Tom Berlett's Quest

In March 2025, Washington lost one of its most committed citizens in Tom Berlett.  Holding leadership positions in no less than ten community organizations, as well as organizing Washington's Memorial Day parade and 9/11 Walk for several years, Berlett was one of the significant movers and shakers of our city.

Aside from his selfless dedication to his community, there was another fascinating aspect of Tom Berlett's life: he spent the last half of his life searching for a buried treasure on a New Mexico mountain.

The story of the Victorio Peak treasure is lengthy and complex, and we will not delve into all the details in this article.  In brief, it all started when Milton Noss claimed to have discovered a vast treasure within the caves of Victorio Peak in 1937.

Fast-forwarding to 1958, the peak was now under the control of the U.S. military, which had claimed the property for its White Sands Missile Range.  Ken Prather, an employee stationed near the peak, told airman Tom Berlett about the legend. They, along with Milleadge Wessel and Leonard Fiege, used the excuse of hunting to spend time searching on and around Victorio Peak.  For a few months, they moved rocks and boulders, eventually finding a way into the mountain.  Once inside, Berlett and Fiege found two rooms containing stacks of gold bars.  Not wanting anyone else to find the treasure, they dynamited the opening shut.

The officers reported their findings to the Army, and their access to the mountain was terminated.  Berlett and his fellow searchers, now under the name of the "Seven Heirs" partnership, were administered a military polygraph test in 1961 to test their credibility, and all passed.  They were granted access to the mountain in that year but given an impossibly short time to find their treasure.  Berlett always believed they were only given access to guide the government to the treasure.

The military allowed an organized search in 1977, but again, the length of the search allowed (13 days) was far too short to make any real progress.

In 1989, Berlett appeared on a first-season episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" to discuss the treasure and what he had seen.

In 1990, Berlett spent a great deal of time on the mountain aiding in a survey for a much larger search that would take five years, led by the grandson of Milton Noss.  The Army eventually halted the search, with nothing found at the time of the stoppage.

A 2023 documentary on Discovery ID, titled "Gold, Lies, & Videotape," reignited widespread interest in the topic.

Tom's heirs maintain contact with interested parties.  The search continues...