This document depicts the original blueprint of the mountain that was undergoing excavation for Site Able and subsequently for Starfire Range.
Video of a CGI replication walkthrough based on Data.
Collection of images from Site Able I was able to collect.
The Two Men
Paul Frederic Bennewitz
The Curious
Paul Frederic Bennewitz, Jr. (September 29, 1927 – June 23, 2003) was an American businessman and UFO investigator. According to multiple sources, Bennewitz was the target of a government disinformation campaign that ultimately led to his psychiatric hospitalization.
Richard "Rick" Doty
The Liar, The Killer
Richard Doty spread disinformation about UFOs on behalf of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI)
The Story
During the 1970s, Bennewitz became a member of Arizona's Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO), a civilian UFO investigation group.[7] By the mid-1970s, cattle mutilations had become associated with UFOs.[8] On April 20, 1979, U.S. Attorney R. E. Thompson and US Senator Harrison Schmidt held a public meeting about cattle mutilations. The meeting was attended by about 80, one attendee was Paul Bennewitz.[9]
The 2013 documentary Mirage Men includes the suggestion that government agents likely "first identified" Bennewitz at this meeting[9] or outright targeted him for his participation.[10] At the meeting, Bennewitz was introduced to highway patrol officer Gabe Valdez who was investigating the incidents.[11][12]
Bennewitz later listed July 1979 as the beginning of a "personally funded study" into UFOs.[13] Bennewitz reportedly began filming strange lights and recording unusual radio signals over Kirtland Air Force Base.[14]
On October 24, 1980, Bennewitz contacted Kirtland Air Force base to report his findings.[16] On November 10, 1980, Bennewitz briefed people[who?] at Kirtland. [17]
In a December 2, 1981 letter to U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, Bennewitz explained that "sometime late 79 or first of 80 an argument insued [sic] over weapons and the military abandoned [Dulce base]; the final circumstance of the men unknown...". Wrote Bennewitz:[18]
To date, as noted, I have not heard from you and therefore will assume with all your new duties that you are very busy and just have not had the time.
The facts I gave Captain Harris are simple and straightforward as follows:
1) I knew the location of the Alien bases in Northern New Mexico in the center of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation 4.5 miles northwest of Dulce, NM.
2) I know that someone in the military made a deal with the Aliens several years ago, giving the Indian land, cattle, etc. and apparent assurance of safety to the Alien in trade for Technology in the form of an Atomic powered ship at the same time establishing an extensive US base alongside to test the ship.
3) That sometime late 79 or first of 80 an argument insued [sic] over weapons and the military abandoned; the final circumstance of the men unknown.
4) That I had very high resolution official NASA U2 CIR (color infrared)photos in addition to low level and ground photos showing the base in total detail, (photos obtained legitimately through UNM) [University of New Mexico]
5) The ship design traded for is over thirty (30) years behind the alien technology.
6) I advised Captain Harris I knew of the two women and child near Austin, TX who were severely exposed to radiation at close distance from the ship in trouble and that it was seen to come west with helicopters (unmarked) and that the government was quietly paying their hospital expenses.
I am also very concerned that the President has not been totally advised of the situation and have forwarded a copy to him, cover letter enclosed for your record. It is hoped you will value this valuable input and in time get in touch with me.
In 1984, Bennewitz again referred to a 1979 conflict that led to the closure of the Alien-Human base. The "Dulce War" would later be espoused by conspiracy theorists like John Lear, Bill Cooper, and Phil Schneider.
Bennewitz claimed the existence of a plot involving an extensive network of UFO bases tied to an alien colonization and control scheme to subjugate mankind. After he saw the hypnosis sessions of Myrna Hansen, who claimed to have UFO experiences, he became convinced that cattle mutilations were due to aliens.
As a result, Bennewitz claimed to have uncovered evidence of aliens controlling humans through electromagnetic devices, and furthermore claimed that UFOs were regularly flying near Kirtland Air Force Base and the nearby Manzano Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility and Coyote Canyon Test Area.[26]
Convinced that he was intercepting electronic communications originating from alien spacecraft located outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Bennewitz soon believed that he had located a secret alien facility that he called Dulce Base.
