David admits that a great deal of what he saw, and was
told in detail, was beyond his comprehension. Even
when he was able to grasp the newly acquired concept, he
was further frustrated by his lack of ability to describe
the ideas that were implanted.
His tour also included a medical check, an instrument
being used to provide a reading of what was wrong and how
to cure it. He added that even his bad back showed up on
their screen.
David
was shown a laboratory that held a device that purified
water from the craft. When he asked the occupants
where they slept, they explained that magnets around the
ship were activated enabling them to float and thereby
eliminating the need for soft beds. They also
explained that the machine in which he found himself was
powered by perpetual motion, and that they intended to
teach him to build his own craft.
David estimates that this conversation took 15 minutes,
before he was returned to his bodily shell in the living
room of his home. In view of what he relates it must
be concluded that either some sort of time dilation took
place, or thought transference was unusually rapid, as it
would appear impossible to achieve all that he told us in
that period of time.
But the adventure was by no means over. In fact, it had
just begun.
The visitors were obviously aware that their protégé
possessed a minimal education and would encounter many
problems during the construction of the proposed craft.
So they simply moved into the house for an extended
period of time. Although David could see them, his
wife could not. But she could hear footsteps, see
doors open and blankets lift off beds. The visitors
informed him that on a certain day in the future they
would appear in a solid form to his wife, Nora.
Lack of funds, space to work and technical know-how were
ever present problems, although these were overcome as
each one arose. The working plans might be best described
as an artist's conception of the finalized machine. A
construction engineer or draughtsman would, I think, throw
up his hands in despair. Having met, in the past,
craftsmen who seldom if ever put pen to paper, but
knowingly tap their forehead when asked how they know what
to do next, then I must admit that an unseen (to me)
guiding force might well be evident in this case too.
As time progressed the Maple Ridge man sought assistance
from many directions. The result was an impressive
accumulation of correspondence from prestigious
institutions. Most replies tended to be skeptical of
his proposals, but did not discourage him from further
effort. Many asked him to contact them again when he
had acquired a working model. In desperation, the aircraft
builder sought a government grant through the auspices of
his local MP [Member of Parliament]. But the federal
government declined participation.
Realizing that his government disability pension would be
nowhere near enough for the estimated construction costs,
David secured a bank loan for $2500. With this he
was able to make a beginning, gradually adding more
equipment as he could afford it. To date his
investment stands at $6000 of his own money, with a
further $900 required to complete what he feels will be a
full scale working model.
Listening to David describe his experiences and
construction plans, hearing the scorn ringing as he
describes the disbelievers who come to look but don't see,
I can't help wondering if I would have had the same
feelings, and heard the same driving voice in the Wright
brothers, had I been present when they assembled that pile
of string and canvas-wrapped air frame that they called an
aircraft. And that heap of junk flew!
Not all of this is hot air, by any manner of means.
Initially David built a small model, employing the present
propulsion system, and placed it casually in an oil drum
in his workshop prior to retiring one night. Next
thing he noticed was a red glow that lit up the living
room. Thinking the building was on fire, he climbed
out of bed only to discover that the rotation of the
magnets had activated to such a point that the oil drum
was red hot. In a matter of minutes the machine
exploded, sending parts and magnets through the roof of
the workshop.
This dramatic demonstration of success was the flame that
sent him back to the drawing board, with a loud persistent
voice telling him of bigger and better things to come.
To paraphrase a famous line from the movie "Field of
Dreams": Build it, ensure it works, then the government
might wake up and take note of his revolutionary machine!
As work slowly progressed, David found himself compelled
to seek materials and information not available locally.
His travels even took him to California in search of
suitable magnets with which to ring his craft. In book
stores he felt compelled to buy certain books. His
library is now considerable, not only in size but also in
variety. Many of the books are of the layman's
introductory type and might be regarded by professional
people in the field as simplistic in their approach.
The machine that David has built is in an advanced stage
of construction, although the 54-year old designer points
out that if the machine performs as it should, then the
materials he has used will not stand up for long to the
stress placed upon them. In this respect, however, he has
no choice. His very limited funds will not allow him
any alternative.
Observers can be found who will state flatly that not
only will the machine not get off the ground, but it won't
even work at all. It is interesting to note,
however, that the concept David describes with such
enthusiasm has been described previously in many
publications from around the world. The most recent
example was in Flying Saucer Review, vol. 24, No. 1, pp.
13-14. A lengthy article by Andrew Collins, titled the
"Aveley Abduction," contains references to a propulsion
system with many similarities to those David Hamel is so
valiantly trying to integrate.
To varying degrees these similarities are apparent with
disturbing frequency. Partly because of this and
other factors, I tend to think that the whole story,
improbable as it sounds, does have substance.
Something took place that might be safely described as a
psychic experience. Although David does not consider
himself psychic, under the normal acceptable definition of
that term, he will relate recent occurrences involving
himself which display all the typical characteristics of
this phenomenon. Automatic writing, failing to
appear on a photograph, astral travel, all have occurred,
he claims, since the visitation.
When eventually the space visitors decided they had
achieved their objective and that things were nicely
underway, they announced that they were leaving, but would
return as originally promised. In due course the
specified time passed after their departure, and one day
and orange car appeared. From it three persons
emerged, who were oriental in appearance, with a reddish
skin. David can only recall that the license plate was
orange. From then on for the next three hours he was
a silent observer of what to him was a miracle.
