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| Constructive Colleagues... Collegiate Collaborators... and Friends |
Frank C. Feschino, Jr.
...An Overview of his
"Flatwoods
Monster"
Investigation
by Alfred Lehmberg
Frank C. Feschino, Jr. is a graduate of the Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, where he studied illustration, commercial art, and photography. He was trained there by several world-class artists including Kenneth Davies, Rudolph Zallinger, and John Massimino. Subsequently, Frank earned his four-year Fine Arts diploma there in 1981.
Feschino later moved to Florida where he studied Film and Video production at Phillips Jr. College in Daytona Beach. There, he was trained by Hollywood steady-cam operator Rich Davis. In 1994, he graduated with an Associates Degree in Film and Video Production plus a minor in Business.
Feschino would come to be interested in UFOs in the
early 1990s when, on break from school, he chance-visited a relative's farm in Braxton County, West Virginia.
He discovered there, in some strange and seminal serendipity of cosmic foreshadowing, that numerous crop circles had appeared on the property overnight! Moreover, UFOs had been frequently sighted over that region dating back many years.
Pursuant to industry and interest piqued, Feschino very carefully and meticulously documented these anomalies and then shared his research with British crop circle expert and electrical engineer Mr. Colin Andrews. Mr. Andrews would catalog Frank's new-found information in his world-class crop circle database, subsequently, and then keep him informed on unfolding current events over the years.
Pursuant to industry and interest piqued, Feschino very carefully and meticulously documented these anomalies and then shared his research with British crop circle expert and electrical engineer Mr. Colin Andrews. Mr. Andrews would catalog Frank's new-found information in his world-class crop circle database, subsequently, and then keep him informed on unfolding current events over the years.
It suddenly occurred to Feschino at some point that all this paranormal hoo-rah was great material for a one-off project for
film-school! ...Little did he know...
We observe then that, during this time and at this loation, Feschino became aware
of the famous "Flatwoods Monster," that particular UFO crash incident of Braxton
County, West Virginia occurring on September 12, 1952, which everyone had all but forgotten about. Entirely captivated, this "one-off" school project would become Feschino's life work!
For the uninitiated, this "UFO Crash" alluded to was a case involving a downed UFO and its
alien occupant, a 12-foot-tall armor-clad being encountered by a group of
unsuspecting local Flatwoods townspeople investigating a clear "disturbance" in their town. Suspend all dismissal or stop reading, now.
This terrifying "close encounter of the third kind" quickly made headlines across the globe, was talked about, effusively, on the radio and TV, and was featured just one week later on a Nationally broadcasted live TV program named, "We The People." This was a program "woke" for the time and entirely investigative if sensational... they wanted a rep for getting the story right. "Corporate," at this time, was hands-off on the news, in comparison to current spacetime.
Mysteriously, this long-running popular TV talk-show was suddenly canceled after the episode following the "Flatwoods Monster" airing! One wonders what was up with that, especially after revelations of the proceeding... this writer is bereft of all clue regarding same.
This terrifying "close encounter of the third kind" quickly made headlines across the globe, was talked about, effusively, on the radio and TV, and was featured just one week later on a Nationally broadcasted live TV program named, "We The People." This was a program "woke" for the time and entirely investigative if sensational... they wanted a rep for getting the story right. "Corporate," at this time, was hands-off on the news, in comparison to current spacetime.
Mysteriously, this long-running popular TV talk-show was suddenly canceled after the episode following the "Flatwoods Monster" airing! One wonders what was up with that, especially after revelations of the proceeding... this writer is bereft of all clue regarding same.
Though, onward, the far-reaching news about the "monster" event in West
Virginia was actually one of the world's top news stories of 1952. Yet,
though the popularity and fame of the "Flatwoods Monster" had
risen quickly in the public eye, there was a dark downside to the story as
well!
It becomes quite plain at this point that Government intelligence agencies had covertly stepped into the
picture and were keeping watchful eyes over the unfolding situation, and
quickly working to diffuse it. Such seems, and abundantly, so. Why?
There were reasons good and bad, verily! There was a very real Soviet threat which could be complicated by even a misidentification of UFOs... forgetting the distraction of the incomprehensible actuality of them, although, unreasoning and slapdash, even incompetent (scared?), inconsistencies in
reporting the incident abounded and became horrendous early on, abiding
even today! Witnesses were constantly misquoted, the incident was heavily bowdlerized, contrived
to seem doubtful, and the very honest and forthright witnesses were, and have been, laughed at
for decades, 6 and counting!
