Was that the past??...a paranormal experience

Photo courtesy from the web page of the USS Hornet museum

A year ago fellow teammate Scott Wolf and I (Jennifer Furgerson) experienced a phenomena neither one of us could fully explain away. Each year our team, or sometimes only a few team mates attend the paranormal conference Grey Ghost in Alameda aboard the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. The conference is your typical meet and greet, along with speakers from TV shows and other paranormal areas and then an investigation later that evening of all areas of the ship. Many have had their share of paranormal experiences ranging from having their hair messed with, being poked, and even seeing full body apparitions. After a long night of roaming the ship, we go to the bunks/cots/bedding we have been assigned to. The area we were in was on the second deck aft(rear) and port(left) side of the ship. Among our area were an array of men and women almost taking up every bed. Some had gone to sleep early (2 am) where others climbed into bed somewhere around 4 am. The lights are turned off and its not very quiet with all the different people snoring, or mumbling in their sleep. After awhile one tend to get used to the ambient sounds and eventually drifts off to sleep. 

This is where our story begins.

Scott's Experience
  "Strange experiences are common when you are a paranormal investigator. Many cases leave you with something that you can't quite explain. Most times you try to think through it logically and move on. Sometimes, like the experience Jennifer and I had aboard the USS Hornet, there is just no logical explanation for what transpired and the experience is one that is etched in your memory forever.

  After a long day of enjoying the conference and a long night of investigating, I decided it was time to head down to my bunk to get some sleep. My team mates were still investigating, but I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open.

  I made my way, through the dark, to my bunk. All lights were off and everyone around me was asleep. A few die-hard investigators were still up, but they were in other areas of the ship. Except for the snoring, it was quiet.

  The bunks were three high and there was very little room in-between. For some strange reason I chose to sleep in a middle bunk. Since I am extremely claustrophobic, this was a terrible choice! I figured I was so tired that I would just fall asleep and sleep the few hours I had left before they woke us up to depart the ship. Things didn't quite work out that way.

  I fell asleep and woke up probably about 30 minutes later, in a full panic from the closeness of the bunk above me. I tried the best I could to block it out of my mind and soon fell back asleep. As soon as I would fall asleep I would wake in a panic. It was a cycle that repeated throughout the rest of the night.

  At one point I awoke, but not from the panic I experienced before. I heard a strange commotion happening around me. As I opened my eyes I noticed something strange. The lights, which were off when I went to sleep, were all on. I looked around and there was no one sleeping in the bunks around me. My first thought was that it was morning time, everyone had already left the area, and some how I slept through it. I sat and thought about it and knew there was no way that could happen because the others I was there with would have woke me.

  The commotion grew louder. The sound of heavy footsteps were all around me. As I listened to what sounded like people running in all directions, my first thought was how rude it was for people to be coming back from investigating, turning on all the lights, and running around like a bunch of fools! It made no sense!

  I turned my head to look at the bunks across from me. Since I was in the middle bunk, I could only see what was in-between the top and bottom bunk. I could see what looked like the torsos of dark figures as they ran back and forth in the open walkway. They never shouted or spoke, they just ran frantically. All you could hear were their footsteps.

  As soon as it began, it was over. I looked around and the lights were off. There was no more running. All I could hear was the sounds of the people sleeping around me. I was tired and at the time I just figured it was a bunch of rude people trying to get back to their bunks to go to sleep. I drifted off to sleep unable to fully process what I had just witnessed, but also too tired to care.

  The morning came, the loud speaker blared that it was time to get up, and the lights came on. I gathered my things and made my way up to the hanger deck where everyone would gather for breakfast. I was still dead tired from not sleeping very much. What happened never even crossed my mind. The only thing on my mind was getting on the road so I could get back home and take a nap.

  Jennifer was already on the hanger deck. She was full of energy. She told me about the rest of their time investigating. Then, she told me about this crazy experience she had during the night. I was listening, but what she was saying didn't really kick in. It wasn't until I had exited the ship and started walking to my car that what had happened to me started coming back.

