Pentagon "ORDERS" Senator Barry Goldwater -- don't ask questions about UFOs and Aliens!

by Clark C. McClelland, Former ScO, U.S. Space Shuttle Fleet
KSC, Florida 1958 to 1992

The date of July 16, 1969 was the day of the launch of Apollo 11 and the initial kick-off for the first landing of the human race on our neighbour, the moon. The global importance of this major historic event was very evident at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It was Moon Shot Day! Many famous people from all over the world gathered in the VIP launch viewing area near the Apollo LCC (Launch Control Center).

The security was at its highest level with VIP guests present from every nation on earth. One guest was in attendance whom I had supported during his political career, Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona. He had been the Republican Presidential candidate in 1964 running against President Lyndon B. Johnson. He had lost by a wide margin, but, we in Florida had delivered him a victory in Brevard County, Florida and the Space Port area and pride in ourselves regarding that minor accomplishment. In 1968, Goldwater won back his Senatorial seat in Arizona.

Senator Barry M. Goldwater was a former Major General in the United States Army Air Corp wanting to be a fighter pilot of a P-47 Thunderbolt and/or a P-51 Mustang aircraft, but was assigned to deliver various aircraft to combat areas. He had flown an estimated 160 plus other planes during his WW II and civilian years. I was also informed that he had been checked-out in an SR-71 Blackbird. That was VERY impressive to learn.

Being a registered Democrat supporting a Republican candidate in Florida did not gain me any favour through my lifelong political party in Florida. I constantly lived with insults and jokes which supplemented my involvement in UFO research. McCleland has always been a maverick.

During the long countdown of the Saturn V Apollo 11 launch vehicle, I took a breakfast break from the LCC and walked to the nearby VIP guest viewing site in hopes of meeting Senator Goldwater. As I scanned the numerous people gathered, I asked one of our security guards if he was aware of the location of Goldwater? He pointed his finger to an open field nearby saying "Do you see that guy over there setting up his camera tripod, Mac? That's Senator Goldwater".

I had my camera around my neck in hopes of having a photo opportunity with the Senator. I strolled across the crab grass turf as he was setting up his personal camera.

I was surprised he was alone except for a half dozen other guests that were nearby also setting up their cameras. I introduced myself and he responded with a polite greeting.

He asked if I was a guest in the VIP area. I chuckled a bit and said, no sir, I am not yet a VIP. He smiled, and said, yes, I know how you feel.

I had the same experience in the past. We talked about his earlier effort to gain the Presidency and I told him about my personal efforts in Brevard County. He thanked me saying at least he had won here in the Cape area.

I seriously pondered my next question concerning UFOs and finally asked him if he would discuss the subject with me? I was surprised he had no Secret Service Agents or NASA Public Affairs personnel hovering around him. I explained my position at KSC and my being the NICAP Unit-3 Director for Major Donald E. Keyhoe at KSC. He had met Keyhoe in DC years before.

He approved our discussion on the UFO subject and we began our exchange of information.

I began by saying it was obvious he had a deep abiding interest in UFOs and possible visits of alien races to earth. He said, "That is accepted fact in Washington and especially at the Pentagon, young man." I had some understanding of his alleged statements regarding UFOs in the past and brought up the popular story of his effort to gain entry into a special storage area at Wright-Patterson AFB that purportedly had alien artifacts in it. He said, "Yes, that's the main event concerning me and UFOs."

I was under the impression that a U.S. Senator with a past as a Major General in the U.S. Army Air Corp and a member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence for many years would carry some weight in my allowances to enter such an area of military secrecy. I was rudely awakened to reality very swiftly when I was denied passage. It had me angry enough to discuss it with a personal friend of mine in the military and inquired why my position in the U.S. Senate had no such allowance?

My friend, General Curtis LeMay, Chairman of the Military Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon VERY angrily told me that I had no need to know. He gave me a lot of HELL about my activities at Wright-Patterson.

He threatened to end our friendship for life! My God, Mac, that surprised the hell out of me." LeMay added, "you stay clear of our mutual friend, "Butch", too. ( meaning General William "Butch" Blanchard) his having been at Roswell (later Walker) Army Air base and the 509Th., will not gain you any favour for knowledge of that Roswell crash claim."

Goldwater said, "Mac, Butch Blanchard was also a very valued friend of mine since WWII." He was the person who announced that a disc had crashed near Roswell in 1947. This cussing out did awaken me to one fact, that the UFO situation is the highest level of national secrecy. Much higher than the H-Bomb was and more than anything else that is known within the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, DIA, NSA, etc. That is, nothing is higher security than aliens being here on this planet. Then I realized Curtis was correct. And I never again approached him on the subject. That seemed to prove to me that UFOs were a fact, and do exist. But, are they all aliens? I highly suspect a majority are!