SUBJECT: E B E's FILE: UFO1022
PART 3
EBEs in South Dakota: On February 9, 1978, a curious document--an
apparent carbon copy of an official U.S. Air Force incident
report-arrived at the office of the National Enquirer in Lantana,
Florida. Accompanying the document was an unsigned letter dated
"29 Jan." It read: "The incident stated in the attached report
actually occurred. The Air Force appointed a special team of
individuals to investigate the incident. I was one of those
individuals. I am still on active duty and so I cannot state my
name at this time. It is not that I do not trust the Enquirer (I
sure [sic] you would treat my name with [sic] confidence but I do
not trust others.) The incident which occurred on 16 Nov. 77, was
classified top secret on 2 Dec 77. At that time I obtained a copy
of the original report. I thought at that time that the Air Force
would probably hush the whole thing up, and they did. The Air
Force ordered the silence on 1 Dec 77, after which, the report
was classified. There were 16 pictures taken at the scene. I do
not have access to the pictures at this time" (Pratt, 1984).
The report, stamped FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY, purported to be from
the commander of the 44th Missile Security Squadron at Ellsworth
AFB near Rapid City, South Dakota. The incident was described as
a "Helping Hand (security violation)/Covered Wagon (security
violation) at Lima 9 (68th SMSq Area), 7 miles SW of Nisland, SD,
at 2100 hours on 16 Nov. 77." The recipient of the report was
identified as "Paul D. Hinzman, SSgt, USAF, Comm/Plotter, Wing
Security Control." Two security men, Airmen 1st Class Kenneth
Jenkins and Wayne E. Raeke, experienced and reported the
incident, which was investigated by Capt. Larry D. Stokes and
TSgt. Robert E. Stewart.
The document told an incredible story. At 10:59 on the evening
of November 16 an alarm sounded from the Lima Nine missile site.
Jenkins and Raeke, at tHe Lima Launch Control Facility 35 miles
away, were dispatched to the scene. On their arrival Raeke set
out to check the rear fence line. There he spotted a helmeted
figure in a glowing green metallic suit. The figure pointed a
weapon at Raeke's rifle and caused it to disintegrate, burning
Raeke's hands and arms in the process. Raeke summoned Jenkins,
who carried his companion back to their Security Alert Team
vehicle. When Jenkins went to the rear fence line, he saw two
similarly-garbed figures. He ordered them to halt, but when they
ignored his command, he opened fire. His bullets struck one in
the shoulder and the other in the helmet. The figures ran over a
hill and were briefly lost to view. Jenkins pursued them and when
he next saw them, they were entering a 20-foot-in-diameter
saucer-shaped object, which shot away over the Horizon.
As Raeke was air-evacuated from the scene, investigators
discovered that the missile's nuclear components had been stolen.
Enquirer reporters suspected a hoax but when they called Rapid
City and Ellsworth to check on the names, they were surprised to
learn that such persons did exist. Moreover, all were on active
duty. The Enquirer launched an investigation, sending several
reporters to Rapid City. Over the course of the next few days
they found that although the individuals were real, the document
inaccurately listed their job titles, the geography of the
alleged incident was wrong (there was no nearby hill over which
intruders could have run), Raeke had suffered no injuries, he and
Jenkins did not even know each other, and no one (including Rapid
City civilian residents and area ranchers) had heard anything
about such an encounter. As one of the reporters, Bob Pratt,
wrote in a subsequent account, "We found more than 20
discrepancies or errors in the report -wrong names, numbers,
occupations, physical layouts and so on. Had the Security Option
alert mentioned in the report taken place, it would have involved
all security personnel at the base and everyone at the base and
in Rapid City (Population 45,000 plus) would have known about
it."
end of part 3
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