aranoia subsided； so did these threats from outer space。
II
The most widely publicized UFO contact of October 1973 was also the least important。 Two fishermen in Pascagoula； Mississippi； suffered a rather routine hallucination which hurled them onto national television and attracted the attention of UFO…philes； crackpots； and astronomers。 The case has been so widely discussed that I will just summarize it very briefly here。
〃It is my opinion that he told the truth when he stated that he believes he saw a spaceship； that he was taken into the spaceship； and that he saw three creatures；〃 Scott Glasgow； a New Orleans polygraph （lie detector） specialist declared after examining Charles Hickson in October 1973。 Dr。 J。 Allen Hynek； an astronomer； also interviewed Hickson and his friend Calvin Parker。
〃There is no question in my mind that these men have had a terrifying experience；〃 Hynek stated。 〃Under no circumstances should they be ridiculed。 Let's protect these men。〃
Hickson； forty…two； and Parker； eighteen； would need all the protection they could get。
The two men had been fishing from a pier on the Pascagoula River when at 8 P。M。 on October 11； 1973； they heard a loud pulsing； humming sound。 Then they saw a brilliant flickering blue light moving over the water toward them。
Both men became paralyzed。 〃I felt immobilized；〃 Hickson said later。 〃I couldn't move。 But I know I was scared to death。〃
As the light drew closer it took on an egg…shaped appearance。 Young Parker lost consciousness； fainting dead away； so the two…witness sighting now became a one…witness event。 Hickson said two five…foot…tall beings came out of the object。 They were grayish with wrinkled skin； no necks； pointed ears； and crablike claws。 They picked up the two men （〃It was like just floating in the air〃） and carried them into the object where 〃a big eye；〃 somewhere between the size of a large softball and a basketball； moved over their bodies； apparently studying them。 Then they were deposited back on the river pier to the exact spot where they had been picked up。
When the light withdrew； the two men came to their senses and ran in terror to the local sheriff's office。 Following their experience； Hickson and Parker suffered blinding headaches。 〃At first； those dreams I had was awful；〃 Charlie Hickson told NBC News reporter Ralph Blum； 〃and the headaches was so bad…like a pressure on my skull。〃
The day after the incident a small wound opened up on Hickson's arm and bled profusely for a few hours。 Then it closed just as mysteriously as it had e。
The pier from which the men were fishing was under surveillance by a TV system at a naval installation across the river。 The men monitoring the system saw nothing unusual that night。 They were also in full view of a nearby drawbridge； and the toll…booths for a neighboring highway。 The men manning those positions did not see anything unusual on the river。 They saw no lights； additional proof that the episode was hallucinatory。
Ralph Blum learned another interesting fact when he asked Hickson why he was not carrying a watch。 〃Never could。 People said I had electricity；〃 Hickson explained。 〃To give you an example； before I went into service； I tried two or three wrist watches。 But they wouldn't keep time on me。 They'd either lose time； or gain time。 Or they'd just stop。 。。。 I never did find one that would keep correct time。 I even tried Elgins； these railroad pocket watches？ And they don't keep correct time。 So I don't tote a watch。〃
Obviously Mr。 Hickson's physical makeup includes some unknown but not unheard of force which interferes with watches。 He could be surrounded by that special energy field or aura which attracts UFO…type phenomena。 Calvin Parker was just unfortunate enough to be present when the phenomenon zeroed in on Hickson。 Since the light was not operating on his alpha wave frequency； Parker wasn't entranced 。。。 he was knocked unconscious。 Hickson entered a hypnoticlike trance and hallucinated。
Besides all the press attention； crank phone calls； and attending nonsense； Calvin Parker suffered a nervous breakdown。 Yet； despite the uproar in Pascagoula； the men were never properly investigated by qualified persons 。。。 aside from the air force。 A hydraulic engineer from Berkeley visited them； hypnotized them； and when they began to relive their terrible fear he cut the session short。 Afterward he soberly informed reporters that he was certain the men had been examined by 〃robots from outer space。〃
The air force investigation was another story。 Deputy Tom Huntley acpanied the two men to the Keesler Air Force Base。 〃When we got there it was something amazing；〃 Huntley told Ralph Blum afterward。 〃We were in an unmarked car but the guards were expecting us and Waved us through the moment I said who we was。 I looked back through my rear…view mirror； and damn if two cars full of air police hadn't fallen in behind us。 They had more air police stationed at each crossing all along the road。 We pulled up in this concrete area behind a building The police had halted all traffic。 Doctors were waiting； and man； they looked like space creatures…all wrapped in white and masked and gloved。 They went over Charlie and Calvin from head to toe。 They ran a radioactive check。 They swabbed between the boys' fingers； along the tops of their shoes； even under the heels。 Then they put each swab into a little bottle and labeled each bottle。〃
It was clear the air force doctors knew what they were doing and had probably done it many times before。 After the examination was pleted； Huntley； Hickson； and Parker were escorted to another building。
〃It was something；〃 Huntley said。 〃Armed air police at each door and all along the route！ Four of 'em in the conference room！ And the brass…colonels； majors…the whole base mand must have been there。 And a heap of doctors。〃
The men were closely interrogated for several minutes。 Some of the questions asked were identical to the questions I asked in my own interviews。 Questions about diet （some contactees seem to favor a high starch diet）； marks or punctures； on their bodies； family history； etc。
The intriguing part of this is the extensive security measures taken。 It sounds as if the whole base had been put on alert for the occasion； and the two contactees were so closely guarded during their visit that it seems as if the air force expected them to blow up the base。 To me； this Keesler Air Force Base investigation 〃was far more interesting than the UFO contact itself。
Perhaps someone in the air force had read my 1967…68 articles in Flying Saucer Review advising investigators to 〃find out what they had for breakfast〃
III
Woodrow Derenberger regarded the ufonauts as 〃time travelers。〃 He noted some interesting distortions of time during his jaunts to the far…off galaxy of Ganymede （actually Ganymede is the name of one of Jupiter's moons）。 When he went off on a trip with Indrid Cold； a trip that seemed to take hours or days； he always found on his return that only a few hours of earth time had passed。 He rejected the notion that he may have hallucinated his interstellar voyages； so time…traveling was the only answer acceptable to him。
In many of the cases outlined here I have pointed out the entities' obsession with time。 Their behavior as described by various witnesses further suggests their problems in adjusting to our time frame。 For example； their rapid…fire unintelligible 〃language〃 noted by witnesses all over the world as sounding like 〃a speeded up phonograph record〃 could be caused by their failure to adjust to our time cycle when they enter； our space…time…continuum。 They are talking at a faster rate because their time is different from ours。 When they manage to adjust； they have to forcibly slow themselves down； articulating their words slowly； in a singsong manner。 For high…speed radio transmissions we record signals at a normal speed； then broadcast the tape at a very high speed。 The receiver records it at the same high speed and then slows the tape down