Most UFO encounters end up without leaving behind physical evidence and are met with skepticism. The Piney Woods Incident is not one of those encounters.
On the evening of December 29, 1980, Betty Cash along with Vickie Landrum and her grandson, Colby, were driving home. The highway they were on was empty and passed through the Piney Woods in East Texas. On that lonely stretch of road, the three of them had a Close Encounter of the Second Kind that would change their lives forever, leaving both emotional and physical marks.
At about 9:00 p.m., they saw a light above the trees and initially believed it to be an airplane preparing to land on the Houston Intercontinental Airport some 35 miles away. A few minutes later, they encountered the same light, only much closer and very bright. Only then did they notice the light was coming from a huge diamond-shaped object hovering at treetop level.Vickie, a born again Christian, believed the object was a sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ and told her grandson: “Don’t worry, that’s Jesus. He will not hurt us.”
Cash hit the brakes and the two women got out of the car and watched the astonishing object. At certain intervals, flames would shoot out from its base, making it rise slightly before descending again. The flames gave off intense heat and light. Paranormal researcher and writer Jerome Clark interviewed the women regarding the incident and this is the description they gave him:
The object, intensely bright and a dull metallic silver was shaped like a huge upright diamond, about the size of the Dayton water tower, with its top and bottom cut off so they were flat rather than pointed. Small blue lights ringed the center, and periodically over the next few minutes flames shot out of the bottom, flaring outward, creating the effect of a large cone…”The witnesses say they felt as if their faces were burning and decided to get back inside the car. In fact, the heat was so strong the car’s metal parts had become uncomfortably hot and they had to use their coats to protect their hands from being burned by the door handles. The heat had softened the vinyl on the dashboard to the point where Vickie touched it and left a hand print.As the frightened trio watched the UFO slowly ascend, one or two dozen military helicopters appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the flying object on all sides. They counted a total of 23 and later identified some of them as Boeing CH-47 Chinooks, a common military helicopter used all over the world. The helicopters escorted the UFO until they were lost to view.
Several other witnesses reported this event, among them a Dayton police officer and his wife. However, none of them were so close.
Their proximity to the event caused health problems. That night, all three of them exhibited the same symptoms: nausea, vomiting, general weakness and the feeling as if they had suffered sunburns.Unfortunately, Cash was hit the worst since she got the closest to the object. Large, painful blisters formed on her skin and she was taken to a hospital ER on January 3, 1981. She spent the next month in and out of hospital and she exhibited telltale signs of radiation sickness: skin sores, hair loss and prolonged weakness.
Radiologists who examined their medical records stated that their symptoms were evidence of secondary damage to ionizing radiation. They also believed the three had been exposed to an infrared or ultraviolet emitting source.This is one of the handful of UFO cases that resulted in litigation as Cash and Landrum were told they should hire a lawyer and seek compensation for their injuries. Their case bounced between US Courts for several years before being dismissed by a District Court judge. The judge noted that there was no reason to believe the helicopters were associated with the US Government. Also, official agencies denied any involvement whatsoever. Classic cover-up and denial.
In 1981 Vickie was hypnotized in front of a studio audience and she recounted the incident in detail.
This case is unique due to the fact that it left behind physical evidence. While testimonies can be untrue, second degree burns and radiation poisoning cannot be faked.
eloisesfigueroa@cox.net
