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Project Blue Book desk file, Socorro (217 pages)

The Black Vault (Rob Mercer collection) · 217 pages · text from the file's own layer

This 217-page Project Blue Book desk file on the 24 April 1964 Socorro, New Mexico sighting by policeman Lonnie Zamora comes from the Rob Mercer collection. It contains the Blue Book record card, which carries the case as unidentified pending more data, along with Foreign Technology Division messages and resumes and a narrative of the sighting. It also holds inquiries about lunar modules, helicopters and VTOL craft, soil and radiation findings, and a letter by J. Allen Hynek rejecting Donald Menzel's hoax hypothesis.

  • p. 3 …TWX regarding Capt Quintanilla's visit to Socorro dtd 30 Jun 2. TWX frcm SAFOI dtd…
  • p. 6 …EVALUATION OF TH~ RECENT UFO SIGHTING AT SOCORRO, NEW i•lEXIC , 24 APRIL, CONTINUE TO BE…
  • p. 7 TDEW UFO Sighting, Socorro, Nev Mexico, 24 Apr 64 Hq USAF SAFOI PB {Mrs Gaiser) Wash…
  • p. 9 …Force and might be attributed to the Socorro 1 New V..exico sighting. FOR THE COMMANDER…
  • p. 10 UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT REPORT SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO, 24 APRIL 1964 On April 24, 1964, a Socorro…
  • p. 12 …TDEW UFO Sighting, Socorro, Nev Mexico, 24 Apr 64 26 May 64 Hq· USAF SAFOI PB…
  • p. 13 …On Tuesday I re April 1964, Capt Quintanilla directed Doctor J All.en Hynek to Socorro…
  • p. 14 …produce markings such as those ·round at Socorro. One knovn experiaental model, constructed by Bell Air…
  • p. 16 NARRATIVE OF SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO SIGHTll~G 1 24 APRIL 1964 .. Shortly after 5:30 pm…
  • p. 22 …OFf\ClAL F\LE COPY I . 'l'DEW/UFO UP'O Sighting Socorro, Nev Mexico Test…
  • p. 23 …18 May 1964 TSgt Moody called Mr Opal Grinder at 835-9916 in Socorro New Mexico…
  • p. 24 …capt Quintanilla contacted the FTD liaison office at Holloman AFB regarding the Socorro sighting and requested…
  • p. 25 …with an unidentified flying object sighting at Socorro, Nev Mexico . The Air Force is · investigating the…
  • p. 28 …Cloud ~ ap operations were conducted in an area about a hundred miles north of Socorro, New…
  • p. 29 …Cloud Gap operations were conducted in an area about a hundred miles north of Socorro, ~J…
  • p. 76 …Byrnes to;ould like for me to contact him at the state Po.Lice Office, Socorro…
  • p. 77 …1~f'r tI - ~ - Socorro of .t! ~- Wheels skidded. Made three attempts to climb hill~ ,Pl…
  • p. 86 ,, ttro~EL' Sccc; Apr11 ~ ~Y !·!.e:dco .1.964 Lonnie Zamora., 606 Resevoir street~ Socorro, !The…
  • p. 93 …jl.P..nci, lil%t of the Socorro t--otin~ D~:>J,.b"'Ul: ::.nt., , ;.~ - ~'>b…
  • p. 96 INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE SOCORRO SIGHTING OF UFO BY LONNIE z.A.'.iORA At 0530, Sunday…
  • p. 98 …Coral Lorenzen and husband were in Socorro at the time and had inter- viewed both Lonnie…
  • p. 100 .>, REPORT ON SOCORRO NEW MEXICO TRIP On TUesday, April 28, 1964, in resp6nse to a call…
  • p. 103 …No 9 shows the town of Socorro in the distance, looking down longatudi- nally through the…
  • p. 105 …In about a month, I shall have occassion to return to the Socorro area, at which…
  • p. 106 …But, it is essential .that the Socorro case be given the treatment. I also questioned, while…
  • p. 126 …details on the April 24, sighting at Socorro, New Mexico, made by Lt. Zmmora. ,, Project 1964…
  • p. 127 …As I recall, the man ~as driving into Socorro at the time. Unfortunately, I no longer…
  • p. 129 …ly over his car. :Socorro on an isolated hill re- On AP'ril 24, 1964, Socorro…
  • p. 132 …ing of an unidentified flying object at the outskirts of Socorro Friday afternoon ·and the sighting…
  • p. 133 …American UFO Committee Review, Vol 1 No 2, Sep V'+ Socorro 1 H. H. : . . I •t…
  • p. 134 …policeman Lonnie zamora. !shaped object on the desert l about a mile south of Socorro. POLICE…
  • p. 135 …the so>clu·lf:'d hill where Socorro i an ~'.. an \\edg~:--l'?f'Pd im…
  • p. 136 ASTRONOMER TO NEW MEXICO Flying Objects Area Probed SOCORRO, N.M.-(jp)-An !Wright-Patterson Air…
  • p. 137 …ALBuQUERQUE JOURNAL SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO 24 Apr 64DATE: 29 APR 64 Air Force UFO Expert to…
  • p. 138 …28 APR 64 . • • SOCORRO NEW MEXICO DATE: 24 APR 64 A rash of unidentified fly- e…
  • p. 139 …SOCORRO, April 27 lA'! - Socorro police were called to the scene last night where an . ·cer…
  • p. 140 '~"'~ ' i' '... . " . .. .n~".· ,, J ~-"'t:~".t · ·s ,)~.l~"~.l ) i.,:i:'\.11 SOCORRO ll'l -Dr. J…
  • p. 141 …his investigation of a Socorro policeman's report that he saw a mysterious ilying ob-- ject…
  • p. 143 …the heels of e similar report from a Socorro pol ! r.-~ :nr:.n. Lonnie Zamora, who…
  • p. 144 …the one-11 l desc·ribej at Socorro. Sho s :lid i she is investigating the…
  • p. 145 …southwest or Socorro Sunday night, where city officer Lonnie · Z3mora firsl r('poft"l.!tl see…
  • p. 147 …r : (! from a Socorro tee::1ager . •u A;bu-! querquc motorist, ) ~ · .'i :: 1•< o I men…
  • p. 149 …5 CASES of sightings 1n 1963 or early 1964 reported subsequent to Socorro Sightings · 25 Apr…