His wife suffers from cerebral palsy, and for her,
communication of any kind is difficult. But when
these visitors held her hand she was able to converse with
them easily and did so, asking questions and having them
answered. The two men and one woman were easily
recognizable as the original crew members he had met
several months before, only this time they were dressed in
an acceptably conventional manner. When they finally
left it was with the familiar announcement that they would
be back again.
I had been introduced to this self-taught, retired
machinist by a roundabout route, which finally led me to
meet Mr. and Mrs. George S. Merchant who were good enough
to arrange an opportunity for me to interview this
contactee. During these preliminaries it was suggested
that any contact case, no matter how bizarre, dies a
natural death in the course of time (with a few notable
exceptions). If a man could be found who could follow a
plan that would attract attention to a new concept, with a
host of accompanying startling ideas about mankind's
future, then it wouldn't matter if the machine didn't work
at all, ever. It would have served its purpose: to
focus continuing attention on one man and his voice,
echoing ideas from another star.
Maybe that is "The Plan".
ADDENDUM
As a routine part of the investigation I was very much on
the alert for the usually ever-present, and glaringly
obvious, cross-country network of high tension towers.
Although they were present on a mountain side about
five miles north of the contactee's home, I completely
overlooked what was staring me in the face.
An associate drew my attention to a steep hill that rises
directly behind Mr. Hamel's home to an altitude of
possibly a thousand feet. Erected on its summit is a
microwave relay tower!
This fact becomes even more significant when we consider
that a previous and more recent incident, published in
CUFOR vol. 4, no. 5 and titled "The Maple Ridge Diamonds"
took place less than one air mile south from where David
Hamel lives. Quite literally on the other side of
the hill!
ADDENDUM - Part 2, May 1996.
In the early eighties David and his wife decided to
relocate, and in doing so settled in Gilmore, Ontario.
This spot was a site seen many years previously when
David was privileged to observe it from the air, whilst on
board a saucer. But that's another story altogether.
Once established in his new home, Mr. Hamel constructed a
Quonset hut, so that he could continue to work once again
on his craft right through the long cold winters to come.
When I visited him in July, 1986 he had the building
completed and was in the early stages of pouring the
concrete for the floor. From numerous telephone
calls I have had since that time I know he has again built
a larger and therefore more expensive version of the Maple
Ridge model. Energy and enthusiasm still abound, but
shortage of money is forever a major stumbling block.
In 1985, with the help of well-meaning friends, he wrote
and sent a large number of letters to political figures
and major industries. Most chose to ignore him, a
few replied politely, the remaining handful said "Thank
you, we don't have any money to spare, but should you be
successful in your endeavors, please don't hesitate to
contact us, because we are interested!"
To name some of these far-sighted leaders of our nation,
the list would include:
Brian Mulroney.............Prime Minister
George Hees................Veteran Affairs
Donald Cox..................National Research Council
F. V. Nyberg................Science Council of Canada
In addition, letters were sent to John Turner and Ed
Broadbent, also ministers of government at that time.
Of the few replies, it would be fair to choose as an
example, the letter from the National Research Council,
dated 17 March 1986; it was six lines long and signed by
Mr. W. F. Davidson. Its most telling line was, "we doubt
that the material will be of benefit to our
operations........".
Rather than serve as an anticipated damper, it merely had
the effect of stimulating a March 21st, five page reply,
to which their was no further response. Clearly the
Executive Assistant to the President knew when he wasn't
on a winning streak!
About 1990, I met a French Canadian named Pierre
Sinclair, a gentleman with an electronics background. In
the course of a number of conversations that revolved
around our mutual interest in UFOs, David Hamel naturally
entered the picture. Having explained how difficult I
found his explanation of (to me) mind-boggling concepts,
offered in less than perfect English, I suggested that
Pierre try his luck. Contact was made, and from then on
things really began to move forward. Visits were
made back and forth across the country as the various
stages of development took place. The day finally arrived
when a degree of success was achieved and out-of-town
observers were displaying a keen interest in the unfolding
events.
As many people were asking all the same basic questions
it was felt that a book describing all related events
would be a worthwhile venture. A journalist called Jeanne
Manning, who had studied free energy devices for fifteen
years, agreed to assist in writing the book. The title of
which, "The Granite Man
and the Butterfly", had nothing to do with either
marathons or entomology, but rather two of the "keys" to
David Hamel's earlier models. The book makes
fascinating reading insofar that it provides an insight
into a more than puzzling past of the inventor. Indeed, at
times one may be convinced that it is a piece of history
that combines the horrors of war, prison camp, escape,
"blanket" bombing and rescue; and let us not forget "lady
luck", love and the paranormal. And all this BEFORE
the strange events of October 1975 in Maple Ridge, that
took David Hamel down a path that changed his life
forever.
ADDENDUM - Part 3, May 2005.
So thirty years have passed since this story emerged.
Today, David Hamel is now 81 years old, just as “fired up”
as he ever was. He tells me that he has some equally
interested and involved assistants and that THE MACHINE
will be ready to be tested .… again …. This summer. In the
interim a new book has just been published about him and
his endeavours. It is entitled “The Word Made Manifest
Through Sacred Geometry”. Written by Bob Thomas a resident
of Washington State. Some years ago a book was written by
Jeanne Manning, entitled “Granite Man and The Butterfly”.
The future alone will reveal if this time success will be
the pay off for all of his years of dedication and belief
in the outcome of one strange event many years ago.
For
most people who decide to spend their time watching the
Waltons, the result would be television entertainment.
But for David Hamel, carpenter and millwright, the
viewing experience became a door that opened up a whole
new world. 
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