His voice radiates such suspense that it's nearly impossible not to tune everything else out when Stan Gordon tells you a story about his experience with unidentified flying objects.
You know, UFOs.
“It was Oct. 25, 1973,” Gordon said. “Around 10:30 p.m., I got a call from a state trooper in Uniontown regarding a ‘sighting' by nearly 15 people. A huge red ball, over 100 feet in diameter, hovered over a field, draining power from cars and making the animals go crazy. The sound was a cross between a high-pitched whining and a baby's cry. Eyewitnesses were drawn to a fence where two tall figures, at least 7, 8 feet tall, were standing. Long arms. Glowing green eyes. Long hair. A stench similar to burning rubber.”
That story — along with “countless others,” Gordon said — still remains a mystery today. He'll discuss his passion for investigating the unknown at Penn Area Library on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
An electronics technician specializing in radio communications, Gordon, 65, is the primary investigator of a reported 1965 UFO incident in the Kecksburg neighborhood of Mt. Pleasant. He's the founder of the Westmoreland County UFO Study Group and former state director for the Mutual UFO Network.
He said having a birthday that the day before Halloween helped to pique his interest in reported UFO and Bigfoot sightings.
Over the years, he has received thousands of calls and tips from people who said they witnessed events they can't explain.
Though he's an eager investigator, he's not a UFO evangelist.
“I don't try to convince anybody,” the Greensburg resident said. “You can't force people to believe something that can only be described as a life-changing experience.”
Gordon said he is contacted on a daily basis by people who are credible, smart and normal who can't explain what they've experienced. As with any other profession where data is gathered and evaluated, patterns have taken shape over the years, Gordon said. Though the stories might cause skeptics to roll their eyes, Gordon said the numbers in his data don't lie.
During his 56 years of research, he never has seen a UFO. Despite that, Gordon remains eager to catalogue the claims of others.
“I'm hopeful,” Gordon said. “I know there's lots of facts and documents and maybe even pictures floating around. I'm hopeful after 50 years that people will come forward and share what they have.”
Christina Sheleheda is a freelance writer for Trib Total Media.
