Page 12 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - August/September 2017

12 Peter Robbins Explains Left at East Gate

Peter Robbins Explains speaking with me. Then again, why would he intended to respond to all of them here but time
have bothered? It was only a ‘UFO story’ and has closed in on me have precluded that. I’ll be
His Take on Left at East the Mirror is not known for its high journalistic glad to do so in some future radio interview

standards. In publishing his well-off-the-mark though. It’s an understatement to say that I did
Gate and highly generalized version of things he not know him nearly as well as I thought I did.
insulted both me and Larry. In my case by But it seems he did not know me as well as he
Continued from Page 11 putting words in my mouth that made it appear thought he did either. I think he actually thought
that I had “..sparked a war of words after that, as his stories began to unravel, I would
revealing he now believes that former US stick with him because I’d be too embarrassed
I did understand that all his cards were
airman Larry Warren's account of the incident not to, seeing my professional reputation go
not on the table. If I accepted the offer, what
near RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk, in 1980, was down with his ship. He couldn’t have been more
exactly would I be agreeing to? After all, the "not true." wrong:
guy was talking about being a principal in his
The story of course hurt Larry more for Excerpt from Larry's Odd Couple Video
own book, and that could get touchy. And was
obvious reasons. Small consolation, but in the Statement to me.
an independent co-author with latitude what he
interests of accuracy I stated that I am convinced “You know you sent me those letters
really had in mind? What if the trail led
that parts of Larry’s account are not accurate or
somewhere he didn't want it to go? What if I back in October {actually back in October and
faithful to the truth. And the Mirror being the
found out he had been wrong about things, or December} and I was waiting to get a letter
Mirror, you should also know that no journalist
that he'd been lied to, or that he'd lied? The man through the mail box believe it or not. {reference
or reporter by the name of John Jeffay is
might even be some kind of Bentwaters to an innocent party that has nothing to do with
employed by the Mirror. There is little question
"wannabe" -- on base that night but not that this story was brought to the attention of the the actual content of this communication. If
involved, then telling the stories he'd heard as Larry feels otherwise I invite him to add it to the
Mirror’s editors by someone outside the
though they'd happened to him. Any of these public record} … So when you tell me 'mail' and
newspaper’s staff. I can make an educated guess
possibilities were valid, but I didn't think any of you know I am not a computer guy.
as to who it may have been, but cannot say for
them were likely {emphasis mine}. So I am waiting for the postman to come,
sure.
I asked the questions I had to and got they still have them in England and the post
Larry Warren and I first met one-to-one
more encouraging answers than I'd expected. never came, but what you did so because you
as previously noted on July 3 1987, this at my
What Larry proposed was simply that he tell his had a little hissy fit because I didn’t respond to
apartment on West 46th St. in Manhattan. He
own story, in his own terms. I would be free to you quick enough, ah life goes on, I have a
was living with his first wife in Connecticut at
chronicle, support, or refute whatever I could the time. Also as previously noted, he showed up teenage son and you know they involve a lot of
about the incidents and his part in them. Though effort when they are at that age. I have a mother
with an assortment of reading material for me at
we should stay open to the other's suggestions, in the hospital with dementia, we are always
that visit. It included a small assortment of
each of us would have our own last word on hearing about your family and I love them too,
articles that had been published on the UFO
anything we wanted to include. When the book I've got problems in my family like everyone's
incident and his copy of Sky Crash by Suffolk
sold, we would split whatever it made. got problems in their family, mother with
paranormal researcher Brenda Butler, her friend
Larry's offer was worth considering, but there dementia which you are well aware of, this that
and colleague Dot Street, and Jenny Randles, the
was risk attached. Such a collaboration would be and the other... I don’t make this a public thing,
best-known of the three and already a prolific
like starting a small business with a stranger; but you tend to do a lot of that. It's just not my style!
writer on the subject of the UFO phenomenon.
that was the least of it. But I'm kinda surprised you sent all this private
For those of us who make it our business At the time, there had not been very correspondence but you sent them to everybody
much published on the RFI, at least that I was before I ever got them, it's almost a blackmail
to look into such things, a storm of controversy
aware of. What my memory is a little hazy on is kinda thing. We had that issue back in 88 over
had already swirled around the Bentwaters
whether or not it was at that meeting or during the phone bill thing, but we won’t go into that
incidents for several years. Having one of the
his next foray into New York City that he loaned
witnesses, or alleged witnesses, as co-author here. My mother sure would, if she had a
me copies of some of his assorted military
was just asking for trouble. Larry couldn't have memory.”
paperwork, all of which he told me he had made
agreed more. Such a book could take some time All that talk about letters but not a word
to complete, maybe even a year or two. Given copies of during his out-processing from the Air in reference to the contents of either. Larry is a
the circumstances, could we both stick with it Force, but I am sure that he brought them on one master of ‘look over here, not over there,’ and
of those two initial visits. would be more than happy to keep you in the
that long?
A thought that never occurred to me at dark as to what those letters actually said, but
Another sticking point: I didn't see
the time – or in fact at any time since then, until that is a concession he is no longer entitled to.
myself well-suited to the job. Larry should have
earlier this year when I finally bothered to Larry would have you believe that I “sent them
been looking for a different sort of writer;
actually read some of the findings that had been
perhaps one who had actually written a book. If to everybody before I ever got them,” This is
posted online. Call me naïve, but I just don’t
it had been me, I would have tried to enlist a nonsense on two counts. When, after three
think that way. The paperwork he loaned me was
good investigative reporter. What he did not weeks of not hearing back from him after
need was a coauthor who also had a UFO almost entirely Xerox copies, but there were a sending him my letter of October 3rd, I wrote
incident in his past. I just didn’t think the few originals, which were returned to him asking him what his thoughts were about what I
several years later. If he (or anyone else) had had said, he told me he never received it as he
"coincidence" would wash with a lot of people.
altered any part of any of them it would amount goes on about above. I immediately responded
But all these objections were subordinate to a
to a betrayal of the highest order, certainly for with an extremely easy to see screen grab of it as
larger question: if I agreed, how far was I willing
me as his co-writer, but more importantly, to any a screengrab attached to the brief Facebook
to go for this story? If only a tenth of what he
reader who had ever served or was currently
claimed were true...” (LAEG, pages 214-215) message it was attached to. But as he refused to
serving in the military, American or otherwise.
If only I had paid more attention to the acknowledge this, I sent the letter on to two
Such an offense is simply not forgivable. I’m
doubts that had nagged at me back then. people who he is extremely close to, one at his
Jumping to the present, some of you may sorrier than I can say that I now know this to be request as he would be visiting with that person
have already read the article that appeared in the the case regarding at least several of these over the coming weekend.
documents, but before damning Larry with such
UK tabloid the Mirror, I believe on May 29th
an awful accusation, there is one other alternate
You can read it at (Continued on Page 13)
theory you need to consider, and consider
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ufo-
seriously. Last month Larry was a guest on UK
expert-accuses-co-author-10527844. Reporter
radio host Ben Emlyn-Jones' radio program, on Whether you’re a SKEPTIC or a
John Jeffay obviously made the decision to
May 29 if I’m correct. His remarks included an BELIEVER, join ROB McCONNELL,
ignore the specifics and complexities I discussed
assortment of attacks and sleazy suggestions on THE ‘X’ ZONE RADIO SHOW, 7
in the radio interview which sparked the writing days a week ON
of this piece, and which he mined for selective regarding my character and honesty. If you www.XZBN.net (XZRS)
information, this with no interest in actually haven’t listened to them you should. I’d