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| This happened... |
The government's official explanation reported that
the incident was caused by a passing "fireball meteor," and that the
witnesses probably misinterpreted the "so-called monster" as a
"barn owl" perched high on a tall tree branch at dusk! Patent nonsense not supported by data on
any level in the first place, and meteors, in the second, don't hang in the air for 21 hours and temporal-change!
This "monster" incident, as well as many other recorded UFO cases during the 1952 "Summer of Saucers," had the American public anxiously excited precisely because UFO sightings were at a historical high over the country that year! Here, the cover-up of this alien encounter was determined as necessary by the government, and actions to squash it were quickly and covertly (if incompetently) implemented. Mass hysteria was indeed avoided!
Remains! We must ask, "but, at what cost," ultimately. Let us digress momentarily to observe how much farther ahead we could be as a species to have faced the UFO head-on back in the 50's and now have all that mischief more managed... but behind us! This writer would bet heavily that we'd have more societal success and self-respect as a result. We'd know who we were, at any rate, and not be disappointed, I feel... That's the intuition...
This "monster" incident, as well as many other recorded UFO cases during the 1952 "Summer of Saucers," had the American public anxiously excited precisely because UFO sightings were at a historical high over the country that year! Here, the cover-up of this alien encounter was determined as necessary by the government, and actions to squash it were quickly and covertly (if incompetently) implemented. Mass hysteria was indeed avoided!
Remains! We must ask, "but, at what cost," ultimately. Let us digress momentarily to observe how much farther ahead we could be as a species to have faced the UFO head-on back in the 50's and now have all that mischief more managed... but behind us! This writer would bet heavily that we'd have more societal success and self-respect as a result. We'd know who we were, at any rate, and not be disappointed, I feel... That's the intuition...
Back in West Virginia, subsequently, the
"Flatwoods Monster" case was on the way to becoming a mere historical myth of sketch-less folklore. The majority of the public
didn't believe the crazy tale to start, and the famous "monster" case was to be
shelved as a curious legend for its finish! Mission accomplished? Again, one wonders.
…But wait, the real
story behind this mysterious alien visitor and the circumstances
surrounding the enigmatic and bizarre incident was never fully known
to the public! Well, as the reader might suspect, that was about to change!
You see, in 1952,
there were a few people of staid consciousness and responsible conscience. These were lettered and inquisitive persons, adventurers who believed that this terrifying if astonishing incident truly did happen, they just couldn't put it all together with the "officially fiddled-with" information at hand!
Still, and luckily for the serious future researcher, some investigators, and fortuitously, left credible historical documentation about this case in their books, published periodicals, and private newsletters! Remains... It would have all been lost...
Still, and luckily for the serious future researcher, some investigators, and fortuitously, left credible historical documentation about this case in their books, published periodicals, and private newsletters! Remains... It would have all been lost...
...Enter newly minted illustrator Frank C. Feschino, Jr. forty years later. Intrigued and perplexed by the bizarre story, Feschino, shortly, picks up this cold case where it had left off back in 1952 and was immediately engaged. He would run hard with it. He has never looked
back. The chase is still afoot.
Feschino would truly become the first primary investigator involved in the puzzling affair since it was originally investigated in 1952. Indeed. He would bring the "Flatwoods Monster" case to a whole new level of well-credentialed credibility!
Feschino would truly become the first primary investigator involved in the puzzling affair since it was originally investigated in 1952. Indeed. He would bring the "Flatwoods Monster" case to a whole new level of well-credentialed credibility!
See, while still attending film school, Frank began an intense and
extensive investigation into the case almost as a lark. Conversely, it would become his primary focus and
occupation.
Verily, now armed with video equipment and schooled communication skills, he would competently videotape or film interviews with many of the first-hand Flatwoods eyewitness. He also
photographed or filmed the many locations involved in the story, which were untouched by
time. This immediately preceding should not be taken lightly...
During his arduous, sometimes even physically hazardous investigation, reader, Feschino
traveled extensively, accumulating a mass of information including the works of
the aforementioned past researchers. He searched for and found forgotten books and
magazine publications, private research papers, hoary newspaper articles from around
the globe… and most importantly, the long-forgotten
official government documents of the recently declassified Project Bluebook Files, ghostlike textual apparitions on film sometimes requiring huge reconstructions of these microfilm documents! This was the one thing previous researchers had not had. Here was the mortar for the ufological factual brickage!
Unsettlingly now, Feschino discovered that the case's evidentiary trail
was screwed-up very deeply by the government, but that there still remained
scattered clues and widespread pieces to this cold-case puzzle scattered about and hard to decypher! These were
clues and pieces telling the truth, if strewn about—buried
all across the United States! The aspiration was to put this cosmic jigsaw back together, one can gather. For this writer's money, he succeeded.
