JENNIFER BUSKE / Stafford County Sun
Published: November 15, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Aquia Harbour General Manager and retired Col. Chuck Halt made an appearance on Larry King Live Friday, discussing his UFO encounter that happened more than two decades ago. 

Halt, along with eight other guests, joined King for nearly an hour on Nov. 9 to share their experiences and thoughts on UFOs that have been spotted around the nation and abroad.

Halt's UFO encounter came in 1980 while he was deputy base commander at United States Air Force base RAF Bentwaters in Suffolk, England. According to various officials, his incident, which occurred in Rendlesham Forest, is one of the most credible on record.

"I saw very unusual lights, and I don't mean just lights like a bulb," Halt said to King on Friday. "It was oval shaped…with a black center and sort of winked at me."

Halt went on to say that the object dripped something "that appeared to be molten medal" and as he and a few others walked to get closer, the object receded into a farm field.

"We were very concerned because it was illuminating a farm house behind it," Halt said. "I wasn't sure if damage was being inflicted on the people that lived there or what."

The object eventually exploded into five white objects, he said. Then, when he led a crew to investigate the event, the group saw three more elliptical objects in the sky. One even approached the five-member crew, sending down a "laser beam" at the group's feet.

"There's no doubt about it, there is some strange, flashing red light ahead," Halt said into a tape recorder used during the event and later aired on King's show. "…It's weird…it's coming this way, it's definitely coming this way."

Halt said the incident was reported to his superiors, but people were at a loss for words, passing the incident on to the British since it occurred off base. 

"This is one of the most compelling UFO incidents in British government," said Nick Pope, former official with the UK ministry of defense.

Pope said officials took radiation readings in the area after the event and the readings were "significantly higher" than the normal background levels.

Halt, who did not return calls seeking comment, was joined Friday by documentary filmmaker James Fox and the former governor of Arizona, Fife Symington. Other military personnel were also present as well as actress Shirley MacLaine who believes in UFOs.

According to Symington, the last UFO event was reported by United Airlines at the O'Hare International Airport. The crew reported seeing a "disc-shaped" object in the sky in 2006.

Although the show was full of believers, King also spoke with UFO skeptic James McGaha, who is retired from the United States Air Force.

"Basically what they are talking about are anecdotal stories and all these things can easily be explained," McGaha said, adding that the lights could be from police cars in the area or a lighthouse. "There's no compelling evidence that alien spacecraft have visited…I think they just misinterpreted what they saw."

Halt, Symington and others present, however, stood by their stories.

The men also spoke during a press conference at the National Press Club Monday, once again, sharing stories and concerns.

This time, a 12-member committee discussed well-documented cases, including two events investigated by the government, according to a news release.

The first case involved a Peruvian Air Force pilot who tried to fire at a UFO, but was unsuccessful. The second case was about an Iranian Air Force pilot who attempted to fire at a UFO, but whose control panel became inoperable, the release states.

People involved in both the discussions with King and at the press club are urging the government to take action and investigate the UFO phenomenon.

"Our country needs to reopen its official investigation," Symington said Monday, "the one that it shut down in 1969."