UFO INFO
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Jackie Gleason=92s UFO Encounter
By Bill Knell
Jackie Gleason will always be remembered as one of America=92s greatest
comedy talents. Born in Brooklyn, New York City, I guess you could say
that he was a graduate of the school of hard knocks. Maybe that=92s why
he always seemed to work harder the everyone else. When it come time
for him to get a show on TV, he wanted to own it! Unheard of in the
days of early TV, Gleason often penned deals that allowed him to
produce most of his own shows.
Everything Gleason did, he did with great passion. Every script for
the TV shows had to be just the way he envisioned it. No one was ever
allowed to step out of character. Camera shots and angles were always
set up the way he wanted them. The passion also extended into his
personal life. Fascinated by Flying Saucers and the unexplained, he
ultimately assembled one of the world=92s greatest parapsychology, UFO
and occult libraries. The bulk of it resides today at the University
of Miami Library.
In 1982 I was a guest on a talk show at a Miami radio station. The
subject was UFOs and the Paranormal. After the show, I was handed a
note by the receptionist. This often happened when I did radio guest
spots because some people preferred to share their own UFO or
Paranormal experience with me off the air. While walking to my car, I
took a quick look at the note. It said, =93Please call Mister Gleason
at=85.=94 When I arrived back at my hotel room, I called the number, asked
for Mister Gleason and gave my name. An assistant got on the phone and
informed me that Jackie Gleason wanted to speak to me, if possible,
the next day at a Fort Lauderdale location. Needless to say, I
accepted the invitation!
The meeting location was a bar at the Jolly Roger Hotel in Fort
Lauderdale. Now I don=92t know if Gleason owned the hotel or merely had
friends there, but after stopping by the front desk, I was escorted to
a small bar that was closed to the public at that time of day. Gleason
sat at a table like a king holding court, but looked older and weaker
then I had imagined he would. I wondered why Gleason hadn=92t met me in
any one of his favorite Miami haunts, but it may have been that this
was supposed to be a low profile event. Either way, I knew that
Gleason was a serious guy who hated small talk and I wasn=92t about to
ruffle his feathers.
After a brief handshake, Gleason asked me a number of questions about
my UFO and Paranormal investigations. We talked for about an hour and
a half. Actually, he asked questions and I answered them. =93You know I
get your newsletter,=94 he said knowingly. =93Good stuff!=94 He was
especially interested in articles that covered the topic of crashed
UFOs. At that time a lot of buzz had been created by former military
officers who had begun to speak of their involvement with the cover-up
of UFO crashes.
Out of the blue, Gleason told me how that Richard Nixon was a good
friend of his. He had sup****ted Nixon in every possible way during his
successful bid for the Presidency in 1968. In 1971, Jackie Gleason
attended a small White House dinner. After dinner, Gleason spoke
privately with Nixon. He asked the President if there was anything
that Nixon could tell him about UFOs? Were they real? Were they Alien
Spacecraft? According to Gleason, Nixon told him, =93Well Jackie, if you
can arrange to arrive at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa sometime in
the next few days, I=92ll arrange to have you shown some things that may
help answer your questions!=94
Gleason arrived in Tampa, Florida, a day and a half later. After
calling a phone number provided to him by someone on Nixon=92s staff, he
headed out to MacDill AFB. After arriving on the base, he was taken to
a dark colored building that appeared to be some sort of storage
facility. Once inside, he had to pass through several levels of
security. Finally, Gleason was escorted into a large room where some
strange debris lay on the floor. An officer told him, =93This material
is from Roswell.=94 No emotion, just a matter of fact statement.
The officer handed Gleason a small piece which seemed almost
weightless and very flexible. Just then, a light came on in the center
part of the room. Jackie was astonished to see what looked like a
large piece of a broken disc just floating a few feet above the floor.
Warned not to approach it, Gleason still got an eyeful. But the
surprises weren=92t over!
After just a few minutes, Gleason was escorted to another room. Three
containers with glass plates for viewing greeted him. =93These were the
occupants found near the object you just saw.=94 Again, with little
emotion, the officer gave Jackie a one sentence description that spoke
volumes. The beings were about four to five feet tall. Two of the
bodies were badly damaged, but one was in very good shape. As Gleason
looked at it, the officer said, =93This one died later.=94 It had large
oval eyes, grayish skin and looked male. =93Are they all males?=94 Gleason
asked the officer. =93Your guess is as good as ours.=94 He answered Jackie
with a slight smile. It was time to go.