  I thought about it the entire drive home. It consumed me. I wished I would have been able to talk to Jennifer about because it seemed like we experienced the same thing. One person's personal experience ends up being just a great story, if you don't have anything to back it up. Two people experiencing the same thing, is much harder to ignore. Later that night I would send Jennifer a message and we talked about our experiences.

  It's now been a year since that experience. I still think about it all the time. Jennifer and I still talk about what happened and try to figure out what the heck we experienced. Our team mate, Faye, was there and she didn't experience it. In fact, she had a recorder running the entire time and didn't capture anything that sounded like what we experienced. The only thing that could be heard was snoring.

  Did we somehow travel back in time? Did only two of us experience a residual haunting?  I guess our experience, much like many things in the paranormal field itself and the strange happenings on-board the USS Hornet, will remain a mystery!"

Jennifer's Experience
  "I honestly thought I had experienced this phenomenon alone... I was out investigating on the second deck of the Hornet when I realized that it would probably be a good idea to get some sleep. It was after 4 am and I decided to head back to the assigned berthing area. Not to long after I closed my eyes and attempted to settle into slumber, the room we were in began to sound of a low murmur of voices and feet walking fast and hard on the metal floor. There was metal clanking, and loud banging. All I could think was "what the hell are the people doing while so many of us are sleeping".  It began to irritate me, I rolled to my left side (since I was against the wall). Upon opening my eyes, I see the lights were on, but instead of the normal brightness of the lights, it was an odd glow of pale yellow.

  I was puzzled about the lights being on and from where I was laying I could see people walking very fast heading from one end of the room to the other. Who ever these people were, they needed to get into the next room quickly then back out again. All I could see from where I was laying were people from the waist down. The row of beds obscured the rest of their bodies. I could see that each person wore dark blue high water pants and dark shoes. In what seemed like a mater of minutes, the lights went out and the people that were running were just gone. They had vanished and the room went dark again. I turned on my back and closed my eyes trying to make sense of what I just saw. Moments later while laying there with eyes closed attempting to relax, I hear foot steps approaching. They stopped right in-front of where I was laying. At this point I just wanted sleep, and I was ready to roll over and tell whom ever it was to please leave me alone. I rolled, opened my eyes to find that it was still dark, andno one was there.

  Come morning, everyone received that lovely wake up call of reveille and then the announcement of sweeping your bunk area. In other words, wake up, clean up your area, pack up your gear because you are all heading to the mess for breakfast.

  My teammates Faye and Scott  joined up with me in the hanger bay and we all started to recant our experiences, our irritations, and especially what I had witnessed. I was very excited about what I saw, and I kept repeating that I know I was not dreaming. Faye was quick to point out that the light switch was right next to where she was sleeping, and was the only one who asked how to turn on an off the lights. We continued on to breakfast with those images still fresh in my mind.

  It was not till later that day, on my way home, that I remembered something crucial to this odd event. I received a message from Scott asking what I remembered, and the realization that we both recalled that everyone who had been sleeping in this berthing area were no longer there to be seen. I do not know why I had not thought about it before. It baffles the mind to think that maybe I was pulled into the past, or perhaps the past was repeating at that moment. Either way it does not explain why we did not see the people who were sleeping in the same area.

  Faye was recording audio that night while the room slept, but told Scott and I that none of the noises we heard or from what we saw ended up on her recorder. Once again Scott and I are baffled. So what really happened to us? We both experienced it at the same time, but did not know it till the next day. We both could describe what the people looked like, yet I saw the bottom half, while he saw the top.

  This has stayed fresh in my mind, as I am sure it has with Scott. We both have talked about it over the year. We have looked at pictures from different time periods to see if we could pin point the time of the past we had seen. I have asked docents and other people who have stayed aboard, if they ever experienced anything like this. So far our phenomenon is currently unique to the ship."

