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[Music]

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so

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[Music]

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[Applause]

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welcome back to the ufo rabbit hole

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podcast i'm your host kelly chase

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today we begin part four of our series

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on nazis and ufos with what is perhaps

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one of the most mysterious and beloved

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chapters of ufo lore the existence of a

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secret nazi base in antarctica

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it's a matter of established historical

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record that in 1938 nazi germany

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launched an expedition to antarctica

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mere months before the beginning of

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world war ii on december 17 1938 the new

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swabia expedition left hamburg for

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antarctica aboard the ms schwabenland

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the secret expedition had 33 members

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plus schwabenland's crew of 24.

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a month later on january 19 1939 the

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ship arrived at the princess martha

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coast in an area which had been recently

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claimed by norway as queen modland but

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the germans paid little mind to this

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claim nazi german flags were placed

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along the icy coast claiming it as their

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own they named this new territory new

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schwabenland but what were they looking

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for a world away at the ice-covered

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south pole what was so important that

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they would divert those resources to

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make this expedition at the dawn of the

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second world war and what did they find

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in the last episode we explored some of

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the possibilities ranging from the lost

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civilization of atlantis to secret and

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potentially ancient alien bases hidden

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beneath the ice and as outlandish and

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surprising as those theories may be

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there's another possibility that is

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stranger and more tantalizing still

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this theory has captured the imagination

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of many who have explored the icy depths

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of this chapter of the ufo lore perhaps

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more than any other

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not just because of its mystical and

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mystifying nature but because of the

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fact that despite its seeming

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impossibility

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this theory appears to be well supported

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through historical records and events

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and that theory is that what the nazis

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found in antarctica was the entrance to

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a vast and dazzling interior world

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hiding deep underground

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the entrance to hollow earth

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the hollow earth theory is the idea that

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the earth is partially or mostly hollow

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most models of the hollow earth show the

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planet with two large entrances at each

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of the poles with a small star hanging

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suspended in the interior

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the geography of inner earth is said to

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be similar to that of the surface with

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mountains rivers forests and even oceans

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the centripetal force of the spinning

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earth acts like gravity for anything

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that lives on the surface of the inside

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creating a mirrored world beneath our

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feet but this mirrored world isn't just

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a reflection of our world within it

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there are plants animals and entire

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biospheres that would be as exotic to us

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as anything that we'd find on another

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planet and within hollow earth there are

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said to exist entire civilizations of

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beings

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some described as looking very human and

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some that can only be described as

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beings that are somehow more

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they're even sometimes said to be

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cryptids like the sasquatch and even

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alien beings like greys and mantids and

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these beings are far more advanced than

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humans having found a way to exist in

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harmony with nature so where do these

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stories about hollow earth come from it

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appears that stories about secret

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interior realms can be found in ancient

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myths and legends from people around the

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world

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it's an art type that's seemingly been

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with us for as long as we've been

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telling stories according to the ancient

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greeks there were caverns under the

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surface which were entrances leading to

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the underworld ancient celtic legends

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tell of a cave called kruahan also known

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as ireland's gate to hell a mythical and

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ancient cave from which strange and

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eldritch creatures would emerge and be

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seen roaming the surface

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also in ireland there are stories of

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medieval knights and saints who made

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pilgrimages to a place of purgatory the

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entrance to which was located in a cave

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in county donegal and in county down

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north ireland there's a myth which says

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that a subterranean race of people were

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responsible for introducing druidism to

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ireland before disappearing back

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underground

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the taino from cuba believed their

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ancestors emerged in ancient times from

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two caves and a mountain underground and

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natives from the trobrand islands also

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believed that their ancestors had come

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from a subterranean land through a

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cavern hole called obacula mexican

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folklore also tells of a cave in a

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mountain five miles south of ojanaga in

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which lives devilish creatures who come

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from inside the earth

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in native american mythology it is said

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that the ancestors of the mandan people

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in ancient times emerge from a

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subterranean land through a cave at the

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north side of the missouri river

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the elders of the hopi people believe

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that an entrance in the grand canyon

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exists which leads to the underworld

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there's also a tale about a tunnel in

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the san carlos apache indian reservation

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in arizona near cedar creek which is

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said to lead inside the earth to a land

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inhabited by a mysterious underground

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tribe

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the iroquois that their ancient

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ancestors emerged from a subterranean

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world inside the earth brazilian natives

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who live alongside the purima river in

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brazil claim that their forefathers

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emerged in ancient times from an

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underground land and that many of their

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ancestors still remained inside the

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earth ancestors of the inca supposedly

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came from caves which are located east

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of cuzco peru

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i could go on

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clearly although the idea of hollow

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earth may seem bizarre and exotic to

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many of us now this is a myth that is as

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old as human history but could it

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actually be true

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as many of you already know i am an

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unabashed and unapologetic hollow earth

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enthusiast i love hollow earth so much

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in the grand pantheon of conspiracy

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theories and high strangeness it

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resonates with me on a level that almost

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nothing else does

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i've often made the argument that hollow

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earth is the spiritual opposite of flat

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earth flat earth is a deception that

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implies that our world is both less than

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it appears to be and more sinister the

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antarctic ice rather than being a place

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of wonder and long buried secrets is a

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vast wall of ice stacked miles high

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hamming us in from the outside

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flat earth is a prison manned by unseen

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wardens its purpose unknown but

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undeniably malevolent

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hollow earth on the other hand implies a

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world that is more than it seems one

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with a deeper and richer history and

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incredible secrets yet to be discovered

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the inhabitants of the earth's interior

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are highly advanced and largely

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benevolent beings who at times shepherd

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and protect humanity

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their very existence points to a

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possible future for humanity where we

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live in peace and with technology that

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brings us into harmony with our planet

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instead of engaging in ever escalating

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violence against it

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however the mere fact that an idea is

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pleasing doesn't make it true

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without evidence hollow earth is just an

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enchanting story nothing more

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so what evidence is there that hollow

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earth might be real

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believe me i've gone deep down the

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rabbit hole on this one to find the best

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evidence out there and here's what i

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found for me some of the most compelling

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evidence is the myths legends and

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esoteric histories that we find

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literally around the world

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don't get me wrong i don't think that we

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should be treating all of these stories

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as though they are literally true

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however i think that we are equally in

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error when we discount these stories

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entirely as mere fairy tales

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when we look at our ancestors through a

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modern lens it can be hard to truly

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understand the role that storytelling

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played in their culture whether we look

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at the works of socrates and plato or

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the traditions of the first nations of

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north america we see the same respect

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and veneration for these oral traditions

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both stories and storytellers had

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distinct lineages you didn't just tell a

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story you first disclosed the provenance

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of the story

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this was told to me by my great great

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grandfather who told it to my

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told it to me

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a very common argument for writing off

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these myths is to describe them as being

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told around the campfire with each

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subsequent teller of the story adding

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his or her own embellishments and

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details in an intergenerational game of

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telephone

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this sort of paradigm by its very nature

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would ensure that the stories being

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passed down couldn't possibly point to

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anything true

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but when we look at cultures around the

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world who have rich oral traditions that

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they can trace back thousands of years

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we see that this simply isn't the case

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being entrusted with myths and histories

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of your people is an honor within these

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cultures and the stories that are told

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aren't just told casually around the

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campfire with each person giving their

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own spin

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they are told in very specific ways and

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at very specific times by very specific

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people who have been through training

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and often gone through some sort of

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initiatory experience to prove that

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they're able to faithfully retell the

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sacred stories of their people

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so i don't think it makes sense for us

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to assume that the stories that were

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important to ancient people were all

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just a bunch of superstitious nonsense

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that was never meant to be taken

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seriously

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stories were the technology that ancient

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people use to transmit important

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information down through the ages and so

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while we should caution ourselves

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against taking them all as literally

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true

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we should be looking at them seriously

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to try to decipher what truths our

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ancestors were trying to preserve and

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why

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and if in the case of hollow earth we

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find stories all around the world in

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cultures separated by vast distances

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both of space and time about advanced

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beings who come from a world underground

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we might want to take another look at

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what these stories were intended to tell

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us

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and there's one other place where there

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seems to be some evidence to support the

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idea of hollow earth surprisingly some

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of the best of this evidence can be

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00:10:34,949 --> 00:10:33,279
found in the reality of the ufo

