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Project Blue Book Socorro file (direct PDF)

Wikimedia Commons (USAF Project Blue Book) · 168 pages · text by OCR

This Project Blue Book file on the Socorro, New Mexico sighting of 24 April 1964 compiles an Air Force record card and a large set of press clippings. The clippings cover policeman Lonnie Zamora's report of an egg-shaped object with four landing marks and scorched brush, plus J. Allen Hynek's investigation and follow-up reports from La Madera, Edgewood and elsewhere. An Air Force summary says soil and brush analysis found no foreign material, radiation or propellant, that the case remains open, and that later related sightings were explained or found to be hoaxes.

  • p. 1 …LOCATION Socorro, New Mexico 12. CONCLUSIONS □ Was Balloon □ Probably Balloon □ Possibly Balloon □ Was Aircraft □ Probably Aircraft…
  • p. 2 …the Air Force and night be attributed to the Socorro, New Mexico sighting. FOR THE COMMANDER
  • p. 3 …85,.17 miles north of Socorro. "I wasn't going to report it because I didn…
  • p. 4 …He told police Gallegos' report came on the heels of a similar report from a Socorro…
  • p. 5 # Mysterious Object Pays SOCORRO (UPI) - It was shiny and stood on four gird- round, stood on…
  • p. 6 …Last April 24, Officer Lonnie Zamora, on highway patrol, sighted an oval-shaped craft near Socorro…
  • p. 7 # Astronomer Hunts Clue To 'Saucer' SOCORRO, N. M., April 29 (AP). An astronomer from the Dearborn…
  • p. 8 …Sam Chavez said he was told by Socorro policeman Lonnie Zamora that the UFO he saw…
  • p. 10 …the desert about a mile south of Socorro. He denied seeing any signs of life around…
  • p. 11 …Policeman By CHARLES RICHARDS United Press International SOCORRO, N.M. (UPI)—It's a good place…
  • p. 12 …No less than six "authentic" spottings have been reported since Friday when Socorro Policeman L onn…
  • p. 14 …Gallegos' report came on the heels of a similar report from a Socorro policeman, Lonnie Zamora…
  • p. 15 …The reports came from Socorro and the Espanola area. State Police Capt. Martin Vigil said investigators…
  • p. 17 SOCORRO POLICEMAN Lonnie Zamora tells how, he spotted an egg-shaped flying object near Socorro, N…
  • p. 18 # Air Force UFO 4129 Expert to Check 'Saucer' Reports SOCORRO (P) Dr. J. Allen Hynek, special…
  • p. 19 April 25, 1964, when on the previous day at Socorro, New Mexico a policeman, Mr. Lonnie…
  • p. 20 Landing area at Socorro, New Mexico, taken April 25.
  • p. 21 …When it flew away, Socorro, N.M., policeman Lonnie Zamora said he ran from it. Since…
  • p. 22 # "ELPASO TIMES" Film On UFCs To Include Socorro Officer Secorro, N.M. (AP)—A Hollywood, Calif…
  • p. 23 …No less than six "authentic" spotings have been reported since Friday when Socorro Policeman Lonnie Zamora…
  • p. 24 UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT REPORT SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO, 24 APRIL 1964 On April 24, 1964, a Socorro…
  • p. 26 # Air Force Uru Expert to Check 'Saucer' Reports SOCORRO Dr. J. Allen Hynek, special unidentified flying…
  • p. 27 …85 two miles south of Socorro between 7:30 and 8 p.m. The unidentified tourist…
  • p. 28 …The flap started, as most know, when Socorro, N.M., policeman Lonnie Zamora (note incorrect spelling…
  • p. 29 # El Defensor SOCORRO: Inhabited Since 1540 Home of the Famed New Mexico VOL. 98 NO.34…
  • p. 30 Published Tuesdays & Thursdays in Socorro, N. M. 87801 TUESDAY, APRIL 28. # Of UFO Landing Here Observe…
  • p. 31 …Holder of Socorro, U.S. Army up-range commander with headquarters at Stallion Range Center on…
  • p. 35 # UFO Sighting, Socorro, New Mexico, 24 Apr 64 Hq USAF SAF0I PB (Mrs Gaiser) Wash D…
  • p. 46 …On Tuesday, 28 April 1964, Capt Quintanilla directed Doctor J Allen Hynek to Socorro to obtain…
  • p. 57 …produce markings such as those found at Socorro. One known experimental model, constructed by Bell Aircraft…
  • p. 73 …on the April 24, 1964 sighting at Socorro, New Mexico, made by Lt. Zamora. I would…
  • p. 74 …As I recall, the man was driving into Socorro at the time. Unfortunately, I no longer…
  • p. 75 …As a recall, the man was driving into Socorro at the time. Unfortunately, no longer have…
  • p. 76 ## Four Years Old # $100 Reward Offered In Saucer Mystery SOCORRO The mystery of a reported unidentified…
  • p. 78 ## NARRATIVE OF SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO SIGHTING, 24 APRIL 1964 Shortly after 5:30 pm on Friday…
  • p. 84 TDEW/UFO UFO Sighting Socorro, New Mexico 14 May 1964 Test Support Officer (Col K. Young…
  • p. 85 …On 18 May 1964 TSgt Moody called Mr Opal Grinder at 835-9916 in Socorro New…
  • p. 86 …Capt Quintanilla contacted the FTD liaison office at Holloman AFB regarding the Socorro sighting and requested…
  • p. 90 …Cloud Gap operations were conducted in an area about a hundred miles north of Socorro, New…
  • p. 91 …5 CASES of sightings in 1963 or early 1964 reported subsequent to Socorro Sightings ## ALBUQUERQUE, NEW…
  • p. 93 THE FOLLOWING SIGHTINGS WERE REPORTED TO THE AIR FORCE AND MIGHT BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE SOCORRO…
  • p. 96 …In my visit to Socorro I determined that Zamora had been urged by the Mayor to…
  • p. 100 …Coming back to the Socorro case: I'm sorry that I couldn't have been of…
  • p. 102 Report on the Trip to Socorro - Albuquerque - Socorro, March 12-13, 1965 Left Las Cruces 7…
  • p. 103 …CONCLUSIONS 24 April 1964 Socorro, New Mexico □ Was Balloon □ Probably Balloon □ Possibly Balloon □ Was Aircraft □ Probably…
  • p. 104 it on a global basis and the UFO phenomenon apart from the Socorro case is certainly…
  • p. 105 …His principal reason for selecting Socorro seems to be the following: "The main one can be…
  • p. 106 …Ted Raynor, Editor, Socorro El Defensor Chieftan, Socorro, New Mexico, and he can send one of…
  • p. 109 …Apparently the Socorro teenagers are much more direct in their methods of reprisal for the "fuzz…
  • p. 111 …I do not believe that the Socorro high school students could have kept a secret this…
  • p. 112 …There is also the opinion expressed in Socorro, and expressed to me a number of times…
  • p. 124 # UFO REPORT Lonnie Zamora, 606 Resevoir Street, Socorro, New Mexico, 835-1134, Officer Socorro Police Force…
  • p. 126 …Radioed to sheriff's office Socorro 2, possibly 10-44 (accident). I'll be 10-6…
  • p. 127 …State Police at Socorro) calling me on radio for my location, and I returned to my…
  • p. 128 ## INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE SOCORRO SIGHTING OF UFO BY LONNIE ZAMORA At 0530, Sunday 26 April…
  • p. 130 …Coral Lorenzen and husband were in Socorro at the time and had interviewed both Lonnie Zamora…
  • p. 131 ## REPORT ON SOCORRO NEW MEXICO TRIP On Tuesday, April 28, 1964, in response to a call…
  • p. 134 …No 9 shows the town of Socorro in the distance, looking down longitudinally through the gulley…
  • p. 136 …NUMEROUS INQUIRES CONCERNING AIR FORCE INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION OF THE RECENT UFO SIGHTING AT SOCORRO, NEW…
  • p. 137 …In about a month, I shall have occassion to return to the Socorro area, at which…
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

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Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. The text was read from the page images by an OCR model; expect the odd misread word. 168 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.