By August 1988, Bennewitz was accusing his wife of being in control of the extraterrestrials. After attempting to barricade himself in his home using sandbags, his family admitted him to the mental health unit of Presbyterian Anna Kaseman Hospital; He remained under observation there for one month.[27]
On July 1, 1989, William Moore claimed that he tried to push Bennewitz into a mental breakdown by feeding him false information about aliens.[26] This was corroborated by a declassified CIA document that claims Moore and another officer of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Richard Doty, are responsible for a disinformation campaign against Bennewitz.[28]
In 1990, the Bennewitz story was featured in Howard Blum's book Out There: The Government's Secret Quest for Extraterrestrials. Blum publicized that the government had sent undercover agents to befriend and mislead Bennewitz using counterfeit documents.[29]
In 1999, the Albuquerque Tribune anniversary page featured mention of Paul and Cindy's 50th anniversary.[5]
Paul Bennewitz died on June 23, 2003. He was buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery.[30]
In 2005, the book Project Beta: The Story of Paul Bennewitz, National Security, and the Creation of a Modern UFO Myth by Greg Bishop further publicized the events.[31] Mark Pilkington's book about the project, also called Mirage Men, was published in 2010 by Constable & Robinson.[32] The book was adapted into the 2013 documentary Mirage Men.[33]
Former special agent for the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations Richard Doty claimed that in the 1980s he was tasked with hoaxing documents and feeding false information to UFO researchers, including Bennewitz.[34]
Most likely what Paul saw and was Reporting
Starfire Optical Range
Starfire Optical Range (SOR - Pronounced as an initialism) is a United States Air Force research laboratory on the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its primary duty, according to the official website, is to "develop and demonstrate optical wavefront control technologies." The range is a secure lab facility and is a division of the Directed Energy Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory.
SOR's optical equipment includes a 3.5 meter telescope which is "one of the largest telescopes in the world equipped with adaptive optics designed for satellite tracking" according to the Air Force, a 1.5 meter telescope, and a 1-meter beam director.
The purpose of Starfire is to conduct research to use adaptive optics to remove the effects of scintillation (atmospheric turbulence).[1] Turbulence interferes with laser beam integrity over distances. Lasers are being used for long-distance high-bandwidth communications and accuracy in air-to-air laser connectivity is important for data integrity.
Scintillation is also a problem in development of weaponized lasers, such as the airborne laser being developed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles.
According to an article published on May 3, 2006, in The New York Times, research is being conducted at the laboratory into how to use ground-based lasers to disable satellites; that is, as an anti-satellite weapon.[1]
Conclusion
Paul Bennewitz, a businessman and amateur UFO researcher, became convinced in the late 1970s and early 1980s that he was observing extraterrestrial activity around Kirtland Air Force Base, including the highly classified Site Able and the Starfire Optical Range. Bennewitz claimed to witness strange lights, radio signals, and other phenomena that he believed were linked to an alien presence.
A plausible explanation for what Bennewitz was observing might involve classified military projects, including experimental aircraft and weapons systems testing, which were taking place at or near Kirtland during that period. The Starfire Optical Range, for example, was conducting early work in laser tracking and satellite surveillance, while Site Able could have been involved in the testing of stealth aircraft or other advanced technologies. The lights and signals Bennewitz picked up could have been tied to these top-secret programs, particularly during the Cold War, when the U.S. military was developing cutting-edge technology in response to the Soviet threat.
Enter Richard Doty, an Air Force intelligence officer who played a key role in Bennewitz's story. Doty, and possibly other intelligence operatives, fed Bennewitz disinformation about an alien conspiracy, encouraging him to believe that what he was seeing was extraterrestrial rather than military in nature. This could have been part of a deliberate attempt to mislead Bennewitz and discredit him as a reliable source, thus diverting attention away from the sensitive military programs being conducted at Kirtland. By leading Bennewitz to focus on aliens, Doty and his associates may have used him as a pawn in a counterintelligence operation aimed at keeping the real nature of the activities at Kirtland secret.
The combination of Bennewitz's genuine observations of classified tests and Doty's manipulative feeding of alien narratives likely led to Bennewitz becoming obsessed with the idea of an alien presence, despite the mundane but highly secretive military projects that were the true source of the phenomena he witnessed.
Stay Curious. Question Everything.
+ Stellambulator
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