UFOs Over Michigan: 1966 & 1967

We’ve all seen UFOs, right? At least, many of us THINK we’ve seen a UFO, even though it very well could have been satellites or drones. In fact, many of the videos of “UFOs” that have been recorded since the turn of the century may actually have been of experimental drones. Before we even knew of drones, they were being  tested in the country.

But before ‘dronage’ infiltrated our daily lives, Michigan did have its UFO scares throughout much of the 20th Century. Here are two cases in point:

1) On January 9, 1967, teenage brothers Dan & Grant Jaroslaw of Mount Clemens grabbed their camera and snapped a few shots of what they said was a flying saucer. The object had a tower-shaped figure coming out of its rear end. This thing was photographed as it appeared over Lake St. Clair by the brothers in their backyard, which was not far from the Selfridge Air Force Base. So if it wasn’t a hoax perpetrated by the brothers, could it have been some kind of Air Force experiment? Curiously, once the news got out about the photos, the Air Force said they wanted those original photos. The brothers refused and gave them copies instead. ‘Experts’ said the photos were baloney and called them "insufficient data" with no proof the image in the photos were from outer space. Sure.

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2) This next one was believable enough that the story was even covered by respected newsman Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News.

Truck driver Frank Mannor saw a pyramid-shaped UFO as it landed in a swamp near the Washtenaw County town of Dexter and other residents claimed to have seen flashing bright lights. As this tale circulated through town, a local search party was organized which included the police force.

With so many reports from the locals and other Mid-Michigander witnesses, Congressman Weston Vivian talked the U.S. Air Force to send an expert to Dexter, Dr. J. Allen Hynek. When he arrived in Dexter and made his investigation, his ‘expert’ opinion was that all people saw was swamp gas. NObody believed this guy, and then the ‘swamp gas’ jokes began:
“I thought I saw Bigfoot!”
No, it was probably swamp gas.
“I saw Elvis in Burger King!”
It was probably swamp gas.
“A lion ate my homework!”
It was probably swamp gas.

Really, the jokes were relentless.

And no definite conclusion was ever made.....if there was one, it’s been kept secret.

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