When you think of aliens, the image of a grey, human-like creature with smooth, metallic skin, an oversized forehead, and a pointy chin may come to mind. Alien enthusiasts refer to this creature as a "Grey." Greys tend to dominate science-fiction media. Think of Roger Smith from Futurama or the Colonists in The X-Files. What many people don't know is that we can actually trace this depiction of aliens back to a New England couple and a late-night drive through New Hampshire in the 1960s.
Sixty years ago, an article titled “A UFO Chiller: Did THEY seize the couple?” appeared on the front page of the Boston Traveler on October 25, 1965. Over the next five days, reporter John H. Luttrell recounted the unbelievable story of Betty and Barney Hill: an interracial couple from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who believed they were abducted by aliens on the night of September 19, 1961. The story of the Hills is remembered as one of the first recorded instances of alien abduction and includes everything from forced medical examinations to unexplained amnesia. Whether you believe in aliens or not, you’ve likely seen some version of the Hills' story, which has inspired authors, filmmakers, and journalists in the decades since Luttrell’s article was first published.
Betty and Barney Hill
The Hills were a respectable, middle-class couple who lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Barney worked for several years at the South Boston Postal Annex before transferring to Portsmouth and was an active member of the New Hampshire NAACP. Betty was a social worker for the New Hampshire Health and Welfare Department and active in the Unitarian Church. Their friends, colleagues, and neighbors all described them as “good, wholesome people.” (Luttrell, October 25, 1965, 24) The only thing seemingly remarkable about the pair was that they were an interracial couple at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
That is, until 1961, when the Hills were returning home from a road trip through Canada. On September 19, the couple, along with their dachshund Delsey, encountered a strange aircraft on U.S. Route 3, near Franconia. What they saw that night left the couple shaken and confused. Months after the trip, Betty and Barney struggled with unexplained anxiety, nightmares, and health issues. Strangest of all, neither could recall what occurred in the moments after they spotted the aircraft. Two hours of their trip seemed like a blank page in their memory. This led the Hills to consult with Air Force officials, scientists, and eventually a psychiatrist who specialized in hypnosis therapy, all to uncover what really happened during those lost hours.
The following story is taken from Luttrell’s articles in the Boston Traveler, which were published without the consent of the Hills. Additional information was found in an excerpt of The Interrupted Journey, by John G. Fuller, published by LOOK! Magazine in October 1966. Fuller’s article was written in collaboration with the Hills, who wanted their version of the story shared with the public after the Boston Traveler made them famous.
The Long Journey Home
Around 10:00 p.m., just south of Lancaster, Betty noticed a mysterious light outside her window as they drove down the highway. The light was too bright to be a star and it appeared to move through the sky. She pointed this out to Barney, who brushed it off as a satellite that probably veered off-course. Unconvinced by this explanation, Betty made him stop the car to let Delsey out for a bathroom break. Outside the car, the Hills took turns observing the strange light through Barney’s bird-watching binoculars. They watched as it soared across the sky in unpredictable patterns. Barney, still convinced that it was nothing out of the ordinary, hurried Betty along.
They returned to the car and resumed their journey, but Betty kept an eye out the window. She alerted Barney anytime the aircraft changed direction. It appeared to fly closer and follow them down Route 3. As they approached Cannon Mountain, a little before midnight, Barney parked the car in a picnic area. Curious, he peered through his binoculars and took another look at the strange light. He watched as it swung from a northern position in the sky over to the west, and then changed course again to head straight for them (Fuller, 46).
He described the aircraft as an enormous disc with two fin-like wings on either side, each with a flashing red light. Around the perimeter of the ship were windows lit from within with a bright, white light.
“There was movement aboard and soon I could see the occupants. They were human in form and not at all grotesque. They seemed to be wearing dark, shiny jackets and the person I distinguished as the leader wore a military-style peaked hat.” (Luttrell, 1)
Barney stared at the flying disc as it moved closer. He felt like a tiny bug waiting to be snatched. He yelled for Betty to get back in the car. They sped off, trying to put distance between themselves and the ship. Suddenly, strange vibrations began to shake the car, and an electronic beeping sound filled their ears. Delsey started to whine at Betty’s feet. According to the Hills, a tingling sensation started to spread throughout their bodies, and they fell into a daze. At some point, they became aware of the beeping sound again. It was as if they had awoken from a bad dream. Except, they were still in the car driving down the highway. A sign on the road indicated they were now in the vicinity of Ashland, 35 miles south of Cannon Mountain. Neither could remember how they’d gotten there.
It was dawn by the time the Hills pulled into their driveway. The clock in the kitchen read shortly after 5 a.m., which they found strange. They should have made it home by 3 a.m. at the latest. That was not the only unexplainable thing they noticed. Neither of their watches worked, and the strap on Barney’s binoculars was cut in half. They felt a strange urge to check the windows, expecting to see the spaceship in the sky, but nothing was there.
