NUFORC Sighting 34686

Occurred: 1968-07-03 20:30 Local
Reported: 2004-01-26 08:57 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 6

Location: Vega, TX, USA

Shape: Disk
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object, Landed

Counter-clockwise "flowing" lights in Texas.

My father and I were on our way from Chicago, IL. to Los Angeles, CA. on old route 66 (Interstate 40 now), just west of Amarillo, Texas. We had stopped at a rest area on the interstate just before sunset. Vega, TX. is the nearest town, according to the Rand McNally Road Atlas.

It was sunset (approx. 20:30 hrs) and the sky was orange in front of us (westbound). and stars were already visible to the east and most of the sky.

Our vehichle was a 3/4 ton Ford Ranger pickup truck, with a medium-sized camper shell on the back. My dad was in the camper cleaning up a little and changing clothes, as we had planned on finding a restaurant to get a bite to eat.

I was outside of the truck, throwing rocks and such as a nine-year-old would do at a rest area in the middle of the Texas panhandle. A pickup truck with a full-sized over-the-cab camper on the back was parked directly behind us.

Upon hearing the screaming of children's voices, I looked toward the camper. I distinctly remember a girl's and a boy's voice seperately telling their parents that a flying saucer is across the highway.

At this point, instead of looking across the road, I was compelled to look at the big camper behind us in which the screaming kids were in.

As I turned to look at the camper of the frightened children, I saw the parents both closing shades and turning off lights in the pickup camper. The mother said very loudly to be quiet.

Now that the campers behind us were all quiet and "blacked out", I felt a heaviness come over me. Fear as I have never known before (or ever want to know again) came over me. I was frozen in place as I looked across the roadway and saw a disc-shaped object with counter-clockwise "flowing" lights rotating about the top of it. It was in a descent that caused it to come to a "floating" landing behind a small range of rocky hills.

Not being able to move, I called for my father by saying, "Daddy! Daddy!" I wanted to yell, but was unable to.

When he heard me, he looked out of the camper and as I could not move, he noticed me looking across the highway. He then saw what had caused me to be petrified and jumped out of the back of the truck without his shoes on. He grabbed me and put me in the passenger seat of the cab and we drove off in a hurry.

The next morning we were at a pancake house in Santa Fe, NM. and we heard several people talking about the incident. Dad and I remained silent and listless.

No conversation of this was brought up between us regarding this until just a few years ago. My dad remembers it as clearly and vividly as I do. That is why I needed to share this with the rest of the "Encounter" community...

Whether it is indeed not-of-this-world or a secret gov't aircraft, the fact remains that my father and my lives have been changed forever in a way that really cannot be explained. Our minds have surely been opened, and that is a good thing!

Posted 2004-01-31