Written By Ken Hulsey
In the summer of 1947, our views on what might be flying in the sky changed dramatically with the introduction of the term "Flying Saucer." This new phrase emerged after a pilot named Kenneth Arnold spotted several unusual objects while flying near Mount Rainier in Washington State. One clear morning, he saw these mysterious objects moving swiftly and smoothly through the air. When he described how they looked, he noted that they glided like saucers skipping across water. This captivating story caught the public's attention, and the term "Flying Saucer" quickly became a part of everyday language, intriguing people everywhere.
A few weeks after Arnold's famous sighting, a significant event occurred on July 2 in Roswell, New Mexico, that sparked even more interest in strange happenings in the sky. On that day, something reportedly crashed on a local ranch. This incident led to an official announcement on July 8 by the Army Air Corps. Colonel William Blanchard supervised the situation, and Lieutenant Walter Haut wrote an excited press release claiming they had recovered a crashed UFO. However, just a day later, the military changed its story, saying the object was actually just a weather balloon.
These events captured the world’s attention and fueled countless theories about UFOs. At the same time, another intriguing story was developing in August 1947, though it didn’t get as much attention. In Alexandria, Louisiana, locals began to spot dark, flying saucer-shaped crafts in the sky. The number of sightings became so overwhelming that the local newspaper, The Town Talk, was flooded with reports. Many reliable witnesses came forward, leading managing editor Adras Laborde to begin organizing a National UFO Conference at the historic Hotel Bentley in downtown Alexandria. Although over 80 local eyewitnesses showed interest in attending, the event ultimately received little attention from people outside the area and ended up being canceled.
Check Out: Was it a flying saucer? The truth about the 1947 Roswell incident
Even though a big conference didn’t go as planned, many strange reports kept coming from Alexandria and the nearby areas. This led both UFO enthusiasts and researchers to label Alexandria as "The UFO Capital of the World." People began to see dark flying saucers with bright orange lights so often that they actually started ignoring them. However, the local military was very interested in these sightings, especially since Alexandria was home to England Air Force Base. They became increasingly concerned that these unidentified flying objects might be spying on them.
The unusual happenings caught the attention of Project Sign, which eventually turned into the famous Project Blue Book. Investigators closely looked into the stories from witnesses, creating a mix of excitement and fear around the events. Despite all these investigations, no official report about these mysterious encounters was ever published.
As December 1947 approached, the number of sightings started to decline. Reports continued to appear in The Town Talk, but stopped around 1955 for reasons that remain unclear. The incidents slowly faded from memory until interest in UFOs surged again in the 1970s. TV shows and movies brought these stories back into the spotlight, sparking discussions about the unknown that had once fascinated people nationwide. Considering the events of 1947 prompts us to wonder about the true origins of the strange objects that these numerous people witnessed.
Check Out: Eyewitness Films Mysterious White UFOs Over DeRidder | Tales of the Unexplained
No comments:
Post a Comment