Socorro
| Socorro--meaning "help" or "aid" because the Spaniards, while making the trek along Joranda del Muerto, were given food and water by the Piro Indians in 1598. This building, across from the plaza, looks like it may have been a store or drugstore at one time; currently, its the Chamber of Commerce. Notice the Masonic symbol at the top of the building. |  |
The plaza in Socorro. Socorro is located about 70 miles south of Albuquerque along I-25. Believe it or not, Socorro figures in the UFO legend and lore of New Mexico: On April 24 1964, police officer Lonnie Zamora witnessed an egg-shaped craft land; the case reportedly had a lot of evidence. Unlike Roswell, Socorro doesn't appear to have made its alien-encounter into a tourism vehicle. (See below for photos of the UFO landing site). |  |
The Loma Theater with only one screen (remember those?). Opened in 1940 at 107 Manzanares Ave with 378 seats. The theater was destroyed by a fire in 1956 while showing "The Day the World Ended". Patrons smelled smoke twenty-minutes before they were evacuated; cost to rebuild the theater was $50,000. Did the movie-goers get a refund? |  |
| An advertisement from the past--located across the street from the Loma Theater. |  |
| The remains of the Sierra Vista Drive-in on the southern-edge of Socorro. Open from 1955 to 1985 and owned by Gibraltar Enterprises. Photo taken 04/03/2010. |  |
The movie screen is in remarkable condition--the same can't be said for the projection and concessions building. Plants have overgrown the grounds--interspersed among the vegetation are the old speaker poles. | 
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Lonnie Zamora
In 1964, one of the most interesting and media-covered UFO events happened in Socorro involving police officer Lonnie Zamora. While in pursuit of a speeding vehicle at about 5:45 PM, Officer Zamora was distracted by a loud roar and the flash of flame in the sky to the southwest. Zamora broke off pursuit and headed to the area to investigate. Driving up a rugged dirt road and down into a ravine, Zamora saw to his amazement a silver, oval-shaped craft about the size of a mid-sized car, with two small occupants, standing along side. The occupants appeared startled by Zamora's approach; Zamora was just as startled. The craft soon lifted off; there are reports that other witnesses also saw the UFO. Officers from nearby White Sands Missile Range, the FBI, and astronomer J. Allen Hynek (a Project Blue Book consultant for the Air Force's UFO investigative unit) interviewed Zamora and visited the landing site. Hynek is reported to have called the case "the Rosetta Stone" with such an unimpeachable witness as Officer Zamora, and physical trace evidence that included burns on the ground from the craft and footpad marks. The City of Socorro in 2009 had once considered marking the UFO site with a plaque and a bench; for years, people marked the site with piles of stones to indicate where the craft's footpads marked the ground, along with a flag. Zamora passed away on November 2, 2009.
The dirt road and the ravine where Lonnie Zamora saw the strange, oval or egg-shaped craft. The area is located just south of Socorro. Gil, Robyn and I visited the area on December 11, 2011. |  |
Lookig down the ravine into Socorro. From our looking around and discovering several mounds of rocks, the UFO would have most likely been in the middle of this photo. |  |
Gil taking a picture of one of the rock piles. One mound of rocks had been scattered. According to websites associated with the Zamora case, the rocks were once painted white. A number of the scattered rocks in this photo appeared to have white paint on them. |  |
Several of the rock piles. Is there were the craft's footpads had set down? |  |
Gil and I looking around and congecturing--trying to make sure that we didn't overlook anything--we wamted to be sure that we had found the right spot. |  |
A closer view of the rock piles. |  |
Gil and I standing for a photo at the site. Had this photo been taken on April 24,1964 at 5:45 PM, not only would we have been much younger, but we would have standing alongside a UFO! |  |