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UFO UpDates Mailing List

From: Kevin Randle <KRandle993@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 08:56:53 EDT
Fwd Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 09:34:25 -0400
Subject: Re: C-E: The Wit and Wisdom of J. Bond Johnson


>From: "Ted Viens" <drtedv@freewwweb.com>
>To: "UpDates - Toronto" <updates@globalserve.net>
>Subject: Re: UFO UpDate: Re: C-E: The Wit and Wisdom of J. Bond Johnson
>Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 00:41:52 -0500


>>Date: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 14:51:50 -0500
>>From: Dave Vetterick <veterick@ix.netcom.com>
>>To: UFO Updates List <updates@globalserve.net>
>>Subject: J. Bond Johnson-Roswell Photographer

>>>Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 21:33:17 -0500
>>>From: Francis Ridge <slk@EVANSVILLE.NET>
>>>Subject: J. Bond Johnson
>>>To: CURRENT-ENCOUNTERS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM

[snip]

Hi Ted, et.al -

>More important is what I still see. I see the missed
>opportunities of investigators obsessing over highly manipulated
>obscure details when there is so much practical detail to be
>exracted from the photos. For instance, in one photo, General
>Ramey is holding a telegram with a couple of lines blurred but
>visible. If a researchers photo processing cannot resolve this
>printed english what possible chance would they have of
>resolving something unknown and unfamiliar? What is on this
>telegram?

We did try to read the telegram but were unable to resolve the
type. A few letters of a couple of words were clear enough to
read but they added nothing to our knowledge and did not help
in understanding what was on the paper Ramey held. We tried
a number of things with these photographs, working with copies
purchased from UTA.

>Not all Radar Reflectors were made of identical materials in
>identical forms. A perceptive Weather Officer, in service at the
>time, might be able to distinguish one from another and could
>tell from looking at the photos whether the reflector
>photographed was in use near Roswell, or near Fort Worth, or
>exclusively by the Project Mogul teams. Those with this skill
>grow fewer with the passing time and their memory grows dimmer.
>Imagine the implications if a retired Weather Officer was able
>to say, "Sure, I recognize those targets. But, they were only in
>use in Texas and not at the New Mexico bases." Or even to say
>that the Roswell targets looked just like those in the pictures.

We spoke to a number of weather men who recognized the targets
for what they were. But they were generic targets that were
indistinguishable from their counterparts. Irving Newton, the FW
weather officer in one of the pictures said they didn't normally
launch rawins from FW. I asked him where he would get one if
required to do so and he replied Lawton. That is, Ft. Sill, the
artillery base in Oklahoma, which, is not all that far from FW.

>One more thing: The two courteous and helpful women behind the
>desk at the Collections were very concerned about one thing.
>Publication Fees, royalties, that fair use fee that you would
>pay another for the use of their property. Four of the five or
>so photos taken by James Bond Johnson on that fateful July day
>in 1947 are owned by UTA and they would like to be paid for
>their use. Even here the rates are reasonable. They believe that
>the electronic fees will match the Video, Film rates which are
>$100.00 for Worldwide Distribution. Probably to be assessed per
>Web site. So, flat out retail, one could get 4 original prints
>and publish them and any analysis of them for $496.00. Not even
>bad at that price. But, fear not, they will entertain pleas of
>poverty and strife.

They are not the only ones claiming ownership. Bettmann Photo
Archives of New York City also has copies of the pictures to sell
but they rates are much higher. I mention this only so that it is
clear that we have done our research on the these photographs.

>So, there you have my take on the James Bond Johnson
>photographs. Clearly a radar reflector target. Clearly still
>able to tell us much more.

And Johnson could have been a real help in understanding what
happened in General Ramey's office until he decided to change
his story and claim that Ramey didn't know what it was until
sometime later. Johnson's story has become so much better and
has expanded to such a degree that it is now virtually useless.
I mean, he is now claiming that he opened the packages
containing the debris while waiting for General Ramey. Get real.

I'm not sure what more we could have done in 1989 and 1990 as we
worked on this aspect of the case. I had thought that it was
finished until Johnson started telling this new story and
diverted our attention from the aspects that were important.

KRandle