In 1966, the state of Michigan saw two reports of unidentified flying objects coming in contact with some of the locals. In this article, you will learn about two incidents that reportedly occurred in 1966, including an incident reported in Vicksburg.
The Vicksberg Incident
It was early in the morning when Jeno Udvardy was driving home from work on March 31, 1966. Traveling close to Vicksburg, he approached the crest of a hill and noticed that a grouping of lights was gathered on the road ahead. His first thought was that he had encountered an ambulance or some sort of emergency vehicle. He slowed his car down as he came closer to the lights. Before long, he noticed that the lights were coming from a disc-shaped object that was hovering over the road.
When he reached within 10 feet of the lights, Udvardy noticed that the lights were not coming from any vehicle that he had seen before. The object responsible for the lights was shaped like a disc and hovered a few feet above the road. It was blocking his way on the road. He described the lights as intense and said that it made it hard for him to tell what the exact shape of the UFO was.
Suddenly, his car started to move , as if he had encountered a strong gust of wind. Udvardy looked behind his car and saw what he believed was another UFO. In the meantime, the first object shifted from the front of his car to the back. He decided that it would be a good time to leave the scene, but he learned that his car would not start. He stuck his head out of the window and detected a low, humming sound. It wasn’t long before the UFO rose up into the air and quickly moved on.
Shaken by his encounter, Udvardy went to the office of the Kalamazoo Sheriff to report the incident. The details of his experience were met with skepticism and no one made an attempt to truly get to the bottom of the report.
Swamp Gas Incident
Michigan has seen its fair share of controversial UFO incidents and cases. Throughout 1966, various parts of the state noted a high spike in unexplained activity. Another incident was referred to as the Michigan Swamp Gas Case. The case involves more than one sighting that spanned over a period of 6 to 7 days. Witnesses reported seeing UFOs, while radar detected objects flying at high speeds, making interesting movements, and sometimes, hovering. Many people believe the Air Force did not handle the situation in the fairest manner, leading some to think that a cover-up was involved.
Some of the sightings mentioned four objects in a straight line. One described an object as swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Some objects were thought to have a dome, while others appeared to have a quilted surface. Some reports mentioned multi-colored lights. Others heard a ‘buzzing’ sound. Two objects were spotted in Milan that had been described as looking like a ‘top.’ They would hover, fall and rise again with impressive speeds. Lights would dim and then brighten. Some said that it looked like the objects were ‘playing’ with one another.
Dr. J Allen Hynek was sent to investigate the UFO reports. At first, he believed that something odd was occurring in the skies of Michigan. However, after returning from his investigation and consulting with others, he changed his opinion and assessed the sightings as ‘swamp gas.’ As time passed, Hynek would eventually alter his thoughts on UFOs , becoming an important member of the UFO community, and credited with coining the phrase “close encounters of the third kind.”