Legacy

Yes, yes Ford made a car in various configurations and  for many a year and called it  “Thunderbird”, it even had chromed symbols modeled or stylized after the Thunderbirds on native Alaskan Indians, Sioux Indians, and a number of Southwest native American tribes of Indians.  The legend of the Thunderbird goes back hundreds of years and even has counterparts in the local lore in other parts of the world.

There are sightings yet today of huge wingspans on birds in areas around the world.  Allegedly responsible for stealing goats and an occasional human.  Several such references made around the United States, including one with the wing span of a small airplane as witnessed by a pilot pacing one.  The biggest bird known to live today is the Harp Eagle in Africa, allegedly guilty of stealing children.  Bones found in nests seem to confirm it.  But they aren’t Thunderbirds, which are also allegedly huge.

My name is Thomas Dittson, I learned the above facts watching the History Channel on TV.  I’ve been an amateur chair side debunker  for years, patting myself on the back for getting what I thought was the correct slant on some of the many mysteries yet to be solved with evidence as opposed to theory.

However I admit to also advancing a lot of theory in my own mind.  The legend of the Thunderbird has always fascinated me. Unlike the huge birds allegedly sighted in this last century, the Thunderbird supposedly omitted fire and omitted a terrible roar.

Now to start with I don’t think there ever was a bird that ever roared, except possibly a Pterodactyl, and that wasn’t a bird, it was a flying reptile in the dinosaur age.  Now Navahos, Apaches, and numerous other Southwest tribes still do ceremonial dances incorporating the so call Thunderbird as do the Lakota Sioux.  They live along way apart.

I decided last spring to use my vacation time to go to the southwest and look at the Petrogylphs and other images  painted on the sides of cliffs and sometimes in a shallow cave.  I’d study those images carefully along with trying to observe a connective theme that might offer greater understanding of what a Thunderbird might have really been.

You see 99% of all legends usually have some truth as a base.  Also centuries ago native Indians would describe something using what descriptive terms were in their vocabulary, which of course is far different from today’s.  That’s acknowledged by some of the current Tribal Chieftains.

Now my time was limited and I needed to make the best use of it I could, so being a licensed helicopter pilot I rented one to cover a lot of ground in a fairly short period.  Also landing in the Southwest semi desert areas would be simple, no obstructions to speak of.

I thought that the helicopter would also left me see if  I could locate any more Cliffside paintings than had so far been discovered, as I could access areas that even a jeep would have a hard time getting to.  New information would be good, pictures of old information somewhat readily available anyway.

It was my third day out and flying fairly low using binoculars, I was trying  to  spot any undiscovered ancient drawings.  As I got closer to a fairly good size mesa, you know, the ones that stick up from the desert floor like an island.  This one appeared to be about a hundred and fifty feet high and probably two hundred across.  I had to raise my elevation if I were to stay on course and not slam into it.  So I did, enough to let me clear it by a comfortable thirty feet.

As I went over it, the surface seemed to flutter a bit from the down draft from my helicopter blades.  I thought that highly unusual as rock don’t flutter or ripple.  I turned around and flew over it again, more of the same plus then the rock seemed to start to disintegrate and fall.  Whoa! Something’s mighty strange here.

I’d best investigate I thought so I landed  a little ways in, safely away from the funny acting part that seemed to vanish somewhere.  I got over to the edge of a large hole and peered into it.  About fifty feet down and still hanging from the edge in a place or two was what had apparently been camouflage designed to look like stone from the air.

Now it was common knowledge that almost anything would last near indefinitely in Desert air.  Therefore for this material to give way, it must have been eons old.  I examined it, and I couldn’t tell what it was made from. Nothing I was familiar with in any case.

Most of it had fallen down the hole draping itself over some large object.  There was ladder rungs of a metallic nature embedded in the side of the hole, so I decided to climb down and see what the large object was.  I got down and pulled the camouflage  material to the side and I got a surprise beyond imagination.

The mystery of the Thunderbird was solved..  There was a jet propelled aircraft.  It had two extremely small light weight engines set into the support struts that had skids for landing instead of wheels.  It had around a thirty foot wing span. The wings were unusual in that they were made of overlapping pieces somewhat feather shaped.  They were very thin, very light, yet durable and held their form.  The front part had a drop point to it.  That was painted a bright yellow, and the rest of it painted to look like bird feathers, big bird feathers.  Considering its wing span and light weight, it was like a powered glider.  The metallic aspect of it was like nothing I could identify.

It was obvious that the engines, albeit they were small would have off and on omitted  a fiery exhaust and roared. This was the find of the century, I’d be famous. I’d be in every newspaper, I’d make a mint from TV appearances. And best of all I’d make millions selling such an artifact. Wow! I was floating on cloud nine.

Being in a hurry to secure my find I used less than perfect judgment.  I decided I could take one of the very long climbing ropes I’d brought with me and tie one end to the Thunderbird and the other end to my Helicopter.  Strain on the rope or helicopter would be negligible due to its light weight.  I figured I’d just fly up and out with it and land us both back at the airport and call the press.

Worthy ambition, but never reached a successful conclusion.  I’d moved the helicopter closer to the edge of the hole so as not to fray on the rope until I got centered and all while lifting it out.  That was a sensible idea.  What I hadn’t figured on was the vibrations set up by the helicopter while running being relayed to the ground sufficiently to start an edge crumble that turned into a partial walls of the hole collapse.

I hastily cut the rope I’d attached because if I hadn’t the helicopter might have been drug into the hole.  As it were the falling rock covered and destroyed the Thunderbird.  My days of anticipated glory vanishing in second.  I was happy however to have escaped with my life.

This story is absolutely true and now I know the truth of the Thunderbird Legend for sure.  However I’m sure no one will believe me, so theorists will just blabber away forever guessing as to reality.