Was Malmstrom's Oscar Flight the Results of a Hypnotic Trance?

This past weekend, I was browsing through the UFO Iconoclast(s) site.  Rich Reynolds had a blog article linking to Paul Kimball's website, "The Other Side of Truth."  The topic was Kimball's top ten UFO cases that he had compiled some time ago and his reappraisal of those ten cases.

I knew that Kimball had listed Malmstrom's incidents in his top ten so I was naturally curious about his rationale, or thoughts about the case.  In short, I was surprised by his current views regarding the Oscar Flight story and Robert Salas in general.

7. Malmstrom AFB, 1967 - This case has generated more publicity than any of the others within ufology, if not the general public (Rendlesham is much better known there), largely because of the feud between "UFOs at Missile Bases" proponent Robert Hastings and James Carlson, the son of one of the officers allegedly involved in it all. I think they deserve each other, because they are both bonkers in my book. Focusing on the case instead of the feud, I don't buy it. I like Bob Salas (the primary witness) as a person, and think he is an honest man, but I also think that while he's made a genuine effort to remember things as they happened, he's got it wrong. When I interviewed him in 2006, he told me that he underwent hypnosis to recover his memories of the incident, which always rings alarm bells with me. There are no other witnesses or documents which corroborate his story - and there should be. Where are any of the soldiers who were topside who reportedly saw the UFO? I admire Bob for his advocacy of a nuclear free world, but I can't buy Malmstrom as anything other than a missile failure due to prosaic reasons, and some tall tales that he has absorbed as a truthful narrative."

First, I have to admit, Kimball's interview with Robert Salas was totally unknown to me...this was the first that I knew of it.

Second, I had never seen nor read anything concerning Salas having to undergo hypnosis to recover memories of the incident.  I readily admit that I was stunned to learn this.  And yes, Paul Kimball was right about his instincts with "alarm bells ringing."

My good friend, James Carlson had a few choice words concerning Kimball's article on the forums of Realityuncovered which can be seen here and here.  James does not buy the hypnosis angle, but I must somewhat disagree with my good friend.  

The issue of the use of hypnosis does explain a lot since the Oscar case has always been a mystery, a disjointed tale with so many convoluted components.  And quite honestly Robert Salas has always been a perplexing figure filled with contradictions and finally (shrewdly?) tying all of those contradictions into one self proclaimed "legal" affidavit.  The truth hammered on an anvil of confabulations has always been my thought. 

I offered, last night, a point of reflection for James:

James,

I was unable to reply fully earlier as I had to head off to work. I think that the more rational way to look at Kimball's statement is that he is giving the impression that there is nothing to any of the Malmstrom claims. He is just many of a growing list that sees the shine off the bloom of Hastings' and Salas' claims. Did Kimball come to that conclusion all on his own? I seriously doubt that. And, is it important at all how he reached his conclusions? That's not important. The fact is that Malmstrom has been a dead issue for quite some time.

I personally have no proof that Salas is intentionally lying or being fraudulent in his current and past claims...I have no evidence of such. Yet, per Kimball's assertion that Salas is fair and honorable, I have no proof or evidence that such is the case either. What I do know is that Salas has made numerous claims that are completely contradictory of each other and that it is possible from a psychological angle that he has confabulated to the point of a type of fix delusional state. 

Kimball's claims that Salas (supposedly, for I have no proof of that) under went hypnosis raises questions about the Oscar affair regardless of what version he has presented. If we take Kimball's statements at face value, he supposedly talked to Salas, and say that this is true, then the mystery is much clearer and explains the following:

1. Why he was initially confused at his alert location.
2. Why no one that was present on the LCF came forward to support his claims
3. Why Fred Meiwald wrote the 1996 letter stating that he remembered things differently
4. Add in anything you want to at this point.

I'm reminded of a fairly recent blog post on Kevin Randle's blog where he basically paints Salas as a broken or lone figure. At least that's my impression.

If Kimball is wrong on all accounts, then the above 4 points still apply. 

Therefore, this tortuous argument is irrelevant and merely becomes circular in nature with no end or conclusion to anyone's satisfaction. I firmly believe that we are at the end of this saga and yours and mine hold true based on the weight of the evidence. 

Kind regards,

Tim H.


A final word on James Carlson.  James has more knowledge on the Malmstrom AFB case than anyone that I know...that includes me.  When I first started looking into the case, I came across James' work and his research methodology.  Quiet frankly, I thought it was the work of someone who had been a missile maintenance technician.  I simply set out to verify his findings and found that his argument against the pro-UFO component of the Malmstrom saga was decidedly sound....James' argument had merit.

Initially this alternative, and the only logical, view point was intentionally embargoed on various UFO websites.  There would be no outlet for due consideration as certain individuals claiming to be in search of truth showed themselves to merely be narcissistic hypocrites.  Malmstrom had become a "sacred cow" for some and the truth about the incident had to be suppressed. 

That suppression of the truth is over as I, James Carlson, Tim Printy, and others have ripped a hole in this fantasy...this myth.  The Malmstrom UFO incident of 1967 is now part of folklore and nothing more.  Sure, others will cling to it, for they have a belief or the need to believe.  Some may have a financial angle with the sole purpose to exploit the gullible, but one cannot milk a dead or dying cow.