280
00:10:37,030 --> 00:10:34,959
phenomenon itself

281
00:10:38,870 --> 00:10:37,040
as you'll recall from episode 11 and our

282
00:10:41,829 --> 00:10:38,880
discussion about the emergence of modern

283
00:10:43,829 --> 00:10:41,839
ufo lore when ufos first arrived on the

284
00:10:45,910 --> 00:10:43,839
scene of the public consciousness there

285
00:10:48,389 --> 00:10:45,920
was considerable debate about what they

286
00:10:50,630 --> 00:10:48,399
might be and most importantly where they

287
00:10:53,350 --> 00:10:50,640
might be from over the last several

288
00:10:55,829 --> 00:10:53,360
decades the popular conception of ufos

289
00:10:58,150 --> 00:10:55,839
has coalesced around the idea of highly

290
00:11:00,470 --> 00:10:58,160
advanced visitors from another planet

291
00:11:02,550 --> 00:11:00,480
but that hasn't always been the case

292
00:11:04,230 --> 00:11:02,560
in the early days of the flying saucer

293
00:11:05,829 --> 00:11:04,240
craze that gripped the world in the

294
00:11:06,870 --> 00:11:05,839
years following kenneth arnold's

295
00:11:09,509 --> 00:11:06,880
sightings

296
00:11:11,910 --> 00:11:09,519
it wasn't necessarily assumed that ufos

297
00:11:13,190 --> 00:11:11,920
were extraterrestrial in origin

298
00:11:15,990 --> 00:11:13,200
that was an interpretation that

299
00:11:17,990 --> 00:11:16,000
developed and solidified over time

300
00:11:20,310 --> 00:11:18,000
and as you'll also recall although the

301
00:11:22,949 --> 00:11:20,320
modern ufo phenomenon is considered by

302
00:11:24,630 --> 00:11:22,959
many to have begun in the summer of 1947

303
00:11:26,710 --> 00:11:24,640
with arnold siting

304
00:11:28,710 --> 00:11:26,720
the roswell incident and the flap of

305
00:11:30,069 --> 00:11:28,720
sightings across the nation and beyond

306
00:11:32,069 --> 00:11:30,079
that followed

307
00:11:34,150 --> 00:11:32,079
there is a strong argument to be made

308
00:11:36,710 --> 00:11:34,160
that the phenomena that we now associate

309
00:11:39,350 --> 00:11:36,720
with ufos are nothing new

310
00:11:42,470 --> 00:11:39,360
in fact this is an ancient and perhaps

311
00:11:44,230 --> 00:11:42,480
integral aspect of the human experience

312
00:11:46,949 --> 00:11:44,240
although we have culturally come to

313
00:11:48,870 --> 00:11:46,959
associate ufos with extraterrestrials

314
00:11:50,790 --> 00:11:48,880
there's actually considerable reason to

315
00:11:53,110 --> 00:11:50,800
believe that some if not all of the

316
00:11:55,829 --> 00:11:53,120
intelligences behind the phenomenon

317
00:11:57,430 --> 00:11:55,839
might not be from out there at all but

318
00:11:59,590 --> 00:11:57,440
from right here

319
00:12:01,269 --> 00:11:59,600
after all considering that humans appear

320
00:12:03,829 --> 00:12:01,279
to have interacted with the phenomenon

321
00:12:06,230 --> 00:12:03,839
throughout our history we have to assume

322
00:12:08,949 --> 00:12:06,240
that the others whoever they are have

323
00:12:10,870 --> 00:12:08,959
been here at least as long as we have

324
00:12:13,509 --> 00:12:10,880
themed ufologist and former head of

325
00:12:17,430 --> 00:12:13,519
project blue book j allen heineck said

326
00:12:19,590 --> 00:12:17,440
in the august 1976 issue of ufo report

327
00:12:22,150 --> 00:12:19,600
in recent years i have come to support

328
00:12:24,389 --> 00:12:22,160
less and less that ufos are spacecraft

329
00:12:26,870 --> 00:12:24,399
from other worlds there are just too

330
00:12:28,790 --> 00:12:26,880
many things going against the theory i

331
00:12:31,750 --> 00:12:28,800
think we must begin to re-examine the

332
00:12:32,949 --> 00:12:31,760
evidence we must begin to look closer to

333
00:12:35,670 --> 00:12:32,959
home

334
00:12:38,310 --> 00:12:35,680
so if at least some of the ufos being

335
00:12:40,310 --> 00:12:38,320
reported are coming from our planet

336
00:12:41,910 --> 00:12:40,320
where are they hiding if there was

337
00:12:44,230 --> 00:12:41,920
another intelligent species on this

338
00:12:46,710 --> 00:12:44,240
planet wouldn't we know it

339
00:12:49,509 --> 00:12:46,720
not necessarily although we often talk

340
00:12:51,350 --> 00:12:49,519
about unidentified flying objects there

341
00:12:52,470 --> 00:12:51,360
are reports around the world of

342
00:12:55,269 --> 00:12:52,480
unidentified

343
00:12:57,350 --> 00:12:55,279
submerged objects or usos

344
00:13:00,069 --> 00:12:57,360
many of which show the ability for trans

345
00:13:01,750 --> 00:13:00,079
medium travel transitioning easily from

346
00:13:03,910 --> 00:13:01,760
the water to the air

347
00:13:06,870 --> 00:13:03,920
so it could be that whoever the others

348
00:13:08,790 --> 00:13:06,880
are that they live here in our oceans

349
00:13:10,870 --> 00:13:08,800
and there's one other possibility that

350
00:13:12,550 --> 00:13:10,880
is mentioned less often but that still

351
00:13:13,670 --> 00:13:12,560
pops up in the lore with relative

352
00:13:16,069 --> 00:13:13,680
frequency

353
00:13:18,550 --> 00:13:16,079
which is that ufos could be coming from

354
00:13:20,629 --> 00:13:18,560
secret bases underground

355
00:13:22,470 --> 00:13:20,639
there are stories throughout the lore of

356
00:13:24,389 --> 00:13:22,480
craft with the ability to extend

357
00:13:26,870 --> 00:13:24,399
transmedium travel to include the

358
00:13:27,670 --> 00:13:26,880
ability to fly through solid surfaces as

359
00:13:29,670 --> 00:13:27,680
well

360
00:13:30,870 --> 00:13:29,680
including directly into the sides of

361
00:13:33,190 --> 00:13:30,880
mountains

362
00:13:34,389 --> 00:13:33,200
so could ufos be coming from hollow

363
00:13:37,030 --> 00:13:34,399
earth

364
00:13:38,470 --> 00:13:37,040
listen i know that the evidence is thin

365
00:13:40,470 --> 00:13:38,480
but i still think that there's enough

366
00:13:42,470 --> 00:13:40,480
there for us to fairly say that we can't

367
00:13:44,230 --> 00:13:42,480
rule it out and for this hollow earth

368
00:13:45,990 --> 00:13:44,240
fan that's more than enough for me to

369
00:13:48,389 --> 00:13:46,000
keep it on the table

370
00:13:50,069 --> 00:13:48,399
but could there be even more substantial

371
00:13:51,190 --> 00:13:50,079
evidence for the existence of hollow

372
00:13:53,509 --> 00:13:51,200
earth

373
00:13:55,430 --> 00:13:53,519
one story stands out in the lore as

374
00:13:57,750 --> 00:13:55,440
potentially having the key to putting

375
00:13:59,030 --> 00:13:57,760
hollow earth back in play in a very

376
00:14:00,870 --> 00:13:59,040
serious way

377
00:14:03,910 --> 00:14:00,880
and it centers around an american

378
00:14:05,910 --> 00:14:03,920
explorer and military hero named admiral

379
00:14:08,150 --> 00:14:05,920
richard e byrd

380
00:14:09,990 --> 00:14:08,160
as we did in episode 12 with the ufo

381
00:14:12,389 --> 00:14:10,000
lore that emerged from nazi germany

382
00:14:14,150 --> 00:14:12,399
during world war ii we're gonna take our

383
00:14:16,470 --> 00:14:14,160
first pass at this story as it's

384
00:14:18,550 --> 00:14:16,480
typically told and all of its elaborate

385
00:14:20,069 --> 00:14:18,560
conspiratorial grandeur

386
00:14:21,509 --> 00:14:20,079
we'll get to the part where we analyze

387
00:14:23,189 --> 00:14:21,519
the actual events and attempt to

388
00:14:24,710 --> 00:14:23,199
determine the extent to which they may

389
00:14:26,790 --> 00:14:24,720
or may not be true

390
00:14:29,189 --> 00:14:26,800
but we're also here to have fun damn it

391
00:14:30,389 --> 00:14:29,199
and there is almost no story in all of

392
00:14:32,470 --> 00:14:30,399
ufo history

393
00:14:35,269 --> 00:14:32,480
that is quite as fantastical and

394
00:14:37,990 --> 00:14:35,279
mesmerizing as that of admiral richard e

395
00:14:39,030 --> 00:14:38,000
bird in operation high jump so let's get

396
00:14:41,590 --> 00:14:39,040
into it

397
00:14:44,550 --> 00:14:41,600
richard evelyn byrd jr was born on

398
00:14:46,870 --> 00:14:44,560
october 25th 1888 into a prominent

399
00:14:48,310 --> 00:14:46,880
virginian family that traced its lineage

400
00:14:50,870 --> 00:14:48,320
back to the earliest days of the

401
00:14:53,829 --> 00:14:50,880
american colonies he was a descendant of

402
00:14:56,230 --> 00:14:53,839
john rolfe and his wife pocahontas yes

403
00:14:58,629 --> 00:14:56,240
that pocahontas as well as several other

404
00:15:00,389 --> 00:14:58,639
colonial governors and early statesmen

405
00:15:02,710 --> 00:15:00,399
after serving as lieutenant for the

406
00:15:05,110 --> 00:15:02,720
naval air force in world war one byrd

407
00:15:07,110 --> 00:15:05,120
turned his eye to exploration a

408
00:15:09,269 --> 00:15:07,120
combination of factors conspired to make

409
00:15:12,069 --> 00:15:09,279
the years after the first world war a

410
00:15:14,150 --> 00:15:12,079
heady and exciting time for explorers

411
00:15:16,230 --> 00:15:14,160
for one the war had brought about

412
00:15:17,430 --> 00:15:16,240
paradigm-breaking advancements in flight

413
00:15:19,509 --> 00:15:17,440
technology

414
00:15:21,910 --> 00:15:19,519
whereas human flight had been only a

415
00:15:23,829 --> 00:15:21,920
dream just a few decades before

416
00:15:25,509 --> 00:15:23,839
suddenly humans were able to move about

417
00:15:27,269 --> 00:15:25,519
the globe in ways that they'd never

418
00:15:28,710 --> 00:15:27,279
before imagined

419
00:15:31,189 --> 00:15:28,720
this didn't just open up new

420
00:15:33,269 --> 00:15:31,199
opportunities for exploration but

421
00:15:36,550 --> 00:15:33,279
brought a new urgency to these endeavors

422
00:15:40,389 --> 00:15:38,310
from the perspective of nations around

423
00:15:43,430 --> 00:15:40,399
the world the new realities of human

424
00:15:45,189 --> 00:15:43,440
flight created new security concerns

425
00:15:46,790 --> 00:15:45,199
how do you secure your borders in a

426
00:15:48,870 --> 00:15:46,800
world where your enemies can take to the

427
00:15:50,629 --> 00:15:48,880
skies the sands were shifting

428
00:15:52,949 --> 00:15:50,639
dramatically under the foundations of

429
00:15:54,710 --> 00:15:52,959
national security and there was a flurry

430
00:15:56,790 --> 00:15:54,720
of activity from nations around the

431
00:15:58,949 --> 00:15:56,800
world and from the superpowers in

432
00:16:01,509 --> 00:15:58,959
particular to adjust to this new

433
00:16:03,509 --> 00:16:01,519
paradigm and for explorers there was

434
00:16:05,910 --> 00:16:03,519
another tantalizing motivation and the

435
00:16:08,870 --> 00:16:05,920
fact that there were seemingly very few

436
00:16:11,110 --> 00:16:08,880
firsts left to claim while the previous

437
00:16:13,189 --> 00:16:11,120
500 years of western history had been

438
00:16:15,509 --> 00:16:13,199
defined by aggressive conquest and

439
00:16:17,189 --> 00:16:15,519
colonialization for the first time in

440
00:16:20,150 --> 00:16:17,199
history we were running out of

441
00:16:22,069 --> 00:16:20,160
quote-unquote new lands to conquer

442
00:16:24,230 --> 00:16:22,079
for young men like bird looking to leave

443
00:16:25,590 --> 00:16:24,240
their mark on history it surely must

444
00:16:26,470 --> 00:16:25,600
have felt like they were running out of

445
00:16:28,790 --> 00:16:26,480
time

446
00:16:30,790 --> 00:16:28,800
you can almost feel this urgency in

447
00:16:33,350 --> 00:16:30,800
bird's personal history

448
00:16:35,189 --> 00:16:33,360
in 1919 he volunteered to be a crew

449
00:16:37,110 --> 00:16:35,199
member in the u.s navy's aerial

450
00:16:38,949 --> 00:16:37,120
transatlantic crossing

451
00:16:40,710 --> 00:16:38,959
this historic mission was to be the

452
00:16:42,629 --> 00:16:40,720
first time the atlantic ocean was

453
00:16:44,710 --> 00:16:42,639
crossed by an aircraft

454
00:16:46,629 --> 00:16:44,720
unfortunately for bird it was decided

455
00:16:48,389 --> 00:16:46,639
that only men who had not served

456
00:16:50,790 --> 00:16:48,399
overseas would be allowed to be on the

457
00:16:53,030 --> 00:16:50,800
mission and his previous tour of duty

458
00:16:55,350 --> 00:16:53,040
and newfoundland ended up disqualifying

459
00:16:57,590 --> 00:16:55,360
him from being on board the flight

460
00:16:59,990 --> 00:16:57,600
he was however able to make a valuable

461
00:17:01,990 --> 00:17:00,000
contribution as his expertise in aerial

462
00:17:04,549 --> 00:17:02,000
navigation resulted in his appointment

463
00:17:06,470 --> 00:17:04,559
to plan the flight path of the mission

464
00:17:08,470 --> 00:17:06,480
of the three flying boats that started

465
00:17:11,270 --> 00:17:08,480
from newfoundland only lieutenant

466
00:17:15,110 --> 00:17:11,280
commander albert reeds nc4 completed the

467
00:17:16,789 --> 00:17:15,120
trip on may 18 1919 achieving the first

468
00:17:20,470 --> 00:17:16,799
transatlantic flight

469
00:17:23,029 --> 00:17:20,480
disappointed but undeterred in 1921 byrd

470
00:17:25,829 --> 00:17:23,039
volunteered to attempt the first solo

471
00:17:28,230 --> 00:17:25,839
non-stop crossing of the atlantic ocean

472
00:17:30,470 --> 00:17:28,240
however byrd's ambition was ultimately

473
00:17:33,270 --> 00:17:30,480
dashed by then acting secretary of the

474
00:17:35,029 --> 00:17:33,280
navy theodore roosevelt jr who felt at

475
00:17:37,430 --> 00:17:35,039
the risks outweighed the potential

476
00:17:39,350 --> 00:17:37,440
rewards and cancelled the flight

477
00:17:41,350 --> 00:17:39,360
byrd was then assigned to the ill-fated

478
00:17:43,669 --> 00:17:41,360
dirigible zr2

479
00:17:45,510 --> 00:17:43,679
yet as fate would have it bird missed

480
00:17:47,350 --> 00:17:45,520
his train to take him to the airship on

481
00:17:49,029 --> 00:17:47,360
the day of the flight although this

482
00:17:51,350 --> 00:17:49,039
compounding disappointment must have

483
00:17:53,590 --> 00:17:51,360
felt like a curse to bird in the moment

484
00:17:56,150 --> 00:17:53,600
it ultimately saved his life

485
00:17:59,270 --> 00:17:56,160
the airship broke apart midair killing

486
00:18:02,710 --> 00:17:59,280
44 of 49 crew members on board

487
00:18:05,669 --> 00:18:02,720
then finally in 1926 after years of near

488
00:18:06,630 --> 00:18:05,679
misses while chasing glory bird finally

489
00:18:09,029 --> 00:18:06,640
caught it

490
00:18:11,110 --> 00:18:09,039
on may 9th of that year bird and navy

491
00:18:12,870 --> 00:18:11,120
chief aviation pilot floyd bennett

492
00:18:15,029 --> 00:18:12,880
became the first to complete a flight

493
00:18:16,870 --> 00:18:15,039
over the north pole when he returned to

494
00:18:19,029 --> 00:18:16,880
the united states from the arctic byrd

495
00:18:20,870 --> 00:18:19,039
was welcomed as a national hero

496
00:18:24,070 --> 00:18:20,880
congress passed a special act on

497
00:18:25,990 --> 00:18:24,080
december 1st 1926 promoting him to the

498
00:18:27,750 --> 00:18:26,000
rank of commander and awarding both

499
00:18:30,230 --> 00:18:27,760
floyd bennett and byrd the medal of

500
00:18:31,750 --> 00:18:30,240
honor for their historic achievement but

501
00:18:35,190 --> 00:18:31,760
byrd wasn't done trying to leave his

502
00:18:37,830 --> 00:18:35,200
stamp on history in may of 1919 new york

503
00:18:41,029 --> 00:18:37,840
hotel owner raymond ortig announced the

504
00:18:43,270 --> 00:18:41,039
ortik prize a 25 000 reward that would

505
00:18:46,150 --> 00:18:43,280
be given to the first allied aviators to

506
00:18:48,630 --> 00:18:46,160
fly non-stop from new york city to paris

507
00:18:50,950 --> 00:18:48,640
in 1927 fresh off the heels of a

508
00:18:52,549 --> 00:18:50,960
successful north pole flight byrd

509
00:18:54,710 --> 00:18:52,559
announced that he had the backing of the

510
00:18:57,350 --> 00:18:54,720
american trans-oceanic company to

511
00:18:59,590 --> 00:18:57,360
attempt the trip once again bird named

512
00:19:02,070 --> 00:18:59,600
floyd bennett as his chief pilot

513
00:19:05,110 --> 00:19:02,080
however during a practice takeoff the

514
00:19:07,430 --> 00:19:05,120
fokker tri-motor plane america crashed

515
00:19:08,870 --> 00:19:07,440
severely injuring bennett and slightly

516
00:19:11,190 --> 00:19:08,880
injuring bird

517
00:19:13,029 --> 00:19:11,200
as the plane was being repaired charles

518
00:19:17,029 --> 00:19:13,039
lindbergh won the prize by completing

519
00:19:20,150 --> 00:19:17,039
his historic flight on may 21st 1927

520
00:19:21,909 --> 00:19:20,160
but like a man possessed byrd continued

521
00:19:23,029 --> 00:19:21,919
with his quest to cross the atlantic

522
00:19:24,789 --> 00:19:23,039
non-stop

523
00:19:26,549 --> 00:19:24,799
he replaced bennett who had not yet

524
00:19:28,789 --> 00:19:26,559
fully recovered from his injuries as

525
00:19:31,350 --> 00:19:28,799
chief pilot and attempted the flight on

526
00:19:33,270 --> 00:19:31,360
june 29th 1927.

