What's UAP with UFOs?
The National UFO Reporting Center (nuforc.org), which celebrated its 50th year in 2024, has collected 1,184 reports in Louisiana. The first dated report made for Louisiana, which was submitted in 2011, is from April 5, 1800, and it reads, "UFO report communicated by Thomas Jefferson."
The spirits that haunt Louisiana are well documented and often discussed in articles, film, and tours. Our mythical creatures, from vampires to rougarous, have their place in written, filmed, and spoken lore, as well. Lifeforms from outside of this planet, however, are not as thoroughly discussed.
Then Vice President Thomas Jefferson did not witness the craft first-hand. Plantation owner William Dunbar, who met Thomas Jefferson the previous year, saw something streak across the night sky. Jefferson was the president of the American Philosophical Society, and the organization's newsletter published Jefferson's retelling of the incident.
In Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Volume 6, the newsletter, entitled "Description of a Singular Phenomenon Seen at Baton Rouge by William Dunbar, Esq. Communicated by Thomas Jefferson, President A.P.S." from June 30, 1800, is published. It reads in part, "A phenomenon was seen to pass Baton Rouge on the night of the 5th April 1800, of which the following is the best description I have been able to obtain. It was first seen in the South West, and moved so rapidly, passing over the heads of the spectators, as to disappear in the North East in about a quarter of a minute. It appeared to be the size of a large house, wholly luminous, but not emitting sparks. In passing, a considerable degree of heat was felt but no electric sensation. Immediately after it disappeared in the North East, a violent rushing noise was heard, as if the phenomenon was bearing down the forest before it, and in a few seconds a tremendous crash was heard similar to that of the largest piece of ordnance, causing a very sensible earthquake. I have been informed that search has been made in the place where the burning body fell, and that a considerable portion of the surface of the earth was found broken up, and every vegetable body burned or greatly scorched."
Skeptics have said that Dunbar perhaps witnessed a meteorite falling, but an object the size that he described would have been a massive event leaving a huge crash site and mass casualties.
More Reports
NUFORC's database has reports from the 1940s of a "cigar-shaped" craft that didn't act like a normal human-made aircraft. A report filed in 2006 reads, "In 1952, I was stationed at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport La. about 6 AM this cigar shaped UFO, about 100 yds long, approached about 800 to a 1000 feet in the air, it had port holes every 10 feet or so. it came in toward me, turned sideways, remained motionless for about 2 minuets or so, then turned arround and sped off in the direction it came from. I went to the expermental hanger at Barksdale, and asked the guard if I could have a look insids, He sid 'NO' then I told him what I saw, he said he had seen the same thing, at which time he opened the man door and said ' have a look, we have some goofey looking stuff, but nothing like that' [sic]."
Indeed, numerous reports in the database are from service members who are baffled about the crafts they're seeing. A report filed in 2010 about an event on December 1, 1974, states, "I witnessed this event when I was 17 years old and had just entered the army. I was awaiting what was called the cattle trucks to transport our company back to the barrackes. I was looking up at the stars as I was standing there and observed what I thought was skylab. A light came across the sky and as it was directly overhead it came to a complete stop. It sat there for was seemed like a full minute and then it shot directly up and out of sight in a blink of the eye. It was many years after the experience before I ever spoke of the event. I truly beleive that what I saw was a UFO observing a military installation [sic]."
With unobstructed views of the night sky, oil platform workers, boat captains, and fishermen report sightings of UFOs and crafts that emerge from below. A report made on March 21, 2017, reads, "I am a Chief Engineer on an Offshore Supply Vessel, and the events I am going to put forward are accurate, to the best of my knowledge. Close to 7:00 pm on March 21st, just before dusk, myself and 4 of the crew members aboard our vessel saw a craft that appeared to be five times our 240 ft vessel in length. My line of sight was about 1/4 mile from our vessel. There was a rig behind the craft about a 1/2 mile. I used this to help gauge size of craft. Sighting was approximately 80 miles SE of New Orleans, Louisiana.
The scene lasted about 40 seconds. The craft rose up out of the water about 40 feet, no water was dripping from the craft. Within a split second the craft disappeared at a 30 degree angle into the sky. Speed appeared to faster than speed of a light turning on in a room. Within seconds it had disappeared completely. I can say for sure that the craft was dark colored, oval in shape and made no sound whatsoever [sic]."
Keep your eyes to the skies and seas as well as an open mind. You may catch a glimpse of something that will change your entire outlook on our universe.
