1947 may have been the most pivotal year in the history of mankind without the general public even knowing. As the Roswell Crash, the formulation of the MJ-12 Committee, the rise of the security state in America, and an unofficial awakening by the super powers that mankind was not alone all culminated at once in that year. The cold war was already heating up, nuclear development was well on its way, and Chuck Yeager had broken the sound barrier in his Bell X-1.
The 1947 UFO flap gets underway
As the FBI began a hectic series of investigations and Director, J. Edgar Hoover, fought for access to the inner sanctum of the UFO now controlled by the US Air Force, aerial sightings of the unusual left their signature all over US skies. Little is known of the role that Oklahoma played in this early phase of airborne mysteries that frustrated our best interceptor pilots even leading to deaths of our aviators, but never the less the “Sooners” state was deeply involved.
Normally attributed as a state known for its agriculture, fishing, many recreational lakes, oil and gas industry, and, of course, college football, and, unfortunately, tornados, few are aware that the state of Oklahoma is host to many aspects of the paranormal. While the it would seem to most that the history books have highlighted many other UFO hotspots in the US such as Roswell, Dayton, Ohio home of Wright Patterson AFB, and the Hudson River Valley in New York State, Oklahoma as well has been host to amazing sightings as well.
Oklahoma City pilot sees something
Two days after the famous Kenneth Arnold Sighting of 9 silvery saucer shaped craft over Washington State, a man in Oklahoma City, Byron Savage, a pilot, who had just passed his eye exam, reported a an unknown aerial object that had flown over his home. It appears that what Savage described was a classic UFO flying at terrific speed, round and flat on top, having a silvery color, and making a noise of rushing wind. The Oklahoma City pilot said that the unknown object looked like no aircraft he had ever seen and was bigger than any plane he had ever observed. Coming from the mouth of an experienced pilot and with aircraft such as the B-29 still flown frequently across the US, this UFO was undoubtedly impressive in sheer size. Byron estimated the height the unknown machine was flying at was 10,000 feet.
An engineer makes a crucial sighting
A distinguished witness, a Dean of Engineering W.H. Carson witnessed 2 objects silently making their way across the sky toward the sun at such a high altitude he was unable to describe further details other than they were round and light reflective. This he observed as he relaxed in a hammock in his backyard. Apparently the University of Oklahoma did not bother to question Carson’s integrity what so ever as he served in his department until 1962 and had a newly constructed department building on campus named after him.
It is interesting to note that Dean Carson’s UFO sighting preceded the Roswell crash which was reported on July 7, 1947. Were UFOs that had detected the nuclear test activity in New Mexico had flown over Oklahoma on their way there? Oklahoma newspapers were actively reporting on Kenneth Arnold’s sighting as well as Roswell. Three publications, The Daily Oklahoman, The Oklahoma Times, and the Norman Transcript all reported the emergence of the UFO nationwide flap including local sightings in 1947 without the tongue in cheek sarcasm that would accompany many flying saucer reports to come as the US military cracked down and began to pressure the US media to dismiss the significance of these reports in the years to come.
The Army readies its pursuit
A United Press story came out in the summer of 1947 and in the midst of the flying saucer frenzy that gripped the nation, reported in a headline “ Army Pilots Ready to Pursue Saucers” according to Donald A. Farris, who has authored 2 books entitled “Eerie True Tales From the Sooner State” and “More Mysterious Oklahoma”. Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City was known to be one of the major bases where special units were prepared to launch and meet the unknown in the event of any major sighting reports coming in as were other selected bases on alert across the country.
Noises from the sky over Norman
One last note of strangeness comes from the Sooner State on the same page of the UPI that accompanied the UFO report made by Dean of Engineering at University of Oklahoma, W. H. Carson and “Army Pilots Ready to Pursue Saucers” was another intriguing story, “Officials Probe Mystery Blast”. This bizarre story is based out of Norman, Oklahoma just six hours after the breaking news of the recovered disk from the crash at Roswell by the 509th Bomb Group.
An unknown blast?
According to witnesses in an area that spanned hundreds of miles, a blast was heard that rattled windows and walls in residential homes stunned Oklahoma residents who described the loud noise.” like the sound of a gun that was going off “. This bizarre incident precedes by decades the reported weird noises that have frightened and mystified people all over the world in recent years. This report even predates the weird tales of mystery explosions heard off many shores and coastal areas reported by mariners on ships during the 1960’s and 1970’s according to late author John A. Keel in his book “UFOs Operation Trojan Horse”.
Whatever people might characterize the state of Oklahoma as being, they sure can’t make the generalization of it as being a sleepy uneventful region where cows roam on pastures and oil and gas fields produce energy. The Sooner State was to be host to a literal UFO invasion a few short years later in the 1960’s, but that’s another story. Stay tuned for more when the self-assurance of daylight suddenly dims and the unusual shadow of things that aren’t supposed to be is cast upon the land. There you will find my words