Sometimes in life, you have the fortune of being in the right place, at the right time, to experience something unique. I had this fortune recently when I went to hear an old friend, Peter Robbins, give a lecture at a Mufon meeting in Arizona.
I've know Peter a long time and I regard him as one of the nicest people in UFOlogy. A true gentleman who genuinely tries to get along with everyone. Not an easy task in a field with many argumentative personalities.
For those who don't know him, Peter Robbins worked closely with Bud Hopkins for many years. He is also the author of "Left at East Gate: A First-Hand Account of the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident, Its Cover-up, and Investigation".
The Rendlesham Forest incident took place in December, 1980, over the course of three nights. It involved US military personal who were stationed in Suffolk, England. At the time, Britain, was allowing the United States to utilize two former RAF bases in the area. RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters. Peter's co-author on the book, Larry Warren, was an Air Force security officer stationed in England at the time. His first hand testimony of the events are a vital part of the book.
The Rendlesham Forest incident is one of the most significant UFO related incidents on record. It's often referred to as "Britain's Roswell". The incident involved the sighting of strange lights in the sky as well as the landing of a craft in the Rendlesham forest and a strange encounter experienced by military personnel.
Rather than try to recount this complex case here, I highly suggest that you read Robbins and Warren's excellent book on the subject. If you have any interest at all in the subject of UFOs, it's a must have.
Peter Robbins is a frequent speaker at UFO related conferences. He's eloquent and composed with a clear knowledge of the subject matter. I've heard Peter numerous times over the years and when I found out he was headed to Arizona, courtesy of Mufon groups in Sedona and Phoenix, I thought I'd run down to see him and catch up a bit. I frankly expected to hear Peter's standard lecture on the Rendlesham incident. I wanted to support an old friend, and I really don't mind hearing lectures repeated as there are often new tidbits to be gleaned. What I got however, was something far, far more.
For the first time since I've known him, there was a slight nervousness about Peter when he began his lecture that night. Obviously, he was struggling with the weight of what he needed to say. He danced around a bit, stating that he had intended to give this lecture at a previous engagement but changed his mind at the last minute. He clearly resolved himself after a few moments, deciding that this was the right time and place to speak out. Once he started there was no stopping him.
In fact, Peter Robbins spoke for four hours that night. Those with the fortune to be there were blessed with insights that have never been revealed about Rendlesham and Peter's experience investigating this incredible incident.
I'm sad to say that a portion of the audience left during the course of the talk. Likely too busy with other things in life or perhaps to unaware to realize what a special moment was taking place.
I applaud Peter Robbins for having the courage to step forward with the things he revealed and I found myself gaining a whole new level of respect for this man.
It's not my place to recount to you what Peter chose to say that night. If that's a let down, then I do
apologize. Honestly, I couldn't do it justice if I tried to convey it all to you. You simply need to hear it from Peter himself.
I hope this post serves as notice to you all that we've only scratched the surface of the amazing events in Rendlesham forest and that it's clear there's much more to come.
Thank you Peter for having the guts to move this case forward once again and for demonstrating the kind of dignity that everyone in this field should aspire to.
