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An ancient forest hides a mystery that's out of this world.

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He watches the bullet leave the gun in slow motion.

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A sculpture of a little-known hero with a suspicious past.

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There was no record of him for a very good reason.

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And a subterranean world that inspired a top-secret weapon.

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It was a crazy scheme to bring down one of America's enemies.

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Sometimes the greatest secrets lie in plain sight.

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These are monumental mysteries.

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Perch on the shores of Spirit Lake is the small town of Monaga, Minnesota.

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Along with its natural beauty, the so-called Gateway to the Pines

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boasts one of the country's most curious monuments.

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Standing 14 feet tall and made of fiberglass,

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this bearded figure looks to have returned from an unusual hunting expedition.

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He's carrying a pitchfork and impaled on the pitchfork is a giant grasshopper.

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According to historian Brian Horrigan,

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this peculiar monument has a strangely controversial history.

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Seeing a big statue like this makes you wonder, who is this guy?

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And why is he in Monaga?

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Every year on March 16, residents of Monaga celebrate a major holiday.

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Dressed in colorful costume, they parade past this colossal statue

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that acts as the centerpiece of the day's festivities.

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Crowds of excited parade goers and party goers running around, wearing purple and green.

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It's a big wacky festival.

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Though it falls just before St. Patrick's Day and shares many similarities,

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this event salutes a very different figure.

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This festival is in honor of the lesser known patron saint of Finland, St. Erhol.

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And like the celebrated Irish apostle, Erhol has his own tale of heroic deeds.

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The story goes that Erhol was given a parish in a rural area.

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According to legend, one harvest season many centuries ago,

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Finnish farmers discovered that a plague of grasshoppers had infested their vineyards.

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Fearing the insects would destroy their entire crop,

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they sought the help of their new priest, Father Erhol.

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Erhol studied the grapes, paused for a thought,

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and then gave the troublesome pests an almighty command.

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He said in his booming voice, grasshoppers, grasshoppers, go away.

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And with that, the insects were driven away,

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and Erhol had saved the vital crops.

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And according to this story, he was canonized as the patron saint of Finland for his great deed.

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And when Finnish immigrants settled in Minaga in the 19th century,

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the fable says they brought the story with them.

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Yet strangely, while Minnesotans celebrate St. Erhol every year,

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in Finland, most people would say they've never heard of it.

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In fact, Finns claim the guardian recognized in their country is actually a 12th century English missionary.

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There is a patron saint of Finland, St. Henry,

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but there seems to be no mention whatsoever about St. Erhol.

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And that's not the only part of this story that doesn't quite add up.

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Finland has very little wine making.

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It's a cold climate, and they don't really grow grapes in Finland.

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Even more bizarre, the first documented record of the venerated figure only appears in 1956.

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That year in March, a Minnesota newspaper published an article about a party held in honor of St. Erhol

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at a local department store.

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The article states that an Irish-American employee was teasing her Finnish-American manager, Richard Mattson,

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that Finland lacks a proper patron saint like Ireland's St. Patrick.

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Mattson said, well, you're wrong.

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Finland does have a patron saint, and his name is St. Erhol.

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Mattson then delivered an enthralling account of how the legendary figure had banished swarms of ravaging pests

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from the Finnish vineyards.

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Mattson told a great story, and people embraced this hero.

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And when Mattson concluded his charming tale, the store employees held a celebration in honor of this revered Finnish apostle,

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also marking it as the first known account of St. Erhol.

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Before this point, there was no record of St. Erhol for a very good reason.

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Richard Mattson made it up out of Finland.

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It's believed that Mattson chose the name Erho because it means brave in Finnish.

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It just sounded strong, and it just had a great ring to it.

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Following the party, the story spread among the locals, and eventually became a favorite in the state.

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It got repeated over time as stories do, and grew and grew.

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I think St. Erhol is one of the most wonderful legends that Minnesota has.

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It's really very much a part of Minnesota culture.

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People also love the excuse to have a great party.