For more information click on the links below...

USS Hornet Muesum

USS Hornet overnights

Odd Noise

        So, the USS Hornet, huh?

A place of afterlife legends atop the water, where certain sections are still closed for asbestos removal.  Many areas are flat-out off limits, and there are plenty of living bodies around to tell you where not to go.  Of course those sectors always make me most curious. :)

It was early August, 2015.  The ALPS team took me to the ship.  It started on a top level, the museum full of aircrafts and other era artillery.  A fantastic place to see familiar faces that all seemed to start with the Spirits of the Old West event at the Washoe Club back in 2012.

The ship was packed with different exhibits that appeared around winding corners and in unexpected rooms.

Many people coming and going, much merchandise on display from vendors and our current paranormal generation of grinders.
Early on, a tour guide briefly led the team down to an engine room where unexplained things were heard by naked ears and also recorded on audio.  Off to a good start.
My next question... where will I crash?
At first I was worried to have to rest my head surrounded by many people on the top level.  Couples, strangers, snorers!  But then we were shown down to the bunks that were yet another level below the busy and packed area of the others.  A less-occupied level that Faye had mentioned earlier.
Indeed, it was dark.  So I paid attention to the guide when he flipped switches for lighting.  When I saw Faye ask him the procedure a moment later, I knew there was backup as usual.
In the evening they served us dinner.  A filling meal that made me just right for a smoke.  I stepped back above, where the dark museum opened up to the rear of the ship– and this sight hit me.

The sunset was far beyond the bridges, the ships, and the water, far beyond the buildings of San Francisco.  It made plenty of colors as we socialized, smoked, discussed, then prepared for when the sun went down behind the city.

Many people were assigned in different groups that explored separate areas.  We passed by each other and BSed.

Sommer took us up to the control room, a fantastic display of blue radars and yellow charts.  How many emotions and energies from important decisions had made their way through that place over the years?

We explored lonely rooms that branched off shadowed hallways.  Supernatural experiments with different strangers. The hallways were ominous at all times.  Several people later found EVP’s in their archives.  One from Scott seemed to mention me by name, and it touched on a major past nerve. 

And who knows what else was found by the many investigators who were there?  Do share your evidence if your eyes reach this post.

We were guided to some of the most notorious spots, and it was easy to feel uneasy in most of them.  Being surrounded by so many people made the areas easy to face.

But the night got quiet, and other groups seemed to fade off like souls in time.  The USS Hornet is not a place you want to be stranded in the dark.  Odd noises from all directions is enough to make the mind wonder– but the things that are really there?

Four of us were on the grind latest into twilight hours. Myself, Faye, Scott Litaea, and some guy who followed us, said nothing, and crunched on vending machine snacks that made me envious.  Everything seemed quiet, except for the hum of the ship.  Time came to call it quits around five in the morning.

I was tired enough that the bunk felt like a bed.

The alarm in the morning, a surprising siren that blasted like the good old military days.  It was a sound meant to rise you from that bunk and be ready for plans in store for you.  I can’t say, after maybe an hour of deep sleep, that I was entirely annoyed when I reached a lower deck.  The kitchen area!  It was an awesome breakfast.

The experience felt like a camping trip aboard a haunted and historic American vessel.  It was a mixture of so many different people with goals that revolve around a similar subject.  What can ever go wrong there?

How amazing it was to see so many familiar faces who are currently working hard on the grind for their passions and for the future.  Here’s links to some of their Facebook accounts where you can find further links to their projects:

Josh Heard:    https://www.facebook.com/josh.heard.9 

Conner Hopkins:     https://www.facebook.com/connor.hopkins.9

Scott Litaea:     https://www.facebook.com/scottdlitaea

Sommer Jonez:     https://www.facebook.com/sommer.jonez

Jessie Garcia:     https://www.facebook.com/JessiePGarcia

.... and so many more. 

