Unmasking the 1966 Dexter UFO Incident with a Deep Dive into Suppressed Sightings

Renowned UFO researcher Raymond Szymanski challenges decades of dismissal in an eye-opening presentation at Dexter District Library

Image: Detroit Free Press, March 3, 1966, reported the Air Force determined the UFO sightings were marsh gas despite scores of credible witnesses giving their account to the contrary. Image: Newspaper Archives.

On August 20, 2024, take a deeper dive into the 1966 Dexter UFO incidents with acclaimed UFO researcher and author Raymond Szymanski. The event will be held at the Dexter District Library.

Szymanski will revisit several famous cases from the mid-1960s UFO wave to demonstrate how these events and their witnesses were minimized to keep a lid on the UFO phenomenon.

“For the last 75 years, everyone who saw and reported a UFO was instantly labeled ‘crazy,’ says Szymanski. “The government, the media, and paid professional debunkers had a field day crucifying credible UFO witnesses on the front pages of the local newspapers with tabloid precision.”

Central to this presentation is an insight into the famous Dexter and Hillsdale sightings, based upon Szymanski’s book “Swamp Gas My Ass” and recently recorded testimony from new witnesses.

“In March 1966, flying saucers were making the headlines across the nation, but nowhere more prominently than in southeastern Michigan,” says Szymanski. “Hundreds of responsible citizens, including multiple dozens of police officers, were filing reports on a group of four UFOs that were seen at close range, often displaying incredible aviation technology. The most famous of these headlines involved the remarkable sightings at Dexter and Hillsdale on 20 and 21 March, respectively.”

Szymanski recently presented to a standing-room-only crowd of 250 regarding another Southeast Michigan UFO incident – the Kecksburg UFO Incident – which occurred just a few months before Dexter’s famous event.

On December 9, 1965, a bright fireball streaked across the skies of six U.S. states and Ontario, Canada, culminating in reports of a crash near Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. Witnesses described hot metal debris, grass fires, and sonic booms across the region.

In Kecksburg, residents reported blue smoke, vibrations, and a “thump,” leading to speculation about an unidentified object landing in nearby woods. Initial reports suggested a swift response from the U.S. Army and State Police, who allegedly sealed off the area.

However, official searches by state troopers and Air Force personnel yielded no findings. Authorities dismissed theories of plane crashes or missile tests, with several astronomers and geophysicists attributing the event to a meteor entering Earth’s atmosphere.

The incident gained notoriety in ufology circles, and it was dubbed “Pennsylvania’s Roswell.” Speculation ranged from extraterrestrial craft to Soviet satellite debris. In 2005, NASA stated that experts had examined fragments from the area, identifying them as parts of a Soviet satellite. However, they reported that records of these findings were lost in 1987.

The Kecksburg incident remains a subject of debate, with conflicting accounts and lost documentation fueling ongoing speculation about its true nature. Despite official explanations, the event continues to captivate those interested in unexplained phenomena.

Admission to Szymanski’s August 20 event is free, but seating is limited. To reserve your spot, visit https://dexter.lib.mi.us/ and click on events.