Page 8 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - Late January 2019

8 Once Upon A Time - Betty & Barney Hill

Once upon a time, Betty

and Barney Hill told a

story that was out of this

world

Continued from Page 6

In one report, Walter Webb of NICAP
filed that “Mr. Hill believed that he was going to
be captured ‘like a bug in a net.’That is when he
knew it was no conventional aircraft he was
observing but something alien and enearthly
(sic) containing beings of a superior type,
beings that were somehow not human.”
An Air Intelligence Information Report,
prepared by a major at Pease Air Force Base at
the same time the Hills say they were abducted,
read, “It was revealed that a strange incident
occurred on 20 Sept. It is not possible to
determine any relationship between these two
observations, as the radar observation provides
no description.
“Time and distance between the two member of the United States Commission on painted outside showing a skinny alien with a
events could hint at a possible relationship.” Civil Rights who was honored by the Northern big head.
Elsewhere, Dr. Benjamin Simon, a New England Governor’s Conference on “I think it’s really true,” Patel told me.
renowned psychiatrist from Boston, hypnotized Community Action. “There are pretty strong believers in town, so I
Barney and learned that his severe anxiety was They were invited to the 1965 believe it too. I can see the evidence.”
caused by his belief that an abduction had taken inauguration of President Lyndon Johnson. Evidence is in the eye of the beholder.
place. Betty’s description of the event, also And why in the world would a mixed- Either way, Lincoln is forever known for the
made under hypnosis, matched up pretty closely race couple living in New Hampshire in the trained bears at Clark’s, the train at the Hobo
with Barney’s. early 1960s want to draw attention to Railroad and the extraterrestrials who some
In memories and then under hypnosis, themselves in this manner? believe appeared in a local field, years before I-
the Hills revealed that a group of aliens had Some believed the Hills. Lots more did 93 was built.
blocked their car on Route 3 and escorted them not. The story about those apple trees is
aboard. Betty remembered fighting, throwing a “People have an agenda to dismiss this fictitious.
punch or a kick, which might explain why her sort of thing despite the evidence,” Marden told The rest?
dress was torn. She said they tried to probe her me. “They don’t believe in anything. The only “All I can say is something happened,”
naval, but it hurt so they stopped. thing they will believe is dead bodies and a Noel said. “What better explanation can you
Barney described beings wearing shiny crashed saucer they can analyze.” come up with?” []
black uniforms with spindly legs, a bulky torso That, of course, would help, and by now,
and cat-like eyes. if you’ve made it this far, perhaps you’re rolling
The Hills tried to keep their experience your eyes, or just plain laughing.
quiet, but a Boston journalist got a tip in 1965 Betty didn’t help her cause in later years,
and ran with the story, even though the Hills claiming she’d seen lots of UFOs flying in
declined his requests for an interview. groups. Marden felt foolish, telling me she grew
That initiated a media storm. angry with her aunt. Only later did Marden
“They fled and went to my forgive her, after learning Betty had a brain
grandparents’ house across the street from me in tumor, which probably caused her bizarre
Kingston,” Marden told me. “They knew where behavior.
Betty and Barney lived, and we had a family “I had gone with her and sky watchers
meeting on what to do next. There was a lot of and I could see helicopters and she was insisting
media, the phone ringing off the hook.” they were moving in unconventional ways,”
Marden said. “I was disgusted that she was
A matter of credibility destroying her credibility. It started out with
serious investigations and teams of scientists
and she went out on her own with crackpot
The headline, “Aboard a Flying Saucer,” teased
ideas.” From Mission: Evolution with Gwilda
the Hill story, above a picture of Liz Taylor in a
By then, however, the story was Wiyaka to Connecting with Coincidence with
1966 edition of Look magazine.
established. Or at least it made you think. Dr. Bernie Beitman, MD to Know the Name,
Then a movie based on the Hill’s
Know the Genius in You with Sharon Lynn
account called The UFO Incident came out in
An opportunity lands Wyeth to Two Good To Be True with Justina
1975 and starred James Earl Jones as Barney
and Peter Marsh to Paranormal StakeOut
and academy-award winning actress Estelle
Parsons as Betty. The owners of the Notch Express convenience with Larry Lawson to A Different Perspective
Are you getting the idea? store across from the field in Lincoln take it with Kevin Randle to Kal’s Korner with Kal
People wanted to believe it. Lots more quite seriously. It’s certainly good for business. Korff to Heart Two Heart with Dan and
Angela Clark to The ‘X’ Zone Radio/TV
poked fun at the Hills, calling them nuts or
publicity seekers. Falguni Patel bought the store four years ago Show with Rob McConnell and More.…
Maybe. But these were educated people, and moved the old UFO newspaper clippings Listen XZBN 24 Hours A Day at...
a biracial couple far ahead of their time. She from the unisex bathroom to the main area. She
was a college graduate and a social worker, he a sells little flying saucer keychains and green www.XZBN.net
alien dolls with big eyes. There’s a mural