A former US Army Colonel specializing in military paranormal applications has shared a harrowing account of a helicopter gunship pilot's near-death experience in the jungles of Vietnam, where the pilot encountered a cloaked figure resembling the Grim Reaper.
John Alexander's Background
John Alexander, a former Army Special Forces Commander, is considered a pioneer in military paranormal research. He supervised the Army Intelligence 'psychic spy unit' at Fort Meade, Maryland, which inspired the book The Men Who Stare at Goats, later adapted into a film starring George Clooney and Ewan MacGregor.
The Crash of the Cobra Gunship
Alexander recounted to podcaster Shawn Ryan his interview with a helicopter gunner named Jim, whose Bell AH-1 Cobra was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Vietnam. The attack disabled vital control systems and fractured Jim's leg. The pilot frantically attempted to guide the damaged aircraft toward a crash landing.
"The blade's turning until it's beaten itself to death on the ground," Alexander explained, indicating that the violent collision left them unable to determine the helicopter's orientation. The Cobra's fuel tanks had also ignited upon impact.
"His face is burned off, the area had caught fire, and he was having a very bad day. Not only has he got a broken leg, his face is burned. They hit and next thing he knows he's out of his body, looking down from up above and he can see the orientation of the helicopter," Alexander said.
The Out-of-Body Experience and Grim Reaper
From his aerial perspective, Jim saw a friendly fire-support base about a click and a half (approximately 1.5 kilometers) away, surrounded by jungle. He also noticed a hooded figure who delivered a simple message: "you're not dead yet."
Alexander continued: "So the back seat [pilot] is out, he's running away and he looks back and about that time Jim looks up. So he runs back and grabs him out. He says 'I thought you were dead, you haven't moved since we were hit'."
Jim, asserting he had witnessed the entire scene from above during his out-of-body experience, told the pilot the route to safety. "Now the pain is setting in and Jim's not in a position to argue and so he hides behind some big anthills that are in the area and about this time the Viet-Cong are coming after them," Alexander said.
Rescue and Aftermath
The pilot departed in the direction Jim indicated, hoping to find assistance. Help arrived swiftly, allowing the severely injured gunner to survive and recount his story. Alexander described it as a unique incident: "It's the only case I have where you have vision from an out-of-body perspective and then it's physically replicated."