527
00:19:35,190 --> 00:19:33,280
the flight made it to france but they

528
00:19:37,110 --> 00:19:35,200
were prevented from landing in paris by

529
00:19:39,350 --> 00:19:37,120
cloud cover and they ultimately

530
00:19:42,150 --> 00:19:39,360
crash-landed without fatalities on the

531
00:19:44,470 --> 00:19:42,160
coast of normandy on july 1st

532
00:19:45,669 --> 00:19:44,480
when looking at this story it's hard not

533
00:19:47,750 --> 00:19:45,679
to wonder

534
00:19:50,070 --> 00:19:47,760
what was driving bird

535
00:19:51,909 --> 00:19:50,080
he risked death and dismemberment again

536
00:19:54,230 --> 00:19:51,919
and again to strive further and

537
00:19:56,150 --> 00:19:54,240
accomplish more than anyone before him

538
00:19:57,909 --> 00:19:56,160
and to leave his name pressed forever in

539
00:20:00,070 --> 00:19:57,919
the pages of history

540
00:20:01,990 --> 00:20:00,080
and we'll see in the next episode this

541
00:20:03,909 --> 00:20:02,000
period of technological development

542
00:20:06,870 --> 00:20:03,919
fueled by the emergence of the aviation

543
00:20:09,350 --> 00:20:06,880
age it's filled with stories like this

544
00:20:10,470 --> 00:20:09,360
of men and women seemingly possessed by

545
00:20:12,789 --> 00:20:10,480
a mission

546
00:20:15,669 --> 00:20:12,799
driven by mysterious forces to the brink

547
00:20:17,750 --> 00:20:15,679
of both greatness and madness

548
00:20:19,669 --> 00:20:17,760
but for now what's important in all of

549
00:20:21,669 --> 00:20:19,679
this is that all of this adventuring

550
00:20:23,510 --> 00:20:21,679
meant that by the time he was 40 bird

551
00:20:25,830 --> 00:20:23,520
was one of the most experienced arctic

552
00:20:28,549 --> 00:20:25,840
explorers in the world and one of the

553
00:20:30,870 --> 00:20:28,559
most decorated members of the us navy

554
00:20:33,029 --> 00:20:30,880
in december of 1929 he was promoted to

555
00:20:34,950 --> 00:20:33,039
the rank of rear admiral making him the

556
00:20:37,350 --> 00:20:34,960
youngest person in the history of the

557
00:20:39,590 --> 00:20:37,360
navy to ever do so we'll get back to

558
00:20:41,510 --> 00:20:39,600
admiral byrd in just a second

559
00:20:44,950 --> 00:20:41,520
after the nazis dropped their flags on

560
00:20:47,270 --> 00:20:44,960
the icy antarctic shore in 1938 rumors

561
00:20:48,549 --> 00:20:47,280
began to swirl about what exactly they

562
00:20:50,149 --> 00:20:48,559
were doing there

563
00:20:52,390 --> 00:20:50,159
speculation emerged that they were

564
00:20:54,630 --> 00:20:52,400
building clandestine bases to be used

565
00:20:56,310 --> 00:20:54,640
for advanced weapons testing flight

566
00:20:57,990 --> 00:20:56,320
experiments and more

567
00:20:59,830 --> 00:20:58,000
there were also rumors suggesting that

568
00:21:01,830 --> 00:20:59,840
the nazi leadership might have had

569
00:21:03,590 --> 00:21:01,840
longer term plans for the southernmost

570
00:21:05,990 --> 00:21:03,600
continent it was said that they had

571
00:21:08,630 --> 00:21:06,000
discovered several ice-free thermal

572
00:21:10,070 --> 00:21:08,640
inland lakes that created massive domes

573
00:21:12,230 --> 00:21:10,080
under the ice

574
00:21:14,630 --> 00:21:12,240
from these lakes warm rivers flowed

575
00:21:16,870 --> 00:21:14,640
through the ice out to the sea providing

576
00:21:19,510 --> 00:21:16,880
secret tunnels for nazi submarines to

577
00:21:21,750 --> 00:21:19,520
access this under ice oasis

578
00:21:23,830 --> 00:21:21,760
it was here that they built a sprawling

579
00:21:26,470 --> 00:21:23,840
top-secret base that would come to be

580
00:21:28,950 --> 00:21:26,480
known as station 211

581
00:21:30,870 --> 00:21:28,960
around this time german newspapers began

582
00:21:32,710 --> 00:21:30,880
to report on a four-year plan to

583
00:21:34,870 --> 00:21:32,720
colonize antarctica

584
00:21:37,029 --> 00:21:34,880
one senior naval commander was quoted as

585
00:21:39,510 --> 00:21:37,039
saying my submarines have found a

586
00:21:41,270 --> 00:21:39,520
paradise on earth the german submarine

587
00:21:43,590 --> 00:21:41,280
fleet is proud of having built for the

588
00:21:46,310 --> 00:21:43,600
fuhrer in another part of the world a

589
00:21:47,990 --> 00:21:46,320
shangri-la on land an impenetrable

590
00:21:50,870 --> 00:21:48,000
fortress end quote

591
00:21:53,190 --> 00:21:50,880
by 1944 as the potential for nazi defeat

592
00:21:55,190 --> 00:21:53,200
in the war loomed a plan was put in

593
00:21:57,590 --> 00:21:55,200
place to save key members of the party

594
00:21:59,830 --> 00:21:57,600
leadership and to establish the fourth

595
00:22:02,230 --> 00:21:59,840
reich in a new location

596
00:22:05,190 --> 00:22:02,240
this effort was codenamed operation

597
00:22:07,590 --> 00:22:05,200
avalon with this plan in place large

598
00:22:09,750 --> 00:22:07,600
sums of money advanced technology

599
00:22:11,830 --> 00:22:09,760
scientists and technicians were

600
00:22:13,990 --> 00:22:11,840
evacuated from the country along with

601
00:22:15,510 --> 00:22:14,000
members of party leadership to a secret

602
00:22:17,590 --> 00:22:15,520
location

603
00:22:19,110 --> 00:22:17,600
could this have been antarctica

604
00:22:21,110 --> 00:22:19,120
could the fourth reich have rebuilt

605
00:22:23,510 --> 00:22:21,120
itself deep under the ice

606
00:22:25,190 --> 00:22:23,520
and could top nazi leadership

607
00:22:27,750 --> 00:22:25,200
many of whom were presumed dead

608
00:22:30,710 --> 00:22:27,760
including adolf hitler himself have

609
00:22:33,190 --> 00:22:30,720
escaped there at the end of the war

610
00:22:35,350 --> 00:22:33,200
it sounds like a crazy proposition and

611
00:22:37,750 --> 00:22:35,360
yet across the atlantic the united

612
00:22:40,230 --> 00:22:37,760
states seem to be taking a very keen

613
00:22:42,710 --> 00:22:40,240
interest in these rumors and in the nazi

614
00:22:44,470 --> 00:22:42,720
activity near the south pole

615
00:22:45,750 --> 00:22:44,480
could there have been something to this

616
00:22:47,669 --> 00:22:45,760
idea

617
00:22:49,750 --> 00:22:47,679
for many the best evidence for the

618
00:22:52,310 --> 00:22:49,760
continued secret nazi presence in

619
00:22:54,549 --> 00:22:52,320
antarctica after the war comes from one

620
00:22:57,750 --> 00:22:54,559
of the most mysterious naval expeditions

621
00:22:58,630 --> 00:22:57,760
in u.s history codenamed operation high

622
00:23:00,710 --> 00:22:58,640
jump

623
00:23:03,270 --> 00:23:00,720
the official purpose of operation high

624
00:23:05,590 --> 00:23:03,280
jump was to conduct scientific research

625
00:23:07,110 --> 00:23:05,600
and military training in antarctica to

626
00:23:09,510 --> 00:23:07,120
determine the feasibility of

627
00:23:11,669 --> 00:23:09,520
establishing a us base there

628
00:23:13,590 --> 00:23:11,679
given his status as both a decorated

629
00:23:15,830 --> 00:23:13,600
hero and as one of the world's most

630
00:23:17,750 --> 00:23:15,840
experienced polar explorers

631
00:23:19,510 --> 00:23:17,760
admiral richard e byrd was chosen to

632
00:23:21,750 --> 00:23:19,520
lead the operation

633
00:23:23,789 --> 00:23:21,760
however the party that eventually

634
00:23:26,630 --> 00:23:23,799
arrived in antarctica in december of

635
00:23:29,350 --> 00:23:26,640
1946 certainly didn't look like your

636
00:23:33,110 --> 00:23:29,360
typical scientific expedition

637
00:23:35,029 --> 00:23:33,120
equipped with nearly 5 000 men aboard 13

638
00:23:37,430 --> 00:23:35,039
ships including a state-of-the-art

639
00:23:39,029 --> 00:23:37,440
aircraft carrier holding planes bombers

640
00:23:41,430 --> 00:23:39,039
and helicopters

641
00:23:43,750 --> 00:23:41,440
operation high jump was by far the

642
00:23:45,190 --> 00:23:43,760
largest military operation since the end

643
00:23:47,270 --> 00:23:45,200
of the war

644
00:23:49,750 --> 00:23:47,280
why would an expedition meant to focus

645
00:23:50,710 --> 00:23:49,760
primarily on geological study of the

646
00:23:52,950 --> 00:23:50,720
region

647
00:23:55,430 --> 00:23:52,960
need that kind of firepower

648
00:23:57,350 --> 00:23:55,440
even more mysterious was the fact that

649
00:23:59,190 --> 00:23:57,360
despite the significant investment of

650
00:24:02,230 --> 00:23:59,200
resources that was put into launching

651
00:24:04,710 --> 00:24:02,240
this operation it was inexplicably cut

652
00:24:07,029 --> 00:24:04,720
short after just a few weeks

653
00:24:08,950 --> 00:24:07,039
operation high jump had left the united

654
00:24:11,750 --> 00:24:08,960
states equipped with enough supplies to

655
00:24:14,149 --> 00:24:11,760
stay in antarctica for eight months but

656
00:24:16,310 --> 00:24:14,159
by february the mission had been aborted

657
00:24:18,390 --> 00:24:16,320
and byrd and his men limped back to

658
00:24:20,710 --> 00:24:18,400
south america to regroup

659
00:24:23,190 --> 00:24:20,720
once they were on dry land rumors spread

660
00:24:25,190 --> 00:24:23,200
like wildfire about what the u.s forces

661
00:24:27,029 --> 00:24:25,200
had encountered in antarctica

662
00:24:29,190 --> 00:24:27,039
with many claiming that they had not

663
00:24:31,269 --> 00:24:29,200
only confirmed the nazi presence on the

664
00:24:33,510 --> 00:24:31,279
continent but that several of their

665
00:24:35,830 --> 00:24:33,520
planes and boats had sustained serious

666
00:24:38,630 --> 00:24:35,840
damage after engaging with nazi secret

667
00:24:40,390 --> 00:24:38,640
technology the flying saucer

668
00:24:43,590 --> 00:24:40,400
but these stories were based on more

669
00:24:46,789 --> 00:24:43,600
than just rumors a newspaper in santiago

670
00:24:48,789 --> 00:24:46,799
chile ran a startling and chilling quote

671
00:24:51,350 --> 00:24:48,799
from admiral byrd himself

672
00:24:53,430 --> 00:24:51,360
saying that in the next war we would

673
00:24:55,750 --> 00:24:53,440
need to be able to defend ourselves from

674
00:24:58,149 --> 00:24:55,760
fighters who would be able to fly from

675
00:25:01,029 --> 00:24:58,159
one pole to the other with incredible

676
00:25:03,590 --> 00:25:01,039
speed however once bird returned to the

677
00:25:05,590 --> 00:25:03,600
united states he was debriefed and

678
00:25:08,549 --> 00:25:05,600
operation high jump was immediately

679
00:25:10,070 --> 00:25:08,559
classified as top secret the government

680
00:25:12,630 --> 00:25:10,080
released a short summary of the

681
00:25:14,470 --> 00:25:12,640
operations achievements which briefly

682
00:25:15,830 --> 00:25:14,480
mentioned an unspecified number of

683
00:25:17,750 --> 00:25:15,840
fatalities

684
00:25:19,909 --> 00:25:17,760
all of which were said to be accidents

685
00:25:22,070 --> 00:25:19,919
though none of them were explained

686
00:25:24,230 --> 00:25:22,080
the bodies the report said had been

687
00:25:26,950 --> 00:25:24,240
buried in antarctica rather than being

688
00:25:29,750 --> 00:25:26,960
brought home for burial on u.s soil

689
00:25:31,909 --> 00:25:29,760
after his debriefing admiral byrd never

690
00:25:34,620 --> 00:25:31,919
spoke of operation high jump publicly

691
00:26:32,310 --> 00:25:34,630
ever again

692
00:26:34,990 --> 00:26:32,320
[Music]

693
00:26:40,549 --> 00:26:35,000
so

694
00:26:44,230 --> 00:26:42,390
now what i've told you would be more

695
00:26:46,470 --> 00:26:44,240
than enough to solidify the story of

696
00:26:48,549 --> 00:26:46,480
admiral byrd and operation high jump as

697
00:26:50,230 --> 00:26:48,559
one of the most thrilling and bizarre in

698
00:26:52,310 --> 00:26:50,240
all of ufo lore

699
00:26:54,710 --> 00:26:52,320
and yet we haven't even gotten to the

700
00:26:56,950 --> 00:26:54,720
most incredible part of this story

701
00:26:59,110 --> 00:26:56,960
during operation high jump there was one

702
00:27:01,750 --> 00:26:59,120
incident where admiral byrd went missing

703
00:27:03,990 --> 00:27:01,760
for three hours during a routine flight

704
00:27:05,830 --> 00:27:04,000
officially this strange disappearance

705
00:27:07,430 --> 00:27:05,840
was blamed on radio failure due to

706
00:27:09,909 --> 00:27:07,440
weather conditions

707
00:27:11,750 --> 00:27:09,919
however after admiral byrd passed away

708
00:27:13,990 --> 00:27:11,760
in 1957

709
00:27:16,230 --> 00:27:14,000
his son came forward with his father's

710
00:27:18,549 --> 00:27:16,240
secret journal that he said his father

711
00:27:20,310 --> 00:27:18,559
had given him on his deathbed

712
00:27:22,390 --> 00:27:20,320
admiral byrd was well known to have

713
00:27:24,950 --> 00:27:22,400
meticulously documented all of his

714
00:27:26,630 --> 00:27:24,960
travels and expeditions in journals

715
00:27:28,870 --> 00:27:26,640
after he was debriefed following his

716
00:27:30,549 --> 00:27:28,880
return from antarctica all of his

717
00:27:33,029 --> 00:27:30,559
journals from operation high jump were

718
00:27:34,710 --> 00:27:33,039
confiscated and classified along with

719
00:27:35,990 --> 00:27:34,720
all other information regarding the

720
00:27:38,390 --> 00:27:36,000
expedition

721
00:27:40,230 --> 00:27:38,400
his son claimed however that this

722
00:27:42,310 --> 00:27:40,240
journal was one that he had managed to

723
00:27:44,390 --> 00:27:42,320
hide from the government and that it was

724
00:27:46,950 --> 00:27:44,400
his last wish that it should be released

725
00:27:48,870 --> 00:27:46,960
after his death and in this journal is

726
00:27:51,190 --> 00:27:48,880
the story of what happened during those

727
00:27:52,870 --> 00:27:51,200
missing three hours

728
00:27:54,630 --> 00:27:52,880
according to bird's journal on the

729
00:27:57,029 --> 00:27:54,640
morning of the flight in question he

730
00:27:58,870 --> 00:27:57,039
rose early fueled up the plane ran it

731
00:27:59,669 --> 00:27:58,880
through all its routine checks and took

732
00:28:02,549 --> 00:27:59,679
off

733
00:28:05,029 --> 00:28:02,559
at 8 15 am he radios back to the base to

734
00:28:06,870 --> 00:28:05,039
check in and reports his altitude to be

735
00:28:09,669 --> 00:28:06,880
2 300 feet

736
00:28:11,510 --> 00:28:09,679
around 9 10 he radios in again to say

737
00:28:13,990 --> 00:28:11,520
that he spotted what looks like some

738
00:28:16,149 --> 00:28:14,000
unusual color patterns in the snow and

739
00:28:18,310 --> 00:28:16,159
that he's going to investigate further

740
00:28:20,310 --> 00:28:18,320
at this point both of his compasses

741
00:28:21,669 --> 00:28:20,320
start spinning and become entirely

742
00:28:24,389 --> 00:28:21,679
inoperable

743
00:28:25,909 --> 00:28:24,399
however bird is a seasoned pilot so he

744
00:28:27,990 --> 00:28:25,919
quickly reorients himself by

745
00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:28,000
establishing visual contact with base

