Featured Article - October 2009
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GETAWAYS
New Mexico's Unsolved Mysteries
Recent events shine new light on three of New Mexico's perennial puzzles. This October, get the latest, then find out where you can go to see the evidence (or lack thereof) for yourself. By Jill Koenigsdorf, Illustrations by Dennis Larkins
NASA astronaut says Roswell's for real
Roswell, a town whose name is synonymous with UFOs and extraterrestrial sightings, has been looking for answers since July 2, 1947. That date, and the fact that something large, round, and made of a metallic substance crashed on a ranch 75 miles northwest of Roswell, are the only things everyone can agree on.
But once rancher William Brazel and his children found the wreckage and notified the authorities, things got murky. By July 8, a general from the Roswell Army Air Field had notified the press that the debris was indeed the remnants of a “flying disc,” and that the materials would be transported to the Wright Field, in Dayton, Ohio, for further investigation. En route, however, as the media whipped itself into a lather, the plane carrying the wreckage stopped at what was then known as the Fort Worth Army Air Field, in Texas, where a new general took over and released a new statement: There was no flying disc involved here, just an ordinary weather balloon. Yet while some sort of metal pieces were being shown to the media, the real fragments were still on their way to Ohio, rancher Brazel was questioned for a week even as every shred of other-planetary evidence was combed from his ranch, and every witness to any aspect of the crash was told by government officials in no uncertain terms that it was their “patriotic duty” to avoid the press.
As provocative today as it was more than 60 years ago, the controversy surrounding the Roswell Incident refuses to subside. Lieutenant Walter Haut, who was in charge of public relations for the U.S. Army and perhaps of a cover-up as well, died in 2005, but left behind a sworn affidavit testifying that the real materials had been intercepted by the Army and are currently stored in a military hangar, and that he witnessed not only an alien craft, but alien bodies as well. Then, in April of this year, 77-year-old Dr. Edgar Mitchell, the self-proclaimed cosmic activist and an astronaut who, in 1971, flew on NASA’s Apollo 14 Moon Mission, said in a radio interview that he believed the incident has been covered up, that aliens definitely exist, and that they’ve visited this planet. Mitchell grew up in Roswell, and has spoken with many of the old-timers there who still vividly recall the secrecy surrounding the crash. From what they have “whispered in his ear,” he is convinced that there is life, probably more advanced than our own, on other planets. He sums it up: “Our destiny, in my opinion, and we might as well get started with it, is [to] become a part of the planetary community. … We should be ready to reach out beyond our planet and beyond our solar system to find out what is really going on out there.”
IF YOU GO:
Can’t-miss attractions:
A visit to the International UFO Museum and Research Center, 114 N. Main, Roswell, (575) 625-9495, www.roswellufomuseum.com. It can get pretty toasty down in Roswell, so jaunt about 15 miles east on U.S. 380 and N.M. 409 to Bottomless Lakes State Park for a dip, some shade, and maybe even a tour of the lake in a rented paddleboat. (575) 624-6058; www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/bottomless.htm
Where to eat:
If workshops on Memory Retrieval and attendance at an Alien Abduction Panel have worked up an appetite, head to The Pasta Café Italian Bistro, 1208 N. Main, (575) 624-1111; or to Tia Juana’s Restaurant, 3601 N. Main, (575) 627-6113, for margaritas and Mexican food. Roswell also boasts a quality wine-tasting establishment, Pecos Flavors Winery, 305 N. Main, (575) 627-6265.
Where to stay:
Apart from visitations from outer space, Roswell is much like many other small American towns, with its share of fast-food restaurants and motels. The Hampton Inn and Suites, 3607 N. Main, (575) 623-5151, remains a favorite for visitors, and boasts a swimming pool.
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Bizarre tale of Geronimo's bones becomes federal lawsuit
Bones. It’s the time of year when skeletons walk the night and sugar skulls are left on altars, but a controversy now swirls around a particular set of bones, with ripples reaching all the way to the White House. Harlyn Geronimo, of Mescalero, wants his great-grandfather Geronimo’s remains returned to his birthplace in what is now the Gila Wilderness. Sounds reasonable enough, except for one problem:
People across the country—including other members of Geronimo’s family—disagree on the remains’ location.
This year, on February 17, the 100th anniversary of Geronimo’s death, Harlyn Geronimo filed a lawsuit against Yale University and the U.S. government demanding the return of a skull and some bones he believes are his great grandfather’s remains. He named President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Army Secretary Pete Geren as defendants because he tried—and failed—to resolve the matter in 2005 with former president, Yale graduate, and Skull and Bones Society member George W. Bush.
The Yale connection is the Skull and Bones Society, a secretive club that, some say, possesses Geronimo’s skull and some of his bones. Yale University has refused to comment on the lawsuit, beyond stressing that, while Skull and Bones is based in New Haven, Connecticut, it is neither located on the Yale campus nor officially affiliated with the university.
In any attempt to puzzle out this mystery, it’s important to know some background about Skull and Bones. The club is thought to invite only 15 seniors to join each year. Its past members include many generations of Bushes, as well as U.S. Senator John Kerry. Members never discuss the club’s activities, but there are rumors of odd initiation rituals that range from kissing the skull to confessing one’s sexual exploits, and a curious reverence for the number 322.
The club’s involvement with the location of Geronimo’s bones dates back to World War I, when, some allege, Geronimo’s grave, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was disturbed, and his skull and other remains were stolen. At the time, George W. Bush’s grandfather Prescott W. Bush, a Skull and Bones member, was an Army volunteer from Yale stationed near Fort Sill. Conspiracy theorists allege that he was involved in the disappearance of Geronimo’s remains.
