They got to their feet one at at time, taking their turn at the microphone and unburdening themselves of their stories. They then sat down to rapturous applause.
Confession is never easy.
When you are confessing to strangers that you believe you have witnessed UFOs, it is even more difficult. Yesterday 20 witnesses from the American military, intelligence services, and scientific establishments gave their testimony to start a campaign which they hope will force the government to investigate the UFO phenomenon. Former naval commander Graham Bethune was typical of many giving evidence at a press launch in Washington. The Disclosure Project, which was set up in 1993 and is coordinating the campaign, said the witnesses were people in senior positions with top secret clearance and who had nothing to gain from inventing stories. The group also wants Congress to hold hearings about technology the UFOs might be using, as a way of dealing with the US's energy crisis.