parker told The Associated Press as it. UFO souvenirs. But local people remember — the 40th anniversary of the encounter In the 1960s, interest flared anew with a though often with skepticism and jokes. approached. series of reports, including the purported alien For his part, Parker said he's had Parker was unnerved by initial crush of abduction of New Hampshire couple Betty and conflicting thoughts over the years about that unwelcome attention, with newsmen and UFO Barney Hill in 1961. The widespread attention night in 1973. At one point, he wasn't even sure enthusiasts overrunning Walker Shipyard, to the Pascagoula encounter set off a new round the creatures were aliens. They might have been where he and Hickson worked. He tried to of reports. demons, he said. dodge the spotlight for decades, moving In south Mississippi, hundreds of reports "I'm a firm believer in God and where frequently before returning to Mississippi's Gulf overwhelmed authorities in the two weeks after there's good, there's bad," Parker said.[] Coast in recent years. the Hickson-Parker encounter. The incident made headlines, sparked a There were hoaxes and humor too. A The UFO Singularity wave of UFO sightings nationwide and became Long Beach, Miss., taxi driver told police a one of the most widely examined cases on being with pincers tapped on his window, a by Micah Hanks record. Skeptics ranged from the deputies who story he admitted days later was fake. first interviewed the men to an author who A Mobile, Ala., television station said it Throughout the history sought to poke holes in the story, and Parker would record a UFO appearance predicted by a of serious studies that look carefully at the himself has had conflicting thoughts about psychic between Mobile and nearby UFO phenomenon, our whether he was visited by aliens or demons. Pascagoula. Roughly 1,000 cars converged on best analysis of the Parker, now 58, was 18 when he went the spot, where nothing happened. mystery seems to have fishing with Hickson on a tranquil Thursday An Ocean Springs alderman proposed only led to more night after work. an ordinance making it illegal to operate a UFO questions. Do UFOs As they dangled their lines without at more than twice the speed of light on U.S. 90, represent visitors from much luck, the two said a UFO with blue lights the coast's main drag. Mayor Tom Stennis voted other worlds? If not swooped down. They told of a zipping noise against the ordinance, joking he didn't want to extraterrestrial, what made by the object. discourage tourism. else could such Hickson, then 42, said three creatures UFO skeptic Philip Klass believed technology represent in with leathery gray skin and crab-like claws — Hickson and Parker's report was a hoax. In his our midst, and are there other possibilities that are he thought they were robots — took them by the book "UFOs Explained," he noted Hickson truly worth considering? The UFO Singularity finally reveals what forearms and levitated them aboard the craft. He changed some details of his story and claimed a UFO phenomena can tell us about greater-than- said something that looked like a large floating polygraph operator whose test Hickson passed human intelligence, and offers provocative eye appeared to examine him. wasn't up to the task. Parker later passed a lie theories of where such intelligence might Parker says he was conscious but detector test himself. originate. You’ll explore the most challenging paralyzed. Hickson would go on to appear on talk metaphysical questions and the latest scientific "They gave a thorough, I mean a shows, give lectures and interviews, and self- thoughts about them, including: thorough, examination to me just like any publish a book in 1983 titled "UFO Contact at doctor would," he said. Pascagoula." He reported three more encounters * What is the singularity, and how does And then they were back on the shore, in 1974, and said the aliens communicated to it relate to UFOs? * Could some UFOs be from our plane? where it all began. The UFO was gone and him that they were peaceful. Could they actually be time travelers from our Parker said they tried to collect themselves. "The only thing he wanted to do was let future? Hickson needed three shots of liquor from a everybody know we were not alone," said Eddie * What current scientific trends are bottle in his car to calm his nerves before Hickson, his son. "He didn't care if you believed leading us to the kinds of advanced technology deciding to report what happened. him or not. If you wanted to listen, by gum, he'd we’ve observed in various UFO reports? At the Jackson County Sheriff's tell you." Department, deputies initially suspected both "He could never understand why he was Available At men were drunk. Then-Capt. Glenn Ryder, who chosen," the younger Hickson added. "But he still works for the sheriff's office, said he never once told me that he wished it had never www.gralienreport.com laughed at the report, but met with the men. happened. Never." Parker and Hickson stuck to their story. Parker said the intrusions by curiosity After the formal interview, deputies left seekers have become less frequent over the