746
00:28:32,149 --> 00:28:30,640
camp and using the sun to navigate

747
00:28:34,230 --> 00:28:32,159
feeling confident that he has his

748
00:28:36,470 --> 00:28:34,240
bearings he notices what looks like a

749
00:28:37,830 --> 00:28:36,480
distant mountain range though no

750
00:28:40,230 --> 00:28:37,840
mountain range had been noticed there

751
00:28:42,230 --> 00:28:40,240
before his controls feel a little bit

752
00:28:43,669 --> 00:28:42,240
sluggish and he's concerned about ice on

753
00:28:45,430 --> 00:28:43,679
the wings but

754
00:28:48,230 --> 00:28:45,440
intrigued by the mysterious mountain

755
00:28:49,830 --> 00:28:48,240
range he keeps flying as he approaches

756
00:28:51,990 --> 00:28:49,840
the mountains he discovers something

757
00:28:54,549 --> 00:28:52,000
that leaves him thunderstruck

758
00:28:56,230 --> 00:28:54,559
a lush green valley with a river running

759
00:28:57,269 --> 00:28:56,240
through it appears between the mountains

760
00:28:59,830 --> 00:28:57,279
below

761
00:29:01,669 --> 00:28:59,840
and before him great forests are growing

762
00:29:03,590 --> 00:29:01,679
on the mountainsides

763
00:29:06,149 --> 00:29:03,600
lowering his altitude to get a closer

764
00:29:08,710 --> 00:29:06,159
look he sees the ground as covered with

765
00:29:10,950 --> 00:29:08,720
a kind of moss or tight grass

766
00:29:13,510 --> 00:29:10,960
the quality of the light changes and he

767
00:29:16,230 --> 00:29:13,520
notices with growing alarm that though

768
00:29:18,070 --> 00:29:16,240
he can still see the ground the sun is

769
00:29:19,510 --> 00:29:18,080
nowhere to be found

770
00:29:21,510 --> 00:29:19,520
given that he was using the sun to

771
00:29:22,470 --> 00:29:21,520
navigate that could quickly become a

772
00:29:24,310 --> 00:29:22,480
problem

773
00:29:26,789 --> 00:29:24,320
but before he can begin to grapple with

774
00:29:28,389 --> 00:29:26,799
that situation he sees something even

775
00:29:31,190 --> 00:29:28,399
more astonishing

776
00:29:33,669 --> 00:29:31,200
on the ground below him a massive beast

777
00:29:35,750 --> 00:29:33,679
lumbers across the green plane

778
00:29:37,830 --> 00:29:35,760
as he gets closer he thinks at first

779
00:29:40,230 --> 00:29:37,840
that it might be an elephant but then

780
00:29:42,549 --> 00:29:40,240
discovers to his utter bewilderment that

781
00:29:45,510 --> 00:29:42,559
it appears to be a mammoth

782
00:29:47,510 --> 00:29:45,520
bird is so enchanted by what he sees

783
00:29:48,789 --> 00:29:47,520
that it takes him nearly 30 minutes to

784
00:29:50,789 --> 00:29:48,799
realize that

785
00:29:52,789 --> 00:29:50,799
it's not cold anymore

786
00:29:54,470 --> 00:29:52,799
the frost on his windows and the ice on

787
00:29:56,630 --> 00:29:54,480
the wings that had been concerning him

788
00:29:58,389 --> 00:29:56,640
earlier in his flight were gone

789
00:30:00,149 --> 00:29:58,399
the windows were warm to the touch and

790
00:30:02,870 --> 00:30:00,159
the external temperature reading was a

791
00:30:05,269 --> 00:30:02,880
balmy 74 degrees fahrenheit

792
00:30:07,750 --> 00:30:05,279
he continues to fly over what looks like

793
00:30:09,990 --> 00:30:07,760
grassy green countryside until he sees

794
00:30:12,310 --> 00:30:10,000
something even more impossible than any

795
00:30:14,630 --> 00:30:12,320
of the wonders that he's seen thus far

796
00:30:16,149 --> 00:30:14,640
in the distance there shines an advanced

797
00:30:17,669 --> 00:30:16,159
looking city

798
00:30:20,149 --> 00:30:17,679
just as he makes this stunning

799
00:30:23,110 --> 00:30:20,159
realization he loses control of the

800
00:30:25,750 --> 00:30:23,120
plane's controls disc shaped craft

801
00:30:28,149 --> 00:30:25,760
surround his plane seemingly escorting

802
00:30:29,990 --> 00:30:28,159
him along a flight trajectory that he is

803
00:30:32,389 --> 00:30:30,000
no longer piloting

804
00:30:35,110 --> 00:30:32,399
the engines of his plane cut out and yet

805
00:30:36,789 --> 00:30:35,120
it continues to fly uninterrupted as

806
00:30:38,630 --> 00:30:36,799
though drawn through the air by an

807
00:30:41,350 --> 00:30:38,640
invisible force

808
00:30:43,909 --> 00:30:41,360
just then he notices a familiar symbol

809
00:30:45,669 --> 00:30:43,919
on the side of the craft escorting him

810
00:30:47,909 --> 00:30:45,679
swastikas

811
00:30:49,350 --> 00:30:47,919
his radio which has been unresponsive

812
00:30:51,350 --> 00:30:49,360
throughout his flight

813
00:30:53,510 --> 00:30:51,360
suddenly crackles to life

814
00:30:55,510 --> 00:30:53,520
a voice speaking english with a thick

815
00:30:58,230 --> 00:30:55,520
german accent says

816
00:31:00,950 --> 00:30:58,240
welcome admiral to our domain we shall

817
00:31:03,430 --> 00:31:00,960
land you in exactly seven minutes relax

818
00:31:05,750 --> 00:31:03,440
admiral you are in good hands

819
00:31:08,310 --> 00:31:05,760
as byrd's plane lands within the city

820
00:31:10,549 --> 00:31:08,320
he's met by several tall blonde men who

821
00:31:12,389 --> 00:31:10,559
escort him to a room where he is to have

822
00:31:14,310 --> 00:31:12,399
an audience with someone that they refer

823
00:31:16,310 --> 00:31:14,320
to as the master

824
00:31:17,190 --> 00:31:16,320
they find him in a room seated at a long

825
00:31:19,510 --> 00:31:17,200
table

826
00:31:21,510 --> 00:31:19,520
once he sits the master tells bird that

827
00:31:24,149 --> 00:31:21,520
the city in which he finds himself is

828
00:31:25,990 --> 00:31:24,159
located inside of the earth and that the

829
00:31:27,350 --> 00:31:26,000
people who live there are called the

830
00:31:28,870 --> 00:31:27,360
ariani

831
00:31:31,110 --> 00:31:28,880
he says that they have been observing

832
00:31:33,430 --> 00:31:31,120
humans for a long time but have remained

833
00:31:35,350 --> 00:31:33,440
hidden the reason that they are choosing

834
00:31:37,830 --> 00:31:35,360
to interfere now is that humans have

835
00:31:39,909 --> 00:31:37,840
begun to develop atomic energy

836
00:31:42,310 --> 00:31:39,919
the master tells bird that humans are

837
00:31:44,789 --> 00:31:42,320
too immature for this kind of technology

838
00:31:46,070 --> 00:31:44,799
and are at risk of destroying themselves

839
00:31:48,149 --> 00:31:46,080
he claims that they have tried

840
00:31:50,310 --> 00:31:48,159
repeatedly to make contact with humans

841
00:31:51,830 --> 00:31:50,320
but that every time they do the humans

842
00:31:54,950 --> 00:31:51,840
respond by trying to shoot down their

843
00:31:56,789 --> 00:31:54,960
craft so admiral byrd has been chosen to

844
00:31:58,549 --> 00:31:56,799
carry their message back to the united

845
00:32:00,549 --> 00:31:58,559
states government

846
00:32:02,630 --> 00:32:00,559
after this conversation bird is taken

847
00:32:03,509 --> 00:32:02,640
back to his plane which takes off on its

848
00:32:05,110 --> 00:32:03,519
own

849
00:32:07,750 --> 00:32:05,120
after he's in the air with the city

850
00:32:09,430 --> 00:32:07,760
disappearing behind him a voice comes on

851
00:32:11,830 --> 00:32:09,440
his radio telling him that control of

852
00:32:15,190 --> 00:32:11,840
the aircraft is now his and he flies

853
00:32:17,350 --> 00:32:15,200
back to base camp according to his son

854
00:32:18,950 --> 00:32:17,360
byrd relayed this entire story to top

855
00:32:21,350 --> 00:32:18,960
brass when he was debriefed in the

856
00:32:23,909 --> 00:32:21,360
united states but that he was told to

857
00:32:26,310 --> 00:32:23,919
remain silent about the operation

858
00:32:27,669 --> 00:32:26,320
he obeyed his orders but ultimately he

859
00:32:29,509 --> 00:32:27,679
didn't want the truth of what he had

860
00:32:31,509 --> 00:32:29,519
found to die with him

861
00:32:33,700 --> 00:32:31,519
he believed that humanity had the right

862
00:32:49,029 --> 00:32:33,710
to know

863
00:32:53,909 --> 00:32:51,669
so there is a lot to unpack with this

864
00:32:56,470 --> 00:32:53,919
story so let's start at the top and work

865
00:32:58,310 --> 00:32:56,480
our way through because unlike so many

866
00:32:59,830 --> 00:32:58,320
stories in the ufo lore that leave us

867
00:33:01,830 --> 00:32:59,840
chasing shadows

868
00:33:04,710 --> 00:33:01,840
in the case of admiral byrd in operation

869
00:33:07,190 --> 00:33:04,720
high jump the recency and scale of these

870
00:33:09,750 --> 00:33:07,200
events leaves us with tantalizing clues

871
00:33:12,710 --> 00:33:09,760
and inroads to a truth that just might

872
00:33:14,230 --> 00:33:12,720
be stranger than any found in fiction

873
00:33:16,470 --> 00:33:14,240
let's begin with the details of

874
00:33:18,630 --> 00:33:16,480
operation high jump itself

875
00:33:21,350 --> 00:33:18,640
was this truly just a scientific

876
00:33:23,190 --> 00:33:21,360
expedition to antarctica or could

877
00:33:24,470 --> 00:33:23,200
admiral byrd have been charged with a

878
00:33:26,870 --> 00:33:24,480
secret mission

879
00:33:28,870 --> 00:33:26,880
to seek out and destroy a secret nazi

880
00:33:31,830 --> 00:33:28,880
base in antarctica

881
00:33:33,269 --> 00:33:31,840
the answer here is complicated but also

882
00:33:34,950 --> 00:33:33,279
surprising

883
00:33:37,350 --> 00:33:34,960
let's start with whether or not such a

884
00:33:39,350 --> 00:33:37,360
base even actually existed

885
00:33:42,870 --> 00:33:39,360
when it comes to the fabled secret nazi

886
00:33:43,990 --> 00:33:42,880
base station 211 the direct evidence is

887
00:33:46,230 --> 00:33:44,000
pretty thin

888
00:33:48,070 --> 00:33:46,240
while the lore is full of references to

889
00:33:50,470 --> 00:33:48,080
the sprawling base under the antarctic

890
00:33:52,630 --> 00:33:50,480
ice i haven't been able to find anything

891
00:33:54,789 --> 00:33:52,640
solid to corroborate that

892
00:33:57,269 --> 00:33:54,799
quotes from top ss officers talking

893
00:34:00,149 --> 00:33:57,279
about this base seem to lead back almost

894
00:34:02,710 --> 00:34:00,159
exclusively to that odd genre of highly

895
00:34:05,110 --> 00:34:02,720
speculative ufo literature that's

896
00:34:07,269 --> 00:34:05,120
steeped in neo-nazi ideology that we

897
00:34:09,270 --> 00:34:07,279
discussed in previous episodes

898
00:34:11,109 --> 00:34:09,280
works within that genre tend to pull

899
00:34:14,069 --> 00:34:11,119
from and build off of each other in a

900
00:34:16,869 --> 00:34:14,079
very symbiotic fashion weaving a modern

901
00:34:18,869 --> 00:34:16,879
mythos around the events of world war ii

902
00:34:21,349 --> 00:34:18,879
but when you go digging for a bedrock of

903
00:34:24,069 --> 00:34:21,359
truth beneath these stories you usually

904
00:34:25,589 --> 00:34:24,079
come up with very little of substance

905
00:34:27,349 --> 00:34:25,599
that said i don't think we can

906
00:34:29,669 --> 00:34:27,359
completely rule out the existence of

907
00:34:31,750 --> 00:34:29,679
this base for several reasons

908
00:34:34,149 --> 00:34:31,760
first of all although the existence of

909
00:34:36,389 --> 00:34:34,159
subglacial lakes was purely a matter of

910
00:34:39,109 --> 00:34:36,399
speculation when operation high jump set

911
00:34:42,069 --> 00:34:39,119
sail for antarctica in 1947

912
00:34:44,310 --> 00:34:42,079
we now know that there are over 400 such

913
00:34:45,909 --> 00:34:44,320
lakes on the continent and the size of

914
00:34:47,430 --> 00:34:45,919
some of these lakes is truly

915
00:34:50,710 --> 00:34:47,440
mind-boggling

916
00:34:54,710 --> 00:34:50,720
the largest lake vostok lies 4 000

917
00:34:58,230 --> 00:34:54,720
meters or 13 100 feet beneath the ice

918
00:35:01,510 --> 00:34:58,240
with an average depth of 432 meters or

919
00:35:03,190 --> 00:35:01,520
about 1400 feet it has an estimated

920
00:35:08,069 --> 00:35:03,200
volume of 5

921
00:35:10,230 --> 00:35:08,079
400 kilometers cubed or 1300 miles cubed

922
00:35:11,910 --> 00:35:10,240
making it the sixth largest lake in the

923
00:35:13,990 --> 00:35:11,920
world by volume

924
00:35:16,470 --> 00:35:14,000
and while we may not have solid proof

925
00:35:18,790 --> 00:35:16,480
that station 11 existed it's not

926
00:35:20,550 --> 00:35:18,800
impossible that nazi u-boats may have

927
00:35:22,790 --> 00:35:20,560
been able to find passage through the

928
00:35:23,589 --> 00:35:22,800
ice via underwater rivers running to the

929
00:35:25,510 --> 00:35:23,599
sea

930
00:35:27,670 --> 00:35:25,520
that would have led them to one of these

931
00:35:30,230 --> 00:35:27,680
massive sub-glacial lakes

932
00:35:32,470 --> 00:35:30,240
and while making such a strange alien

933
00:35:35,030 --> 00:35:32,480
world livable for humans even in the

934
00:35:37,430 --> 00:35:35,040
short term would have been an incredible

935
00:35:39,190 --> 00:35:37,440
and perhaps impossible challenge

936
00:35:41,430 --> 00:35:39,200
if you could figure out how to make it

937
00:35:43,430 --> 00:35:41,440
work it's hard to think of a more secure

938
00:35:45,990 --> 00:35:43,440
location for a base

939
00:35:48,630 --> 00:35:46,000
and when i refer to this under ice world

940
00:35:51,190 --> 00:35:48,640
as alien it's not just a dramatic

941
00:35:53,750 --> 00:35:51,200
metaphor what lies under the antarctic

942
00:35:55,109 --> 00:35:53,760
ice may be as foreign to us as life from

943
00:35:57,510 --> 00:35:55,119
an alien world

944
00:35:59,990 --> 00:35:57,520
take lake vostok for example

945
00:36:01,670 --> 00:36:00,000
not only is this a massive body of water

946
00:36:03,670 --> 00:36:01,680
larger than all of the great lakes

947
00:36:05,750 --> 00:36:03,680
besides lake superior

948
00:36:08,069 --> 00:36:05,760
it has been cut off by the ice from the

949
00:36:11,030 --> 00:36:08,079