The experience of seeing the object and bodies affected Gleason more
then he first realized. Although he had a hit variety show on CBS,
Jackie walked away from everything for a few years to study more about
UFOs and the Paranormal. It wasn=92t until 1975 that he went back to
work in a meaningful way.
If Gleason was affected by the experience he had, I was affected by
his description of it! I met Jackie Gleason one more time at his New
York estate. I didn=92t bring a camera on either occasion because
appearing with celebrities wasn=92t what I was or am about. I was more
interested in what Gleason, with millions of dollars to spend o the
Paranormal, had learned about it. As things turned out, it was being
owed a favor that brought him what he desired most. I just wish that
he had brought a camera when he got to meet what may be the greatest
celebrities on the earth, dead or living!
Note: When asked about it, Beverly McKittrick (Gleason=92s ex-wife)gave
information to the press about Gleason's experience which appeared in
one or more magazine and tabloid articles. She was to have included it
in a book about him, but she never completed the project.
NOTE: Some well-meaning researchers have said this event occured at
Homestead AFB instead of MacDill and involved both Gleason and Nixon.
Beyond the fact that the standing order and policy of plausible denial
would never allow Nixon to accompany Gleason on such a visit, it's not
the story that I heard from Gleason or others that claimed knowledge
of the visit.
It's also im****tant to understand that Beverly McKittrick (married to
Gleason from 1970-1975) had her version of the story published in a
tabloid during the 1970s. It was also to be told in a book she was
writing that was never published. She never mentioned the Base
involved in either the article or the manuscipt.
When I spoke to her on the phone in the 1990s, she said that she
assumed it was Homestead because they lived closer to that base, but
had no way of knowing for sure. She told me that she couldn't recall
if Jackie mentioned a specific Base to her. She said that he had very
little to say about the experience.
MORE:
Before you email or write for more information about this article,
please read the additional material below designed to answer the many
inquiries received. Thank you.
Greetings from the world of the Unexplained!
Thanks for your questions regarding the Jackie Gleason incident
involving the viewing of UFO crash materials and allegedly alien
bodies mentioned in my seminar, on my video presentations or in
articles I have written about it. I offer this prepared answer with
the hope that it will help to satisfy your curiosity and apologize in
advance for not personally responding to your inquiry. I do this
because I have received thousands of letters and emails about this
subject over the years, continue to receive them and find that this is
the best way to respond in a timely manner.
I have been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time when
it came to obtaining information about UFOs and the paranormal over
the years. I think that has happened partly because I traveled to most
U.S. States, Canada and overseas to present over 100 seminars a year
for nearly twenty years before cutting back. This has given me access
to a number of rare op****tunities. I consider the Gleason meeting one
of the rarest.
While I knew he had interest in the paranormal, I was unsure what
position he took toward the subject. I got the distinct impression
that he wanted to believe, but I also felt that he looked to people
like me to confirm his belief. I also felt that he wanted to find out
if I had seen anything like he had, either through my investigations
or because my father had been an Air Force Officer at one time. Sadly,
the majority of that time occurred before I was born. I had never had
the op****tunity to view what Gleason claimed that he saw.
My impression of Gleason was that he had a very hungry mind, was
extremely intelligent and an avid reader despite having little formal
education. During our first discussion in person while I was in
Florida, he asked me about several books that only a true UFO Buff
would have any interest in. It was obvious that he had read those and
many more. He also mentioned articles he had read in various almost
obscure publications that most people would not know about. That could
mean he knew enough to make it all up, but it also meant he had a
strong interest in the phenomenon. His almost skeptical comments made
me believe that he would have no interest or agenda in making up such
an experience.
Now as far as his experience itself goes, Gleason was able to give me
a lucid, play-by-play recall of the events leading up to his visit to
MacDill AFB and subsequent viewing of the material and bodies. Having
spoken to thousands of paranormal witnesses over the years, I know
that there is a difference between people who are relaying what they
remember as it happened, giving me a description of what they think
happened, making it up as they go along or embelli****ng what really
happened. I would rate Gleason's explanation of the events as play by
play.
