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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…

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## MORE FROM NEW MEXICO

Soccoro . . . El Defensor - Chieftain (newspaper of the town) April 28 and 30 . . . published on Tuesdays and Thursdays, carried these details of the Zamora sighting (April 24, 1964). They were on top of this story almost immediately and the following is briefly what was reported.

He first saw the object from 150 yards. As he drove towards the top of the Mesa, Zamora said one of two persons at the UFO whose back was to him, turned his head and looked straight at him. The two persons appeared to be dressed in white coveralls, and at that distance, Zamora said they appeared to be approximately as tall as a 12-13 year old boy. He did not take notice of headgear worn by the two short "men."

Zamora continued driving up the hill to get a closer look. When he stopped the car on top of the Mesa and directly opposite the place where the UFO had landed, he saw it again; but the persons were not to be seen. He started towards the UFO on foot. Then he heard the roar or blast that had brought him to the scene. He saw flames, and dust was flying around the object. Thinking that the object was about to explode, he threw himself to the ground and covered his head and face. He was a mere 50 feet from the UFO at the time.

When no explosion occurred, he raised his head and saw the object rise straight up 20 feet. As it rose, the roar changed to a whine and quieted.

The object maintained this altitude and moved in a straight line for about 2 miles. Then the UFO gained altitude very rapidly, and soon became a speck in the sky, and disappeared. Four depressions were found where the object had been. They were 12 in. by 6 in. The two legs were probably 2-1/2 ft. long. On the west side, it was 12 feet between landing holes; on the east, the distance was 15 feet. The width was 9 or more feet. Two round impressions were 4 and 5 inches in diameter respectively.

The newspaper carried a picture taken at the site on the very next day (April 25). Thereafter, the evidence was practically destroyed by the curious, who came in great numbers.

The Lorenzens of APRO were there soon after and reported their findings in Fate Magazine, July, 1964. Pictures of the impressions were taken and shown in Fate.

Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who visited the site with Zamora said "It's a real pity, but no one's fault, that other witnesses did not see the object land or take off. A movie of this would have been price less. I feel in my own mind that hoax is ruled out . . . "

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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.