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And today, this eccentric statue of St. Erhol in Minaga, Minnesota,

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endures as a tribute to a fictional folk hero,

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whose whimsical story is so delightful that few people mind that it isn't even true.

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Crawling across five counties of southeastern Wyoming and spanning over a million acres,

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lies one of the most enchanting natural treasures in the United States.

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It's old growth forests, beautiful epic mountains, crystal blue lakes and rivers.

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Named for the Native American healing rituals once held on these grounds,

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this is Medicine Bow National Forest.

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But according to author, Charis Molina Brown,

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this alluring wilderness was also the site of a close encounter that defies explanation.

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One man's unique experience here provided mysteries that science still can't explain.

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So what other worldly events are said to have transpired within this ancient woodland?

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October 25th, 1974, Medicine Bow National Forest.

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A search and rescue team is combing the back woods for veteran hunter Carl Higdon,

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reported missing by his wife.

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After an exhaustive search, they finally locate the woodsmen, bruised and disoriented.

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He doesn't know his own name.

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He has no idea what day it is, where he is.

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He's completely discombobulated and confused.

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The rescue team takes Higdon to a local hospital, where he begins to regain his memory.

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1974, when he was caught.

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But what he tells the doctors is bizarre.

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I was in the woods.

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Higdon claims that two days earlier, he was hunting in the forest when he spotted a herd of elk.

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But when he took aim and fired his gun, something extraordinary happened.

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He tells the doctor that he watches the bullet leave the gun in slow motion,

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like pushing through a wall of invisible jello.

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And then after going about 50 feet, the bullet just hits the ground.

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And then he says he picks up the bullet and it's crumbled in a very strange way

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considering it fell out of thin air.

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But Higdon says this is far from the strangest part of his experience.

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As he inspected the bullet, out of the forest, stepped what appeared to be a six foot tall man.

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Carl says at this point his blood runs cold because he realizes it's not any type of man that he's ever seen before.

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He has very small eyes, a lipless mouth, very coarse hair that looked like a man.

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Very coarse hair that looked like straw.

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And emerging from the ends of these black sleeves is just a long, thin drill bit like a pendant.

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Higdon is convinced that the creature was not from planet Earth.

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He says he tried to run, but before he could get away, it forced him inside a transparent cube-like vehicle

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and instantly transported him to a distant planet.

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They get out of the cube and there's a large structure that looks almost like the space needle.

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And the alien tells Carl he's on another planet.

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Higdon then tells the now incredulous doctor that the alien used some kind of scanning device

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to give him a full physical exam before delivering some surprising news.

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Carl says the alien tells him that he does not fit the standards that they're looking for.

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And he's instantly transported back to the forest.

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I'm not a simple.

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And though Higdon was missing for several hours, it seemed to him that the bizarre ordeal ended only minutes after it began.

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But while Higdon is convinced he's the victim of an intergalactic kidnapping, doctors suspect something else altogether.

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That the hunter is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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But when they run a barrage of tests, the results are unlike anything they could have expected.

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It's 1974 in southern Wyoming.

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After going missing in Medicine Bone National Forest, veteran hunter Carl Higdon claims that he was abducted by aliens.

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Suspecting that he's either delusional or on drugs, doctors at a local hospital order a barrage of tests.

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But the results are not what they expected.

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There are no drugs in his system. There's no alcohol. There's no sign of any type of physiological stress.

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But not all the tests come back normal.

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Carl had been exposed to tuberculosis several years before, which left him with really bad scar tissue in his lungs.

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He was not only a person who had been exposed to tuberculosis, but also a person who had been exposed to tuberculosis for several years.

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He was also exposed to tuberculosis for several years before, which left him with really bad scar tissue in his lungs.

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However, the X-rays of Higdon's chest reportedly show something astounding.

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His lungs are completely clean with no scar tissue at all.

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Doctors have no idea how this could have possibly happened.

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According to modern medical science, there is almost no way that this scar tissue could have vanished like that.

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It's proof that his lungs were cured through unearthly means.

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And that's not the only evidence that supports Higdon's story.

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For the several hours that the rescue team is looking for Carl, they as well as residents of the nearby town were noticing unusual lights in the sky.

