Project 10073 Record Card and Related Press Reports — La Madera, New Mexico, April 1964

This document collection details a UFO sighting incident in La Madera, New Mexico, on April 26, 1964, which occurred shortly after a well-publicized sighting in Socorro, New Mexico, involving policeman Lonnie Zamora. The primary witness, Orlando Gallegos, reported observing an ellipsoidal, egg-shaped object resting on the ground in a gravel area while he was chasing stray horses. Gallegos described the object as being approximately the length of a telephone pole with a 14-foot circumference, constructed of a shiny metallic substance, and featuring jets on its underside that emitted blue flames. He reported that the object made no noise. Upon attempting to alert his family, they were too frightened to investigate, but they examined the site the following morning. Investigators, including State Police Captain Martin Virgin, reported finding a charred area, cracked rocks, a melted bottle, and depressions in the ground described as resembling 'paw-prints' of a mountain lion. The Air Force, specifically the Foreign Technology Division, investigated the report. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 record card for this incident is 'Fire in Dump,' noting that the location was a known dumping area and that the witness had been drinking heavily at the time of the sighting. The documents include internal Air Force correspondence, press clippings from the Albuquerque Journal and other sources, and a record card summarizing the event.