Feschino not
only discovered that this alien encounter had indeed occurred, but he
also put together an astounding timeline of events for September 12, 1952, disclosing a previously UNDISCLOSED 21-sustained hours of unending
UFO activity... activity occurring over ten east coast States that fearfully fateful night! This was one busy meteor!
This was the puzzle being completed... then. Information from disparate and un-coordinated sources dove-tailing into a clearer picture of what MUST have happened.
This was the puzzle being completed... then. Information from disparate and un-coordinated sources dove-tailing into a clearer picture of what MUST have happened.
On the day of
September 12, 1952, Feschino was able to pinpoint 116 documented
locations involving 25 separate and distinct UFOs over ten States,
and he also discovered that four of those UFOs were heavily damaged! These
damaged craft made repeated landings, by report; one of those damaged
and downed objects even held an occupant abandoning its own damaged conveyance! This "occupant" would later come to be
known as, the "Flatwoods Monster." Frank Feschino, Jr. fleshes all this out, in his book, and as a result of an analysis
of his "Master Map."
This well-cited initiative contains the information
included: plotted points of a particular UFO's locations, the type of craft
described, the timestamps of each object, and even their flight trajectories. It’s
rather forensically recreated a total scenario for what happened in and around Flatwoods
on September 12, 1952.
Shockingly, Feschino discovered that by putting all of
the individual UFO events into a chronological timeline and then piecing it all
together, a story unfolded. This story very demonstrably involved two seeming "search and rescue
operations" for distressed "fellows"... by Extraterrestrials for Extraterrestrials. Please read that again. They
apparently attempted to retrieve two of their downed and stranded comrades in
West Virginia, one in Flatwoods and the other in Wheeling, WV ... the data
strongly suggests this.
Ultimately, Feschino concludes a logical
explanation as to why there were four damaged and downed UFOs in the country
that day. He observes that during 1952, the UFO
sightings had become so frequent and ubiquitous over the United States that the Air
Defense Command was "operating under a 24-hour Nation-wide alert
against 'flying saucers" in an attempt to address same!
Top officials had directed their fighter pilots, "to take off instantly in pursuit of any 'flying saucers' sighted anywhere in the country." They would do just that... and the unadmitted carnage may have been horrific!
Top officials had directed their fighter pilots, "to take off instantly in pursuit of any 'flying saucers' sighted anywhere in the country." They would do just that... and the unadmitted carnage may have been horrific!
See, Feschino also rediscovered a piece of history that was forgotten by most when he learned
the USAF also had "Shoot Down" orders directed against these flying
saucers! Shoot down orders! These orders, reader, are now well documented. Feschino and Stanton Friedman hold a blow-up of a Newspaper article from that time, above.
Now confident, even arrogant, with their latest rocket-bearing jet
interceptors in service at the time, the United States Air Force revealed
that their fighter pilots, "have been under orders to investigate
unidentified objects and to shoot them down if they can't talk them down." Feschino
discovered the Air Force also admitted that they had scrambled jet interceptors,
"several hundred times as a result of reported sightings of
unidentified objects."
He continued his UFO research and discovered an alarming amount of mysterious Air Force, Navy, and Marine fighter aircraft accidents also occurred during that period. Some of these were just wholly inexplicable, man and machine simple vanishing from the Earth's face or crashing into schools and neighborhoods! The writer is not making this up.
Feschino documented and compiled a plethora of inscrutable fighter aircraft crashes as well as many unsolved incidents.
These involved an overwhelming amount of vanished planes and missing airmen.
The loss of machines and men during that time, undeniably, was, by report, absolutely staggering!
Feschino also unearthed one more of these mysterious incidents. It occurred on September 12, 1952. The affair involved a United States jet fighter
vanishing into thin air shortly before the "Flatwoods Monster"
crash-landed in West Virginia.
Feschino worked for several years on this particular case and discovered that the Air Force would report absolutely no record of this missing jet or its two-man crew. Additionally, the United States government did not have a single record of the airmen in any of their official holdings, military or civilian! Curious! Feschino continued on with his exhaustive investigation, regardless, then tracked down and talked to the two airmen's surviving brothers!
Feschino worked for several years on this particular case and discovered that the Air Force would report absolutely no record of this missing jet or its two-man crew. Additionally, the United States government did not have a single record of the airmen in any of their official holdings, military or civilian! Curious! Feschino continued on with his exhaustive investigation, regardless, then tracked down and talked to the two airmen's surviving brothers!
