Menger, Howard

Howard Menger was one of the most famous contactees of the 20th century. He claimed to have met extraterrestrials from Venus and other planets. Valiant Thor was his most famous contact.

Howard Menger was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1922. He claimed that his first encounter with a person from another planet happened when he was 10 years old, in the woods near his hometown of High Bridge, New Jersey. He said he saw a glowing disc-shaped craft land and a man came out to greet him. The man told him that he was from Venus and that he had come to Earth to help humanity. He also gave him a small device that would allow him to communicate with the Venusians in the future.

Menger said he had many more contacts with the Venusians and other extraterrestrials throughout his life. He said they taught him about their advanced science, spirituality, and history. He also said he visited their bases on Venus, Mars, and the Moon, and even traveled to Saturn in a spaceship. He said he met many other contactees, such as George Adamski, Daniel Fry, and Truman Bethurum, who had similar experiences.

Menger became a public figure in the 1950s, when he published his books From Outer Space To You (1959) and The High Bridge Incident (1991), where he detailed his chats with the friendly space brothers. He also released a record album, Music from Another Planet, which he said was composed by the Venusians. He hosted conventions and radio shows about his contacts and attracted many followers who wanted to witness the UFOs and meet the aliens.

One of the most intriguing episodes in Menger's story was his involvement with Valiant Thor, a mysterious man who claimed to be from Venus and who allegedly lived at the Pentagon for three years. Menger said he met Valiant Thor in 1957, at a diner in High Bridge, where he introduced himself as a representative of an interplanetary council that wanted to offer Earth a plan for peace and prosperity. Menger said he recognized him as one of the Venusians he had met before, and that he had a special mark on his chest that proved his identity. Menger said he helped Valiant Thor spread his message to the public and the government, but that his offer was rejected by the authorities.

Menger's claims were met with skepticism and ridicule by many people, especially scientists and journalists. They pointed out the inconsistencies and contradictions in his stories, the lack of physical evidence, and the resemblance of his photos and artifacts to ordinary objects. Some accused him of being a fraud and a hoaxer, who exploited people's curiosity and gullibility for fame and money.

In 1962, Menger surprised everyone by announcing that he was quitting the UFO field and that he had been deceived by the aliens. He said that his contacts were part of a CIA experiment to manipulate his mind and memory. He also said that some of the aliens were not from other planets, but from Earth's future or parallel dimensions. He moved to Florida with his wife Connie, who was also a contactee, and lived a quiet life away from the media.

However, in the late 1980s, Menger changed his mind again and withdrew his recantation. He said that he had been pressured by the CIA to deny his contacts, but that they were real and genuine. He published a new book, The High Bridge Incident: The Story Behind The Story (1988), where he reaffirmed his belief in the space people and their mission. He also marketed a free energy device that he said was based on extraterrestrial technology.

Menger died in 2009, at the age of 87. His legacy remains controversial and divisive among UFO enthusiasts. Some regard him as a pioneer and a visionary, who shared valuable insights and wisdom from other worlds. Others consider him as a delusional and dishonest person, who fabricated fantasies and lies for personal gain or psychological reasons.

Whatever the truth may be, Howard Menger was one of the most influential figures in the history of UFOs and contactees. His story reflects the hopes and fears, the dreams and doubts, that many people have about the possibility of life beyond Earth.

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