MARCH 1952 ………. FARMINGTON NEW MEXICO
The many sightings and reports over the three-day period ran between 16th and 18th March 1952 (some sources list the dates as 17th to 19th March). It would appear that after beginning during the daytime on the Thursday (16th) before continuing overnight and into the Friday (17th) and then overnight to the Saturday (18th), by which time the sightings were slowing somewhat.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing of these sightings, and certainly one of the most detailed, is also one of the first, that of Marlo Webb. Marler would speak to Webb in 2016, relaying that despite his grand age of over 90 years, he still had a very “sharp” mind. And of interest to us here, he recalls in detail the events of that morning perfectly.
He worked in the Parts Department of the Perry Smoak Chevrolet Garage. On this particular morning at a little after 11 am he would notice several people stood outside near the gas pumps on the forecourt. Of more interest, they were seemingly looking and pointing upwards to the sky.
He made his way out of the building, knowing something unusual was taking place. When he stepped outside and turned his gaze upwards, he saw 15 to 20 “objects” moving out of the east and towards the west. Despite the abundance of these strange crafts, Webb recalls they made no noise whatsoever.
Furthermore, there was an obvious intelligence about them as they remained in a purposeful and tight formation, occasionally making extremely tight turns. Perhaps most intriguing was the fact the objects had a “fuzzy outline” to them making it hard to pinpoint any particular color. They remained in sight for around 10 minutes.
An Open Investigation Or An Ominous But Discreet Suppression?
Webb would claim to simply return to work following the sighting. Furthermore, he was visited and interviewed by military personnel in the days that followed. He would claim he was free to speak as he wished and received no threats from his interviewers and has spoken of the incident many times since.
As with many UFO sightings, though, rumors of intimidation and warnings to “stay quiet” would circulate around the area. Whether there is any truth to such rumors is perhaps up for debate. As is whether the local and state newspapers were “asked” to not print any more stories of the incident.
What is perhaps interesting about this last charge is that this request is said to have been issued at some time during 18th March. And while a story had appeared that day in the Farmington newspapers, no follow-ups of the incident seemed to appear.
Perhaps even more bizarre were the claims of discreet warnings from equally discreet government agencies. Using “national security” as a way of encouraging silence, as was the citizen’s duty. Maybe equally bizarre are the claims of all copies of the aforementioned newspapers “going missing” from the stands and stalls around Farmington.
While this is purely speculation, there have been several other cases where “damage control” is put into operation. Including the limiting of what stories appear concerning the incidents. Especially at such sightings where smaller, local newspapers are the target.
Whether these conspiracies of intimidation and information control have any truth to them remains unknown. There were, however, many, many more witnesses with encounters to tell. Many of whom would witness the events of almost 24 hours later.
The Second Day – “Hundreds Of Objects” Over Farmington
At just after 10 am on 17th March, the first reports of a group of “flying saucers” came into police switchboard. Reports ranged from five to nine objects seemingly heading in a northeast direction. By 10:30 am, “hundreds of objects” were visible west from the center of town. As the reports streamed in, several would make reference to some of the objects being involved in a “tussle” or “dogfight” overhead.
Many of the reports featured the objects called “silvery discs”. With several more specifically stating that a larger, red disc was an obvious leader of these apparent battle-ready cosmic squadron.
One witness, 32-year-old, Clayton Boddy, who worked for the Farmington Times and had experience in the Army Engineers was just one who noticed these strange objects. After witnessing several of these strange crafts travel overhead, he was suddenly in awe as the sky filled with these bizarre aerial anomalies. He would state:
Moments later there appeared what seemed to be about 500 of them!
He would estimate the objects were at an altitude of 15,000 feet, although he couldn’t estimate their speed or size. Incidentally, four other witnesses would corroborate the sighting of Boddy.
Later that same afternoon, at a little after 3 pm, came further reports of strange objects flying in tight formations. One such witness, Edward Brooks – a former B-29-tail-gunner – was adamant that the objects were “not airplanes”. He would state:
The very maneuvering of the things couldn’t be that of modern aircraft!
This was something another witness would notice. John Bloomfield would estimate the objects were traveling around “10 times faster” than modern jet planes. He would elaborate on how they “came at each other head-on” only to avoid each other at the last moment.
Virgil Riggs – Objects “From Horizon To Horizon Like A Quilt Of Double-Six Dominos!”
Although he was only 8 years old at the time, Virgil Riggs would witness the objects from outside the Aztec Elementary School – at least on the first two days. He would state over 60 years later at a MUFON presentation in New Mexico that:
All these square-looking formations (appeared) in the sky. They were made up of dots, and the dots would shift from one formation to another. The first day there were a few. The second day there were too many to count, and the third day there were maybe 30 or 40!
Riggs would elaborate that on the second day the objects were across the sky “from horizon to horizon”. He would further describe this scene as looking like a “quilt pattern of double-six dominos”.
You can see a visual representation of how the sky looked to Riggs below.
He would speak also of witnessing objects moving from one formation into another. So forcing one of the existing objects to move as a consequence. This was replicated across the sky as objects forced their way into formations. Almost giving the impression that the sky was alive. Riggs would remember he and his friends “thought it was pretty cool”.
Riggs would further recall, certainly from his perspective, of the children essentially taking the sightings very much in their stride. Even feeling “disappointed when they went away”. He claimed that neither he nor his friends felt threatened at any time during the sightings. NOTE: The above image is CGI.
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