J. Allen Hynek Interview, July 29, 1964
USAF Project Blue Book consultant Dr. J. Allen Hynek interviewed about the Socorro UFO incident by Walter Shrode of KSRC radio, Socorro
From UFO historian Wendy Connors collection of UFO recordings, which includes “Cops and Saucers”
Socorro, New Mexico, April 29?, 1964. Dr. J. Allen Hynek from the USAF Project Blue Book investigation, is interviewed by KSRC radio’s Walter Shrode, in Dr. Hynek’s motel room and recorded by Ray Stanford, NICAP. Other USAF investigators were also in the room and the listener can hear them in the background. Hynek comments on the symbol and people Patrolman Lonnie Zamora observed. 04:00 Mins. (mp3 recording)
SHRODE: Dr. Hynek, if you don’t mind, we’d like to ask you here at KSRC whatever your comments might be on this. I’m not going to ask you any direct questions because I don’t know what places you can and cannot answer. If you’ll just give us an opinion and a comment or two we’d appreciate it very much.
HYNEK: Well yes, first off I should say there is no question of my not being able to answer anything because I’m acting as an independent investigator, you might say. But the fact is, I don’t have anything to say. The thing is as puzzling to me as I’m sure it must be to the folks around here. I certainly believe that Lonnie Zamora had a most interesting and significant experience. And I’m particularly interested in the tracks that were left and the analysis of the samples of the material from those tracks. Until we know more about it, all I can say, rather disappointly to you perhaps, is simply that I’m as puzzled as you are.
SHRODE: If your findings on this, from the analysis on the specimans that you’ve taken, would you be at libety to advise us on just what they were?
HYNEK: Yes, absolutely, there is no reason why not. The ah, I think, in general, there’s been the feeling that the Air Force wants to hide things. This is, at least in my experience as consultant for them, I have not come across that. For instance, here’s one example. I was called by the Pentagon this morning and there’s an Associated Press report out to the effect that some Air Force person had told Mr. Zamora not to say anything about the, ah, lettering. And, ah, I was asked specifically to find out whether this statement had been made, who made it, and all that sort of thing. Zamora tells me that NO ONE, Air Force or no one else, told him not to say anything about it. But this is how these rumors get started. Someone says the Air Force says “clam up” and this was completely, apparently, not the case, according to Mr. Zamora. [This was contradicted by Zamora when earlier interviewed by Shrode, who said he was told not to discuss it.] So I was very happy to find that out. [laughs]
SHRODE: Well, about this marking, can you tell us how he described this marking and what the marking was?
HYNEK: Yes, I see no reason why not. He described it to me as an inverted “V” with a sort of a bar across it. And after he described and drew it, the thing I was reminded of was a typical brand you have--a cattle brand--that as though whatever the instrument, whatever the device was, as though somebody had branded it as if you might brand cattle.
SHRODE: And about the color of this object, how did he describe the color?
HYNEK: Ah, not in any great detail. The color was indicated as primarily whitish and, ah, no specific markings other than the inverted V.
SHRODE: And the object, or the people that he sighted, and their size?
HYNEK: He told me nothing about having seen any people. And, ah, this I read in the newspaper, but he was, ah, apparently not—well as far as I know he did NOT say anything specifically about having seen people, not to me any rate—and I did ask him about it. I know that there was some earlier reports that he had seen people, but to me he said nothing specific about people.
SHRODE: Did he describe seeing objects that appeared to be in white coveralls?
HYNEK: He indicated, ah, that he saw something along the side, on the side of the instrument or the device that resembled white coveralls, yes.
SHRODE: Well thank you Dr. Hynek. (end recording)