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And an inspection of the bullet suggests that it smashed into a solid surface with immense force.

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The bullet was inspected by a metallurgist consultant.

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The sheriff said that it looked like someone superhuman had turned it inside out.

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He said that it had to have hit something harder than a rock or a tree.

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Some ufologists believe the bullet smashed into a mysterious force field.

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So what is the truth behind Higdon's incredible tale?

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While skeptics claim that Higdon was delusional or fabricated his bizarre story,

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ufologists claim the evidence proves this is an authentic case of alien abduction.

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No one knows exactly what happened, but to this day in Medicine Bowl National Force,

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people often report strange lights in the sky, report seeing starships.

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And as visitors come to admire the beauty of this scenic oasis,

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they are also reminded that we may not be alone in the universe.

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Flint, Michigan.

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Once a preeminent producer of carriages and a major auto manufacturing hub,

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the vehicle city is filled with historical markers commemorating its industrious past.

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But in front of the county courthouse, there is a plaque from a different era

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that is as unusual as the story it tells.

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It's unique in that it has two sides just as the person that it honors had two sides.

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According to local museum director Emily Fiegel,

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this marker is a tribute to a valiant soldier whose true identity astounded the nation.

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The person honored in this plaque was both brave and daring,

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but they've had a surprising secret. Everyone was completely shocked.

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So what stunning tale of bravery and deception does this double-sided marker reveal?

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It's the spring of 1861.

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Hostilities erupt between the north and south, marking the start of the Civil War.

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And as the Union calls for volunteers,

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officers in Flint, Michigan recruit an eager young man by the name of Franklin Thompson.

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Franklin was roused like everybody else was by the patriotism of defending the Union

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and enlisted right away.

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Signing up alongside Thompson is fellow Flint resident Damon Stewart.

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The pair are deployed to Washington, where Thompson is assigned as an army nurse

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and Stewart a combat soldier.

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Damon and Franklin became good friends and were well liked among the troops.

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Franklin especially was a very positive person and kept their spirits up.

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But on May 5th, 1862, their courage is put to the ultimate test.

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The regiment engages Confederate troops at the Battle of Williamsburg, and the conflict is brutal.

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Hundreds of Union troops lay injured, and while Stewart fights on the front line,

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Thompson carries the wounded from the field to safety.

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Thompson was both brave and daring.

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He just couldn't handle the cruelty of leaving these wounded and dying men behind.

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When Stewart is shot through the thigh, it's his friend Thompson who drags him out of harm's way.

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Stewart is sent back to Flint to recover, but Thompson continues to serve valiantly for the next year.

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He appeared to be a very dedicated soldier, and he really inspired a lot of the men he served with.

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But then, in April 1863, Thompson apparently abandons the cause.

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When the regiment awakes in the morning, Thompson's bed is completely empty.

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He disappeared from the camp without a trace.

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There seems to be no reason for his abrupt departure, or any indication of where the missing fighter has gone.

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How and why would this seemingly devoted, upstanding Union soldier just disappear in the middle of a war?

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It's 1863. The Civil War is raging.

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For over a year, Army nurse Franklin Thompson has faithfully served his fellow Union soldiers,

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until one night when he suddenly disappears.

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So what would cause this dedicated servant to abandon his post?

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It was highly unusual for a soldier so dedicated and well-beloved to just leave. It was a total mystery.

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The Civil War finally comes to an end in the spring of 1865.

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But Franklin Thompson never resurfaces.

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Then, 20 years later, Thompson's old bunk mate, Damon Stewart, is working at a dry good store when he receives an unexpected visitor.

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A well-dressed woman appears in the store and approaches him with an unusual question.

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Do you know someone named Franklin from the war?

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She wanted to know if he knew the address for Franklin Thompson.

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Stewart is surprised by her question. It's been two decades since he last saw his old comrade.

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But then, he is struck by something strangely familiar about this person in front of him.

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Stewart noticed a resemblance between this woman and his friend Frank, and he actually asked her,

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Are you his mother or his sister?