While it’s difficult to prove that Skull and Bones possesses the bones of the revered Chiricahua Apache leader, Alexandra Robbins noted in her book Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power (Back Bay Books, 2002) that “The skull is on display in a glass case and they call it Geronimo.” Perhaps the most damning evidence is a letter a Yale professor discovered in 2002. Written in 1918 by a Skull and Bones member, the letter describes the robbery from Geronimo’s grave at Fort Sill.
Today, thanks to a monument erected in 1928, the Fort Sill grave is sealed with cement, making it difficult to examine. Harlyn Geronimo’s lawsuit has created a family feud of sorts; another branch of Geronimo’s family tree, from the Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, have filed their own suit opposing the disturbance of the remains, claiming that they are the warrior’s true descendants, and that Harlyn has no right to disturb the monument, or to take the bones—be they in New Haven or Fort Sill—back to New Mexico. Some Oklahoma historians also insist that there is no evidence that the grave has ever been disturbed. Yet for Harlyn Geronimo, the spirit of the leader of the last Indian fighting force to surrender to the U.S. Army will not be at peace until his bones can be returned to his birthplace in the land of unsolved mysteries—New Mexico.
IF YOU GO:
Can’t-miss Attraction:
Geronimo was born in 1829 near Turkey Creek, a tributary of the Gila River, in what is now New Mexico. Today, at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, north of Silver City on N.M. 15, a plaque at the Gila Visitor Center commemorates his life. At almost 600,000 acres, the Gila Wilderness, part of the Gila National Forest, offers the visitor a plethora of outdoor activities and a sense of expansiveness and tranquility, but be forewarned: While the Gila is only 44 miles from Silver City, the spectacular drive is snaky and takes a good two hours. (575) 536-9461, www.nps.gov.gila
Where to eat:
Nearby Silver City is a wonderful home base for exploring Geronimo’s turf, and full of excellent restaurants. For a gourmet meal, try Shevek and Mi, 602 N. Bullard, (575) 534-9168.
Where to stay:
It’s worth the eight-mile drive from Silver City to lay your head to rest at the wonderful Pinos Altos Cabins, where dogs are allowed. The 7,000-foot altitude and outdoor patios make this woodsy place cool and relaxing. (800) 348-2477, (575) 534-0406,www.pinosaltoscabins.com
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The latest buzz points to a power spot
Santa Fe may call itself “The City Different,” but to truly swim outside the mainstream, try Taos. With the recent Taos Summer of Love event, a salutation of all things hippie, and the naming of Dennis Hopper as honorary mayor, the town is known for embracing the weird and the wild. Yet, since the 1980s, a small number of the population has been plagued by a weird phenomenon—a relentless humming noise.
It’s known as the Taos Hum, and by 1993, enough folks were hearing it that the community got the U.S. Congress to conduct an investigation. Many of the “hearers,” as they are called, pointed the finger at the military as the possible source. The Taoseños must have been persistent, because Congress appointed Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Phillips Laboratory at Albuquerque’s Kirtland Air Force Base to investigate. The study also enlisted James Kelly, a hearing research scientist at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
The scientists tested two hypotheses. One was that the Hum was caused by the continuing buildup of electromagnetic noise in our modern world. The other was that the Hum had to do with the hearers’ inner ears. Grateful that their complaints were actually being taken seriously, those who could hear the Hum were willing subjects. Once the scientists had ruled out exterior seismic events, microwave signals, ELF (extremely-low-frequency) radio transmissions, and the like, they tested and interviewed 10 hearers extensively. In all cases, the subjects began hearing the sound quite suddenly. All compared the sound to that of a “diesel engine idling in the distance.” (Listen to a simulation of the hum at www.eskimo.com/~bilb/freenrg/taos.wav.)
Unfortunately, that was about the only constant. Some said the Hum was stronger inside the house, at night, or when it was quiet. Some reported that they heard the sound constantly; others claimed that it was a pulsating rather than a steady sound. Ultimately, the informal report raised more questions than conclusions. Which is why, even today, the Taos Hum remains as unexplained as similar phenomena in Auckland, New Zealand; Bristol, England; and Kokomo, Indiana.
Perhaps it was to find out if I could hear the Hum myself, or maybe I was hoping to answer what none before me could explain. In any case, I drove up the High Road from my home in Santa Fe and took to the streets of Taos to ask some locals for their thoughts on the Taos Hum. The conclusion: Taos is a power spot, a place where healing energies converge. So make room, Machu Picchu, Sedona, and Stonehenge: Taos is the new vortex on the block.
IF YOU GO:
Can’t-miss attraction:
If you’re up for another Taos legend, they don’t get much better than Millicent Rogers, heiress to the Standard Oil fortune who moved to Taos in the 1940s and began to amass a stellar collection of Indian jewelry, pottery, and weaving—all on display today at The Millicent Rogers Museum of Northern New Mexico, open daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m., (575) 758-2462; www.millicentrogers.org
Where to eat:
Named for the building’s former owner and Taos’s first physician, Dr. Thomas Paul Martin, Doc Martin’s Restaurant, in the Taos Inn, is a fine choice for dinner (try the Bourbon-glazed Buffalo Steak). It’s also rumored to be haunted; some say that, in the kitchen, pots and pans inexplicably fly off walls and crash to
the floor.
Where to stay:
If you’re going to Taos to open your senses to the Hum—or to any other supernatural experiences—book a room at The Historic Taos Inn. Lore has it that the first owner of an older part of the building, Arthur Manby, was unpopular, and that his body was found decapitated in 1928 in what is now the kitchen of Doc Martin’s Restaurant. A man resembling Manby has been seen in the Adobe Bar, the restaurant, and in the Inn’s rooms 109 (reputed to be persistently cold), and 102 (it consistently smells of roses, which Manby raised). 125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, (575) 758-2233, www.taosinn.com
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