American Alchemy with Jesse Michels
American Alchemy with Jesse Michels

Air Force Veterans Abducted By Aliens Reunite After 50 Years [EMOTIONAL]

September 7, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

For 50 years, Air Force veteran Mario Woods had been searching for one person: Michael Johnson, his partner on the night of November 5, 1977, when both men experienced something that defied explanation while guarding a Minuteman nuclear missile silo at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Mario had told his story on dozens of shows—History Channel, Discovery Plus, News Nation—and at every opportunity he asked the audience to help find Michael. Private investigators were hired. The FBI was consulted. The Pentagon’s official UFO office, AARO, promised to look. All came up dry. Michael Johnson is one of the most common names in America, and the search felt hopeless. Then a fan of the podcast American Alchemy found a Facebook page belonging to a 70-something Michael Johnson living in South Carolina. A recruiter tracked him down in about a week. The two men, separated for nearly half a century, were about to reunite on camera for the first time.

The Night That Vanished

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:26) **The Setup: A 50-Year Mystery** - Mario Woods has been searching for his missing partner, Michael Johnson, for 50 years to corroborate their shared UFO encounter at a nuclear missile site.
  • 2 (05:43) **The First Call: Reconnecting After 49 Years** - Jesse Michels calls Michael Johnson at his job, pretending to be a friend of Mario's, setting the stage for the emotional reunion.
  • 3 (12:08) **The In-Person Reunion: "I've Been Searching for Your Happy Ass"** - Mario and Michael meet in person for the first time in 50 years, sharing an emotional embrace and confirming the reality of their shared experience.
  • 4 (21:42) **Mario's Full Account: The Night of the Encounter** - Mario provides a detailed, chronological account of the event, from the initial light exchange to the beings and the missing time.
  • 5 (36:21) **The Aftermath: Missing Time and a Catatonic Partner** - Mario and Michael wake up eight miles away from the missile site, with five hours of their lives missing and Michael completely unresponsive.
  • 6 (40:15) **The Interrogation: Gaslighting and Truth Serum** - Both men are interrogated separately by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, who attempt to discredit their experience.
  • 7 (54:33) **Divergent Fates: Career vs. Degradation** - The Air Force’s response to the incident led to vastly different outcomes for the two men.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

In 1977, two Air Force security policemen guarding nuclear missiles at Ellsworth Air Force Base encountered a massive craft, non-human beings, and lost nine hours of time. The military separated them. One was discharged. The other spent 47 years searching for his partner.

We found him.

This is the story of Mario Woods and Michael Johnson: the Ellsworth AFB incident, the reunion, and the first-ever dual hypnotic regression revealing what both men saw on the craft that night.

GUESTS:

Mario Woods - Former USAF Security Policeman, 44th Missile Security Squadron, Ellsworth AFB

Michael Johnson - Former USAF Security Policeman, 44th Missile Security Squadron, Ellsworth AFB

Yvonne Smith - Hypnotic Regression Therapist (40+ years)

Ammar Kandil - Co-Producer, Co-Founder of Yes Theory

Support Mario and Michael to help give them the retirement they deserve: https://www.gofundme.com/f/marioandmichael 

Watch our previous interview with Mario Woods: https://youtu.be/73YBwFvcmF8?si=EqkIsK9CK1zj1NBB 

—---------------------

You can support American Alchemy by signing up with our incredible sponsors below! 

KetoneIQ: Visit https://ketone.com/ALCHEMY for 30% OFF your subscription order PLUS receive a free gift with your second shipment—or find Ketone-IQ at Target stores nationwide and get your first shot free!

Factor: Head to https://factormeals.com/alchemy50off and use code alchemy50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year!

iRestore: Unlock your best hair & skin with @iRestorelaser and HUGE savings on the iRESTORE Elite + Illumina Face Mask Bundle with code JESSE at https://www.irestore.com/JESSE #irestorepod

—---------------------

Support Our Other Projects Below!

Grab Your American Alchemy Merch Here ➤ https://www.americanalchemymerch.com/

Join The American Alchemy Magazine Here ➤ https://americanalchemymagazine.substack.com/

Subscribe To Our Clips Channel (10 Minute Highlights!) ➤ https://www.youtube.com/@UC8ZKTXN9trt5dhixz6b6l6w

—---------------------

Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/jessemichelsofficial

TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjessemichels

X ➤ https://twitter.com/AlchemyAmerican

Spotify ➤ https://tinyurl.com/jessemichelsspotify

Clips Channel ➤ https://www.youtube.com/@jessemichelsclips

Apply For Jobs ➤ https://jobs.gusto.com/boards/american-alchemy-3758eda5-237b-45f1-b043-da80a300714e

Sponsor Inquiries ➤ [email protected]

Media Inquiries ➤ [email protected]

—---------------------

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction

05:16 - The First Phone Call

15:18 - Mario and Michael Reunite

18:41 - Michael's First Memories

20:44 - Mario Tells the Ful

American Alchemy with Jesse Michels

More from this podcast

American Alchemy with Jesse Michels →