I Found Evidence of a Secret American Ritual. No One Will Talk About It... | Part 1
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
If you enjoy a blend of science fiction and horror, be sure to check out my other podcast, The SCP Experience. This podcast takes you on a journey through the SCP Foundation archives where strange anomalies, secret experiments and unsettling mysteries collide. Let's just say it's not for the faint of heart. Be sure to search for The SCP Experience wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to the full story right now with a 7-day free trial of Dr. No Sleep Premium. No waiting. Just go to patreon.com slash drnosleep to join. Cancel any time. No commitment. That's patreon.com slash drnosleep. This all started with the death of my uncle. Back in April, he had committed suicide at the age of 53, a tragedy that of course, deeply impacted my family.
I knew that leading up to his death, that my uncle was going through an intense depression period. While I wasn't incredibly close with my uncle, I never remembered him ever being the type of guy who had a habit of falling into depression, let alone any history of mental illness. He was more the guy known for coaching high school football or being part of the Elks Lodge than anyone with a pattern of depression or anxiety. It must have been something very personal, considering that as far as I knew, there had been nothing drastically wrong with my uncle's side of the family in the months leading up to it. There were no issues between him or my aunt, no dire financial problems, or even any issues at my uncle's work, serious enough for him to stop going in.
My father was very close to him, being his brother of course, and he had never indicated to us that something was wrong beforehand. What struck me as particularly odd was that everyone, or at least everyone older than myself, our cousins, and the younger members of our family seemed to know what exactly was causing his depressive episodes. No one mentioned what it could be, but anytime someone would bring it up, there was an uncomfortable pause in the air and the subject would be quickly changed. Even at the funeral, there was that air of secrecy around it. It was like there was some open secret that was too ugly to talk about. Whatever it was, none of us were sure and no one asked. Since they didn't have any kids, my father volunteered that he, my grandfather, and myself would help go through my uncle's belongings to see what could be kept or donated.
That was when I found them. I was clearing out a trunk, looking for anything valuable that he might have had stashed away when I found the ribbons. Think of those dinky little ribbons you get when you do a 5k run or donate money to a charity. They were a combination of red, white, and blue, and had a huge gold button that read, America Needs You 1985, Lottery Organizer. It didn't look like anything all that unusual, except that my uncle's only association with any kind of lottery as far as I knew was spending $20 on scratch-offs every other week. Underneath the ribbons was an envelope, a very old one by the looks of it, considering the white paper had turned a dark yellow from years inside the trunk.
Crammed inside the envelope was a very poorly folded up letter. It was as yellow and as illegible as what it was stuffed into. I could only make out that it was addressed to my uncle, and it seemed to be from someone thanking him for his help. I asked my aunt about the ribbons and the letter. It was a casual kind of question you ask when you find interesting things in your loved one's possessions, you know. I was mostly expecting her to tell me some story about how my uncle announced some charity bingo or lottery event in town some years back as part of a community raffle. But instead, she immediately tore the ribbons from my hands, threw them on the ground, and then told me that I never saw them.
When I brought this up to my father, he suddenly became incredibly agitated and told me in no uncertain terms that I was never to bring that up in the house again. Even my grandfather gave me a love tap on the back of the head for just asking him about it.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–5:50
2
What tragic event sparked the investigation into America Needs You 1985?
5:50–18:09
3
What mysterious items did the host find in their uncle's belongings?
18:09–23:44
4
How did the family react to questions about the ribbons and letter?
23:44–31:50
5
What was America Needs You 1985 and why is it shrouded in secrecy?
31:50–34:40