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And the woman replied, No, I'm not.

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With Stewart perplexed, the mystery woman checks the store for customers and then slips him a handwritten note.

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When he opened this slip of paper, he saw that it said, Be quiet, I am Franklin Thompson.

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Stewart was just completely shocked.

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When the two are alone, the woman tells Stewart her real name is actually Sarah Emma Edmonds.

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She then explains that when the war broke out, she felt a duty to serve,

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and so joined up under a secret male persona.

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She assumed the identity of a man, Franklin Thompson.

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Luckily, it was uncommon for the men to undress in front of each other,

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and she worked very hard to hide her female identity.

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Hello, nice to meet you, my lady.

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She practiced the talk, the walk, the gestures.

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Franklin, Franklin, hello.

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But if Sarah was fooling everyone and proudly serving her country, then why did she suddenly disappear?

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Sarah said that she had to leave the camp because she came down with a case of malaria.

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Fearing that treatment would reveal her true identity, the female soldier was forced to seek medical attention elsewhere.

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She was very devoted to her cause, but there was no other option.

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Over the years, Sarah's health took a turn for the worse, and her medical bills piled up.

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So, to pay off her debt, she needs her veteran's pension, still owed to her for a military service,

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but unclaimed because of her secret persona.

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But I fought in the war the same way that you did, and now I need the same benefits that you receive.

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She told Stewart that she needed him to give an affidavit that she was actually Franklin Thompson,

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the soldier that had fought during the war.

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In the following weeks, Stewart and the rest of their old regiment affirm that man or woman

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private Thompson exhibited outstanding character and service during the war.

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And eventually, Sarah is granted a monthly veteran's pension that lasts for the rest of her life.

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Today, this unique double-sided monument in Flint, Michigan reflects the remarkable wartime contributions of Sarah Emma Edmonds.

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One side reflects her female identity as Sarah Emma Edmonds.

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The other side reflects her secret persona of Franklin Thompson.

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Together, the two sides of this marker tell the full story of the bravery and dedication of this courageous, cross-dressing Civil War soldier.

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Situated on Arkansas's western border, Fort Smith was established in 1817 as the region's first U.S. Army garrison.

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And in a tranquil park along the city's riverfront stands a 15-foot-tall figure that harkens back to those pioneering days.

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It is a bronze installation of a gentleman sitting on a horse holding a Winchester rifle with his duck off to his right.

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Judge Jim Spears launched the campaign to build this majestic sculpture as a tribute to one of the American veterans.

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The first to be painted on the frontiers real-life heroes.

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Because of his courage and unbelievable physical prowess, the person depicted here became known as the Invincible Marshal.

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Who was this extraordinary man of law and what crime-fighting fictional character did he later inspire?

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1875, Fort Smith, Arkansas.

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Just beyond this small border town lies an untamed land that is a haven for outlaws.

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The so-called Indian Territory.

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It was an area where there was no law and it was a wild, dangerous, dangerous place.

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The task of imposing order falls to 200 newly appointed federal marshals.

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Among them is a man named Bass Reeves.

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Born a slave, he seized his opportunity to escape during the Civil War.

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Bass Reeves fled into Indian Territory and there he prospered.

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He learned the different ways of the tribes and he knew every rock and every creek in the area.

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These skills lead Reeves to attain an extraordinary position.

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He was one of the very first African-American United States Deputy Marshals.

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And the lawman becomes, proputedly, one of the best marksmen in the land.

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Bass Reeves was a crack shot with a pistol and a rifle.

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He could use either hand. Something not easily done.

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But prejudice is rampant and the talented Marshal is often slighted by those who resent his position of authority.

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Here is a former slave who's wearing a badge and carrying a gun with the authority of the United States government behind him.

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So he had a lot of issues to overcome.

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But Reeves will soon face the ultimate test of his career.

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In 1883, he is handed the arrest warrant for a notorious murderer named Jim Webb.

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Jim Webb was a really dangerous man.

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He was quick to shoot and eager to kill.

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Webb is arguably the deadliest outlaw Bass Reeves has ever faced.

