By Don Arterburn
On Saturday, September 21, 1996 during a weekend Skywatch Campout to Joshua Tree National Monument [in the desert of southern California], I and a group of seven researchers, investigators, experiencers and abductees using C-SETI protocols witnessed a low level fly-by and stop of an unidentified disk-shaped glowing craft at very close range. The event occurred at 6:30pm, while skies were still light, at the southeastern-most section of Joshua Tree on the Mojave desert.
The craft approached silently from the east at approximately 50-60mph, 75 yards above ground and 100 yards to the northeast, appearing over a low rise adjacent to our location. I was up the hill from our group site, closest to the craft, and attempted to intersect its westerly line by heading north.
As I approached this point, the craft stopped directly in front of me, approximately 50 yards above and 30 yards out. I too stopped at this point and took in the sight (probably open-mouthed).
The craft was 60-70 feet wide, and 20-25 feet thick, appearing cigar shaped from the edge and as a thick disk from below. It was gun metal grey, metallic, with a brilliant blue-green glow emanating around its rounded outer edge. There were no wings, windows, doors, antenna, or any other appendages at all on this craft.
Most remarkably, the craft made no sound at all. It was completely silent during the entire event, which lasted about 4 minutes.
The craft exited the area heading directly north, beginning at a slow rate of speed and increasing speed with distance. Using high-powered surveillance binoculars, I observed it crossing the valley floor to the next range where it dropped, in three vertical-cascading crescent motions, pausing momentarilly at the base of each "C" shaped maneuver, and disappearing from view.
Our group was taken by surprise during a break to prepare dinner. So far as I know, no photographs were taken. I had left my video camera and 35mm camera at the campsite and hiked up the hill towards my vehicle just prior to observing the craft. Mr. T. Stemple and I were the only members of the group to witness the event from begining to end, therefore our observations differ slightly from those of the other members in distance and duration. We were able to intersect the flight path and observe the craft at a very close range, as it stopped and hovered above my location.
I was licensed by the California Bureau of Investigative Service as a Private Investigator in June of 1988 and have owned my own investigative company since that time. I will be 43 years of age on November 7 and hold a degree in Social Science. In the last few years I have turned my investigative energy towards the UFO "phenomenon," with particular interest in our government's role concerning underground bases, retrievals, and covert surveillance [of] interaction between humans and non-human entities.
I have seen anomalous lights in the sky and have investigated everything from homicide to abductions. However, I must say as a trained observer and experienced investigator, this flying craft was nothing I or the others could come close to identifying. It was real, physical, and right smack in front of me, and it was amazing.
------------------------------
Michael Lindemann
Editor, CNI News
Dear Michael,
Yes, you have my permission to print to print my account of the Sept. 21 sighting at Joshua Tree, along with any other information you feel is pertinent.
As to your questions, there were six other individuals present at the time of the incident. Our group, (led by Barbara Lamb and C-SETI trainer Sandra Marsh,) was taken by surprise during a break to prepare dinner. So far as I know, no photographs were taken. I had left my video cam and 35 mil. at the campsite and hiked up the hill towards my vehicle just prior to observing the craft. Mr. T. Stemple and I were the only members of the group to witness the event from begining to end, therfore our observations differ slightly from those of the other members in distance and duration. We were able to intersect the flight path and observe the craft at a very close range, as it stopped and hovered above my location.
I related your interest in this event to the group at our meeting Sun. 27th.
at Barbara Lamb's home in Claremont. I believe you know Barbara. She will fax her info to you, as might Mr.,Mrs. Terry Stemple (e-mail 'LadyMeade' @aol.com).
As to my background, I began in 1976 as a field operative/surveillance spec. with a covert specialties agency. I was licensed by the CA Bureau of Investigative Service as a Private Investigator in June of 1988 and have owned my own investigative company since that time. I will be 43 years of age November 7th and hold a degree in Social Science. My home is in the foothills below Cucamonga Peak in Alta Loma, CA.
In the last few years I have turned my investigative energy towards the UFO "phenomenon" , with particular interest in our government's role concerning underground bases, retrievals, and covert surveillance teams used to monitor and observe abduction / interaction between humans and non-human entities.
Please feel free to contact me should you ever have the need.
Sincerely,
Don Arterburn
Sam Spade5 @ aol.com
(909) 481-8692
Original file name: .CNI - Arterburn Disc Siting
This file was converted with TextToHTML - (c) Logic n.v.