UFO Encounter in La Grange, Georgia- 1996

Depiction by SW/LITS

Depiction submitted by Witness.

Map (overhead view) submitted by Witness.

A witness recalls a 1996 UFO sighting, of a disc-shaped UFO.  This event took place as the witness was leaving work at the Milliken Design Center in La Grange, Georgia. 
Here is that report as it was submitted to MUFON.  There are no corrections.

     *

MUFON Case # 29988
Date:    1996-12-15
Time:   17:48
City:    LaGrange
State:    Georgia
Shape:    Disc
Duration: 00:01:30
Vallee Index:    CE1
Summary:  UFO Encounter at MDC


Report:
Everything in this report is 100% correct and factual. I have no reason to make up or fabricate anything, I have no other reason other than to try and explain what I saw on this day, and the incredible impact that it has had on me all these many years later. It is not my intention to try and convince the naysayer and nonbelievers, but I will be honest and forthright with the events that transpired on this day. People can conclude what they will from this, but the people who know me, know that I am not capable of making up stories, or lying for that matter. Why did I wait to write now after so many years have passed, or for that matter to bring it up at all? Perhaps it is all the events going on in the world right now. There are so many strange events happening all over the planet. It is no secret that more and more UFO sightings are happening on a regular basis. I’m writing this report for my own personal reasons. The people that I choose to share this with will most likely be close friends and family. I have no reason to try and get any form of recognition, and certainly not looking for any kind of fame or glory. While I still can, I want to convey this event as accurately as possible, and with as much detail as I can remember. One of my regrets is that I did not go straight home and write down the exact date that this occurred. In the last 10 years or so, I have been keeping very accurate records of day to day events, rarely skipping any. Sadly during this time period, I didn’t give much credence to such things and therefore did not keep up with particulars. As far as my biggest regret with this encounter, would have to be the fact that I did not have a camera or video recorder in order to substantiate my story. If only I did, they would most certainly be some of the most revealing up close and in great detail, as ever witnessed by anyone. I say this not to boast, but to simply state a fact. I have seen probably hundreds of videos on You Tube, some really good, some bad, others down right stupid or a hoax. I am convinced that what I saw would have afforded me a visit from the so called “Men In Black”. It would have been that spectacular, and set the standard by which all skeptics would have to admit- WHAT WAS THAT? The aforementioned is the forward of my story. What follows will be the time line of what happened on this memorable day, one that I will never forget.

While I don’t know the exact date that this occurred, I do know that it was the winter of 1996, around November or December. I know this because the days were short, and all the leaves had fallen off the trees- this I know for sure. I was working at Milliken Design Center in LaGrange Georgia. My normal work hour was 8:00 – 5:00 o’clock, Monday through Friday- a typical office schedule. It was not uncommon for me to work over an extra hour when ever necessary. On this particular day, I shut down my computer and prepared to leave the building at exactly 5:45pm. I remember a gentleman walking ahead of me, approximately 50’ feet or so. He exited the side parking lot door first, a few seconds later I did the same. He already had a head start going to his car, which was towards the left as you walk out the side doors. My car was parked more to the right as you walked out the door. I will try to give a reference as to where his car was, as apposed to mine. It was at this moment (after leaving the building) that I first saw the unidentified flying object with my peripheral vision. At that very moment the object had just came from the right corner of the building. It was at a very low altitude, approximately 80’ – 100’ feet in the air. It was traveling from a SW direction (215° azimuth), going in a NE direction (35° azimuth), at a line sight elevation of approximately 35°- 40° degrees. It was moving at a very low rate of speed, thus giving me plenty of time to observe it. It made absolutely no sound at all- none whatsoever. Perhaps the one thing that caught my eye first was the huge bright light on the underside of the craft. It was so bright that at times it was hard to look at. The top portion of the craft was shiny silver metallic. I remember thinking how strange that this craft had appendages sticking outward from the sides, different geometric sizes and shapes- something that I would later refer to as probes. Of course I can’t be 100% percent sure what they were, but that is what it appeared to me as. As mentioned above, the craft moved or hovered slowly from a south westerly direction going towards the north east. Once it came somewhat over the parking lot, I could see it plainly, making out the distinct shape and approximate size of the craft. At the time of this sighting, I drove a 1980 White Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. The size of this model car is 18.5’ feet long. Given this fact and judging the height and distance of the craft, and the proximity to where I was standing- I estimated the object as being approximately 25’ feet in circumference. It was not a huge craft by no means, but was certainly capable of being maneuvered or controlled by some kind of intelligent life form. As the craft hovered slowly over the parking lot and past over the trees in the median, separating actually two parking lots, it continued moving in the north east direction. I never took my eyes off the object the whole time, and as it moved on across the parking lot and almost over the main road in front of the office complex, it did something that defied all explanation of physics. It went from moving slow, let’s say 5 mph, to an accelerated speed so fast, the only way to describe it would be: “shooting a bullet” out of the barrel of a gun- basically a streak, then it was gone. I have read similar cases of flying objects doing the same thing as I have described here. All one has to do is go to You Tube and type in “UFO”, it wouldn’t take long to find some videos showing similar maneuvers. An example would be to type in the phrase on You Tube: “UFO Over River In Italy”, then you could understand the velocity by which I am describing. I am convinced that America nor any other county on this planet has anything in its military arsenal that could come close to what I witnessed. Let me say for the record: this was not an airplane, jet, helicopter, balloon or anything else of this earth. I certainly don’t need to be told that it was “swamp gas” or the planet “Venus”, or anything else that would insult my intelligent. What I saw was real, it really did happen, it took place exactly as I have outlined here, and no I am not crazy by a long shot.

Summary: The gentleman walking out the door ahead of me to his car never saw this object. As soon as I saw this object, I wanted to yell to this gentleman and say: “hey man, do you see that”, but I was literally speechless, the words would not come out. I was so in awe at the sight of this UFO, that I just could not take my eyes off it- not even for a second. The funny thing about this whole scenario- I could remember telling myself that “this is a real UFO that I’m looking at”. I just knew immediately what it was, but at the same time I couldn’t believe that it was right there in front of me, in all its wonder and mystery.

Note: On July 2nd, 2011- I did travel back to the place where this event took place and took several pictures. I used the aid of my old compass in order to get an accurate bearing on where I was standing, in relation to what direction the craft was traveling. Keep in mind these photos were taken in the middle of summer, with the trees full of leaves, not to mention these trees have grown considerably over the past 15 years.

I have used the aid of “Google Map” in order to show a satellite view from space, the office complex where I worked at the time (MDC). I even have a picture of what my white Cadillac looked like in order to give some credence to the size of this object. The UFO was slightly larger in circumference than that of my car, but it was the only thing at the time that I could reference in describing the objects size. Lastly, I found a picture on the internet that somewhat closely resembled the object in question. Please note that I did use software on my computer (MGI PhotoSuite IV) to help further enhance the photo. It was my intention to show a truer comparison to what I saw on that day. It is not precisely the same in every detail, but certainly very close. One exception worth mentioning here is that the photo that I have is darker, the actual UFO was very shiny and metallic on top. The bottom was somewhat darker than the top due to the lighting outside, except for one huge light in the middle- this was amazingly luminous.

The information that I have provided is true. This report is mainly for my own personal recollection. If other people read this and are inspired- that would great. If others read it and think its hog-wash, that’s OK too. It is not my intention to make people believe me. I do think people should open their minds to the possibility that we humans are arrogant, if we think that we are the only intelligent beings in the universe.


Date: July 3rd, 2011


Photo link 1
Photo Link 2
Photo Link 3


***********************************************