  • p. 150 …BE A'I'l'RIBUTED TO THE SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO SIGHTING: 1. 26,Apr 64, Grants…
  • p. 151 …were irregularly ly landed there," Chavez A report by a Socorro po- spaced with the distance…
  • p. 152 …gained ·sudden national attention Friday after he saw an egg-shaped flying object near Socorro said…
  • p. 153 …drove 1 to Socorro from Tucson to take samples of the soil and , indicated the story…
  • p. 154 …sightin J! of a UFO in Socorro puzzled by lack of radar con- balls and meteorites…
  • p. 155 …29 A.r 6 Flying Object Expert Checks Socorro Scene Astronomer Takes Photos At UFO Site…
  • p. 159 …Gallegos' report came on I the heels of a similar report II from a Socorro policeman…
  • p. 160 …objects ( in the sky between here and ~ Socorro. ~' The rash of incidents start- ed .Friday when…
  • p. 161 …Gallegos' report came on• the heels o! a similar report 1 from a Socorro policeman, Lonnie…
  • p. 162 .ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL 26 APRIL 1994 ) 1JE JOU:-'''/' '- \Mysterious Object Pays Visit to Socorro Area I SOC…
  • p. 163 ' , PRICE lOc SOCORRO: Inhabited Since 1540 Home of the Famed New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology…
  • p. 166 …The original Socorro report had wide public 1ty, hut to date the A F has never…
  • p. 167 …P'ass and 1 ound scorched indentations o;: :ed&'e-shaped the Socorro aft e &'round…
  • p. 168 …Sam Chavez said he was told by Socorro policeman Lonnie Zamora . that the UFO he saw…
  • p. 170 …burned by exhaust a mile south of Socorro. He denied from the saucer. j seeing any…
  • p. 171 …United Press International thing very few have ever flew away after he got within SOCORRO, N…
  • p. 172 …Flymg Obects Zamora, when contacted at since Friday when Socorro sat~ from h~s Oklahoma…
UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT REPORT
SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO, 24 APRIL 1964
On April 24, 1964, a Socorro, New Mexico policeman, Mr Lonnie Zamora, reported
sighting an object about a mile south of the tovn at approximately 5:45 pm, in an
unpopulated area full of hills and gullies and covered with sagebrush. Following
is a summary of his report to Air Force investigators:
Mr Zamora rePorted that while chasing a speeding car north on US 85, he heard a roar
and saw fle.llies in an area where a dynruni te shack vas known to be located. He aban-
doned chase of the auto and proceeded to where he believed an explosion had occurred.
After traveling a little-used road and experiencing considerable difficulty in t~ng
to drive .his car up a gravel-covered hill, he said he then obserVed what he thought
was an overturne-d car standing on end. At . this point he vas about 800 ft distant
from the object and his car was at the crest of a hill with the object ahead of him
in a gully. He reported that during this first glance he sav one or two figures in
coveralls whom · he assumed to be occupants of the object. This is the only time he
sav these figures; he did not see them again. After radioing to Police Headquarters
at Socorro that he was proceeding to investigate what he believed to be an auto
accident, he drove to a point about 150 ft from the gully where the obje~t rested
and stopped the car to proceed on foot. He said the object vas white, egg or oval-
shaped and apparently supported on girderlike legs. He said he heard a roar and sav
smoke and flame coming from the bottom of the object. At this point, . Mr Zamora be-
lieved that the object vas about to explode and he became frightened, turned, and
ran to shield himself behind the police car, bumping his leg and losing his glasses
on the way. He said that he crouched dovn, shielding his eyes with his arm while the
noise stopped and he glanced up. He reported that the object had risen to a point
about 15-20 ft above the ground and the flame and smoke had ceased. At this point, he
reported, he noted a design on the object which he described as markings in red about
1 to 1! ft in height, shaped like a crescent with a v~rtica~ arrow an~ horizontal line
underneath. He stated that the object remained stationary for sev~ral seconds and
then flev off in a southerly direction following the contou~ o~ the ~lly.
Within moments afterward, Sgt Chavez of the Nev Mexico State Police ~rriYed on the
scene in response to Mr Zamora ta earlier radio call. He observed no object,. but he
reported that there vere some slight depressions in the ground and apparently burned
brush in the area where Mr Zamora had reported seeing the object. The brush vas
cold to the touch. Sgt Chavez reported the incident to local military authorities
who conducted the initial investigation.
The Air Force sent investigators from their project office at Wright-Patterson AFB,
Ohio. The investigation disclosed the following facta: ·
No other witnesses to the object reported by Mr zamora could be located.
There were no unidentified helicopters or aircraft in the area.
Observers at radar installations had OQserved no unusual or unidentified blips.
I
There vas no unusual meteorological activity; no thunderstorms. The weather
vas windy but clear.Rob Mercer

About this file

Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 217 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.