OCTOBER 15, 2009 ISSUE
Joe Holden—A Hero Hidden From Society Now Living in the High Country
Potential investors Ken Haboush (on left), Mark November (second to right) and Joe Neulight (right) join Joe Holden (second to left) around his invention, the mini-hydro thrust tube turbine. Using only 150 pounds of water pressure per thrust tube and utilizing the natural elevation of the High Country, the technology can continuously produce power for 25 to 33 homes. Photo submitted
One of the most decorated and classified inventors and engineers in the world, Joe Holden, is now calling the High Country home. British-born Holden—perhaps best known as the inventor of the afterburner propulsion system, or as the man who parachuted behind enemy lines and stole a MIG jet during the Korean War—has taken up residence at Freedom Mountain, the property formerly known as Heavenly Mountain in Watauga County, and has plans to freely share his groundbreaking sustainable technology and unique inventions with local community interests.
Holden—The Man, the Myth, A Legend in the Making
In 1942, at the age of 12, Holden was orphaned during the German Blitz bombing raid and forced to live in the sewers and coverts of Birmingham, England. In 1946, at the age of 16, he entered advanced specialized training as an OSS commando—the forerunner of the CIA.
From 1947 to 1960, Holden—inventor, scientist, engineer and OSS commando—worked in Rolls-Royce’s highly classified research and development center. In the entrance of Holden’s workplace at Freedom Mountain—a space he moved into about one month ago—a sign written by Holden reads, “The Impossibility Can Be Done, But Miracles Take A Little Longer.”
In 1952, Holden was responsible for parachuting behind enemy lines in North Korea and stealing a MIG jet, then flying it while being attacked from every direction to South Korea. After receiving the MIG, the U.S. and its allies tore apart and studied the aircraft to gain information about the enemy’s combat resources.
Holden and his team of commandos completed 17 missions successfully in Vietnam. Between 1962 and 1968 in Vietnam, Holden and his team released more than 500 prisoners of war. Of his time in the war, Holden said, “I would like to personally thank Sen. John Kerry for saving my life during a mission gone horribly wrong. He saved my life and the life of all my team members that night on the river. We were as good as dead when Kerry comes speeding in with his swift boat and picked my team and I up and took us to safety. Despite the criticism in the past concerning Kerry’s role in the Vietnam War, the truth is he was, and still is today, an American war hero.”
With all these accomplishments in life, Holden still found time to invent the afterburner propulsion system, which was first used in the assembly of Rolls-Royce jet engines.
Not limited to air propulsion systems, Holden is also inventor/engineer of the Holden Boat, known for its large size, 70-knot top speed and wake-less propulsion system.
Holden is also acclaimed for his invention and engineering of the thrust tube. The thrust tube propels air, water or steam through a labyrinth with great efficiency using vortex tubes to create an increase of pressure. The increased pressure is then used to amplify propulsion through air or water. Even today, the thrust tube is the crucial ingredient in jet propulsion aerodynamics technology.
Another invention Holden is working on is the solar steam engine. The first prototype of the steam engine reached 800 degrees in just four minutes until it blew its seals from too much pressure. The steam engine did not fail when it blew its seals; it simply means it created more steam pressure than expected when engineered. The increase of pressure is a promising sign of the potential energy this technology could create.
Holden’s Purpose in the High Country
With all his knowledge and accolades, what is Holden doing in the High Country? He is here to take advantage of the rolling elevation of the area. His newest invention, a 100-kilowatt mini-hydro thrust tube turbine, has the potential to be groundbreaking in the hydroelectric power sphere. Using only 150 pounds of water pressure per thrust tube and utilizing the natural elevation of the High Country, it can continuously produce power for 25 to 33 homes. The hydro-station is a bit bigger than a standard washing machine.
Taking advantage of the running water from your home in the form of gutters, toilets flushing, washing machines and other sources, the water will be collected and then used to create electricity with the help of the mini-hydro thrust turbine. This invention squashes any need to build a dam to create power. One of the controversial points that arises when building a dam is the disturbance to the ecology around the dam site, and both upstream and downstream of the dam site. This can bring an end to all of these issues. The mini-hydro turbines can also be staged together to take advantage again of the water, air or steam used to turn the turbine. In other words, the hydro-stations can be linked together to create an exponential amount of power off of the same source or recycled medium.
Holden’s Journey to Brilliance
From the age of 12, Holden can recall numerous misfortunes in life that acted as catalysts along his path to brilliance.
The most devastating of the misfortunes early in life was during a German Blitz-bombing run where thousands of pounds of ruble wiped his entire family out in a single moment. This is the moment that Holden became a reaction scientist. Holden added, “It’s not the action of the medium, it’s the reaction of the medium.”
Recalling the scenario where both his mother and father laid dead, draped across his body, Holden said, “As I lay there I thought to myself, I want to do everything I can to ensure the safety of other unsuspecting families like mine.”
Holden moved with other orphaned children into the sewers and lived there for two years, coming out only to attend whatever school he could find still standing. Never willing to accept failure, Holden held true to his convictions set at age 12 and became one of the most influential scientists and inventors of the 20th century.
When asking Holden about the purpose of his stay in Boone, he replied, “I am here to offer and provide an eco-sustainable education to those willing to earn then learn it. With my inventions, and the use of modern technologies, you can apply common sense to make all your sustainable needs come true. You must first forget most of what you know about math and physics and use the truth found in the fourth dimension.”
Freedom Mountain offers Holden the opportunity to harness the power given from the running water coming from the residence’s homes to power the entire mountain.
“We need people on this mountain moving around and using our resources. The inventions being used in this model of a fully sustainable community first need a community to drive [them]. If you are looking for affordable living in the mountains and you want to make a difference in this world, come see us,” said Holden.
A cartoon drawing of the Sun’s Nest Pod—a fully sustainable, affordable green home design that will be integrated with Joe Holden’s technology and used at Freedom Mountain—shows how a triple rainforest barrier is integrated into the home design on the south-facing side of the home. Even if it’s -10 degrees outside, a triple rainforest barrier means that it will be a constant 68 to 70 degrees inside the home without turning on the heat. The barriers admit the sun and buffer extreme summer heat and/or winter cold. What’s more, grey and black water collected underneath the home is cycled up through the plants in the rainforest, providing them with food. Once the plants emit the moisture back into the air, a vortex water capture system collects the water so it can create rain when needed.
Former Heavenly Mountain Is Now Freedom Mountain
It’s early in the morning and the young think-tank at Freedom Mountain is just starting their day. David Kaplan, Robert Plarr and Holden of Sun’s Nest have comprised a team of aerospace and marine scientists, inventors and visionaries alike. The think-tank’s goal is to introduce sustainability to the High Country in a new way for a new generation. The intern residents at Freedom Mountain are a tight community found tossing around ideas of how to bring all the most recent eco-sustainable technologies to an economically compromised marketplace.
Holden can be found amongst these young thinkers. At the age of 80, Holden is doing what he does best, inspiring the minds of others through his inventions and simplicity of math. Holden is picking 20 individuals to pass his wisdom along to before his time is up in this lifetime.
For more information about Sun’s Nest, Freedom Mountain and/or Heaven’s Nest, click to www.sunsnest.com. For videos of Holden and his proposed solutions to the world’s energy crisis, click to www.sunsnest.com/?q=node/1.
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