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With the advent of a recent book about the Phoenix Lights it seems appropriate to take another look at the Cleburne UFOs of the 1st and 11th June 1995 – two years prior to the Phoenix event.
According to the original Sighting Report that was submitted to, amongst others, NUFORC, MUFON, and CUFOS, Jason Leigh reported that on 11th June 1995 he managed to video almost three minutes of film showing a dull, grey, metallic object over Lake Pat, Cleburne, Texas. The object, estimated as being fifty to eighty feet long and ten to twenty feet wide, was at times seen to be round, and at other times appeared to be oblong, and had a bulge on the topside, with another, larger one, underneath. The weather was bright and sunny with some patchy clouds, the visibility was good, and the temperature was around 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun reflected off the object as it flew slowly over the lake, and it was about a quarter of a mile distant from the observer. There didn’t appear to be any tail fins or wings of any description, and no noise was heard coming from the object.
You
can see the original report at the following links:
Cover Page:
http://jasonleigh.org/uforeport1.htm
First Page:
http://jasonleigh.org/uforeport2.htm
Second Page:
http://jasonleigh.org/uforeport3.htm
You can also see both daytime and nighttime videos of the event at:
http://jasonleigh.org/contentvideo.html
Just over ten days later, on 20 July 1995, the story was making news in the local paper:
By May of the following year, 1996, the case was presented at the UFO Enigma Museum in Roswell, where the video was also shown. In it the object could clearly been seen moving behind the chimney of a house, and emerging on the other side. Having checked out Aviation and Balloon Flight records, and also Meteor and Space Debris records, it was clear that none of these could have been the cause.
Jason also had a video of an enormous jellyfish-like object, that he took on the 1st June 1995 – just over a week previously. That video showed an object with what seems to be two balls of light descending towards the Earth, and a third ball moving up towards it. The video was taken on a clear night, with no lightning, and he did not observe any shooting stars or meteors. He was not the only one to take such footage as a doctor had also taken similar film, although he wished to remain anonymous.
By the end of October 1996 the case had acquired enough notoriety to appear on the Gordon Elliott Show in a programme called Near Death Experiences, ESP, and UFOs. In the following facsimile of the newspaper article about the programme you can read the analysis of Jim Dilettoso, President of the image processing company Village Labs, who design equipment for the aerospace and entertainment industry. He thought that Jason had photographed 'a high speed unearthly aircraft' - and that the footage was not yet another faked UFO video.
On
Jason’s website you can read the research findings that he undertook in trying to establish what he had seen:
http://jasonleigh.org/finding.htm
This page lists all the official places he contacted, such as the National Balloon Base, Palestine, Texas, and the Operations Office of the F.A.A., Fort Worth, Texas, and gives the information he gleaned from them. It also lists the main points that the video appeared to show, plus giving some background information
about not only the location but also his personal experience of being qualified
to observe aircraft.
Then,
in November 2002, a lady came forward to say that she had also seen the UFO
sighted above Cleburne on 1st June 1995. You can read the email exchange between Jason and this lady here:
http://jasonleigh.org/6thwitness.htm
You
can also find some drawings of what was seen on both the 1st and 11th June 1995,
mostly in a .PDF format, at the following links:
http://jasonleigh.org/contentdrawings.html
So how does Jason compare what he saw with the case of the Phoenix Lights? Well, here’s an email he sent to skywatch on 20th June 1997:
Subject: UFO over Phoenix--nothing Profound!
