In the spring of 1966, a rash of sightings were reported throughout Oklahoma: flying discs and the like were buzzing homes in the Sooner State. Strangely enough, one of these UFO loci was the sleepy hamlet of Hartshorne, where the term "hotspot" took on a new meaning.

One of the biggest reporters of these crafts was Alta Clair Morgan, wife of the local postmaster. According to accounts, she reported scores of sightings. She said that on one occasion, three UFO's flew in from the northwest and hovered briefly. One of the trio paused, she stated, right over her house. It flashed a bright red light three or four times. A few moments later, all three rocketed southward, vanishing in the distance.

A neighbor of hers, Gloria Robertson, confirmed Mrs. Morgan's assertions. She said that over the past eight months, she had see strange lights hovering over "18 Hill", which stretches south of Hartshorne.

After so many UFO's had been spotted, Major Charles W. Dutreau (ret.) - then director of the office of civil defense for the state health department - gathered together a radiological team to sweep the town, scanning for abnormal levels of radiation. In short time, strangers with unusual equipment descended upon the town, raising fears and providing purchase to paranoia.

Now, of course, the lights continued: airplanes, stars, gas well flares... And a new crop of reports arose. Someone circulated a rumor that a bomb had been dropped in the area, spurring more frantic calls to authorities.

The hysteria continued too - despite reassuring statements to the press. "There was no evidence whatsoever of anything beyond a natural material background," said Coleman Smith, a nuclear physicist from Oklahoma City.

Posted by Cullan Hudson at 1:18 PM

permanent link: http://www.ufocasebook.com/2008c/flyingsaucerfever.html

source & references: