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Project Blue Book Socorro file (direct PDF)

Wikimedia Commons (USAF Project Blue Book) · 168 pages · text by GLM-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. 137 …It would be well, further, for "files protection" for the Air Force to tabulate from its…

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maneuver was in progress, unless the log of such maneuvers is produced, and better yet, the entire "crime" reinacted, preforably in Zamora's presence. I recognize that this will be a very difficult task, but in view of the importance of this case, I think every attempt should be made to do this. It will require, very possibly, the attention of the Secretary of the Air Force himself.

It would be well, further, for "files protection" for the Air Force to tabulate from its records, and from available records from other sources, of other reported landings, such as, for instance, the cronological list which appeared in the January-February 1964 issue of Flying Saucer Review. Ignorance of what NICAP and APRO will designate as similar cases will be of little help.

In about a month, I shall have occassion to return to the Socorro area, at which time I will discuss with Zamora and Chaves after the excitement has completely simmered down, some of the finer points of the sighting, such as the location at which radio calls were made, etc.

The wind at that time was blowing very strongly from the south and I established by repeated questioning that the object had taken off either at right angles to the wind, or partially into the wind.

I have not stressed the insignia which Zamora reported, since he drew exactly the same thing which he had drawn for Capt Holder. I did question him many times on the shape of the object, as to whether it had clear cut edges or fuzzy edges, as to bits of color, etc., but the results were virtually the same as the information given to Capt Holder. The object was egg-shaped, had the inverted V insignia on it, two legs seemed to be protruding from the object, which was not chrome but "whitish-aluminum", and it was further established that the great roar during its initial take-off disappeared suddenly and the horizontal flight away and over the dynamite shack was noiseless.

I questioned Mr Art Burns of the FBI, and several others who had been on the site within the first hours after the sighting as to the alleged freshness of the tracks. They were all of the opinion that the tracks were, indeed, fresh.

Although Zamora was the only witness to the actual sighting, nine people in all saw the markings. Altogether nine people saw the markings within hours of the sighting and before the hours of curiosity seekers descended upon the place the following day.

After I visited the place of the sighting, I had several other talks with local people, and, in particular, with the reporter of the El Defensor Chieftan, or perhaps it was the editor (its a small paper). I believe that I talked with Mr Lewis A Reddell, the publisher of the El Defensor.

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