outside world for somewhere between 15

950
00:36:13,030 --> 00:36:11,040
million and 25 million years

951
00:36:15,349 --> 00:36:13,040
what does an ecosystem that has taken an

952
00:36:17,990 --> 00:36:15,359
entirely different evolutionary path for

953
00:36:20,870 --> 00:36:18,000
tens of millions of years even look like

954
00:36:23,829 --> 00:36:20,880
the truth is we have no idea

955
00:36:25,990 --> 00:36:23,839
in 2013 russian scientists managed to

956
00:36:28,790 --> 00:36:26,000
drill down through the ice and puncture

957
00:36:30,630 --> 00:36:28,800
the surface of the lake and in 2015 they

958
00:36:32,310 --> 00:36:30,640
were able to successfully collect the

959
00:36:34,550 --> 00:36:32,320
first water sample

960
00:36:37,109 --> 00:36:34,560
the preliminary results showed signs of

961
00:36:39,510 --> 00:36:37,119
bacterial life including some that were

962
00:36:41,829 --> 00:36:39,520
thus far unknown to science

963
00:36:44,069 --> 00:36:41,839
however controversy over possible

964
00:36:45,270 --> 00:36:44,079
contamination has left those results in

965
00:36:47,670 --> 00:36:45,280
question

966
00:36:49,829 --> 00:36:47,680
and for now just the act of drilling

967
00:36:51,910 --> 00:36:49,839
through the ice to get to a water sample

968
00:36:54,550 --> 00:36:51,920
requires such a massive outpouring of

969
00:36:56,310 --> 00:36:54,560
resources but it's unclear when we might

970
00:36:58,870 --> 00:36:56,320
get more answers about what strange

971
00:37:00,790 --> 00:36:58,880
creatures may live in these icy depths

972
00:37:02,950 --> 00:37:00,800
and as you might imagine there's also

973
00:37:04,950 --> 00:37:02,960
many ethical concerns that go along with

974
00:37:07,670 --> 00:37:04,960
potentially upsetting the unique and

975
00:37:10,150 --> 00:37:07,680
delicate biosphere that may exist there

976
00:37:12,390 --> 00:37:10,160
so it's not inconceivable that we could

977
00:37:15,510 --> 00:37:12,400
land a human on mars while the secrets

978
00:37:17,670 --> 00:37:15,520
of lake vostok remain a mystery to us

979
00:37:19,589 --> 00:37:17,680
so that's why it's hard for me to rule

980
00:37:21,910 --> 00:37:19,599
anything out here including the

981
00:37:24,470 --> 00:37:21,920
existence of station 11 and why i think

982
00:37:26,790 --> 00:37:24,480
we need to keep an open mind because the

983
00:37:28,310 --> 00:37:26,800
reality is that anyone who tells you

984
00:37:30,390 --> 00:37:28,320
that they know beyond a shadow of a

985
00:37:32,230 --> 00:37:30,400
doubt what does or does not exist under

986
00:37:33,750 --> 00:37:32,240
miles of ice on a land mass that is

987
00:37:34,710 --> 00:37:33,760
bigger than the continental united

988
00:37:37,750 --> 00:37:34,720
states

989
00:37:40,630 --> 00:37:37,760
is quite simply full of

990
00:37:42,790 --> 00:37:40,640
however that said it's also important to

991
00:37:45,349 --> 00:37:42,800
acknowledge that the very same factors

992
00:37:46,470 --> 00:37:45,359
that make exploration of antarctica so

993
00:37:48,230 --> 00:37:46,480
challenging

994
00:37:51,109 --> 00:37:48,240
would have also made establishing a base

995
00:37:53,430 --> 00:37:51,119
like station 211 a logistical nightmare

996
00:37:55,829 --> 00:37:53,440
if not downright impossible

997
00:37:58,550 --> 00:37:55,839
even 80 years later exploration in

998
00:38:00,550 --> 00:37:58,560
antarctica is a dangerous proposition

999
00:38:02,390 --> 00:38:00,560
the conditions on antarctica's frozen

1000
00:38:05,030 --> 00:38:02,400
tundras are some of the harshest in the

1001
00:38:06,950 --> 00:38:05,040
world and its remote location and lack

1002
00:38:09,510 --> 00:38:06,960
of infrastructure mean that the

1003
00:38:11,270 --> 00:38:09,520
slightest mishap or miscommunication can

1004
00:38:13,750 --> 00:38:11,280
have fatal results

1005
00:38:15,829 --> 00:38:13,760
and when we think back to the late 1930s

1006
00:38:17,109 --> 00:38:15,839
when nazi exploration of antarctica

1007
00:38:18,950 --> 00:38:17,119
first began

1008
00:38:20,310 --> 00:38:18,960
these challenges would have been even

1009
00:38:22,310 --> 00:38:20,320
more extreme

1010
00:38:23,829 --> 00:38:22,320
without any established bases and their

1011
00:38:26,069 --> 00:38:23,839
supplies limited to what they could

1012
00:38:27,990 --> 00:38:26,079
bring with them it's not a stretch to

1013
00:38:29,910 --> 00:38:28,000
say that establishing and maintaining a

1014
00:38:31,670 --> 00:38:29,920
secret base under the ice would have

1015
00:38:33,670 --> 00:38:31,680
been an undertaking on par with

1016
00:38:35,750 --> 00:38:33,680
colonizing the moon

1017
00:38:37,910 --> 00:38:35,760
so is it really realistic to think that

1018
00:38:39,030 --> 00:38:37,920
the german forces limping out of world

1019
00:38:41,190 --> 00:38:39,040
war ii

1020
00:38:43,670 --> 00:38:41,200
could have escaped to such a place

1021
00:38:45,750 --> 00:38:43,680
again it seems unlikely but i certainly

1022
00:38:47,750 --> 00:38:45,760
wouldn't rule it out and we have more

1023
00:38:49,589 --> 00:38:47,760
than just idle speculation and an

1024
00:38:51,030 --> 00:38:49,599
abundance of caution to justify this

1025
00:38:54,150 --> 00:38:51,040
position

1026
00:38:56,230 --> 00:38:54,160
in fact in 2016 russian scientists

1027
00:38:57,990 --> 00:38:56,240
actually found the frozen remains of a

1028
00:39:00,150 --> 00:38:58,000
secret nazi base

1029
00:39:02,950 --> 00:39:00,160
though in this case the base was located

1030
00:39:05,750 --> 00:39:02,960
in the arctic rather in the antarctic

1031
00:39:07,829 --> 00:39:05,760
on alexandrialand a remote uninhabited

1032
00:39:09,990 --> 00:39:07,839
island north of russia high up in the

1033
00:39:11,589 --> 00:39:10,000
arctic circle a team of russian

1034
00:39:14,150 --> 00:39:11,599
scientists from the russian arctic

1035
00:39:16,950 --> 00:39:14,160
national park found the remains of

1036
00:39:19,910 --> 00:39:16,960
shotsgrabber a mysterious arctic weather

1037
00:39:21,910 --> 00:39:19,920
station that was built in 1942 after

1038
00:39:24,150 --> 00:39:21,920
hitler invaded russia

1039
00:39:27,750 --> 00:39:24,160
its construction and abandonment were

1040
00:39:29,589 --> 00:39:27,760
documented in a 1954 german book but no

1041
00:39:31,829 --> 00:39:29,599
one had ever found physical evidence

1042
00:39:33,750 --> 00:39:31,839
that it existed until now

1043
00:39:35,430 --> 00:39:33,760
and it has often been dismissed as a

1044
00:39:37,750 --> 00:39:35,440
wartime myth

1045
00:39:40,470 --> 00:39:37,760
according to the written record the base

1046
00:39:43,829 --> 00:39:40,480
was serviced from 1943 but was abandoned

1047
00:39:46,230 --> 00:39:43,839
a year later in july of 1944 after the

1048
00:39:48,069 --> 00:39:46,240
staff at the site ate undercooked polar

1049
00:39:50,390 --> 00:39:48,079
bear meat that was contaminated with

1050
00:39:52,230 --> 00:39:50,400
round worm and poisoned themselves

1051
00:39:54,630 --> 00:39:52,240
the soldiers were rescued by a german

1052
00:39:57,349 --> 00:39:54,640
u-boat but the base was abandoned after

1053
00:39:59,910 --> 00:39:57,359
that and to this day no one is entirely

1054
00:40:03,510 --> 00:39:59,920
sure what the point of the base was or

1055
00:40:06,230 --> 00:40:03,520
up until 2016 where it had been located

1056
00:40:07,910 --> 00:40:06,240
so could the stories of station 211

1057
00:40:10,310 --> 00:40:07,920
which had also been largely written off

1058
00:40:12,550 --> 00:40:10,320
as a mere rumor also potentially point

1059
00:40:14,790 --> 00:40:12,560
to the existence of a real base

1060
00:40:16,470 --> 00:40:14,800
absolutely it's possible

1061
00:40:18,870 --> 00:40:16,480
but establishing a base in the

1062
00:40:20,710 --> 00:40:18,880
unforgiving polar climate is one thing

1063
00:40:23,030 --> 00:40:20,720
and supporting human life there long

1064
00:40:24,550 --> 00:40:23,040
term is another entirely

1065
00:40:27,030 --> 00:40:24,560
and while there are no polar bears to

1066
00:40:29,190 --> 00:40:27,040
eat in antarctica this example shows how

1067
00:40:30,950 --> 00:40:29,200
something as simple as food poisoning

1068
00:40:32,470 --> 00:40:30,960
could lead to the demise of such a

1069
00:40:34,230 --> 00:40:32,480
remote outpost

1070
00:40:36,870 --> 00:40:34,240
and food poisoning would have been the

1071
00:40:39,510 --> 00:40:36,880
least of the dangers they were facing

1072
00:40:41,750 --> 00:40:39,520
so even if such a base existed it may

1073
00:40:44,069 --> 00:40:41,760
not have lasted long

1074
00:40:46,150 --> 00:40:44,079
so although the existence of station 211

1075
00:40:47,349 --> 00:40:46,160
might not seem particularly likely at

1076
00:40:50,310 --> 00:40:47,359
first blush

1077
00:40:52,550 --> 00:40:50,320
we can't rule it out it's possible

1078
00:40:54,470 --> 00:40:52,560
the question then becomes did the united

1079
00:40:57,270 --> 00:40:54,480
states government have evidence of a

1080
00:40:59,510 --> 00:40:57,280
secret nazi base in antarctica and was

1081
00:41:01,750 --> 00:40:59,520
operation high jump an attempt to locate

1082
00:41:04,230 --> 00:41:01,760
and destroy this base

1083
00:41:06,870 --> 00:41:04,240
and shockingly there does seem to be

1084
00:41:08,630 --> 00:41:06,880
some hard evidence to support this idea

1085
00:41:11,430 --> 00:41:08,640
starting with two very interesting

1086
00:41:14,710 --> 00:41:11,440
articles in the new york times

1087
00:41:17,190 --> 00:41:14,720
on saturday july 8 1939 an article

1088
00:41:19,430 --> 00:41:17,200
entitled president direct speed on bird

1089
00:41:21,270 --> 00:41:19,440
trip proclaimed quote

1090
00:41:23,349 --> 00:41:21,280
president roosevelt moved today to

1091
00:41:25,510 --> 00:41:23,359
prevent possible extension of germany's

1092
00:41:27,990 --> 00:41:25,520
claims to antarctic areas in the western

1093
00:41:30,309 --> 00:41:28,000
hemisphere by directing rear admiral

1094
00:41:32,230 --> 00:41:30,319
richard e byrd to leave in october to

1095
00:41:34,390 --> 00:41:32,240
territory within the sphere of influence

1096
00:41:37,750 --> 00:41:34,400
of the monroe doctrine

1097
00:41:40,470 --> 00:41:37,760
and on november 30th 1939 an article in

1098
00:41:42,230 --> 00:41:40,480
the new york times reported quote rear

1099
00:41:44,390 --> 00:41:42,240
admiral richard e byrd joined the

1100
00:41:47,109 --> 00:41:44,400
vanguard of his south pole expedition at

1101
00:41:48,950 --> 00:41:47,119
the panama canal today with confidential

1102
00:41:50,790 --> 00:41:48,960
orders from the white house

1103
00:41:53,270 --> 00:41:50,800
officials say the orders were a state

1104
00:41:55,030 --> 00:41:53,280
department's secret even the existence

1105
00:41:57,670 --> 00:41:55,040
of the orders authorities said had been

1106
00:41:59,750 --> 00:41:57,680
kept secret admiral byrd received them

1107
00:42:01,750 --> 00:41:59,760
informant say on a hurried trip to

1108
00:42:04,390 --> 00:42:01,760
washington last week before departing

1109
00:42:06,390 --> 00:42:04,400
for panama end quote now these two

1110
00:42:08,470 --> 00:42:06,400
articles don't exactly rise to the level

1111
00:42:10,550 --> 00:42:08,480
of a smoking gun when it comes to u.s

1112
00:42:11,750 --> 00:42:10,560
knowledge of a secret nazi base in

1113
00:42:14,630 --> 00:42:11,760
antarctica

1114
00:42:16,470 --> 00:42:14,640
but they do come tantalizingly close

1115
00:42:18,550 --> 00:42:16,480
we have orders from president roosevelt

1116
00:42:20,470 --> 00:42:18,560
himself indicating that the extension of

1117
00:42:21,670 --> 00:42:20,480
german territories in antarctica is a

1118
00:42:23,510 --> 00:42:21,680
concern

1119
00:42:25,510 --> 00:42:23,520
and a suggestion of top-secret

1120
00:42:26,950 --> 00:42:25,520
last-minute orders being given to bird

1121
00:42:28,630 --> 00:42:26,960
on the eve of his departure for

1122
00:42:30,230 --> 00:42:28,640
operation high jump

1123
00:42:32,069 --> 00:42:30,240
it would be easy to fill in the blanks

1124
00:42:34,069 --> 00:42:32,079
here with the details of the story as we

1125
00:42:35,829 --> 00:42:34,079
already know it and assume that bird was

1126
00:42:37,430 --> 00:42:35,839
given orders to seek out and destroy

1127
00:42:39,349 --> 00:42:37,440
station 211

1128
00:42:41,750 --> 00:42:39,359
but when we put this information within

1129
00:42:43,589 --> 00:42:41,760
its greater historical context a more

1130
00:42:45,430 --> 00:42:43,599
nuanced understanding of these orders

1131
00:42:47,589 --> 00:42:45,440
begins to emerge

1132
00:42:49,829 --> 00:42:47,599
and to get that context we need to look

1133
00:42:53,270 --> 00:42:49,839
back to the early 19th century on

1134
00:42:54,870 --> 00:42:53,280
december 2nd 1823 during his seventh

1135
00:42:57,190 --> 00:42:54,880
annual state of the union address to

1136
00:42:58,710 --> 00:42:57,200
congress president james monroe first

1137
00:43:00,950 --> 00:42:58,720
articulated what would become a

1138
00:43:03,349 --> 00:43:00,960
cornerstone of american foreign policy

1139
00:43:05,030 --> 00:43:03,359
the monroe doctrine while the previous

1140
00:43:07,190 --> 00:43:05,040
four centuries had been marked by

1141
00:43:09,910 --> 00:43:07,200
aggressive colonization of the americas

1142
00:43:12,230 --> 00:43:09,920
by western european nations by the early

1143
00:43:14,790 --> 00:43:12,240
19th century the united states had a

1144
00:43:16,870 --> 00:43:14,800
vested interest in locking that down

1145
00:43:18,309 --> 00:43:16,880
the new nation had established itself as

1146
00:43:20,870 --> 00:43:18,319
a dominant power in the western

1147
00:43:23,670 --> 00:43:20,880
hemisphere and was engaged in rapid

1148