Like me, Gleason tended to have a better than average memory. I'm not
speaking about someone's intelligence or of a photographic type
memory. It's just that I tend to recall many things in detail. At one
time I presented four different seminars that ran two hours in length,
each with over 150 slides and video, all from memory. Likewise,
Gleason tended to be able to memorize scripts and multitask when it
came to his television work. He was the first TV Performer to own and
control every aspect of a television show he starred in, from
production to screen. He managed all that despite suffering from
insomnia and an infamous alcohol addiction.
At the time Gleason told me the story, I felt that it was probably
something he had hoped would never become public knowledge. He told me
for his own reasons and I am still uncertain of his motive. However, I
am certain he never discussed it with his professional associates
(other actors, managers, etc). I have contacted a few people who
worked with him over the years and none had heard the story or even
seemed to have any knowledge about it. Most didn=92t know or care that
he was interested in the paranormal. But when I asked them if they
felt it might have been the booze talking, all said NO. None of them
seem surprised that Jackie had lots of pull with Nixon. Apparently, it
was common knowledge that Gleason had a close friend****p with Richard
Nixon and enjoyed common interests. Gleason did not elaborate on that
with me, so I have no way of knowing if one of those common interests
included UFOs or unexplained phenomenon. However, Nixon was Vice
President to Eisenhower.
I'm sure you have heard the famous story of President Eisenhower
vani****ng from sight for a few days during an alleged dental surgery.
As the story goes, an aide initially said he was off golfing, then
said he was having dental surgery and finally admitted that the
president had been taken to a secret military location to view the
remains of a Flying Saucer and its occupants.
I have never been able to fully verify that story, but I know that
statement did briefly go out to the press. There's also enough
correlating evidence to indicate that Eisenhower did vanish from the
eyes of the mass media for 24-48 hours. He did not go to the dentist
(as later verified by his dentist) or escape for a few days of
undisturbed golf games (according to his spokespeople). Eisenhower,
Nixon and Gleason were all avid Golfers and that may have helped
establish some sort of bond between them, but I do not know for sure.
You know the old saying about telling your golf partner what you
wouldn=92t tell your family; well maybe it=92s partly true.
Despite all the photo opts with his family, I have heard and read that
Nixon was an intensely private man who did not easily share himself.
He was inwardly strong, self-conscious and intensely secretive. Of all
the presidents, less is probably known about what really went on in
his white house most others with the possible exception of Truman.
It's interesting to note that 1947 is the one year missing most from
the collection of papers and exhibits at the Truman Library, despite
the fact that it was a very im****tant year for the Truman Presidency
and was allegedly the year that the UFO cover-up began. Regarding
Nixon, even those conducting the Watergate Hearings had trouble
finding a paper trail for anything. It was all about what people said
or claimed.
Nixon hated staff meetings and often conducted business with one or
two people at a time in the oval office. Somewhat like Reagan, he
delegated authority and expected results. Unlike Reagan, he hated
repeating himself, despised follow up meetings and disliked hands-on
situations that he might have considered beneath his responsibilities.
He preferred to have most everything handled by Staff members and
hated assisting subordinates to complete their assignments. Henry
Kissinger was often frustrated with Nixon and said so (in a civil and
even nice way) in various interviews. He claimed the president was too
rigid and would rarely compromise any position he felt strongly
about.
Nixon hated taking NO for an answer and brought a reasonably quick
close to the Vietnam War by simply bombing the daylights out of North
Vietnam anytime they walked out of peace talks or didn't respond to
his offers in a timely manner. Nixon kept a very close relation****p
with U.S. and NATO Commanders and none ever questioned or second-
guessed his use of the military the way they did whenever President
Johnson was in office.
I suspect these high ranking military officers knew more than any of
his personal staff or even cabinet members about any secrets Nixon had
access to and were probably the ones who told him. Given Reagan's
statements about Alien life, it's fascinating to note that many of his
staff members had roots that went back to the Nixon Presidency. I
cannot find any record of Reagan ever expressing interest in or making
statements about Aliens prior to his presidency.
