SUBJECT: E B E's                                             FILE: UFO1022

PART 3

EBEs in South Dakota: On February 9, 1978, a curious document--an
apparent  carbon  copy  of an official U.S.  Air  Force  incident
report-arrived at the office of the National Enquirer in Lantana,
Florida.  Accompanying the document was an unsigned letter  dated
"29  Jan." It read: "The incident stated in the  attached  report
actually  occurred.  The Air Force appointed a  special  team  of
individuals  to  investigate  the incident. I was  one  of  those
individuals.  I am still on active duty and so I cannot state  my
name at this time. It is not that I do not trust the Enquirer  (I
sure [sic] you would treat my name with [sic] confidence but I do
not trust others.) The incident which occurred on 16 Nov. 77, was
classified top secret on 2 Dec 77. At that time I obtained a copy
of the original report. I thought at that time that the Air Force
would  probably  hush the whole thing up, and they did.  The  Air
Force  ordered the silence on 1 Dec 77, after which,  the  report
was  classified. There were 16 pictures taken at the scene. I  do
not have access to the pictures at this time" (Pratt, 1984).

 The report, stamped FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY, purported to be  from
the commander of the 44th Missile Security Squadron at  Ellsworth
AFB near Rapid City, South Dakota. The incident was described  as
a  "Helping  Hand (security  violation)/Covered  Wagon  (security
violation) at Lima 9 (68th SMSq Area), 7 miles SW of Nisland, SD,
at  2100  hours on 16 Nov. 77." The recipient of the  report  was
identified  as "Paul D. Hinzman, SSgt, USAF,  Comm/Plotter,  Wing
Security  Control."  Two security men, Airmen 1st  Class  Kenneth
Jenkins  and  Wayne  E.  Raeke,  experienced  and  reported   the
incident,  which  was investigated by Capt. Larry D.  Stokes  and
TSgt. Robert E. Stewart.

 The  document told an incredible story. At 10:59 on the  evening
of November 16 an alarm sounded from the Lima Nine missile  site.
Jenkins  and Raeke, at tHe Lima Launch Control Facility 35  miles
away,  were dispatched to the scene. On their arrival  Raeke  set
out  to  check the rear fence line. There he spotted  a  helmeted
figure  in  a glowing green metallic suit. The figure  pointed  a
weapon  at Raeke's rifle and caused it to  disintegrate,  burning
Raeke's  hands and arms in the process. Raeke  summoned  Jenkins,
who  carried  his  companion back to their  Security  Alert  Team
vehicle.  When  Jenkins went to the rear fence line, he  saw  two
similarly-garbed figures. He ordered them to halt, but when  they
ignored  his command, he opened fire. His bullets struck  one  in
the shoulder and the other in the helmet. The figures ran over  a
hill and were briefly lost to view. Jenkins pursued them and when
he  next  saw  them, they  were  entering  a  20-foot-in-diameter
saucer-shaped object, which shot away over the Horizon.

 As  Raeke  was  air-evacuated  from  the  scene,   investigators
discovered that the missile's nuclear components had been stolen.

 Enquirer  reporters suspected a hoax but when they called  Rapid
City and Ellsworth to check on the names, they were surprised  to
learn  that such persons did exist. Moreover, all were on  active
duty.  The  Enquirer launched an investigation,  sending  several
reporters  to  Rapid City. Over the course of the next  few  days
they found that although the individuals were real, the  document
inaccurately  listed  their  job titles,  the  geography  of  the
alleged  incident was wrong (there was no nearby hill over  which
intruders could have run), Raeke had suffered no injuries, he and
Jenkins did not even know each other, and no one (including Rapid
City  civilian  residents and area ranchers) had  heard  anything
about  such  an encounter. As one of the  reporters,  Bob  Pratt,
wrote   in  a  subsequent  account,  "We  found  more   than   20
discrepancies  or  errors in the report  -wrong  names,  numbers,
occupations, physical layouts and so on. Had the Security  Option
alert mentioned in the report taken place, it would have involved
all  security personnel at the base and everyone at the base  and
in  Rapid  City (Population 45,000 plus) would have  known  about
it."
end of part 3

          
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