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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.
“Lonnie Zamora”52 pages
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AMS BUDGET (550) NIGHT LEAD UFOS SOCORRO, N.M., APRIL 29 (AP)--ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BOTHERS THE SCIENTIST INVESTIGATING NEW MEXICO'S UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT REPORTS FOR THE AIR FORCE IS THE LACK OF MENTION OF RADAR CONTACTS. "IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING NEW MEXICO IS INFESTED WITH RADAR EQUIPMENT," SAID DR. J. ALLEN HYNEK OF NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, AN ASTRONOMER WHO IS A SPECIAL CONSULTANT TO THE AIR FORCE. "I'M GOING TO CHECK TO SEE IF THERE HAVE BEEN RADAR CONTACTS THAT MIGHT TIE INTO THESE REPORTS." DR. HYNEK VISITED TODAY THE SECLUDED HILL WHERE SOCORRO POLICEMAN LONNIE ZAMORA REPORTED SEEING AN EGG-SHAPED OBJECT FLY AWAY FROM A DRAW LAST FRIDAY EVENING. OTHER REPORTS HAVE FOLLOWED. THE SOCORRO REPORT AND ANOTHER AT LA MADERA IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO WERE SIMILAR IN THAT STATE AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES CONFIRMED A SCORCHED AREA WHERE THE OBJECT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE LANDED, AND WEDGE-SHAPED IMPRESSIONS THAT AP-PEARED TO HAVE BEEN LEFT BY SOME TYPE OF LANDING GEAR. HE WOULD NOT OFFER AN OPINION ON JUST WHAT ZAMORA DID SEE. HE SAID HE HAD INVESTIGATED MANY SUCH SIGHTINGS BUT "THIS IS ONE OF THE CLEAREST, NO THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WORD; JUST SAY IT IS ONE OF THE SOUNDEST, BEST SUBSTANTIATED REPORTS AS FAR AS IT GOES. "USUALLY ONE FINDS MANY CONTRADICITIONS OR OMISSIONS IN THESE REPORTS," DR. HYNEK SAID. "BUT MR. ZAMORA'S STORY IS SIMPLY TOLD, CERTAINLY TOLD WITHOUT ANY INTENT TO PERPETUATE A HOAX. THE STORY OF COURSE WAS TOLD BY A MAN WHO OBVIOUSLY WAS FRIGHTENED BADLY BY WHAT HE DID SEE. HE CERTAINLY MUST HAVE SEEN SOMETHING." ZAMORA'S RELIABILITY AS A WITNESS WAS SUPPORTED BY DR. LINCOLN LAPAZ (CAL L-P) OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO WHO HAS AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION IN RUNNING DOWN REPORTS ON FIREBALLS AND METEORITES. "I WOULD FIRST POINT OUT THAT WE ARE NOT PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THESE UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS," DR. LAPAZ SAID TODAY. "BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I HAVE HAD CONTACTS WITH MR. ZAMORA FOR 15 YEARS IN MY WORK AND HE IS A THOROUGHLY DEPENDABLE OBSERVER." ## A93AQ DR. HYNEK SAID HE FOUND LITTLE AT THE SOCORRO SITE. "THE AREA CERTAINLY HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY MESSED UP BY THE TOURISTS. THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE THERE NOW." HE SAID SOIL SAMPLES HAD BEEN TAKEN TO " SEE IF THERE ARE ANY PARTICLES IN THE ASHES OR AT THE SITE THAT MIGHT BE FOREIGN TO THIS AREA. " DR. HYNEK ALSO WAS INTERESTED IN THE WEDGE-SHAPED IMPRESSIONS. DR. HYNEK ALSO WAS INTERESTED IN THE WEDGE-SHAPED IMPRESSIONS. " FROM THE OBSERVATIONS BY ZAMORA AND OTHER AUTHORITIES THE IMPRESSIONS APPARENTLY WERE FRESH," HE SAID. "I JUST WISH WE HAD A PICTURE OF THEM. BUT WITH ALL THE PEOPLE TRAMPING AROUND THERE, THERE ISN'T ANYTHING TO SEE NOW." HE SAID THE LACK OF RADAR CONTACT REPORTS BOTHERED HIM. "SO OFTEN WE HAVE SUCH A CONTACT AND THEN CAN TRACE THE OBJECT TO SOME NATURAL PHENOMENA OR AIRCRAFT," HE SAID. THE SCIENTIST ALSO DISCUSSED THE MARKINGS THAT ZAMORA SAID HE SAW ON THE SIDE OF THE OBJECT, A RED, INVERTED V WITH BARS THROUGH IT. "LISTENING TO HIS (ZAMORA'S) DESCRIPTION, THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS A CATTLE BRAND TYPE OF MARKING. I WISH WE HAD A PICTURE OF IT. IT DOES NOT RING A BELL AS TO ANY KIND OF INSIGNIA THAT I AM FAMILIAR WITH." DR. HYNEK SAID THAT A REPORT THAT THE AIR FORCE HAD ASKED ZAMORA NOT TO DISCUSS THE MARKINGS WAS FALSE. "NO ONE IN THE AIR FORCE EVEN SUGGESTED THAT NOTHING SHOULD BE SAID ABOUT THE MARKINGS." HE SAID. DR. HYNEK ALSO WAS ASKING UNIVERSITIES IN THE STATE IF THEY KNEW OF ANY GEOPHYSICAL GROUP WORK IN THE STATE. "THESE PEOPLE OFTEN HAVE SOME STRANGE TYPE OF VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT THEY USE IN THESE RUGGED AREAS WHEN TAKING RADIOACTIVE SAMPLES," HE SAI DR. HYNEK SAID AN APPOINTMENT TOMORROW IN BOSTON WOULD KEEP HIM FROM VISITING THE SITE NEAR LA MADERA NORTHWEST OF ESPANOLA WHERE A SANTA FE RESIDENT REPORTED SEEING A SIMILAR CRAFT AND WHERE THE SCORCHED GROUND AND OTHER REMAINS WERE SIMILAR TO THE SOCORRO SIGHTING. HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE NO COMMENT ON OTHER PARTS OF ZAMORA'S REPORT INCLUDING THAT OF SEEING WHAT APPEARED TO BE TWO FIGURES IN WHITE COVER ALLS OUTSIDE THE CRAFT.
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