RIP Lee Speigel.

Sad news from Pressleak as it's reported that prominent UFO journalist Lee Speigel passed away last week.

Lee Speigel, a prominent writer, reporter, and esteemed paranormal expert, passed away on August 16, 2023 after battle with cancer. His remarkable career, marked by dedicated investigative journalism and groundbreaking contributions to the world of unexplained phenomena, leaves an enduring legacy cherished by colleagues and the global community alike.

Link

Lee certainly made an impact (and nuisance of himself with the US Gov) investigating UFOs and here he is describing how the USAF changed their reporting procedures 'over the weekend' after he informed the Pentagon he was writing a relevant article.

The whole vid is a pretty fascinating one although the relevant part can be found at 2:30.

In 2011, Lee Speigel, staff writer for The Huffington Post, decided to write an article on the document. Greenewald helped him find the document on the USAF website, and sure enough, it still referenced reporting UFOs.

However, a few days later, when Speigel went to get a screenshot of the document for his story, the chapter had been changed.

Greenewald sent a FOIA request to get information on what had changed and why the changes had been made. They sent him a report, and in it, they list CIRVIS as no longer existing or being required.

Even so, the timing of its removal was extraordinary

Air Force UFO Rules Vanish After Huffington Post Inquiry

If you can get your hands on a copy then Lee also produced the vinyl record 'UFOs: The Credibility Factor' which is well worth a listen.. as well as 'The Edge of Reality' radio shows which he hosted for NBC (nearly 1500 episodes) - here's a final quote from Lee on Police UFO reports:

• "We're talking about reliable law enforcement officials who say that these things have gone directly over their cars, 50 to 100 feet away. When you don't hear something that does incredible maneuvers, makes 90 degree turns, starts and stops and accelerates at hundreds of miles an hour, then you have to start considering that maybe we are dealing with something that is not made on this earth."

Journalist Lee Speilgel.

Newsclipping

a reply to: karl 12

Sad news indeed Karl , I will raise a glass in his honour tonight.

RiP Lee Speigel.

a reply to: gortex


Yes indeed mate and so will I - didn't realise Lee was involved with Hynek in the Lumberton case and Marler also covers it in this presentation.

Also didn't realise Lee was co-producer and co-writer of James Fox's 'The Phenomenon' - he was quite a busy chap.

a reply to: karl 12

Karl…..

Don’t rightly know who he is…….

But I see he championed our cause….

God rest his soul and raise his spirit.

👽

a reply to: Ophiuchus1


If the cause is to find out what UFOs are then I'm all in mate.

Zcustosmorum once posted a thread with an interview with Lee about the UN and there looks to be a post on there from him.

More than 40 years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted UN decision 33/426 which invited "interested member states" to undertake UFO research on a national level and to inform the secretary general about their findings.

In this interview, Exopolitics Germany coordinator Robert Fleischer talks with US-journalist Lee Speigel about his personal involvement in that United Nations decision - it was actually him who had brought leading UFO experts together to present their findings at the UN Special Political Committee, supporting Grenada's Prime Minister Sir Eric Gairy in his initiative to bring the subject to the attention of the world.

However, as British and German government files recently revealed, Grenada's UFO initiative wasn't welcome at all and certain parties tried to prevent it by any means.

The United Nations UFO Resolution - Interview with Lee Speigel (FULL)

a reply to: karl 12

I must have missed this.

RIP Lee Spiegel. He was a real old school ufologist and a gentleman too.

Lee was heavily involved in the UN UFO Hearings in 1978 with Hynek, Vallee, Friedman and a few author recognisable names to anyone who was paying attention to ufology before 2017.

Although Lee is almost unrecognisable as the third guy in on the right in this photo of the hearings.

originally posted by: mirageman

RIP Lee Spiegel. He was a real old school ufologist and a gentleman too.

He truly was mate and great pic you posted there.

Also didn't realise he was involved with investigating the Edwards AFB UFO incident from October 7th, 1965.

While working at NBC, Lee researched Air Force microfilm files at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He uncovered original audiotapes of a 1965 four-hour encounter by numerous military personnel who watched nearly a dozen luminous UFOs maneuver in the sky above Edwards Air Force Base in California..

Don't reckon they'll ever release the withheld hours of audio (or gun camera footage) but here's what ATC Chuck Sorrels had to say about the incident.

• "I was working a midnight shift in the tower when at approximately 1:30 a.m., I spotted a group of luminous objects in the air above and around Edwards Air Force Base. They had a flashing red light on the bottom, with a green, glowing light above the red.

The objects would be stationary for a period of time and then move very fast to another location and appeared to be able to climb straight up in short order. Good eyesight and my experience as an air traffic controller made it plain to me that these luminous objects were not planes, helicopters, stars, satellites, weather balloons or any other known aerial object.

Your job as an air traffic controller calls for you to be watchful. Training told me these were not normal objects. The objects weren't supposed to be there. These were objects out of the normal, from their appearance and flight characteristics. I reported these sightings to base operations and the Los Angeles Air Defense Sector.

The objects were also seen by at least five other people on Edwards Air Force Base. They were also seen by George Air Force Base tower and were showing up on radar in at least four different radar sight locations."

USAF Air Traffic Controller Chuck Sorrels describes radar/visual UFO events at Edwards Air Force base, October 7th, 1965.

Fran Ridge - Video / Thread

a reply to: initiativerural

Any thoughts on OPREP–3 lol?

a reply to: karl 12

A very informative video, Karl --- We desperately need the Fed's to release all of the OPREP-3 files to the public...post-haste --- Especially the one's that involve fiery-balled foo fighter sightings.

Back in the seventies...I visited the National Archives in Washington D.C., so I could analyze the Project Bluebook files that they have stored there.

I'm not sure that people can retrieve National Archive files online or not.

originally posted by: Erno86

A very informative video, Karl --- We desperately need the Fed's to release all of the OPREP-3 files to the public...post-haste --- Especially the one's that involve fiery-balled foo fighter sightings.

It sure would be nice to read some of those UFO OPREP–3 reports mate and thought Aussie researcher Paul Dean penned a good article here about the reporting mechanism.



OPREP-3" - A Classified US Military Reporting Channel For UFO Incidents?



There's also a good example below involving OPREP–3 and a radar visual UFO confirmed over Pinecastle Electronic Warfare Range Tracking Station - apparently the official investigative report is still being withheld.

• "I have never been a believer in UFOs, but I assure you I am convinced that a number of people witnessed an unexplainable event that night.”.

Public Affairs officer, N. P. Young, Jacksonville Naval Air Station (NAS Jacksonville).

Radar Confirmed UFO over Pinecastle Electronic Warfare Range Tracking Station - May 14th, 1978.

Tribute:

a reply to: karl 12

I just found out. I met Lee at Boodles (East Side restaurant) in 1978. We must have joined Lee at his table and somehow the talk may have included UFOs 'cause Lee sent me an invitation to attend the UN conference on UFOs. "He is renowned as the first person to organize and host a conference at the United Nations on UFOs, attended by dignitaries from around the world."