Out Of This World UFO Convention Hits Irvine

IRVINE, CA (FOX 11) - I have attended two big UFO conventions in my years of reporting and, in both cases, I have found the same thing. There may be many skeptics in the world, but the people who come to conferences focusing on Unidentified Flying Objects are very serious about their beliefs.

Take Jan Harzan who grew up in Thousand Oaks, CA. Harzan says when he was 10 he saw a UFO from his backyard as he stood, actually 'froze in place', as he and his brother Jeff watched the craft hovering nearby. As he drew it on a notepad, he told us "the object was oblong."

Now, he heads up Mutual UFO Network, MUFON, a scientific research organization.

Like any convention there are lots of things to see. Paintings, statues and dioramas. Some of this artwork is pricey and dedicated to UFOs.

There are people in attendance who claim they have seen UFOs like Travis Walton, who says he was taken aboard a craft via a powerful energy force.

He says it was "November 5th, 1975, I was working in the woods with 6 other men." All were part of a lumberjack crew. When the incident happened Walton was the only one missing when the dust cleared. Police polygraphed the other crewmembers thinking Walton had been killed, but they passed all questions about the disappearance. The story has been detailed in the book and movie "Fire in the Sky".

Onboard, Walton says it was dimly lit and there were creatures. He describes them by saying, "They were small. Less than 4 feet tall. Hairless. Very large eyes. They didn't have the term "grey" back then, but nowadays, they call these the "Greys."

The convention has plenty of replicas of greys. It will also have panels and special speakers. It is open to the public. You can get more information at http://www.mufonsymposium.com.

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