00:43:25,430 --> 00:43:23,680
expansion westward in short the united

1149
00:43:27,990 --> 00:43:25,440
states wasn't interested in dealing with

1150
00:43:30,390 --> 00:43:28,000
any more competition and so foreign

1151
00:43:32,550 --> 00:43:30,400
policy became increasingly focused on

1152
00:43:33,750 --> 00:43:32,560
stopping the influx of new colonies in

1153
00:43:36,870 --> 00:43:33,760
the americas

1154
00:43:38,950 --> 00:43:36,880
by 1823 nearly all spanish colonies in

1155
00:43:41,349 --> 00:43:38,960
the americas had either achieved or were

1156
00:43:43,270 --> 00:43:41,359
close to achieving independence in his

1157
00:43:45,430 --> 00:43:43,280
speech monroe asserted that the new

1158
00:43:48,069 --> 00:43:45,440
world and the old world were to remain

1159
00:43:50,309 --> 00:43:48,079
distinctly separate spheres of influence

1160
00:43:52,470 --> 00:43:50,319
and that any further efforts by european

1161
00:43:54,309 --> 00:43:52,480
powers to control or influence sovereign

1162
00:43:57,109 --> 00:43:54,319
states in the western hemisphere would

1163
00:43:59,510 --> 00:43:57,119
be viewed as a threat to u.s security

1164
00:44:01,270 --> 00:43:59,520
by the 20th century monroe's declaration

1165
00:44:03,750 --> 00:44:01,280
was seen as a defining moment in the

1166
00:44:05,990 --> 00:44:03,760
foreign policy of the united states and

1167
00:44:08,390 --> 00:44:06,000
one of its longest standing tenets

1168
00:44:10,390 --> 00:44:08,400
so in that light it makes sense that the

1169
00:44:12,790 --> 00:44:10,400
exploration of antarctica would bring

1170
00:44:15,030 --> 00:44:12,800
new relevance to the monroe doctrine

1171
00:44:16,950 --> 00:44:15,040
after all if a european nation were to

1172
00:44:19,349 --> 00:44:16,960
colonize the portion of antarctica that

1173
00:44:21,030 --> 00:44:19,359
lies in the western hemisphere they'd

1174
00:44:23,829 --> 00:44:21,040
technically be in violation of this

1175
00:44:25,670 --> 00:44:23,839
policy but still there's something about

1176
00:44:26,950 --> 00:44:25,680
that answer that isn't entirely

1177
00:44:28,630 --> 00:44:26,960
satisfying

1178
00:44:30,950 --> 00:44:28,640
while it's true that much of foreign

1179
00:44:33,750 --> 00:44:30,960
policy and even the very concept of

1180
00:44:35,670 --> 00:44:33,760
nation-states themselves is based upon

1181
00:44:37,589 --> 00:44:35,680
arbitrary lines drawn in the sand and

1182
00:44:38,470 --> 00:44:37,599
then aggressively defended with military

1183
00:44:41,349 --> 00:44:38,480
force

1184
00:44:43,589 --> 00:44:41,359
this arbitrary line feels particularly

1185
00:44:45,349 --> 00:44:43,599
arbitrary we're talking about an

1186
00:44:47,349 --> 00:44:45,359
ice-locked continent in the middle of

1187
00:44:48,710 --> 00:44:47,359
the southern ocean would a german

1188
00:44:50,870 --> 00:44:48,720
presence on the western side of

1189
00:44:52,630 --> 00:44:50,880
antarctica really be a credible threat

1190
00:44:54,069 --> 00:44:52,640
to the united states of security and

1191
00:44:56,230 --> 00:44:54,079
interest to the extent that it would

1192
00:44:57,750 --> 00:44:56,240
warrant a massive military expedition

1193
00:45:00,790 --> 00:44:57,760
like the one assembled for operation

1194
00:45:02,790 --> 00:45:00,800
high jump as unlikely as that sounds

1195
00:45:04,390 --> 00:45:02,800
when we dig a little deeper it becomes

1196
00:45:06,470 --> 00:45:04,400
clear that both the germans and the

1197
00:45:07,750 --> 00:45:06,480
united states likely believe this to be

1198
00:45:09,750 --> 00:45:07,760
the case

1199
00:45:12,470 --> 00:45:09,760
one reason for this lies in the german

1200
00:45:13,829 --> 00:45:12,480
concept of levin's realm which means

1201
00:45:15,750 --> 00:45:13,839
living space

1202
00:45:18,069 --> 00:45:15,760
the basic idea was that for the nation

1203
00:45:20,150 --> 00:45:18,079
to survive and thrive in the long term

1204
00:45:22,150 --> 00:45:20,160
it would need to obtain the living space

1205
00:45:23,750 --> 00:45:22,160
necessary to do so

1206
00:45:25,670 --> 00:45:23,760
this concept was one of the major

1207
00:45:27,670 --> 00:45:25,680
motivations for nazi germany and

1208
00:45:30,470 --> 00:45:27,680
initiating world war ii

1209
00:45:32,230 --> 00:45:30,480
acquiring the necessary levens rom would

1210
00:45:33,910 --> 00:45:32,240
require the violent conquest of

1211
00:45:36,550 --> 00:45:33,920
surrounding nations and the mass

1212
00:45:38,069 --> 00:45:36,560
genocide and relocation of the non-aryan

1213
00:45:40,630 --> 00:45:38,079
people living there

1214
00:45:42,630 --> 00:45:40,640
entire indigenous populations of central

1215
00:45:44,790 --> 00:45:42,640
and eastern europe were decimated by

1216
00:45:47,510 --> 00:45:44,800
starvation allowing for their own

1217
00:45:50,150 --> 00:45:47,520
agricultural surplus to feed germany

1218
00:45:51,829 --> 00:45:50,160
as horrifying as this concept is it's

1219
00:45:53,670 --> 00:45:51,839
sobering to recognize that it was

1220
00:45:56,230 --> 00:45:53,680
heavily influenced by the american

1221
00:45:57,510 --> 00:45:56,240
concept of manifest destiny if you

1222
00:45:59,670 --> 00:45:57,520
haven't heard that phrase since

1223
00:46:01,430 --> 00:45:59,680
elementary school manifest destiny was

1224
00:46:03,589 --> 00:46:01,440
the idea that the united states was

1225
00:46:05,510 --> 00:46:03,599
basically on a divine mission from god

1226
00:46:07,670 --> 00:46:05,520
to expand all the way to the western

1227
00:46:09,589 --> 00:46:07,680
coast of the continent to establish a

1228
00:46:11,430 --> 00:46:09,599
superior society

1229
00:46:13,430 --> 00:46:11,440
and when you're on a mission from god

1230
00:46:15,109 --> 00:46:13,440
you don't let little things like say

1231
00:46:16,390 --> 00:46:15,119
tens of millions of indigenous people

1232
00:46:18,069 --> 00:46:16,400
get in your way

1233
00:46:20,309 --> 00:46:18,079
that's what's dangerous about missions

1234
00:46:22,309 --> 00:46:20,319
from god there's very little that you

1235
00:46:24,790 --> 00:46:22,319
can't justify when you're acting as a

1236
00:46:27,349 --> 00:46:24,800
mere instrument for a higher power

1237
00:46:29,750 --> 00:46:27,359
adolf hitler was deeply inspired by the

1238
00:46:31,349 --> 00:46:29,760
furious expansion of the united states

1239
00:46:32,950 --> 00:46:31,359
and envied its position as the

1240
00:46:34,230 --> 00:46:32,960
controlling interest of the western

1241
00:46:36,309 --> 00:46:34,240
hemisphere

1242
00:46:38,470 --> 00:46:36,319
hitler was particularly fascinated by

1243
00:46:40,630 --> 00:46:38,480
the genocide of native americans and

1244
00:46:43,349 --> 00:46:40,640
used this in part as his blueprint for

1245
00:46:45,270 --> 00:46:43,359
german expansion he believed that in

1246
00:46:47,829 --> 00:46:45,280
order to transform the german nation

1247
00:46:50,069 --> 00:46:47,839
into a world superpower germany had to

1248
00:46:51,910 --> 00:46:50,079
expand their geopolitical presence and

1249
00:46:54,309 --> 00:46:51,920
act only in the interest of the german

1250
00:46:56,230 --> 00:46:54,319
people but it wasn't just the means and

1251
00:46:58,870 --> 00:46:56,240
the will to take what it wanted that

1252
00:47:01,349 --> 00:46:58,880
caused hitler to envy the united states

1253
00:47:02,950 --> 00:47:01,359
the u.s is also uniquely well positioned

1254
00:47:04,790 --> 00:47:02,960
on the globe which gives it a

1255
00:47:07,430 --> 00:47:04,800
significant competitive advantage over

1256
00:47:11,030 --> 00:47:07,440
its rivals in several respects first of

1257
00:47:13,589 --> 00:47:11,040
all the united states is huge at 3.7

1258
00:47:16,309 --> 00:47:13,599
million square miles or 9.8 million

1259
00:47:17,990 --> 00:47:16,319
square kilometers the united states is

1260
00:47:20,550 --> 00:47:18,000
almost the same size as the whole of

1261
00:47:22,550 --> 00:47:20,560
europe and with most of that sprawling

1262
00:47:25,750 --> 00:47:22,560
land mass being in temperate climate

1263
00:47:28,470 --> 00:47:25,760
zones the united states has vast natural

1264
00:47:30,870 --> 00:47:28,480
resources at its disposal and plenty of

1265
00:47:33,430 --> 00:47:30,880
room for growth into the future

1266
00:47:35,589 --> 00:47:33,440
secondly the us is the dominant force in

1267
00:47:37,430 --> 00:47:35,599
the western hemisphere with all the

1268
00:47:39,829 --> 00:47:37,440
other major superpowers on the other

1269
00:47:41,510 --> 00:47:39,839
side of an ocean the us is able to

1270
00:47:43,829 --> 00:47:41,520
extend its influence throughout the

1271
00:47:45,510 --> 00:47:43,839
americas with minimal interference from

1272
00:47:47,190 --> 00:47:45,520
outside forces

1273
00:47:49,190 --> 00:47:47,200
there's a reason that we've been so

1274
00:47:52,550 --> 00:47:49,200
aggressive in protecting that sphere of

1275
00:47:54,470 --> 00:47:52,560
influence it's extremely valuable

1276
00:47:56,390 --> 00:47:54,480
and finally the united states is

1277
00:47:57,670 --> 00:47:56,400
exceptionally positioned from a defense

1278
00:47:59,750 --> 00:47:57,680
perspective

1279
00:48:01,670 --> 00:47:59,760
despite being the fourth largest country

1280
00:48:03,430 --> 00:48:01,680
in the world the united states really

1281
00:48:05,589 --> 00:48:03,440
only shares borders with mexico and

1282
00:48:07,430 --> 00:48:05,599
canada neither of which has anywhere

1283
00:48:09,750 --> 00:48:07,440
near the military firepower to want to

1284
00:48:11,670 --> 00:48:09,760
go toe-to-toe with the united states

1285
00:48:13,829 --> 00:48:11,680
so no matter what other issues we might

1286
00:48:15,510 --> 00:48:13,839
have with them now or in the future the

1287
00:48:18,150 --> 00:48:15,520
prospect of having to defend those

1288
00:48:20,870 --> 00:48:18,160
borders against military conquest seems

1289
00:48:23,030 --> 00:48:20,880
pretty unlikely and that's huge

1290
00:48:25,670 --> 00:48:23,040
even more crucially our other major

1291
00:48:27,270 --> 00:48:25,680
borders are oceans and the few nations

1292
00:48:29,510 --> 00:48:27,280
that would have the means and the will

1293
00:48:31,510 --> 00:48:29,520
to truly take on the united states are

1294
00:48:33,829 --> 00:48:31,520
all on the other side of them

1295
00:48:36,150 --> 00:48:33,839
this makes the u.s very hard to sneak up

1296
00:48:37,990 --> 00:48:36,160
on if anyone tries to launch a massive

1297
00:48:39,750 --> 00:48:38,000
assault on the country we'd be very

1298
00:48:41,829 --> 00:48:39,760
likely to see it coming

1299
00:48:43,750 --> 00:48:41,839
it's easy to understand why hitler would

1300
00:48:46,390 --> 00:48:43,760
have envied these things and why he

1301
00:48:49,270 --> 00:48:46,400
would have seen levin's rom not just as

1302
00:48:50,870 --> 00:48:49,280
an abstract concept but as the key to

1303
00:48:52,870 --> 00:48:50,880
building an aryan nation that could

1304
00:48:55,430 --> 00:48:52,880
stand the test of time

1305
00:48:57,990 --> 00:48:55,440
however by the mid 20th century the

1306
00:48:59,750 --> 00:48:58,000
world had changed significantly and

1307
00:49:01,430 --> 00:48:59,760
hitler's situation was very different

1308
00:49:02,790 --> 00:49:01,440
from that of the united states a century

1309
00:49:04,870 --> 00:49:02,800
or two before

1310
00:49:07,190 --> 00:49:04,880
as bloody as the western expansion of

1311
00:49:09,270 --> 00:49:07,200
the united states has been if nazi

1312
00:49:11,750 --> 00:49:09,280
germany were to carve out its levin's

1313
00:49:13,750 --> 00:49:11,760
rom from the european continent this

1314
00:49:16,390 --> 00:49:13,760
conquest would have had to be even

1315
00:49:18,630 --> 00:49:16,400
bloodier and with the us and the uk

1316
00:49:21,349 --> 00:49:18,640
bearing down on one side and the soviet

1317
00:49:23,430 --> 00:49:21,359
union looming on the other the cost in

1318
00:49:24,870 --> 00:49:23,440
life labor and capital would have been

1319
00:49:27,190 --> 00:49:24,880
astronomical

1320
00:49:29,349 --> 00:49:27,200
so while antarctica may have seemed like

1321
00:49:31,349 --> 00:49:29,359
an unlikely place for hitler to set his

1322
00:49:33,910 --> 00:49:31,359
sights as the possible location for a

1323
00:49:35,910 --> 00:49:33,920
new german homeland when you look at it

1324
00:49:38,150 --> 00:49:35,920
in this light you can begin to see the

1325
00:49:40,710 --> 00:49:38,160
appeal first of all there was no one

1326
00:49:43,030 --> 00:49:40,720
there to fight as we already discussed

1327
00:49:44,390 --> 00:49:43,040
when germany got to antarctica the lands

1328
00:49:47,109 --> 00:49:44,400
that they claimed had already been

1329
00:49:49,190 --> 00:49:47,119
claimed by norway but what was norway

1330
00:49:50,710 --> 00:49:49,200
going to do about it they just got rid

1331
00:49:52,230 --> 00:49:50,720
of the norwegian flags that had been

1332
00:49:54,390 --> 00:49:52,240
planted there and replaced them with

1333
00:49:56,870 --> 00:49:54,400
their own problem solved

1334
00:49:58,710 --> 00:49:56,880
and this story really underlines the

1335
00:50:01,109 --> 00:49:58,720
primary reason that hitler was so

1336
00:50:03,190 --> 00:50:01,119
interested in antarctica which really

1337
00:50:04,710 --> 00:50:03,200
boils down to the fact that beggars

1338
00:50:06,790 --> 00:50:04,720
can't be choosers

1339
00:50:08,549 --> 00:50:06,800
while the previous 500 years of human

1340
00:50:11,349 --> 00:50:08,559
history has been largely defined by

1341
00:50:13,910 --> 00:50:11,359
colonization and empire building by the

1342
00:50:16,950 --> 00:50:13,920
mid 20th century we'd basically run out

1343
00:50:18,870 --> 00:50:16,960