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So to catch him, Reeves devises a cunning plan.

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By posing as a cowboy, he hopes to ambush the suspect on his own ranch.

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He was going to move in, not wearing a badge like he was looking to help on the ranch.

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Reeves rides through dangerous territory before finding Webb and a ranch hand on this farm.

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Both men are armed and wary of their unexpected guest.

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Reeves presented himself as this man looking for a job, looking for a meal.

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And when Webb lowers his guard, the Marshal seizes his chance.

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He grabs Webb around the neck and around the mouth.

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But as Reeves and Webb tangle, Webb's accomplice grabs a pistol.

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He shoots at Bass Reeves at almost point blank range.

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But miraculously misses.

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Then Bass Reeves shoots him dead.

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Despite facing two opponents at close range, Reeves has managed to dodge a hail of bullets.

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Victorious, the deputy throws Webb into jail.

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But the notorious criminal doesn't remain locked up for long.

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While awaiting trial, he's able to post a $17,000 bond to get out of jail.

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And he doesn't bother to come back.

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With Webb on the lam, the Marshal must find a way to catch him all over again.

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So will Reeves ever get his man?

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It's the 1880s in the Indian territory west of Arkansas.

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Bass Reeves, one of the nation's first African American federal marshals,

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is facing the ultimate test of his career, bringing the murderous outlaw Jim Webb to justice.

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So will Reeves ever get his man?

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Upon learning that Webb has been spotted at a general store in the Indian territory,

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the Marshal races to the location.

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And when he finds a suspect, a violent confrontation breaks out.

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Webb sees him coming and starts firing.

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The outlaw reels off four quick shots at the Marshal.

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Bullets were whizzing all around Bass Reeves, but miraculously, he is untouched.

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Leaving him free to take aim and shoot back.

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Reeves returns fire, striking Webb two times.

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At last, Reeves has gotten his man.

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And as the bandit breathes his last breath, he delivers an unexpected show of respect.

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Webb handed Reeves his gun.

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He says, you're a brave man, Bass Reeves.

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With Reeves evading death not once, but twice at the hand of Jim Webb,

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even those who once scorned the former slave are left amazed.

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People have started to refer to Bass Reeves as the Invincible Marshal.

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In 1907, Bass Reeves hangs up his badge, marking the end of a remarkable 32-year career.

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During his time, he rests over three years.

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And despite several close calls, the Invincible Marshal was reportedly never once shot.

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Contemporary experts even believe that this legendary crime fighter

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may have inspired the beloved comic book and television hero, the Lone Ranger.

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Like Reeves, the masked vigilante was an expert marksman

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who often dressed in disguise to try to get him to the top of the world.

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And today, this statue of Bass Reeves in Fort Smith, Arkansas

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stands as a tribute to the indestructible man of law

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and his unrelenting pursuit of justice.

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Nestled amid majestic mountains, in the heart of the Sonoran Desert,

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is the sprawl of the Indian territory.

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The Indian territory is the largest in the world.

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In the heart of the Sonoran Desert is the sprawling metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona.

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And less than 10 miles from the city center lies one of the most intriguing sights in the entire southwest.

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Rising out of the scorched terrain is a strange stone structure

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that looks like it belongs in a fairy tale.

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It's 8,000 square feet.

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There's 18 rooms built out of recycled items that were repurposed.

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Every room is different. Every room has a style and it's kind of like a puzzle.

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This is the Mystery Castle, a truly unique architectural gem.

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But as tour guide Rita Dunham points out, the story behind this hodgepodge construction

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is even more peculiar than its unusual facade.

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The builder left a secret that would change the life of one young woman forever.

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Who is the mastermind behind this eccentric dwelling?

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And what bizarre tale of death, disease and buried treasure led to its creation?

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1929, Seattle, Washington.

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Five-year-old Mary Lou Gully enjoys a happy life with her adoring parents.

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She especially loves building sand castles at the beach with her father, Boyce,

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a sales clerk by day and artist by night.

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Boyce and his daughter like to think in terms of fairy tales.

