YEAR: 1988

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: May

STATE: Ohio

COUNTY: Greene County

LOCATION DETAILS: Indian Mound [Reserve]

NEAREST TOWN: Xenia, OH

NEAREST ROAD: St. Rt. 42

OBSERVED: In the spring of 1988, my college USAFROTC unit decided to have an escape and evasion (E&E) training scenario. The cadet Lt. decided we should conduct it at the Indian Mound [Reserve] in the late evening and night to simulate an aircrew "shootdown". 5 of us were to be the aircrew that was to E&E the Lt. and his team.

We started out uneventfully around 6pm and followed the trail westbound out towards the Indian Mound (north side trail that follows the creek. There's a cliff to the north of this trail with another trail on top of it). We got to the mound right before sunset. We then set up a basic diamond formation for security as we moved through the night back to our starting point. Along the way, below one of the cliffs, we stopped. The rear guard kept sending up word to me that something was following us. I figured this was the OPFOR team (Opposition Force) tracking us. At the same time, from above us on the edge of the cliff, we heard movement and small rocks began to drop on us. Thinking this was our Lt., I sent our squad up the side of the cliff (it was able to be scaled) and we joined at the top and went into a skirmish line (about 20' apart from each other) and moved about 50 yards into the woods to the north, hoping to kick up the "ambush"....nothing. We then went back down to the trail below we were originally on. Again, we heard walking above us and the rocks began to fall on us. We moved out.

The Rear Guard was getting a little scared as he kept sending up messages that something was behind us. I sent another individual back there with him. My point man spotted something up ahead of us on the trail and I went up with him to investigate. While looking into the darkness to our front, my Rear Guards came running past us, yelling, "its charging us!" and ran right by us into the woods. The next individual came running by saying the same thing. My point man and I began to retreat quickly to the north, out of the woods. Whatever it was, it was running at us and was swiping tree branches out of its way as it ran. We made it to the edge of a plowed field and the woods and took off running. Nothing came out of the woods. I remember the impression was that we didn't believe it to be the OPFOR unit because of the noise in the trees above our heads and the sound of heavy footsteps coming at us. It was enough to scare us to run away and not stand our ground.

When we got back to "base" I contacted the Lt. and asked him what was going on. He informed me that they did not get out to do the ambush that night.

The next day my Point Man and I went back to the site and found no tracks, but did find branches that had been broken and snapped off, higher than my head. I never thought about this as anything until 1992, when one of my students referred to bigfoot sightings in that area.

OTHER WITNESSES: Five total on "patrol".

OTHER STORIES: About 2 years later, a friend of mine was on the Indian Mound (group playing capture the flag at night) and heard what he described as a "sick cow" groaning around the base of the mound. It moved from all around the base while they were on top of it. They eventually ran down the mound when they heard the sound opposite of where they intended to escape.

The investigator found a short video on YouTube of a young lady walking her dog near the Indian mound when the dog stopped, alerted, started growling and retreated back to its owner.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was about 11:00 p.m.

ENVIRONMENT: Wooded, with cliffs, valleys and a creek running through it. There is an old Indian burial mound.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Dusty Ruth:

I emailed Daniel Reed and received a response from him. I had to interview Daniel via the phone (4-19-2018) because he has moved to northern Ohio since the report.

Daniel stated that the incident occurred in May of 1988. He was leading a platoon of ROTC members from Cedarville College on a night-op mission at Peterson Park, located on Rte. 42. They had hiked to the park where they were to engage in war games with another platoon. At a place where there is an upper trail and a lower trail near a waterfall, something was dropping rocks on them from above. He said that he sent part of his group up from the right and part from the left while he went up the middle. When they got to the upper trail, nothing could be found. They returned to the lower trail and again the same thing happened with same result.

On their way up the trail, through the park, part of his platoon heard branches breaking and thought they were “under attack” from the opposing platoon. They reported finding branches broken at about 7 foot-high and a dinky fire in the middle of the trail made of paper and small twigs. They thought this was very strange as it was raining. The night was very quiet and eerie. They didn’t think it felt right. They returned to the campus and found that due to the rain, the opposing platoon had never left the campus.

Daniel stated that about a year later, a friend reported being on top of the Indian Mound located in the park, at night, and heard a strange moaning coming from the bottom of the mound and then the moaning started coming from the opposite side.

A friend and I went to the park on 10-07-2018. It was a nice warm day and there were multiple groups of people hiking in the park. Massie’s Creek flows through the park which is heavily forested with high rock ledges. There are waterfalls and multiple hiking trails and a large Indian mound located in a clearing. We found no obvious sign of bigfoot activity. The park was being heavily used the day we were there.

I found no physical evidence at the time, but later found a short video on YouTube of a young lady walking her dog near the Indian mound when the dog stopped, alerted, started growling and retreated back to its owner.

About BFRO Investigator Dusty Ruth:

I was employed as an investigator for 25 years and then promoted to administrator for another 11 years until I retired.