of new places to discover and conquer

1344
00:50:20,549 --> 00:50:18,880
antarctica was basically the last

1345
00:50:22,470 --> 00:50:20,559
remaining place on earth where there was

1346
00:50:25,190 --> 00:50:22,480
still land up for grabs

1347
00:50:27,349 --> 00:50:25,200
and besides being available the fact is

1348
00:50:29,430 --> 00:50:27,359
that antarctica had a lot of other

1349
00:50:31,349 --> 00:50:29,440
things that hitler was looking for

1350
00:50:33,829 --> 00:50:31,359
a land mass almost the size of the

1351
00:50:36,390 --> 00:50:33,839
united states a lack of neighbors to

1352
00:50:38,870 --> 00:50:36,400
squabble with secure borders and an

1353
00:50:40,390 --> 00:50:38,880
easily defensible position far removed

1354
00:50:42,470 --> 00:50:40,400
from its enemies

1355
00:50:44,230 --> 00:50:42,480
so although there were obvious and

1356
00:50:46,470 --> 00:50:44,240
considerable challenges to humans

1357
00:50:48,549 --> 00:50:46,480
surviving in antarctica for even a short

1358
00:50:50,309 --> 00:50:48,559
period of time to say nothing of

1359
00:50:52,390 --> 00:50:50,319
actually building a nation there long

1360
00:50:54,710 --> 00:50:52,400
term you can see why hitler would have

1361
00:50:55,990 --> 00:50:54,720
been deeply invested in trying to make

1362
00:50:57,910 --> 00:50:56,000
it work

1363
00:50:59,670 --> 00:50:57,920
and you can also see why the united

1364
00:51:01,589 --> 00:50:59,680
states would have been equally invested

1365
00:51:04,230 --> 00:51:01,599
in keeping this from happening

1366
00:51:06,390 --> 00:51:04,240
nazism had just been more or less

1367
00:51:09,030 --> 00:51:06,400
stamped out in europe at a tremendous

1368
00:51:11,190 --> 00:51:09,040
cost and the idea that the fourth reich

1369
00:51:12,710 --> 00:51:11,200
could potentially rebuild on an icy

1370
00:51:15,190 --> 00:51:12,720
continent at the bottom of the world

1371
00:51:17,349 --> 00:51:15,200
where we had extremely limited ability

1372
00:51:19,430 --> 00:51:17,359
to monitor what they might be up to

1373
00:51:21,829 --> 00:51:19,440
must have been an unsettling one

1374
00:51:23,430 --> 00:51:21,839
and so when we take the 30 000 foot view

1375
00:51:25,510 --> 00:51:23,440
of this situation

1376
00:51:27,750 --> 00:51:25,520
president roosevelt's orders to admiral

1377
00:51:29,510 --> 00:51:27,760
byrd with regard to operation high jump

1378
00:51:31,349 --> 00:51:29,520
make a lot of sense

1379
00:51:33,670 --> 00:51:31,359
invoking the monroe doctrine was the

1380
00:51:35,910 --> 00:51:33,680
united states way of making clear that

1381
00:51:38,309 --> 00:51:35,920
the whole of antarctica wasn't actually

1382
00:51:40,230 --> 00:51:38,319
up for grabs and that we'd have a say in

1383
00:51:41,670 --> 00:51:40,240
what went on at least on the western

1384
00:51:43,589 --> 00:51:41,680
half of the continent

1385
00:51:45,589 --> 00:51:43,599
and it also sent the message that if

1386
00:51:47,589 --> 00:51:45,599
nazi germany intended to create a

1387
00:51:49,510 --> 00:51:47,599
long-term presence there that they

1388
00:51:51,750 --> 00:51:49,520
wouldn't be without neighbors for all

1389
00:51:53,349 --> 00:51:51,760
intents and purposes they'd basically be

1390
00:51:55,030 --> 00:51:53,359
in our backyard

1391
00:51:56,790 --> 00:51:55,040
and there's one more layer to this that

1392
00:51:58,710 --> 00:51:56,800
we need to consider to get the full

1393
00:52:00,950 --> 00:51:58,720
scope of the situation

1394
00:52:02,630 --> 00:52:00,960
which is the strategic significance of

1395
00:52:04,790 --> 00:52:02,640
the polls

1396
00:52:06,790 --> 00:52:04,800
as we briefly touched on earlier in this

1397
00:52:08,790 --> 00:52:06,800
episode the advent of flight and the

1398
00:52:10,790 --> 00:52:08,800
advances in aviation technology that

1399
00:52:13,270 --> 00:52:10,800
came out of the first world war

1400
00:52:14,950 --> 00:52:13,280
fueled a fever of daring exploration and

1401
00:52:16,790 --> 00:52:14,960
innovation with the likes of admiral

1402
00:52:18,950 --> 00:52:16,800
byrd striving to be the first to

1403
00:52:21,270 --> 00:52:18,960
accomplish many feats that had only very

1404
00:52:23,030 --> 00:52:21,280
recently become possible

1405
00:52:24,870 --> 00:52:23,040
but being the first to fly over the

1406
00:52:26,870 --> 00:52:24,880
poles or the first to fly across the

1407
00:52:28,630 --> 00:52:26,880
atlantic ocean wasn't just about

1408
00:52:29,910 --> 00:52:28,640
bragging rights at least not for the

1409
00:52:32,150 --> 00:52:29,920
countries who were funding these

1410
00:52:33,829 --> 00:52:32,160
expeditions this was a matter of

1411
00:52:35,990 --> 00:52:33,839
national security

1412
00:52:37,829 --> 00:52:36,000
for the united states in particular the

1413
00:52:39,829 --> 00:52:37,839
prospect that other nations would soon

1414
00:52:42,150 --> 00:52:39,839
have the ability to fly across the ocean

1415
00:52:44,309 --> 00:52:42,160
to reach our shores in a matter of hours

1416
00:52:46,549 --> 00:52:44,319
was an absolute game changer in the

1417
00:52:48,390 --> 00:52:46,559
worst possible way and it became

1418
00:52:50,790 --> 00:52:48,400
critically important to securing our

1419
00:52:52,390 --> 00:52:50,800
borders that no one beat us to the punch

1420
00:52:54,230 --> 00:52:52,400
in that achievement

1421
00:52:55,750 --> 00:52:54,240
but even more threatening was the

1422
00:52:57,670 --> 00:52:55,760
prospect that our enemies in the

1423
00:53:00,870 --> 00:52:57,680
northern hemisphere might be able to

1424
00:53:03,030 --> 00:53:00,880
sneak up on us by coming over the poles

1425
00:53:04,990 --> 00:53:03,040
the arctic at that time was largely

1426
00:53:06,870 --> 00:53:05,000
unexplored and its relative

1427
00:53:08,470 --> 00:53:06,880
inaccessibility meant that we didn't

1428
00:53:10,069 --> 00:53:08,480
really have to worry too much about what

1429
00:53:12,710 --> 00:53:10,079
was going on up there

1430
00:53:14,230 --> 00:53:12,720
after all if no human had managed to fly

1431
00:53:15,990 --> 00:53:14,240
over the north pole then you didn't

1432
00:53:17,750 --> 00:53:16,000
really have to worry about anyone coming

1433
00:53:19,990 --> 00:53:17,760
from that direction

1434
00:53:22,230 --> 00:53:20,000
however as soon as flight over the poles

1435
00:53:24,549 --> 00:53:22,240
had been accomplished the region that

1436
00:53:26,950 --> 00:53:24,559
had been one of our strongest barriers

1437
00:53:29,270 --> 00:53:26,960
against foreign attacks suddenly became

1438
00:53:31,910 --> 00:53:29,280
one of our biggest blind spots and

1439
00:53:33,990 --> 00:53:31,920
that's a major problem

1440
00:53:35,990 --> 00:53:34,000
and while for obvious geopolitical

1441
00:53:38,069 --> 00:53:36,000
reasons the south pole doesn't hold

1442
00:53:40,069 --> 00:53:38,079
quite that same level of strategic risk

1443
00:53:41,910 --> 00:53:40,079
for the united states it still

1444
00:53:44,390 --> 00:53:41,920
represented a potential threat coming

1445
00:53:47,030 --> 00:53:44,400
into play in a remote hard to monitor

1446
00:53:49,030 --> 00:53:47,040
area that we've grown used to ignoring

1447
00:53:51,750 --> 00:53:49,040
so let's circle back to our original

1448
00:53:54,309 --> 00:53:51,760
question was operation high jump really

1449
00:53:56,150 --> 00:53:54,319
about finding a secret nazi base

1450
00:53:57,829 --> 00:53:56,160
and although we don't necessarily have

1451
00:54:00,150 --> 00:53:57,839
solid evidence of the existence of

1452
00:54:02,069 --> 00:54:00,160
station 211 i think that there's more

1453
00:54:03,990 --> 00:54:02,079
than enough evidence to suggest that the

1454
00:54:06,230 --> 00:54:04,000
united states had a very credible

1455
00:54:07,430 --> 00:54:06,240
concern about nazi occupation in

1456
00:54:09,510 --> 00:54:07,440
antarctica

1457
00:54:11,750 --> 00:54:09,520
and whether or not they had any solid

1458
00:54:14,230 --> 00:54:11,760
intel about the actual location of such

1459
00:54:16,630 --> 00:54:14,240
a base it doesn't seem unreasonable at

1460
00:54:19,109 --> 00:54:16,640
all to assume that bird was at the very

1461
00:54:21,829 --> 00:54:19,119
least charged with running recon to see

1462
00:54:24,309 --> 00:54:21,839
if such reports could be true

1463
00:54:27,190 --> 00:54:24,319
so could it be that admiral byrd and his

1464
00:54:29,510 --> 00:54:27,200
men actually did find a secret nazi base

1465
00:54:31,750 --> 00:54:29,520
in antarctica and could the reports of

1466
00:54:33,750 --> 00:54:31,760
the ufos and highly advanced weaponry

1467
00:54:36,390 --> 00:54:33,760
they allegedly encountered be evidence

1468
00:54:38,710 --> 00:54:36,400
that this base not only existed but that

1469
00:54:41,190 --> 00:54:38,720
the nazis had escaped there with long

1470
00:54:43,109 --> 00:54:41,200
fabled secret technology

1471
00:54:45,190 --> 00:54:43,119
the evidence that is most commonly cited

1472
00:54:47,349 --> 00:54:45,200
to support this idea is the quote from

1473
00:54:48,790 --> 00:54:47,359
admiral byrd to a chilean newspaper

1474
00:54:50,150 --> 00:54:48,800
immediately following operation

1475
00:54:51,430 --> 00:54:50,160
highjump's early departure from

1476
00:54:53,990 --> 00:54:51,440
antarctica

1477
00:54:55,030 --> 00:54:54,000
here's how that story is usually told

1478
00:54:56,870 --> 00:54:55,040
quote

1479
00:54:58,549 --> 00:54:56,880
admiral byrd declared today that it was

1480
00:55:00,549 --> 00:54:58,559
imperative for the united states to

1481
00:55:02,390 --> 00:55:00,559
initiate immediate defense measures

1482
00:55:04,390 --> 00:55:02,400
against hostile regions

1483
00:55:07,030 --> 00:55:04,400
furthermore bird stated that he didn't

1484
00:55:09,349 --> 00:55:07,040
want to frighten anyone unduly but that

1485
00:55:11,990 --> 00:55:09,359
it was a bitter reality that in case of

1486
00:55:13,910 --> 00:55:12,000
a new war the continental united states

1487
00:55:15,910 --> 00:55:13,920
would be attacked by flying objects

1488
00:55:18,390 --> 00:55:15,920
which could fly from pole to pole at

1489
00:55:20,470 --> 00:55:18,400
incredible speeds unquote

1490
00:55:22,790 --> 00:55:20,480
pretty compelling stuff right

1491
00:55:24,069 --> 00:55:22,800
the problem is that this isn't actually

1492
00:55:26,069 --> 00:55:24,079
what he said

1493
00:55:28,390 --> 00:55:26,079
that version of the quote is based on a

1494
00:55:30,309 --> 00:55:28,400
pretty clearly misleading translation

1495
00:55:32,950 --> 00:55:30,319
here's what the article actually said

1496
00:55:34,950 --> 00:55:32,960
when translated correctly quote

1497
00:55:36,790 --> 00:55:34,960
admiral richard e bird warned today that

1498
00:55:38,790 --> 00:55:36,800
the united states should adopt measures

1499
00:55:40,790 --> 00:55:38,800
of protection against the possibility of

1500
00:55:43,430 --> 00:55:40,800
an invasion of the country by hostile

1501
00:55:45,270 --> 00:55:43,440
planes coming from the polar regions the

1502
00:55:46,950 --> 00:55:45,280
admiral explained that he was not trying

1503
00:55:49,430 --> 00:55:46,960
to scare anyone but that the cruel

1504
00:55:51,030 --> 00:55:49,440
reality is that in case of a new war the

1505
00:55:54,069 --> 00:55:51,040
united states could be attacked by

1506
00:55:56,309 --> 00:55:54,079
planes flying over one or both poles

1507
00:55:58,309 --> 00:55:56,319
this statement was made as part of a

1508
00:56:00,390 --> 00:55:58,319
recapitulation of his own polar

1509
00:56:02,710 --> 00:56:00,400
experience in an exclusive interview

1510
00:56:04,390 --> 00:56:02,720
with international news service

1511
00:56:06,549 --> 00:56:04,400
talking about the recently completed

1512
00:56:08,549 --> 00:56:06,559
expedition byrd said that the most

1513
00:56:10,549 --> 00:56:08,559
important result of his observations and

1514
00:56:12,309 --> 00:56:10,559
discoveries is the potential effect that

1515
00:56:13,910 --> 00:56:12,319
they have in relation to the security of

1516
00:56:15,829 --> 00:56:13,920
the united states

1517
00:56:17,829 --> 00:56:15,839
the fantastic speed with which the world

1518
00:56:19,349 --> 00:56:17,839
is shrinking we're called the admiral is

1519
00:56:21,030 --> 00:56:19,359
one of the most important lessons

1520
00:56:22,230 --> 00:56:21,040
learned during his recent antarctic

1521
00:56:24,230 --> 00:56:22,240
exploration

1522
00:56:26,069 --> 00:56:24,240
i have to warn my compatriots that the

1523
00:56:28,309 --> 00:56:26,079
time has ended when we were able to take

1524
00:56:30,470 --> 00:56:28,319
refuge in our isolation and rely on the

1525
00:56:32,870 --> 00:56:30,480
certainty that the distances the oceans

1526
00:56:34,230 --> 00:56:32,880
and the poles were a guarantee of safety

1527
00:56:36,150 --> 00:56:34,240
end quote

1528
00:56:38,870 --> 00:56:36,160
see what i mean when you translate the

1529
00:56:40,390 --> 00:56:38,880
article correctly it's a lot less juicy

1530
00:56:42,470 --> 00:56:40,400
and there's nothing there to suggest

1531
00:56:44,470 --> 00:56:42,480
that operation high jump encountered

1532
00:56:46,150 --> 00:56:44,480
anything anomalous

1533
00:56:48,470 --> 00:56:46,160
but what about the mysterious deaths

1534
00:56:49,910 --> 00:56:48,480
that occurred during operation high jump

1535
00:56:52,150 --> 00:56:49,920
could those have been the result of a

1536
00:56:53,990 --> 00:56:52,160
clash with secret nazi tech

1537
00:56:55,589 --> 00:56:54,000
a bunch of the documents associated with

1538
00:57:11,109 --> 00:56:55,599
operation high jump have since been

1539
00:57:15,589 --> 00:57:13,670
was crushed during an unloading accident

1540
00:57:17,910 --> 00:57:15,599
two were killed in a car accident while

