UFO Newspaper Letter: “The Morning’s Mail: UFO Sighting Nets Odd Explanation”

23 October 1967

(The Post-Standard, Syracuse, New York)

Source: NewspaperArchive.com

The whole letter:

“To the Editor of The Post-Standard.

I’m beginning to think that we in this area have been ‘had.’ In the past three years, many local UFO sightings have been reported by the press here. You may recall that a good percentage of these was ‘explained’ as the misidentification by the observers of a high-altitude, experimental aircraft from Griffiss Air Force Base at nearby Rome.

So many of our local large-scale sightings have been instantly ‘crushed’ by word from Hancock Field Air Force officials or from Griffiss itself. We have heard this ‘experimental aircraft’ theory so much that it seems to be a now customary reply for those who report that they have seen a UFO.

I am amazed now to learn that it isn’t just this area that has been flooded with these ‘explanations.’ I firmly believe that it’s high time we re-evaluate the worth of these statements, mainly because of this incident:

Several months ago, during nine consecutive evening hours, hundreds of persons in the Oneonta area observed an object flashing red, white, and greenish-blue lights alternately. Among the observers were a newspaper sports editor, a Chamber of Commerce executive, and a school district superintendent.

In Oneonta, just as in Syracuse, a statement was issued by Griffiss AFB to the effect that they had a lighted high-altitude plane aloft at the time which was flying in a circle over Rome.

This is one time when that worn-out explanation didn’t go over very well. Witnesses to the sighting quickly rejected Griffiss statement, explaining that Rome is approximately north-northwest of Oneonta — and the UFO was seen in the east, toward Stamford.

ROBERT BARROW, Syracuse.”

My comment:

This newspaper letter is something to think about the next time we read some of Project Blue Book’s UFO case reports or read/hear military statements about UFO incidents.

https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-post-standard-oct-23-1967-p-16/

Wikipedia article: “Griffiss Air Force Base”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffiss_Air_Force_Base

Wikipedia article: “Hancock Field Air National Guard Base”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hancock_Field_Air_National_Guard_Base

Wikipedia article: “Oneonta, New York”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oneonta,_New_York

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1967

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Griffiss

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Hancock+Field

Market Street [Oneonta, New York], January 15, 2010
(text by Wikipedia) (wikimedia.org) (wikimedia.org photo)

Satellite photo of Oneonta, New York (tageo.com)

(tageo.com photo)

UFO News Article: “ ‘FLYING SAUCERS’ REPORTED SEEN OVER VILLAGE, PLUNGING INTO SENECA”

27 August 1952

(Express, Watkins Glen, New York)

Source: waterufo.net (the late Carl W. Feindt)

     

The whole article:

“Report of two ‘flying saucers’ over the village was made by Mrs. Marion Granston of 315 N. Glen Ave., Monday morning.

She said that the two saucers were seen at 9:30 just over the ‘top of our elm tree.’

‘They were like big silver balls gliding through the air,’ she added. ‘They were very plain.’

The two ‘balls’ disappeared over Seneca Lake after proceeding eastward, the woman reported.

The woman added that neighborhood children could also plainly see the ‘saucers.’ She identified them as William, Ronald, and Robert Pierce, who lived nearby. They called Mrs. William Pierce, Sr., but she came out too late to see the discs.

The woman, who reported the occurrence to newsmen, was told to call Civil Defense headquarters at the office of Atty. Lafayette Argetsinger, Jr.

Another ‘flying saucer’ was reported to have plunged into Seneca Lake Monday morning [which was the 25th] [25 August 1952].

The incident was reported by three workmen who said the object fell into the lake about 150 feet offshore near Glen Eldridge on the east side of the lake about five miles from the village. They said it splashed water about 8 or 10 feet into the air.

The men, all carpenters, were Ray Andrew, Alfred Sullivan, and Clayton Crout. They told state police that while working near the lake, they saw a ‘bright object like a sheet of steel come through the air.’

‘Suddenly it crashed into the lake,’ they said, ‘and splashed water 8 to 10 feet high.’ In the Tompkins County village of Trumansburg, due northeast of here, several persons reported that they saw five jet planes pursuing a flying saucer.

U.S. Air Force officials at Hancock Field, Syracuse, said that jet planes from the base of the 32nd Air Division Defense here were on maneuvers in the Schuyler County area of Watkins Glen but said they did not know they were chasing flying saucers.

Air Force officials said they would investigate the Seneca Lake

incident. Air spotters in the Schuyler area said they did not sight

anything unusual in the area during the day. This is the first time

that flying saucers have been reported in Schuyler County.”

http://waterufo.net/item.php?id=84                        

UFO news article:

“3 Carpenters ‘See’ Saucer Dive into Lake”  

27 August 1952

(The Herald, Sharon, Pennsylvania)

Source: waterufo.net (the late Carl W. Feindt)

The whole article:      

“Three carpenters yesterday swore they saw a flying saucer dive into Seneca Lake at Watkins Glen. The carpenters said the saucer flashed ‘like a bright sheet of silver’ across the horizon and then took a nosedive into the lake, kicking up a 10-foot splash. But state police said as far as they are concerned, they are not going to investigate. They pointed out that the lake is 200 feet deep in some places, and they do not intend to waste their time with any grappling operations.”

http://waterufo.net/item.php?id=84

Wikipedia article: “Seneca Lake (New York)”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Lake_(New_York)

Quote from the Wikipedia article:

“Seneca Lake is the largest of the glacial Finger Lakes of the U.S. state of New York, and the deepest lake entirely within the state. It is promoted as being the lake trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Derby. Because of its depth and relative ease of access, the US Navy uses Seneca Lake to perform test and evaluation of equipment ranging from single element transducers to complex sonar arrays and systems.”

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=August+1952

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1952

Aerial Panoramic of the southern part of Seneca Lake
(text by Wikipedia) (wikimedia.org) (wikimedia.org photo)

Satellite photo of Watkins Glen, New York (tageo.com)

(tageo.com photo)