A.L.P.S. and Solano County Paranormal Explore Mare Island, California

INVESTIGATORS:

ANNA Hill

SCOTT WOLF

FAYE NAVARRO

DUSTIN MANSFIELD

CALVIN ANSTED

OLIVIA KEY

Angels of Light Paranormal Society teamed up with our good friends Scott and Beth Campbell and Melissa Rashid from Solano County Paranormal for a fun filled day at Mare Island.

Mare Island isn’t actually an island. It’s actually a peninsula, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco, California in the city of Vallejo.

Until 1996 it housed the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. It was the first US Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. Shipbuilding operations actually began in 1854. 

The Naval Shipyard built over 500 sea-going vessels to include the USS Jupiter which was re-named the USS Langley when it was converted to be the first aircraft carrier, two battleships the USS California and USS Montana, as well as some of the first US nuclear powered submarines.

 

The First US Aircraft Carrier the USS Langley

Today the former Naval Shipyard is used by commercial businesses and government agencies. Some of the shipyard facilities, such as the dry docks, are still in use. It appears that very little has changed since it’s Navy days.

Our first stop, before we headed to our investigation location, was at a few of the mansions which used to house the Naval Bases highest ranking officers. Some of these mansions are used as offices and others are used as private homes. They are quite amazing. Next we checked out the shipyard. 

The Mansions

 

The Inside of One of the Mansions

The shipyard was nothing short of amazing. I have never seen buildings that large, I can only imagine what it was like to be around when thousands of workers were working round the clock to build ships to support the war effort during World War II. 

 

One of the Massive Buildings at the Shipyard

Next we stopped at St. Peter’s Chapel, renowned for it’s beautiful Tiffany designed stained glass windows. We also stopped at some of the many concrete bomb shelters that were littered all over the base. The bomb shelters were built right after the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

 

St. Peter's Chapel

 

WWII Bomb Shelters

It was finally time to head to our final destination, the former Naval Weapons Storage Area. The storage area was a series of bunkers located on top of a large hill. The views of the coast from up there were incredible!

Views from the Top of the Storage Area

As we walked around and went into some of the smaller bunkers we came upon the old cemetery. A lot of very old graves from sailors that had died from accidents and just old age. We even found six Russian sailors who had all died around the same time. The grave stones looked like they were brand new. They were all the same so I am guessing a group replaced the old headstones because they were falling apart.

Russian Sailor's Graves

While we walked through the cemetery we came to a section that was different from the others. Many of the graves had fences around them which usually signifies someone wealthy or well-known was buried there. As we looked we found the grave of Anna Arnold Key, the daughter of Francis Scott Key, the writer of the Star Spangled Banner! A very cool find!

Grave Site of Anna Arnold Key, Daughter of Francis Scott Key

The main focus of our investigation were the two large underground storage bunkers on top of the hill. I didn’t know it at the time ,but apparently a woman was gang raped and murdered up there. A terrible crime!

Underground Storage Bunker

We spent a lot of time in those two bunkers conducting EVP sessions and trying to see if we could have any personal experiences. I don’t know that anyone did, but we gave it our best shot.

I can tell you that being inside those large concrete underground bunkers after the sun went down was a little spooky. You couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face and the acoustics were insane in there! Every little noise was amplified to a crazy level!

I am not sure anyone was able to capture anything believed to be paranormal on their audio nor did anyone have any personal experiences in those bunkers. We did get some strange K2 hits while in there.

We didn’t mind that we may not have captured anything. Sometimes it’s just the thrill of being able to explore the location you are at that makes it worth the trip. It’s all about being able to explore historic locations and see things that the general public doesn’t often get to see.

Mare Island is incredible! It is a monument to the men and woman who served our country in order to protect our freedom and way of life. It is also a monument to the American spirit. Men and women who gave their blood, sweat, and sometimes their lives to build something incredible that lives on today.