Dear Colonel & fellow members:
I do truly believe, after considerable thought and soul searching, that the UFO sighting of 3-13-97 over Phoenix -- was a random visit -- just as the June 11, 1995 visit to a small town in Texas (Cleburne), which I witnessed and videotaped in broad-daylight--was random. UFOs are seen and photographed all over the world, and to assume that there is some 'ages-old' reason for the Phoenix visit -- is pure folly. Why would the gigantic UFO of ten days earlier (June 1, 1995) over Cleburne, TX., with the smaller objects zipping downwards at a 90 degree angle, in formation, with one object zipping upwards towards the 'Mothership' not be more important than the Phoenix sighting, when I captured the whole thing on videotape? Could my proven clairvoyant abilities have something to do with it? Why has the major, worldwide media shunned me by condemning the footage, without even seeing it? Are there proven clairvoyants in Phoenix? Do you start to get my drift? Read my accountings of the best documented video of a broad-daylight UFO at: IUFOMRC.COM and decide for yourself. We will not know "why Phoenix," or, "why Cleburne," for some time. Am I jealous of all of the attention being given to this nighttime UFO over Phoenix? Possibly, since I have labored so hard to bring the Cleburne footage to the world. Broad-daylight video would objectively impress me -- if I were removed from the event. Therefore, in closing: to make more of this Phoenix sighting than for what it probably was: a random visit, is pure speculation -- but great fodder for the famous voices out there to expound their own beliefs of some 'ages-old-meaning' to the word 'Phoenix,' and nothing more. It will be great for the Phoenix economy, however, which is good. It did little for the small Texas town of Cleburne -- because it is just that: a small Texas town. I am happy for all of us, and the people of Phoenix, that this sighting took place, but in the words of King Solomon: "Time, and chance, happens to us all." Amen. What say ye (y'all)? Jason Leigh, Ph.D.
You
can find a copy of the original email here:
http://www.ufomind.com/misc/1997/jun/d21-001.shtml
And finally, in response to an article posted on Rense concerning Dr. Greer’s use of Ed Mitchell’s name as a Disclosure Witness, Jason sent the following reply in May 2001, in which he tells what happened to his Cleburne videos:
Comment
'Disclosure Project' Oversteps Bounds
From Jason Leigh jasonsos@digitex.net
5-14-1
To all,
First, thanks to Dan of UFOzone for sending me this article:
http://www.rense.com/general10/mitch.htm
from Jeff Rense's one-of-a-kind excellent world news website.
Second: Dr. Steven Greer used my copyrighted UFO videos to sell, promote and include in his past 'paid public lectures,' without my expressed permission.
He showed my stated UFO video tape (of June 11, 1995, (c) by Jason Leigh) to the U.S. Congress in 1997, as was verified by Dr. Bob Hieronimus (and was mentioned to my surprise on one of our 'on-air' radio interviews), who was present at that U.S. Congress meeting conducted by Dr. Greer, again: without my written, or expressed permission. A blatant copyright infringement . . .
I wrote to Dr. Greer, who at first, denied having ever showed this footage, but then recanted when I wrote him back and related what Dr. Bob Hieronimus had told me, stating that he (Dr. Greer) had, "forgotten."
Now, I certainly didn't mind -- and was actually proud that my UFO footage was included in the presentation to the U.S. Congress back in 1997, but NOT when it was used in 'paid lectures' presented to the public and was also included in his UFO promotional videotape -- which was also 'sold' for purposes for profit, or monetary gain: yet another copyright infringement.
Since the amazing broad daylight UFO was videotaped by me on June 11, 1995, I have invested over $5,000 to date to present this 'proven' footage to the world -- for free. But when another would take (or steal) this copy- righted footage and profit from it, without so much as a 'howdy do' to me, it certainly would have put most anyone in a mood of discontent.
It seems that the stories we have all heard of Dr. Greer and his 'non-profit' organization ('non-profit' meaning he does not offer any monies towards charities -- only towards the 'Disclosure Project') 'using' other people's research, names and photographs to promote his own project is such a derogatory issue, that we should all be infuriated by this inexcusable conduct.
I, for one, am bewildered at the attentions he has been able to reap via the paranormal and major media in his 'Disclosure Project,' which should have a post-script to it by giving credit where credit is due to the many HUNDREDS of people he has used as well as the above mentioned thief and misuse of other people's work and names, usually, and apparently: without their consent.
He should be brought up on charges for his illegal actions in an attempt to force the U.S. government to admit to the reality of UFOs, but this would just bring yet another collective 'black eye' to this field of research, which is scared enough by the countless others who have perpetrated hoaxes and lies, most assuredly for personal profit and gain.
Will I sue Dr. Greer for infringing upon, and profiting from, my copyrighted video of the UFO? I am not sure at this point, although others in this field have suggested that I should -- and must.
What say ye?
I affirm that the above is true, and correct. Jason Leigh http://jasonleigh.org
So, now that you’ve read about the Cleburne sighting, does it rank up there with the far more highly publicized Phoenix Lights? Personally, I think that it does. But, as with every other UFO report, it must be for you to examine the evidence and then make up your own mind. Whatever you finally decide I do believe that his case deserves to become more widely known, and to be presented to a larger audience than has hitherto been the case.