Some years ago while living in Louisiana I came across an interesting sport for owners
of bird dogs called Field Trials. These people spend the weekend in the field on horseback following their dogs in search of birds that have been released in the area.

Being a person that is always ready to earn a few extra bucks, I loaded my pickup truck with eggs, bacon, hamburgers, hot dogs, candy bars, cookies, soda, beer and anything else I could think of to sell from my makeshift concession stand. After loading up some ice and a couple camping stoves I headed out for the field long before sunrise. When the participants began to arrive in the field I already had coffee ready and bacon frying. With these wonderful aromas floating through the chilly early morning air I was instantly in business.

As evening approached everyone began packing up all his equipment, horses and dogs and leaving for the campground, which was seven miles away. Due to the fact that I had too much stuff to repack in an easy manner, I decided to stay where I was and I would just sleep on the seat of my truck. Little did I suspect what that night and the swamp had in store for me.

To the best of my knowledge these people at their campsite seven miles away were the nearest human beings to where I was. I was in the middle of the proverbial nowhere, in the swamplands of central Louisiana. A night I shall never forget.

It was a beautiful warm night with an absolutely clear moonless sky stuffed to overflowing with brilliant stars. So magnificent was the view that I decided I would sleep under the stars on the table I have brought along. Lying on my back on the table with a pair of binoculars to my eyes I was seeing sights in the heavens to beautiful for mere words.

Suddenly all the stars disappeared from view when a blinding blaze of light filled my binoculars. I jerked the binoculars from my eyes to see what had happened. To my surprise there was a brilliant flood light floating about 150 feet off the ground, barely moving to the left and descending at an almost undetectable rate, but moving and descending none the less, and without a sound.

I jumped up from the table and yelled, "What the hell is that?" I ran to my truck in hopes of hiding from what ever this thing was. Then it popped into my head that this white pickup truck out here alone would be the easiest thing in the world for them to find if they wanted to.

Suddenly a second light blazed on about 100 feet to the right and above the first and then a third at the same distance from the second. Now I was really scared. This was all I needed, out here in the middle of nowhere and I have to run into a couple of UFO’s out searching for something. Now what do I do?

I sat down behind a large tree and tried to gather my thoughts. All my life I had believed in UFO’s and had always wanted to see one up close. Now I had the perfect chance and here I was hiding behind a tree. Why did it have to happen here, when I was out in the middle of the swamps alone, at night? What the heck was I doing out here anyway?

I finally gathered all my courage, grabbed my flashlight and headed off down the trial toward the three lights, which I figured were about a half a mile away. Well, I had always wanted to see one up close and I might never get another chance like this, so why not. Several why nots came to mind but I ignored them and continued down the trail. When the fourth light came on I did have to stop and restock my courage, but I walked on.

Finally I was within fifty yards of the lights and I could see smoke coming from them and I just could make out little tiny parachutes over each light. They were flares flowing down on parachutes. I suddenly found myself surrounded by military people, with weapons in hand.

Our field trials were on the edge of Fort Polk Army Base and I had ventured right into the middle of military night maneuvers. They know we were there during the day but we weren’t suppose to be there after dark.

After I explained why I was there I was promptly escorted off the base. I won't mention the fact that I was missing all the beer that had, up to that point, been in the truck. (About 6 cases.)

Thank goodness my aliens turned out to be allies. As bad as they scared me I don’t know what I would have done if I had met up with a squad of aliens. So much for my UFO hunting.