The Search for the Truth
The Hills agreed to keep the details of their encounter a secret, but by day two, Betty decided to notify officials about what they’d seen. She phoned Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth and gave the officer a brief description of the aircraft. She did not mention the human-like figures they saw onboard or the beeping sound in the car. Both Barney and Betty were concerned about sounding crazy, but the call was reassuring. The officer informed them of others who made similar reports in the past. He seemed interested in their description of the aircraft, and interviewed them a few more times over the course of several days. What the Hills did not know at the time was that half a dozen people reported seeing something in the sky on September 19, and Air Force radars picked up a “shimmering” disturbance at the same time they saw the spaceship. (Luttrell, October 25 1965, 7)
Satisfied that the Air Force was looking into their case, the couple tried to move on with their lives. Ten days later, Betty started to have vivid nightmares about that night. She dreamt of the ship and the figures they saw in the windows. In her dreams, the figures were intelligent, human-like creatures that took her and Barney aboard the spaceship for medical experiments. (Fuller, 48) The nightmares only lasted for five days, but left Betty with severe anxiety.
By the summer of 1962, Barney’s health was in serious decline. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure and ulcers. His doctor recommended talking to a specialist about his anxiety. He began seeing Dr. Duncan Stephens regularly for therapy. At first, Barney was reluctant to discuss anything related to the incident at Cannon Mountain. He did not think it was connected to his increase in anxiety or health issues. After a while, he finally opened up about the spaceship he’d seen and the unexplained amnesia he and Betty were experiencing. Dr. Stephens confirmed it was very rare for two people to suffer from the same hallucinations and amnesia. He urged Barney to meet with a renowned psychiatrist in Boston, who specialized in using hypnosis to help patients overcome traumatic events.
On December 14, 1963, Barney and Betty Hill arrived at Dr. Benjamin Simon’s office in Back Bay. At Barney’s request, Dr. Simon met with the couple together and quickly realized both needed help. According to Dr. Simon’s own account, he had no strong feelings about UFOs or outer space in general, but he was convinced something did happen to the Hills and it was causing them great anxiety. (Fuller, 53) Over the course of several sessions, Dr. Simon worked with the Hills separately to recover their lost memories using hypno-therapy. At the end of each session, he would make them forget what had been discussed so they could not impact each other's memories. He recorded the sessions to play back to the Hills and make them remember when he thought they were ready.
Under hypnosis, Betty and Barney were able to recall what happened after they heard the mysterious beeping sound. Their stories were eerily similar and both became distressed when forced to relive the events of September 19. Barney remembered seeing the figures through the ship’s windows, and running back to the car with Betty. But now, new memories came back to him. He could clearly remember the faces staring back at him. The figures had odd-shaped heads that were large around the forehead but with pointy chins. They had long, slanted eyes that wrapped around the sides of their heads. These eyes seemed to communicate telepathically, telling him not to be afraid. The memory caused Barney to yell out in Dr. Simon’s office, “Ohhh, those eyes! They’re in my brain! Please can’t I wake up?” (Fuller, 55)
As they drove away from the ship in fear, he recalled coming to a traffic stop and seeing a group of about six “men” standing in the shadows.
“I saw a group of men standing in the highway. And it was brightly lit up, as if it were almost daylight. It was not the kind of light of day, but it was brightly lit…And they began coming towards me. And I did not think after that of my tire wrench. And I became afraid if I did think of this as a weapon, I would be harmed. And if I did not, I would not be harmed. And they came and assisted me out of the car. I felt very weak, but I wasn’t afraid. And I can’t even think of being confused. I am not bewildered, I can’t even think of questioning what is happening… My feet are dragging… And I am not afraid. I feel like I am dreaming (Fuller, 55).”
Barney was dragged onto the aircraft with his eyes glued shut. He only opened them once, when he was placed on a table in what appeared to be a hospital room. He tried to remain as still as possible as objects poked and prodded him. He thought if he was quiet and didn't resist, no harm would come to him. Once the examination was done, the men guided him back to the car, which was still running. He remembered feeling giddy, and smiled when he saw Betty approach the vehicle. Together they watched, entranced as the ship became a ball of light and flew away. Barney began to drive away as the beeping sound returned, he could feel the calmness slip away. He was anxious to get home and examine his body for some proof of what happened, but by the time he pulled into the driveway all he could remember was seeing the object flying in the sky over Cannon Mountain.
