road Zamora initially thought he was looking at a car overturned into a gully. He saw two small humanoid occupants, reportedly dressed in white overalls. At about 4:45 pm, Sgt. Zamora radioed to headquarters and reported a possible automobile crash, stating his intent to be outside of his patrol car investigating. Zamora stated that he drove up the road to a vantage point where he could see into the gully. Zamora reported: As I approached the scene, I thought it was an overturned car--on end, sort of. As I finally got a look at it, it was a shiny-type object. The object was like aluminum--it was whitish against a moss background, but no chrome. Seemed like a football shape like this. I saw two pair of overalls.54 Zamora went on to relate that one of the people turned and noticed his car, seemingly startled. Zamora was approaching closer with the intent of offering help when quickly a loud roaring began. It started at a low frequency, rising to a high and very loud frequency, accompanied by a flame. Sgt. Zamora hurried back to his patrol car, hitting his leg on the fender and knocking off his glasses. The roaring object rose into the air and moved away from him. Zamora was quite frightened. He flung his arm across his face but turned to look at the object. "I heard a whine, then total silence," Zamora reported. He quickly radioed back to police headquarters, almost hysterical. A fellow officer, Sgt. Chavez, soon arrived at the scene. He stated: When I arrived, Zamora was sweating and white...very pale. I went down to where the object had been. I noticed the brush was burning in several places. I could see the tracks on the ground. The object had left four perpendicular impressions in the ground. I noticed smoldering bushes, but they felt cold to the touch. I knew Lonnie had seen something--the proof was right there. Before I arrived, he had made a sketch of an insignia he saw on the side of the object. I secured the area and called the local military authorities.55 Soon the area was swarming with spectators, reporters, an FBI agent and several others. Astrophysicist Dr. J. Allen Hynek flew in to investigate immediately. He in fact returned for two more visits to the site and interviews with local residents and Zamora, in whom he expressed belief. The FBI chief investigator on the case, Captain Hector Quintanilla, stated that soil and vegetation samples were obtained and tested at Wright-Patterson, measurements were taken and a thorough investigation was conducted. Yet the case was lost in red tape and no official determination was ever made. Several secret military test vehicles were mentioned by the press as possible explanations, all of which remained inconclusive. Sgt. Zamora was subjected to ridicule and finger-pointing which led him to leave the law enforcement profession and avoid discussion of the incident. The sheer number of reports from credible civilian, law enforcement and military witnesses from New Mexico cry for a serious scientific investigation and a release of all evidence and material collected therein.
6.5
Military Aircraft Encounter - 1951
On February 9, 1951, United States Navy Flight 125 departed from Keflavik, Iceland en route to the Naval Air Station in Argentia, Newfoundland. The co-pilot was U.S. Naval Reserve Lieutenant Graham E. Bethune, a Disclosure Project witness who served 26 years on active duty. 54 55
Ibid, p. 64. Ibid, p. 65.
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