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| Rubbing... stone in inset... |
The pilot's brother gave Feschino official
documents that the USAF had sent him, then Feschino tracked down the memorial
headstone of the pilot in Ocala, Florida. Our intrepid researcher then got hold
of several Florida newspaper articles on the subject and began to piece the story together...
but something was missing... the truth!
The explanations given by the Air Force concerning this missing jet case were convoluted, contradictory, and fragmented. Years later, perhaps a result of Feschino's revelations in the case, the Air Force finally released the Sept. 12, 1952, Aircraft Accident Report
case file on microfilm... including the missing jet story. There was “no record,” remember!
Feschino evaluated all the cases and quickly
discovered that two other September 12, 1952 aircraft accident events
were mysteriously missing from the case files—both sent to higher
classification! Feschino then read, dissected, and reviewed the remaining missing jet case
and combined its contents with all of his other accumulated data about the
missing aircraft. His conclusion: a massive cover-up revealed, and one that was actually on a much
larger scale than the "Flatwoods Monster" incident. Flatwoods was
only the end of the story it appears.
The upshot is that the alluded case of missing
fighter pilot 2nd Lt. John Jones and radar operator, 2nd Lt. John DelCurto
fit perfectly into place with all the other covered-up UFO events occurring on
September 12, 1952. Such was abundantly so.
Feschino has written a groundbreaking book, and it is a
completed and convincing essay map of his investigation into the famous "Flatwoods
Monster" incident. It is titled, The Braxton County
Monster—The Cover-up of the Flatwoods Monster Revealed, later released
as an "Updated and Revised" edition while his
investigation continued and additional information was obtained. He's not done, yet, reader!
Feschino also wrote another book titled, Shoot Them Down-The Flying
Saucer Air Wars of 1952. It records the 1952 "Summer of the
Saucers" specific to the wave of UFO events, the Flatwoods case and the mysterious fighter
plane accidents occurring between 1951 and 1956. The forewords
and epilogs for Feschino's books were written by the nuclear physicist, UFO
expert, and fellow author (The Late) Stanton T. Friedman of Roswell fame (pictured at the top).
Additionally, Feschino would generously extend
recognition and credit to this writer and veteran Master Aviator, honored to write the book's recent book-cover
synopsis covering this astonishing incident.
Feschino's works have been featured in numerous
other UFO books, as well as countless newspaper, magazine, and internet
articles throughout the world. The author has also been interviewed by numerous
radio talk show hosts including personalities Whitley Strieber, George Noory,
Richard Dolan, Bill Birnes, Heather Wade, and Shadoe Stevens to name a
few.
While building momentum through the media, Frank
caught the eye of several conference promoters and subsequently traveled
throughout the United States to spread the word about his UFO research and
books of aviation and UFO history. For nearly a decade, Feschino
appeared in, or has headlined for, several UFO conferences,
lectures, and book signings. He was also involved in many "Flatwoods
Monster" one-man events including numerous book signings organized by (The
Late) Peggy Clise, the former Mayor of Flatwoods. These conferences were held
at the antique and historical "Grandad’s Store" in that town.
It was at that location that the monumental
"Flatwoods Monster 50th Anniversary" celebration was held in 2002
with special guest Stanton T. Friedman and many of the actual eyewitnesses in attendance. In
2007, another memorable event occurred in West Virginia, when Feschino led a
a cast of lecturers during a two-day, "Flatwoods Monster and Flying Saucer
Extravaganza" show, held at the historic Capitol Theatre in downtown
Charleston, WV.
Frank has guest appeared on many West Virginia
television talk shows, TV news broadcasts, and radio programs. He
was also featured in the first-ever "Flatwoods Monster" cover
story and feature article in the late UFO Magazine. The
author and UFO investigator also appeared in an episode of "Monster
Quest" on the HISTORY CHANNEL featuring the "Flatwoods Monster"
and "Frametown Monster" incidents of 1952. Additionally,
Feschino also produced a documentary that he wrote, shot, and narrated. It
focuses on his investigation into the "Flatwoods Monster" case
expanding into an undeclared and largely secret air war with ET. It appears on YouTube.
After a quest approaching 30 years to reveal the
truth regarding this seminal issue, Frank C. Feschino, Jr. has become the genuine
authority on the "Flatwoods Monster" incident and the UFO events of
September 12, 1952. Accept no substitutes. Today, a very well-spoken Feschino continues to be involved in UFO
research and currently resides at his home in central Florida.
Richard Dolan with Feschino Part one
https://youtu.be/zxtPpqIQhqk
Richard Dolan with Feschino Part two
https://youtu.be/cZ3ng-IBUJU
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