Nixon obviously had an IN on a lot of secrets and I am sure he had no
trouble selectively sharing them with Gleason, although I doubt his
own family knew any. For example, he became very interested in cable
TV. It's rumored he approved the development of a chip that would
allow the government to spy on cable viewers in the sense of knowing
everything they watched and when. On the positive side, they would be
able to vote using their cable box. Another chip was supposed to be
placed in every color TV manufactured after 1972. These stories came
from former GE employees who allegedly had a part in the whole thing.
Who knows? But I'm certain that Nixon believed in the Big Brother
concept because he had closed circuit cameras placed all over the
White House and in other Government Buildings. Gleason became very
interested in cable TV around the early 1970s. It could have been due
to Nixon, or just the fact that cable was turning into a viable
entertainment entity with pay per view experiments involving movies in
several locations by that time.
Gleason once sat with Nixon in the White House, talking and drinking
for over six hours. That is documented along with other meetings. Both
loved to drink, but Nixon's body chemistry was weird and allowed him
to consume massive amounts of alcohol without getting too drunk. Staff
members said he always felt 'over-heated' and kept the a/c well below
normal temperatures when he was in the White House offices or resident
areas. Maybe he was an alien? Just kidding. I think Nixon and Gleason
were two pees in a pod and very much alike.
Unfortunately, Jackie Gleason was not the kind of person who spoke
much about or shared his private life with co-workers. In other words,
I would not describe the working environment for actors, crew or staff
members of his TV or other entertainment projects as a family. That
limits what they might know about his personal life off camera. Most
of his friends have long passed away and family members are guarded
about any relation****p they might have had with him. It doesn't seem
that he was very close to anyone. His brother died as a child and he
didn't seem to have much of a relation****p with his daughters. It=92s
noted that he disliked working with child actors. Perhaps that=92s
because his own childhood was so hard.
Beverly McKittrick was his wife for just four years and, from all
accounts, these were turbulent ones. I got the impression that his
description to her of what he saw at MacDill was probably offered
during a drinking binge or a moment of emotional confusion. Otherwise,
I doubt he would have even mentioned it. She tried to write a book
about her years with him and the MacDill incident, but seemed unable
or unwilling to complete the project. I suspect she hoped for some
cooperation that never materialized from Gleason on the project.
I also get the distinct impression that he probably did not tell his
third wife, Marilyn, about it, although it is said this was his
happiest marriage. If he did, she has never talked about or
acknowledged it. I have never been able to discuss successfully the
story wit her. It does seem that she has been very careful to guard
Jackie Gleason=92s reputation and the memory of his life and work. I
doubt she would acknowledge anything regarding Gleason that seemed out
of the mainstream or that might violate some personal confidence.
As far as the military goes, they are not as inept at keeping secrets
as people might believe. My father was an officer and I can tell you
that there were definite levels of information and trust within the
military. They have carefully designed profiling methods to decide who
gets access to the most sensitive information. Any one who has ever
served as an officer knows that you can spend your whole life serving
in the U.S. Military and still feel like an outsider who was never a
part of the actual hierarchy. The same goes for those in government
service. If you have ever met an Astronaut, you know what I mean.
I have met a number of astronauts through radio and television
interviews and speaking venues and I can tell you there are two types.
Those in the know, and those well outside of the circle. Not that they
have told me anything, but speaking with one in the know is easily
discerned by their amazing ability to sidestep UFO questions and
provide carefully scripted answers. The others are mostly disbelievers
and skeptics by virtue of their association with the scientific
community and offer their own prefabricated objections. But with the
NASA outsiders, you do not get the distinct impression that they are
holding something back and any question you ask will be a waste of
time.
As I mention in my UFO COVER-UP and UFOs AROUND THE WORLD seminars
(DVDs available), I did meet a person who has proof that they served
at MacDill around the time of Gleason's visit. His personal knowledge
of the visit was allegedly limited, but he did know about the building
and claimed to have seen the wreckage, but was purposely vague to me
about the bodies. He was also careful to say that the wreckage might
have come from the crash of a secret aircraft (just an opinion).
I hope this additional information has been helpful and provided you
with answers to any questions you had for me.
Thanks, Bill Knell
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