Betty recounted a very similar story. She recalled feeling the same calmness wash over her as the men approached the car, but unlike her husband, she kept her eyes open. One of the men, who Betty identified as the leader, spoke to her with a strange accent. He told her not to be afraid, they would not be harmed. (Fuller, 111) The men brought her aboard the spacecraft and placed her in a medical room alone. Betty asked to see Barney but the leader told her only one person could be examined at a time. According to Betty, another man entered the room dressed as a doctor. He pushed up the sleeves of her dress and began examining Betty’s arms. He scraped an object shaped like a letter opener across her forearms and collected the flakey skin particles on a plastic tray. As he moved to inspect her ears and mouth, Betty did not resist. She told Dr. Simon that she felt no fear during the exam until the doctor approached her with a strange needle.
“Then they roll me over on my back, and the examiner had a long needle in his hand.... And I ask him what he's going to do with it... and he said he just wants to put it in my navel, it's just'a simple test. And I tell him, no, it will hurt, don't do it, don't do it. And I'm crying, and I'm telling him: It's hurting, it's hurting, take it out, take it out! And the leader comes over, and he puts his hand, rubs his hand in front of my eyes, and he says it will be all right, I won't feel it.... The pain goes away. But I'm sore from where they put that needle.” (Fuller, 112)
After the doctor finished with his examination, Betty was left alone with the leader. She asked where he was from and what they wanted with her? In response, the leader showed her a map of outer space, but Betty was unable to recognize any of the planets depicted. He also showed her a book with strange symbols on the cover. When she flipped through the pages it was written in a language she'd never seen before. Unsatisfied, she asked to keep the book as proof. The leader initially agreed to let her keep it before deciding against it. He told Betty it would be best to forget everything she saw that night.
"I won't forget about it! You can take the book, but you can never, never make me forget! ... I'll remember it if it is the last thing I do! And he laughs and says: Maybe you will remember. But I hope you won't. And it won't do you any good if you do, because Barney won't.... It would be better if you forgot it anyway." (Fuller, 113)
The Aftermath and Possible Theories
Dr. Simon was unsure what to make of the Hills' recovered memories. He was positive the couple suffered from a traumatic event, but didn't buy into their story of alien abduction. Betty and Barney weren't sure what to believe either. When Dr. Simon played the recorded sessions back for them, both could remember the abduction clearly. In fact, they were able to recall even more details about the spaceship and alien creatures. (Fuller, 116)
Dr. Simon theorized that the nightmares Betty suffered from may have influenced the couple's memories. One of the biggest critiques of hypnosis therapy is the high risk of false memories. Under hypnosis, patients are very open to suggestion and imagination. It can be hard to tell whether a recalled incident is a memory of a real event or a fantasy. Despite Dr. Simon explaining this to the Hills, they were relieved to finally have answers, even if it seemed improbable.
Over the next year, Barney and Betty only told family and friends about the abduction. They never planned to share their story with the world. However, when the Boston Traveler released its article, the Hills were thrust onto the national stage. The American public was already caught up in the Space Craze of the 1960s, and latched onto the idea of malevolent aliens abducting humans for experimentation. Several theories about Betty and Barney started to gain traction. Believers combed over the details of their case for proof that the abduction really happened. For example, amateur astronomer Marjorie Fish constructed a 3-D model of Betty's map to determine its legitimacy. She ultimately concluded that Betty was shown a map of Zeta Reticuli, a star system 39 light-years away from Earth.
Numerous skeptics also came forward with theories of their own. Some believed the Hills were sleep deprived from driving all night and mistook the planet Jupiter for a UFO. Others wondered if the whole story was made up for fame. Historian Matthew Bowman argued that the pressure of being in an interracial relationship during the 1960s put a considerable amount of stress on the Hills' mental health. In his recent book, The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill: Alien Encounters, Civil Rights, and the New Age in America, he explored the couple's struggle with racism and how this pushed them towards fringe groups for acceptance.
What are your theories about Betty and Barney Hill? Whether you believe they were abducted or not, no one can deny that their story has shaped pop culture's perception of aliens and UFOs.
Want to read more about Betty and Barney Hill?
The full story published in the Boston Traveler is available on microfilm at the Central Library in Copley Square, through the Research Services Department. You can also read an excerpt of The Interrupted Journey, by John G. Fuller, on the CIA website.
The University of New Hampshire houses Betty and Barney Hill's archive in special collections at the Ezekiel W. Dimond Library. The archive includes artifacts related to their abduction and subsequent research, such as correspondence, personal journals, newspaper clippings, photographs, and audio tapes relating to UFOs.
Check out this list of books, graphic novels, and movies inspired by the Hills.
Whether you believe in aliens or not, you’ve likely seen some version of Betty and Barney Hill’s story. Remembered as the first alien abductees in the U.S., their story has inspired authors, filmmakers, and journalists.
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