Former Marine Describes Bigfoot Encounter on Restricted US Base

A reported Bigfoot encounter carries more weight when it comes from a trained Marine inside a restricted military zone rather than a casual hiker. The Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) recently received such a report from a now-former Marine who says he had a close encounter in July 2005 at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

BFRO investigator Matthew Moneymaker said he interviewed the witness, Andrew Bird, and found his account credible. “I spoke with this former Marine, Andrew Bird, at length. He is credible, and he was not the only one who observed this figure that night. Two other Marines were with him and saw the same thing,” Moneymaker said.

The incident occurred in a restricted training area near the MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) town. Bird and two fellow Marines were moving at night through the woods to reach a pickup vehicle while nearby trainees conducted exercises using blank ammunition. The Marines kept their flashlights off to avoid detection.

During the movement, their compasses malfunctioned, repeatedly guiding them back to their starting point. After changing their route, they heard a loud cracking noise about 15 to 20 minutes later.

“We observed two trees next to each other bending toward one another,” Bird said. Looking up 20 to 30 feet, they saw a large, hairy creature pulling the trees together. The creature was more than eight feet tall, brown or reddish-brown in color, and displayed immense strength.

The Marines fled as the creature appeared to pursue them, crashing through brush for 20 to 30 seconds. They reached their vehicle minutes later and escaped. Bird said the creature “was not a black bear or any known animal in the area.”

“This event has stayed with me for 20 years,” he said. “I have never encountered anything before or since that explains what we saw that night.”