A 1977 UFO Contactee Case

Update: 2024-05-30

Digest

This episode delves into a peculiar UFO contact case from 1977, reported in the Clarksville, Tennessee, Leaf Chronicle. The story involves Donald Fender, a farmer from Greenville, Tennessee, who claimed to have encountered extraterrestrial beings while driving near Madisonville. Fender described the craft as resembling a pullet egg and claimed the beings, who identified themselves as "emissaries of peace," communicated with him. He stated that they could only enter Earth's atmosphere in specific locations, and that Clarksville would become the origin point for all space travel. The reporter, Ron Taylor, presented the story with a degree of objectivity, despite its unusual nature. The case was later mentioned in the January 1977 issue of the MUFON journal, highlighting its continued interest within the UFO community. The episode also discusses the broader context of UFO abduction reports in the 1970s, noting the shift in media coverage and the increasing acceptance of such claims.

Outlines

00:00:00

Introduction

This Chapter introduces the episode's focus on a 1977 UFO contact case reported in the Clarksville, Tennessee, Leaf Chronicle. It highlights the unusual aspects of the story and its subsequent reporting.

00:00:06

The 1977 UFO News Clipping Service

This Chapter discusses the February-March 1977 issue of the UFO News Clipping Service, which featured four articles describing classic UFO cases, including the case of nine-year-old Jose Cantu who claimed to have seen two "creenish creatures" and two steely crafts.

00:01:12

The Greenville Farmer's Encounter

This Chapter focuses on the story of Donald Fender, a farmer from Greenville, Tennessee, who claimed to have encountered extraterrestrial beings while driving near Madisonville. Fender described the craft as resembling a pullet egg and claimed the beings, who identified themselves as "emissaries of peace," communicated with him.

00:04:13

The Case's Legacy

This Chapter discusses the case's continued interest within the UFO community, noting its mention in the January 1977 issue of the MUFON journal and its presence on at least two websites.

Keywords

UFO

UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object, a term used to describe any aerial phenomenon that cannot be readily identified. UFO sightings have been reported for centuries, and the phenomenon has become a subject of intense public interest and scientific debate. The term "UFO" is often used interchangeably with "flying saucer," although the latter refers specifically to a disc-shaped object.

UFO Contact Case

A UFO contact case refers to an alleged encounter between humans and extraterrestrial beings. These cases often involve sightings of UFOs, communication with extraterrestrial beings, and sometimes even physical contact. UFO contact cases are often controversial, with some people believing them to be genuine encounters and others dismissing them as hoaxes or misinterpretations.

Donald Fender

Donald Fender was a farmer from Greenville, Tennessee, who claimed to have encountered extraterrestrial beings in 1977. His story was reported in the Clarksville, Tennessee, Leaf Chronicle and later mentioned in the January 1977 issue of the MUFON journal. Fender's account involved a craft resembling a pullet egg and communication with beings who identified themselves as "emissaries of peace."

Clarksville, Tennessee

Clarksville is a city in Montgomery County, Tennessee, located on the Cumberland River. It is known for its historical significance, its military presence, and its vibrant arts and culture scene. In the context of this episode, Clarksville is mentioned as the location where Donald Fender claimed to have encountered extraterrestrial beings.

MUFON

MUFON stands for Mutual UFO Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to the investigation of UFO sightings and related phenomena. Founded in 1969, MUFON is one of the largest and most well-known UFO organizations in the world. It has a network of investigators who collect and analyze reports of UFO sightings, and it publishes a monthly journal, the MUFON UFO Journal, which features articles on UFO sightings, research, and related topics.

Ron Taylor

Ron Taylor was the reporter who covered the story of Donald Fender's alleged UFO encounter for the Clarksville, Tennessee, Leaf Chronicle. Taylor presented the story with a degree of objectivity, despite its unusual nature.

Abduction Case

An abduction case refers to an alleged incident in which a person is abducted by extraterrestrial beings. These cases often involve reports of being taken aboard a UFO, undergoing medical examinations, and experiencing other unusual events. Abduction cases are often controversial, with some people believing them to be genuine encounters and others dismissing them as hoaxes or misinterpretations.

Contact E-report

A Contact E-report refers to a type of UFO report that involves communication or interaction with extraterrestrial beings. These reports often involve sightings of UFOs, communication with extraterrestrial beings, and sometimes even physical contact. Contact E-reports are often controversial, with some people believing them to be genuine encounters and others dismissing them as hoaxes or misinterpretations.

Pasca Gouli Incident

The Pasca Gouli Incident was a UFO sighting that occurred in 1973 in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The incident involved two men who claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrial beings. The case was widely publicized and became one of the most famous UFO abduction cases in history.

Travis Walton Incident

The Travis Walton Incident was a UFO sighting that occurred in 1975 in Snowflake, Arizona. The incident involved a group of loggers who claimed to have seen a UFO and one of them, Travis Walton, claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrial beings. The case was widely publicized and became one of the most famous UFO abduction cases in history.

Q&A

What is the story behind the 1977 UFO contact case reported in the Clarksville, Tennessee, Leaf Chronicle?
The story involves Donald Fender, a farmer from Greenville, Tennessee, who claimed to have encountered extraterrestrial beings while driving near Madisonville. Fender described the craft as resembling a pullet egg and claimed the beings, who identified themselves as "emissaries of peace," communicated with him. He stated that they could only enter Earth's atmosphere in specific locations, and that Clarksville would become the origin point for all space travel.
How did the reporter, Ron Taylor, approach the story of Donald Fender's alleged UFO encounter?
Taylor presented the story with a degree of objectivity, despite its unusual nature.
What is the significance of the mention of the case in the January 1977 issue of the MUFON journal?
It highlights the case's continued interest within the UFO community.
What is the broader context of UFO abduction reports in the 1970s?
The 1970s saw a shift in media coverage of UFO abduction reports, with news agencies becoming more open to reporting on them. This shift was partly due to the increasing acceptance of such claims and the emergence of well-known cases like the Pasca Gouli Incident and the Travis Walton Incident.

Show Notes

The February-March 1977 issue of the UFO Newsclipping Service, has four articles describing what would become “classic” UFO cases. One looks into the report (page 12 of the pdf) of nine-year-old Jose Cantu who said he saw “two greenish creatures about three feet tall, who rotated on a base instead of having feet, and two ‘steely’ crafts in which 2 other creatures were sitting.” His drawing showing one of the creatures with only one eye has caused them to be dubbed “The Cycloptic Aliens of Harrah.” The other three articles describe two abduction cases that have become well-known, one involving Judy Kendall covered in two papers from California, and one involving three women: Elaine Thomas, Louise Smith, and Mona Stafford covered in a paper from their home state, Kentucky. By this time, abduction claims and creature reports had come out from under the umbrella of contactee reports and the stigma that came with this association thanks to cases such as the 1973 Pascagoula Incident and the 1975 Travis Walton Incident, and news agencies were more open to reporting on them. That being said, there is an obscure case reported (page 3) in the February 2, 1977, Clarkesville, Tennessee, Leaf Chronicle, that has aspects of a contactee case, and the story told by the man who said he had an encounter with otherworldly beings is strange to the point of being ridiculous. Even so, the reporter who covered it wrote about it with a good deal of objectivity and restraint.Read more →

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