1541
00:57:20,309 --> 00:57:17,920
on leave in sydney and one drowned in

1542
00:57:21,910 --> 00:57:20,319
the panama canal after being over leave

1543
00:57:23,750 --> 00:57:21,920
and trying to avoid detection by

1544
00:57:26,069 --> 00:57:23,760
swimming back to the ship

1545
00:57:28,390 --> 00:57:26,079
so not only were these deaths not the

1546
00:57:30,069 --> 00:57:28,400
result of any sort of combat but three

1547
00:57:31,510 --> 00:57:30,079
of the seven didn't even happen in

1548
00:57:33,589 --> 00:57:31,520
antarctica

1549
00:57:35,190 --> 00:57:33,599
but what about the heavily damaged ships

1550
00:57:37,750 --> 00:57:35,200
and what caused bird to end the

1551
00:57:39,510 --> 00:57:37,760
expedition months ahead of schedule

1552
00:57:41,589 --> 00:57:39,520
the answer to both of these questions

1553
00:57:42,950 --> 00:57:41,599
can be found in the unusually harsh

1554
00:57:44,710 --> 00:57:42,960
conditions associated with the

1555
00:57:46,870 --> 00:57:44,720
southernmost continent

1556
00:57:48,710 --> 00:57:46,880
long story short operation high jump

1557
00:57:50,870 --> 00:57:48,720
encountered some pretty intense weather

1558
00:57:52,710 --> 00:57:50,880
and challenging ice pack that caused

1559
00:57:54,470 --> 00:57:52,720
damage to their ships and made it near

1560
00:57:56,309 --> 00:57:54,480
impossible at times to conduct even the

1561
00:57:58,309 --> 00:57:56,319
most routine maneuvers

1562
00:58:00,069 --> 00:57:58,319
and with the winter months closing in

1563
00:58:02,630 --> 00:58:00,079
things were only going to get worse so

1564
00:58:05,190 --> 00:58:02,640
they decided to pack it in and head home

1565
00:58:07,349 --> 00:58:05,200
or at least that's the story

1566
00:58:09,270 --> 00:58:07,359
but could this have just been a cover on

1567
00:58:10,950 --> 00:58:09,280
the part of admiral byrd

1568
00:58:13,030 --> 00:58:10,960
could something else have caused him to

1569
00:58:14,470 --> 00:58:13,040
cut the expedition short and rush back

1570
00:58:16,870 --> 00:58:14,480
to washington

1571
00:58:18,870 --> 00:58:16,880
like perhaps a life-changing message for

1572
00:58:20,710 --> 00:58:18,880
mankind that he had been charged with

1573
00:58:22,470 --> 00:58:20,720
personally delivering directly to the

1574
00:58:25,750 --> 00:58:22,480
president himself

1575
00:58:27,589 --> 00:58:25,760
the answer unfortunately is no my

1576
00:58:30,230 --> 00:58:27,599
obsession with hollow earth is well

1577
00:58:31,990 --> 00:58:30,240
documented if there was any way for me

1578
00:58:33,910 --> 00:58:32,000
to leave the door open for admiral

1579
00:58:34,710 --> 00:58:33,920
byrd's secret journal to possibly be

1580
00:58:37,190 --> 00:58:34,720
real

1581
00:58:38,870 --> 00:58:37,200
i would find it but sadly there are just

1582
00:58:41,589 --> 00:58:38,880
too many holes in the story for me to

1583
00:58:43,510 --> 00:58:41,599
find any way to defend it in fact there

1584
00:58:45,270 --> 00:58:43,520
are so many issues with this journal

1585
00:58:47,829 --> 00:58:45,280
that we don't even have time to go into

1586
00:58:49,910 --> 00:58:47,839
the mall but here are just a few

1587
00:58:52,069 --> 00:58:49,920
first of all the flight in the diary

1588
00:58:54,309 --> 00:58:52,079
takes place in the arctic not the

1589
00:58:56,390 --> 00:58:54,319
antarctic this is a pretty glaring

1590
00:58:58,230 --> 00:58:56,400
inconsistency with the version of this

1591
00:58:59,589 --> 00:58:58,240
story as it's usually presented in the

1592
00:59:02,309 --> 00:58:59,599
ufo lore

1593
00:59:03,670 --> 00:59:02,319
and one that is rarely ever mentioned

1594
00:59:05,829 --> 00:59:03,680
even if we were to assume that the

1595
00:59:07,670 --> 00:59:05,839
journal was real we'd then have to admit

1596
00:59:09,670 --> 00:59:07,680
that admiral byrd's journey into hollow

1597
00:59:12,309 --> 00:59:09,680
earth was not related to operation high

1598
00:59:15,750 --> 00:59:12,319
jump so right there we have a major

1599
00:59:17,349 --> 00:59:15,760
issue or do we as you'll recall most

1600
00:59:19,190 --> 00:59:17,359
models of hollow earth assume that there

1601
00:59:21,190 --> 00:59:19,200
is an entrance to the interior of the

1602
00:59:23,030 --> 00:59:21,200
planet at each of the poles

1603
00:59:25,190 --> 00:59:23,040
so could it be that admiral byrd still

1604
00:59:26,230 --> 00:59:25,200
found this entrance just at the other

1605
00:59:28,230 --> 00:59:26,240
pole

1606
00:59:29,990 --> 00:59:28,240
unfortunately there is significant

1607
00:59:31,829 --> 00:59:30,000
evidence to suggest that this wasn't

1608
00:59:33,670 --> 00:59:31,839
just a case of misidentifying the

1609
00:59:35,510 --> 00:59:33,680
location of this incident

1610
00:59:38,870 --> 00:59:35,520
the whole thing appears to have been

1611
00:59:40,950 --> 00:59:38,880
entirely fabricated for one several log

1612
00:59:42,950 --> 00:59:40,960
entries are identical to entries and

1613
00:59:44,630 --> 00:59:42,960
bird's publish logs from his historic

1614
00:59:46,710 --> 00:59:44,640
north pole flight

1615
00:59:48,230 --> 00:59:46,720
that is pretty damning it doesn't make

1616
00:59:50,150 --> 00:59:48,240
sense that there would be identical

1617
00:59:52,549 --> 00:59:50,160
entries in journals from two different

1618
00:59:54,230 --> 00:59:52,559
flights this suggests that someone must

1619
00:59:56,150 --> 00:59:54,240
have plagiarized parts of the journal

1620
00:59:58,309 --> 00:59:56,160
from bird's existing logs

1621
01:00:00,230 --> 00:59:58,319
so that certainly doesn't look good if

1622
01:00:02,069 --> 01:00:00,240
someone plagiarized part of the journal

1623
01:00:04,470 --> 01:00:02,079
it seems like a pretty safe bet that the

1624
01:00:06,470 --> 01:00:04,480
whole thing was fabricated and it turns

1625
01:00:08,390 --> 01:00:06,480
out that the logs weren't the only parts

1626
01:00:10,549 --> 01:00:08,400
of it that were plagiarized

1627
01:00:13,510 --> 01:00:10,559
most of what the master said to admiral

1628
01:00:14,950 --> 01:00:13,520
byrd was plagiarized from the 1937 film

1629
01:00:16,309 --> 01:00:14,960
lost horizon

1630
01:00:18,549 --> 01:00:16,319
combine this with the fact that the

1631
01:00:20,309 --> 01:00:18,559
entries are full of exclamation points

1632
01:00:22,789 --> 01:00:20,319
something that byrd himself virtually

1633
01:00:25,109 --> 01:00:22,799
never used and what becomes clear is

1634
01:00:27,910 --> 01:00:25,119
that admiral byrd's secret diary isn't

1635
01:00:29,990 --> 01:00:27,920
so much a historical relic as it is a

1636
01:00:31,990 --> 01:00:30,000
work of fan fiction and the evidence

1637
01:00:33,030 --> 01:00:32,000
points to this rather literally being

1638
01:00:36,230 --> 01:00:33,040
the case

1639
01:00:38,710 --> 01:00:36,240
in 1964 an author by the name of walter

1640
01:00:41,270 --> 01:00:38,720
seigmeister released a book called the

1641
01:00:43,430 --> 01:00:41,280
hollow earth under the pen name raymond

1642
01:00:45,910 --> 01:00:43,440
bernard which frequently referenced

1643
01:00:48,470 --> 01:00:45,920
admiral byrd's accounts and it just so

1644
01:00:50,230 --> 01:00:48,480
happens that the same raymond bernard

1645
01:00:51,589 --> 01:00:50,240
wrote the forward to bird's alleged

1646
01:00:53,829 --> 01:00:51,599
secret diary

1647
01:00:56,549 --> 01:00:53,839
so as much as i'd love for the story of

1648
01:00:58,390 --> 01:00:56,559
admiral byrd and hello earth to be true

1649
01:01:00,390 --> 01:00:58,400
it's impossible to argue that it's

1650
01:01:02,390 --> 01:01:00,400
anything but a hoax and not a

1651
01:01:04,230 --> 01:01:02,400
particularly good one

1652
01:01:05,990 --> 01:01:04,240
and even if we didn't have a mountain of

1653
01:01:08,309 --> 01:01:06,000
evidence to suggest that the journal was

1654
01:01:09,990 --> 01:01:08,319
a forgery and we could prove beyond a

1655
01:01:12,549 --> 01:01:10,000
shadow of a doubt that the journal did

1656
01:01:15,109 --> 01:01:12,559
belong to admiral byrd it would still be

1657
01:01:17,190 --> 01:01:15,119
difficult to argue for its authenticity

1658
01:01:19,430 --> 01:01:17,200
because as it turns out bird may have

1659
01:01:21,349 --> 01:01:19,440
had a record forging journal entries in

1660
01:01:23,109 --> 01:01:21,359
order to corroborate an extraordinary

1661
01:01:24,630 --> 01:01:23,119
personal accomplishment

1662
01:01:26,549 --> 01:01:24,640
in fact there's actually some

1663
01:01:28,549 --> 01:01:26,559
considerable evidence to suggest that

1664
01:01:30,630 --> 01:01:28,559
bird may have fudged his journal entries

1665
01:01:33,030 --> 01:01:30,640
to hide the fact that he wasn't actually

1666
01:01:34,870 --> 01:01:33,040
the first to fly over the north pole

1667
01:01:37,670 --> 01:01:34,880
doubts were first raised about bird's

1668
01:01:39,910 --> 01:01:37,680
historic flight in 1958 when norwegian

1669
01:01:42,630 --> 01:01:39,920
american aviator and explorer bernt

1670
01:01:44,230 --> 01:01:42,640
belkin cast doubt on bird's claims on

1671
01:01:47,109 --> 01:01:44,240
the basis of his knowledge of the

1672
01:01:49,109 --> 01:01:47,119
airplane speed balkan also claimed that

1673
01:01:51,670 --> 01:01:49,119
bird's co-pilot floyd bennett had

1674
01:01:54,390 --> 01:01:51,680
confessed to him months after the flight

1675
01:01:56,630 --> 01:01:54,400
the bird and he had not reached the pole

1676
01:01:59,829 --> 01:01:56,640
however bennett had died 30 years

1677
01:02:02,470 --> 01:01:59,839
earlier on april 25 1928 during a flight

1678
01:02:04,710 --> 01:02:02,480
to rescue downed aviators in greenland

1679
01:02:07,670 --> 01:02:04,720
so there was no real way to corroborate

1680
01:02:09,990 --> 01:02:07,680
these claims and bennett for his part

1681
01:02:11,829 --> 01:02:10,000
had started a memoir given numerous

1682
01:02:13,589 --> 01:02:11,839
interviews and wrote an article for an

1683
01:02:15,510 --> 01:02:13,599
aviation magazine about the flight

1684
01:02:17,589 --> 01:02:15,520
before his death that all confirmed

1685
01:02:19,589 --> 01:02:17,599
byrd's version of the flight so it's

1686
01:02:21,670 --> 01:02:19,599
hard to know exactly what happened or if

1687
01:02:24,470 --> 01:02:21,680
balkan was telling the truth

1688
01:02:26,950 --> 01:02:24,480
in 1996 however bird's diary of the

1689
01:02:28,789 --> 01:02:26,960
north pole flight was released and it

1690
01:02:30,309 --> 01:02:28,799
revealed that flight information

1691
01:02:32,549 --> 01:02:30,319
suggesting that they may not have

1692
01:02:35,270 --> 01:02:32,559
reached the pole had been erased in the

1693
01:02:36,950 --> 01:02:35,280
diary but it was still legible these

1694
01:02:38,789 --> 01:02:36,960
figures did not make it into the final

1695
01:02:41,030 --> 01:02:38,799
report that byrd submitted regarding the

1696
01:02:43,270 --> 01:02:41,040
flight leaving many to suspect that he

1697
01:02:44,950 --> 01:02:43,280
and bennett may have lied

1698
01:02:47,030 --> 01:02:44,960
so even if we didn't have reason to

1699
01:02:49,109 --> 01:02:47,040
question who wrote bird's alleged secret

1700
01:02:50,549 --> 01:02:49,119
journal we'd still have considerable

1701
01:02:51,750 --> 01:02:50,559
reason to question the truth of its

1702
01:02:53,990 --> 01:02:51,760
contents

1703
01:02:55,670 --> 01:02:54,000
unfortunately the story of admiral byrd

1704
01:02:57,190 --> 01:02:55,680
and hollow earth is one that we're going

1705
01:03:00,069 --> 01:02:57,200
to have to relegate to the realm of

1706
01:03:02,390 --> 01:03:00,079
fairy tales but it is one badass fairy

1707
01:03:03,990 --> 01:03:02,400
tale you at least have to give it that

1708
01:03:06,390 --> 01:03:04,000
so this is where we'll conclude our

1709
01:03:08,549 --> 01:03:06,400
series on nazi ufo lore

1710
01:03:10,789 --> 01:03:08,559
and yet like so much related to the

1711
01:03:13,430 --> 01:03:10,799
phenomenon the line we're drawing here

1712
01:03:15,589 --> 01:03:13,440
is somewhat arbitrary while we're moving

1713
01:03:17,029 --> 01:03:15,599
forward with our story there are several

1714
01:03:19,990 --> 01:03:17,039
important through lines from this

1715
01:03:22,309 --> 01:03:20,000
bizarre chapter that we'll carry with us

1716
01:03:24,950 --> 01:03:22,319
in many ways the story that began to

1717
01:03:27,990 --> 01:03:24,960
unfold during world war ii is still very

1718
01:03:29,910 --> 01:03:28,000
much alive today its tendrils creeping

1719
01:03:31,750 --> 01:03:29,920
insidiously through our cultural myths

1720
01:03:33,430 --> 01:03:31,760
and realities in ways that we're still

1721
01:03:35,670 --> 01:03:33,440
trying to untangle

1722
01:03:37,910 --> 01:03:35,680
we'll see this in the next episode as we

1723
01:03:40,390 --> 01:03:37,920
turn our attention to the space race and

1724
01:03:42,789 --> 01:03:40,400
subsequent moon landing that defined the

1725
01:03:45,190 --> 01:03:42,799
middle of the 20th century and ushered

1726
01:03:47,430 --> 01:03:45,200
in a new age of exploration and

1727
01:03:49,430 --> 01:03:47,440
possibility for the human race

1728
01:03:51,190 --> 01:03:49,440
and find ourselves asking the questions

1729
01:03:52,630 --> 01:03:51,200
we've been asking ourselves in this

1730
01:03:54,230 --> 01:03:52,640
series

1731
01:03:55,910 --> 01:03:54,240
what is the nature of the occult and

1732
01:03:58,150 --> 01:03:55,920
secret knowledge

1733
01:03:59,589 --> 01:03:58,160
what role if any have non-human

1734
01:04:01,750 --> 01:03:59,599
intelligences played in our

1735
01:04:05,670 --> 01:04:01,760
technological development

1736
01:04:17,240 --> 01:04:05,680
and what really happened to the nazis

1737
01:04:17,250 --> 01:04:22,690
[Music]