ANGELA YEAGER Statesman Journal
May 12, 2005
The UFO Festival in McMinnville brings out the believers and the nonbelievers each year.
It is the mingling of the serious alien enthusiasts with those who just want to party while wearing antennas that makes this festival so unique and interesting.
The sixth annual festival, which is today through Saturday, was created to celebrate the legacy of the famous Trent abduction case in McMinnville. There also is a parade and an alien costume ball as well as a film festival.
Alien experts also will converge to talk about crop circles and alien implants with the kind of seriousness usually reserved for PERS.
The keynote speaker is Roger Leir, a California podiatrist who has written five books on the subject of alien implants.
He has performed 11 surgeries to date to remove "alien implants" from abductees. He performs the surgeries for free through his nonprofit organization, A&S Research. Leir also was a consultant on the TV show "X-Files" and has appeared on programs on the History Channel and SciFi Channel.
We had the opportunity to chat with Leir on the phone before his appearance.
Statesman Journal: When did you first become interested in the subject of alien abduction?
Leir: Well, I've sort of been interested in the phenomenon since childhood. I remember my father bringing home the newspaper in 1947 and laying it on the kitchen table and reading the Roswell headline. My father had this whole dissertation on how we can't be the only beings in the universe. And I've always been interested in flying and ufology.
I went to this meeting of the International Mutual UFO Network on a whim in the late 1980s or early 1990s. I went, and it wasn't what I thought. I expected to see a lot of nutcases with flying propellers on their heads, but there was an interesting cross section of males, females. There was an interesting presentation, and there were home-baked cookies, so that really did it.
Abduction was becoming quite popular in that time. I was still not a believer. At this conference I went to, I met a researcher who claimed he met this person who had alien implants and showed me a set of X-rays of this woman's foot. I thought it was the biggest bunch of bull I ever heard. I examined the X-rays, and it looked like pieces of metal in the foot, which isn't uncommon with certain types of foot surgery. But her medical records showed the woman never had surgery.
In August 1995, I did my first two surgeries. There was a foot and a hand case.
SJ: What did you find in the foot?
Leir: The first thing I noticed is that there was no scar on either one of these cases. I couldn't see where any object could go in. The first thing I took out was in the big toes. It was a T-shaped thing covered with dark-gray biological coating. I had never seen anything like that before, and the general surgeon (assisting) hadn't either.
The other item was small cantaloupe-shaped thing that turned out to be a metal rod that was highly magnetic. We received funding for testing from the National Institute for Discovery Science. Since then, everything we remove, we have tested at labs.
SJ: So this convinced you?
Leir: I certainly became a believer that something is out there.
SJ: What is the strangest thing you found in someone?
Leir: There is one that really blew me away, even now when I think of it. There was a lady who came in, she had a marble-sized object in her arm that moved. And if you put your finger 2 inches away from it, it would come toward your finger. When we removed it, it was a pea-sized yellow object that was completely biological. It was not attached to anything. Now, I've done surgery for over 40 years, and I've never seen anything like it.
SJ: Why do you think aliens would be implanting humans with these objects? What would the purpose be?
Leir: I get asked this question more than anything. I can only theorize. Anyone who says they have the answer is not being truthful. In a nutshell, my theory is I think these are devices made for monitoring the manipulation of the genetics of the human race.
There have been studies done of growth characteristics of children worldwide. Do you know what I mean by that?
SJ: Um, I'm not sure.
Leir: Normal growth characters such as when children raise their heads, learn to climb stairs, crawl. These same statistics are accelerating worldwide anywhere from 16 to 80 percent. It's either an act of God or the human race is being genetically manipulated.
SJ: So are you saying you think the aliens are accelerating our development so we learn to do things faster?
Leir: Exactly. We grow faster so we learn faster. We are very disjointed from our spiritual self, so maybe that's part of it. We have many lessons to learn before we destroy the entire planet and not a lot of time to learn them.
SJ: So the aliens are trying to help us. Why would they do that?
Leir: I don't think the aliens have any great love for the human race. The universe is probably teeming with intelligent life. We don't have the best track record. We've bathed this planet in blood forever. But when you get into things like nuclear weapons that could destroy everything, maybe they don't like it.
SJ: You're not one of the people that believe then that aliens are hostile or out to destroy us then?
Leir: If they were hostile, they would have eaten us a long time ago. UFO sightings go back thousands of years. They've had plenty of opportunity to get rid of us if they wanted.
SJ: How do you feel about festivals like the one if McMinnville that combines the serious UFO people with the ones who go to the parade?
Leir: It's just like Roswell. I was there at the 50th anniversary celebration, and there are alien puppets and balloons. Lots of people came to have fun, but they also saw the serious side. I think that's just fine. If you took the whole subject that seriously, you would probably go into your bedroom and just shut the door forever.
ayeager@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6743
6TH ANNUAL UFO FESTIVAL
What: A festival that appeals to alien believers as well as fun seekers brings speakers, a film festival, a parade and more to McMinnville.
When: Today-Saturday
Where: McMenamins Hotel Oregon, 310 NE Evans St., and other locations in McMinnville.
Cost: Free, except for special events
Call: (503) 472-8427 or go to http://www.ufofest.com/ Copyright 2005 Statesman Journal, Salem, Orego
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