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Project Blue Book Socorro file

Internet Archive · 168 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This Project Blue Book file on the Socorro, New Mexico sighting, held by the Internet Archive, collects Air Force records and 1964 press clippings. It covers policeman Lonnie Zamora's April 24, 1964 report of an egg-shaped object with four legs, the scorched brush and ground depressions, and Dr. J. Allen Hynek's investigation. An Air Force summary says soil and brush analysis found no radiation or propellant and the case stayed open. Later New Mexico reports were judged known objects or hoaxes.

  • p. 7 …was here today to examine the secluded hill where a Socorro policeman reported seeing a mysterious…
  • p. 15 …that she saw a fire in the hills southwest of Socorro Sunday night, where city officer…
  • p. 24 …pm, in an unpopulated area full of hills and gullies and covered with sagebrush. Following is…
  • p. 31 …The tourist also commented that he had seen a police car heading up the hill. This…
  • p. 57 …He also observed the police car heading up the hill toward the spot where the UFO…
  • p. 76 …ago south of Socorro on an isolated hill remains unsolved. And to help find clues to…
  • p. 78 …travel a little-used road over several hills and gullies. After two or three efforts to…
  • p. 98 …You suggest that when Zamora's car created the hill, the hoaxers triggered another blast of…
  • p. 101 …As you may know, we have rented a house at 57 Avon Hill Street. I hope…
  • p. 115 …Made three attempts to climb hill. First sighting of object. Stopped car for a couple of…
  • p. 124 …Could not see bottom of flame because it was behind hill. No smoke noted. Noted some…
  • p. 126 …I was still running and I jumped just over the hill--I step because I did…
  • p. 127 …ran from object, jumped over edge of hill, then got back to car and radio as…
  • p. 129 …He turned off the road and proceeded to a point up a hill where he could…
  • p. 133 …He thus came up upon the object from behind the hill and from the side, so…
  • p. 138 …The tourist also commented that he had seen a police car heading up the hill. This…
  • p. 150 …One year ago Saturday Zam investigated what sounded two explosions in the hills so of Socorro…
  • p. 151 …an unidentified flying object on a lonely hill-just south Socorro. Among results were an Force…
  • p. 152 …reports." Dr Hyek visited yesterday the secluded hill where Socorro policeman Lonnie Zamora reported seeing an…
  • p. 154 …was here today to examine the secluded hill where a Socorro policeman reports seeing a mysterious…
  • p. 161 …As Zamora moved closer he lost sight of the object behind a hill. He continued driving…
  • p. 166 …short "men." Zamora continued driving up the hill to get a closer look. When he stopped…
  • p. 167 …HYNEK VISITED TODAY THE SECLUDED HILL WHERE SOCORRO POLICEMAN LONNIE ZAMORA REPORTED SEEING AN EGG-SHAPED…

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

and a drawing of this marking will be attached at the end of the report. Mr Zamora is firm in that the color was Red. At this point of altitude (20 ft max) the flame was no longer visible and the craft hovered for not more than a few seconds and began to move laterally to his right (BW) along the line of the gully just missing the dynamite shack by not more than two or three feet and fading in the distance near a mill about 6 miles away. Lonnie Zamoras description of the object is vague. The only specific detail being the red marking. All descriptions are general in nature. At no time did the flight of the object rise above the mountain background. Disappearance of the object from time of hovering took about 3 minutes. About 3 minutes later Sgt Chavez arrived on the scene.

Area background. Photos have been obtained of the background. An airfield (Private) is located about a mile to the opposite side of the gully where the object was located and Zamora's car was parked. There is a large white signboard at the edge of the area. To the right about 200 ft is the dynamite shack, about 6ft tall, 4 ft square and silver in color. Measurements of these factors can be made if deemed essential. The sighting was made at least an hour before sunset. At 630 pm the sun was still visible above the mountains to the West.

Lt Holder was visited and the report made by the FBI agent (Mr Barnes) and Capt Holder read by Major Conner. Capt Holder claimed no knowledge of the red mark. Extensive diagrams of the holes had been made and measurements taken. He indicated that the samples could be analyzed at White Sands. Also a check had been made with the local Radar stations and no U/I tracks carried at the time of the sighting. Further check indicated that no helo activity was in the area. White Sands has two or three white helos, but at the time were located at the other end of the range and were not in operation, the base activity being secured until Monday morning. A copy of the FBI report and Capt Holder's report and measurements to be forwarded to Major Conner, along with analysis of the charred specimen.

No conclusion as to cause could be reached by myself or Major Conner.

Coral Lorenzen and husband were in Socorro at the time and had interviewed both Lonnie Zamora and Sgt Chavez, and also Capt Holder prior to the arrival of Major Conner and myself.

Included in Major Conner's IR as attachments will be the FBI report, Capt Holder's report, Photos of the area, and specific slides taken that evening by a state Trooper accompanying Sgt Chavez to the scene. Specific statements as to radar activity, (none) Helo activity (all known helos not in area) and inquiry into the red marking should be made.

Copies of the local news releases have been forwarded to Capt Q and the basic investigative efforts have been completed. I called Capt Q upon return from Socorro at 1930, Sunday 26 April and advised him of the above information.

DAVID N MOODY TSGT, USAF

About this file

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