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Boyce would call her princess and say,

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someday he'd actually build her a real castle that she could live in.

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But Mary Lou's picture-perfect existence is about to be shattered.

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One evening, the young girl and her mother discover that Boyce has suddenly disappeared.

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It was shocked to him. They did not know why he had left.

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The pair scour the region and contact the authorities to check whether Boyce has been injured or even killed.

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They go to the morgue and the hospital and check and see if he possibly was there.

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He was not.

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But several months later, the devastated girl receives a message from her father confirming that he's alive and safe.

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However, he offers no explanation as to why he walked out or where exactly he is.

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16 years later, Mary Lou, now 22 years old, receives a telegram from an attorney explaining that her father has passed away.

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The lawyer also gives her and her mother a note, written just days before Boyce's death.

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He penned them a letter explaining why he had left them. They were amazed.

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What stunning confession does this letter reveal?

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It's 1945, Seattle, Washington.

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It's 16 years since Boyce Gully walked out of the house and never came back, leaving his daughter, Mary Lou, forever wondering why.

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Having learned of his recent death, Mary Lou is about to uncover her father's heartbreaking secret.

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The reason he had left is because he had tuberculosis.

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In the note, Boyce begs for his daughter's forgiveness.

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Then explains that since the lung infection was highly contagious, he made the desperate decision to leave.

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His instinct was to try to protect his family. He did not want his little daughter and his wife to catch the disease.

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Boyce chose Phoenix as his new home because the dry desert air was supposed to ease his tuberculosis.

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And it's there that he spent his remaining years.

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But that's not all.

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The letter contains another stunning revelation.

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He informed Mary Lou and her mother that they had a very unusual inheritance and they physically had to come to Arizona in order to receive it.

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Boyce's attorney informs them that the cryptic bequest can only be claimed at a specific address.

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Mary Lou and her mother travel for days before finally arriving at their destination in the middle of the night.

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All of a sudden they turn to corner and she saw this massive structure on the side of the mountain.

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And as Mary Lou gazes upon the monstrous maze of parapets, towers and balconies, the stunned young woman realizes that her father has kept his promise made years ago at the beach.

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She was amazed that her daddy would actually build a castle for her.

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Returning the next morning, Mary Lou and her mother tour the eclectic 18 room dwelling made of salvaged objects.

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There are items like telegraph pole, railroad track, box car siding, refrigerator dishes and farming equipment.

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Just about anything that somebody might throw away.

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Mary Lou learns from the locals how her father gathered abandoned artifacts for the project and over the years acquired the basic engineering know-how to build the structure.

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But this unlikely tale has a final twist.

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In his writings, Boyce states that within the castle is a hidden chamber that holds one more surprise for the daughter he was forced to abandon.

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Following his instructions, Mary Lou locates a trap door leading to a secret room where she finds two gold nuggets, a thousand dollars in cash and her father's portrait.

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But for the young woman, perhaps the most precious item is a small piece of paper, an old Valentine's Day card she had given him when she was a little girl.

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Mary Lou was very teary-eyed when she saw the Valentine. It showed he loved her.

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The fairy tale home eventually comes to be known as the Mystery Castle.

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And it's here that the proud daughter remains till her death in 2010.

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Today, this labor of love still stands as a moving reminder of a father's quest to make his child's dreams come true.

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Outside the remote mining town of Carlsbad, New Mexico is a magnificent desert panorama featuring jagged cacti and dry limestone legends.

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But beneath this sunscorched terrain lies a wondrous subterranean landscape.

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We have towering stalagmites, jagged stalactites, huge open spaces all underground. It's been called the Eighth Wonder of the Natural World.

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These are the Carlsbad caverns, comprised of some of the largest caves in the world and home to hundreds of thousands of bats.

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And as park ranger Manny Bemis can attest, these nocturnal creatures were once considered the key to a covert military operation.

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The bats would be the main players in one crazy scheme to bring down one of America's enemies.

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What extraordinary secret weapon was conceived in these underground chambers?

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1941, New Mexico.

