Project Blue Book Socorro file (direct PDF)

asked Chaves whether Chaves thought that he, Zamora, should first speak to the priest before saying anything. Chaves indicated that this was up to him. Chaves described Zamora's radio call to him on that evening, and indicated that Zamora had asked him to come out alone. Chaves indicated that, when he got to Zamora, he found him very badly shaken, pale, and sweating. He attempted to kid him, saying, "What's the matter, Lonnie; you look like you've seen the devil." And Zamora stated, "Well, maybe I have." Chaves indicated that Zamora was re- luctant to go down into the small ravine, and asked that Chaves pre- ceed him, even though it was still bright daylight. It was Chaves who first discovered the imprint. During the interview, Zamora was far from talkative, and there seemed to be a few minor contradictions as to just where he was when he first radioed in, etc., and even as to how many times he had radioed in. Both Zamora and Chaves appeared to me to be hoping that I could tell them that this had been a secret air force devise, so that they could dismiss the whole thing from their minds. Zamora was still evidently troubled over some of the towns' reactions, and Chaves was disturbed by the hullabaloo and the mis- representation, and the flurry of "me too" reports.

After my talk with the two men at the courthouse, I called Captain Holder and asked him to have anightcap with me. He came down to pick me up, and invited me to his home instead, and transmitted to me a carbon of his report, and the statement describing himself.

Exhibit A) Captain Holder was most helpful and anxious to demonstrate that he had done a good job in procuring measurements, and other data before the coming of the crowd of curiosity seekers. I, of course, questioned Captain Holder, as to his impressions about Zamora's relia- bility and of the connection of the tracks with the sighting, etc., and he, as did all others whom I subsequently questioned, indicated that the markings were, to all intensive purposes, fresh and were associated burned, or that the burning seemed to be sporadic. Clumps of grass in close proximity to the burned ones were untouched, while others just a short distance away from the unburned ones were again burned, etc.

I put up at a local motel, making arrangements to be taken out to the site first thing in the morning. Mr Zamora and Sergeant Chaves joined me at breakfast the next morning, but just previous to that, a man whose name I did not get, he introduced himself as from the FAA, and indicated to me that it was strange that their radars had not picked up anything. He felt that, MTI radars can pick up cars on the road, that this object should certainly have been picked up by the radar equipment.

In going out to the site, I asked that precisely the same road be traveled that was traveled on the evening of the sighting, and so we did, and as we went along, Zamora pointed out the place where the