Back in the days when M.U.F.O.N. stood for Midwest UFO Network, John Schuessler was there. In 1969, along with Walt Andrus, John, an aerospace engineer with an interest in Unidentified Flying Objects, formed what is now the biggest and best UFO Organization in the world – The Mutual UFO Network!
Last week, Mr. Schuessler, our International Director Emeritus, called it a day and asked Dave MacDonald, our Executive Director, to remove him from our active roles after 53 years of dedicated service using the scientific method to unravel the UFO mystery.
John has written innumerable scientifically based articles for the MUFON Journal and other publications for decades. One of his many famous cases is The Cash-Landrum Affair in December of 1980 when two women and a boy in a car spied a diamond shaped object being trailed by military helicopters. The women suffered radiation sickness afterwards and even sued the United States Government unsuccessfully.
In our MUFON Anomaly Research and Reporting System (MARRS) database of old paper reports submitted to MUFON before the implementation of our modern computerized Case Management System (CMS), I found that John had over 77 pages of documentation on this famous case. Not only that, the record shows that John even visited the witnesses in the hospital to see how they were faring! Compassion and scientific inquiry at their finest!
John even co-authored a book with a foreword by famous UFOlogist Bob Pratt entitled “The Cash-Landrum UFO Incident” which is still available on Amazon.com.
Some of our readers may recall that John appeared in several TV programs and is listed in the IMDB.COM database. According to IMDB, “John F. Schuessler is known for Unsolved Mysteries (1987), Dan Aykroyd Unplugged on UFOs (2005) and Enquête sur les OVNIs (2004).
To say good-bye to a legend is always tough especially when it is one of our founders! We are moving into a new generation at MUFON with new leaders, new ideas and an era that may soon see disclosure. We never would have arrived where we are today without scientists like John. We will miss him! But we must continue the journey until we have an answer! Thank you, John! And Godspeed!