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Dental surgeon and amateur inventor Dr. Lytle Adams tours the Carlsbad caverns on vacation.

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As with many visitors, he is impressed by the number of bats exiting the caves.

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The bats fly out in a great swarm, almost looks like smoke coming out from the cave.

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But as he heads home, the captivated explorer is unaware that at that very moment, a swarm of a different kind is approaching Pearl Harbor.

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Japanese fighter planes.

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And on December 8th, 1941, the day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares war.

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Upon hearing the news, Dr. Adams ponders how he can help his country.

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There was the fervor here in the United States with people coming up with all kinds of ideas to win this war that we were suddenly thrust into.

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The dentist realizes that almost all of the buildings in Japan are made of wood.

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Dr. Adams was a smart man and he came up with the idea that if there could be fires starting all over Japan, there would be widespread destruction of the infrastructure, but very little loss of life.

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And inspired by the bats' mass exodus from the Carlsbad caverns, Adams conceives of a radical weapon.

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One with a far greater radius of destruction than a conventional bomb.

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He envisioned 200,000 bats, each one carrying a small and sin-period device, and flying off into the cubby holes and the attics and under the bridges, setting thousands of fires simultaneously over several miles.

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By tapping into a high-ranking connection, Dr. Adams manages to get his proposal into the hands of the President, who immediately sends a memo to his generals.

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The note said, this man is not a nut. It seems like a wild idea, but it just might work.

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Dr. Adams and the military soon begin a top-secret project to turn bats into bombs.

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They were able to create a bomb about the size of a lipstick tube with a small timer device so that it would set on fire about 15 minutes after the bat was released.

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After months of work, the scientists and Dr. Adams prepare a dramatic test.

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They place thousands of bats into refrigeration chambers to send them into hibernation.

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Then the team glues the tiny explosives onto the bodies of the sleeping creatures.

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Which of course ensured that the bat was going to be cremated when the bomb went off.

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But we were at war.

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Finally, the bats are transferred to a military base to await a test operation.

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Dr. Adams, of course, was very excited.

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Those on the bat bomb team didn't know.

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Was it going to work or not?

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What will become of Dr. Adams' bat bombs? Can they really help to win the war?

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They have armed thousands of bats with tiny incendiary devices and released them over Japan in the hopes of destroying the country's wooden infrastructure.

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But will these bat bombs actually work?

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The hibernating bats are transferred to the Carl's Bat Auxiliary Airfield in New Mexico to await the crucial test.

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But shortly after arriving, some of the bats wake up sooner than expected.

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It was very difficult to hold these squirming bats.

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The handlers dropped the bats and the bats went flying off into the airfield.

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Then the agitated creatures do exactly what they are meant to do in Japan.

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Seeking shelter, they fly directly into the surrounding structures.

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And within 15 minutes, the bats ignited and the entire airfield burned to the ground.

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Hangars, buildings, everything.

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Despite the accidental incineration of the airfield, the mission is declared a success.

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And soon, in the summer of 1944, preparations are underway to carry out Operation Bat Bomb.

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One million incendiary units were ordered and they made plans to collect one million bats.

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But just months before the deployment of these radical explosives, Dr. Adams receives an unexpected message.

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He suddenly got the news that the entire project had been canceled. Everybody was to go home. It was over.

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It's not until the summer of 1945 that Dr. Adams and his team understand why the project was canned.

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The military had decided to put the resources into a different bomb program, the atomic bomb.

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In August of that year, the United States drops the world's first nuclear weapons on Japan, killing an estimated quarter million people.

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Dr. Adams was always disappointed and he always maintained that the bat bombs would have worked.

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Japan could have been devastated, yet with small loss of life.

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The atomic bombs ended World War II and history will never know if this experimental weapon would have done the same.

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But today, the Coral's Bad Caverns and its multitude of bats stand as a remarkable reminder that ingenuity can be found in the most unexpected places.

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From an alien abduction to a fantastical fortress. A fictitious saint to a cross-dressing combatant.

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I'm Don Wildman and these are Monumental Mysteries.