In 1978, ufologists Isabel Davis and Ted Bloecher indicated that they found in the newspaper The Tacoma Times Tribune, Tacoma, Washington, USA, for July 8, 1947, a story that said that on On July 7, 1947, at Tacoma, Washington, residents of the Center and J Street neighborhood, Gene Gamachi, I.W. Martenson, and others, told of seeing a number of objects, some of which landed on nearby roofs.
They also saw several "little people" who disappeared upon the arrival of newsmen.
Some other ufologists say there was also one Gordon Pollack, and a group called the "Center & J Street Neighbors" as witnesses. Other list witnesses names "Ashby; Davies; Demars; Gamachi; Reid; Samuelson; Streans."
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[Ref. db1:] ISABEL DAVIS AND TED BLOECHER:
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[...] This does not mean that there were no reports of occupants in 1947. Local newspapers published at least three accounts of small beings associated with "flying saucers" that year. [.. Other case...] On July 7, during a flurry of object sightings at Tacoma, Washington, residents of the Center and J Street neighborhood, Gene Gamachi, I.W. Martenson, and others, told of seeing a number of objects, some of which landed on nearby roofs. Witnesses saw several "little people" who disappeared upon the arrival of newsmen (3). [.. Other case...] If these absurd-sounding stories - especially the last were sketchily reported and written tongue-in-cheek, apparently with no expectation that they would be taken seriously, this is understandable. For almost everyone in 1947, such stories were without precedent; press and public, already confounded by the enigma of the saucers themselves, were naturally unwilling to take on the added riddle of a two-foot man with a head like a basketball. Stories like these, of course, never made the wire services and were known only in the areas served by local newspapers, although stories about occupants of aerial objects had been told long before 1947. [...] 3. Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune, July 8, 1947. |
[Ref. mk1:] MARTIN S. KOTTMEYER:
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1947 and all that [... other cases...] ]Also on the seventh [of July 1947], residents of the Center and J Street neighbourhood in Tacoma, Washington, including Gene Gamachi and I.W. Martenson, told of seeing a number of objects, some of which landed on nearby roofs. Witnesses saw several "little people" who disappeared upon the arrival of newsmen. (26) [... other cases...] ](26) Isabel Davis & Ted Bloecher, Close Encounter at Kelly and Others of 1955 CUFOS, 1978, p. i. |
[Ref. ni1:] THE NICAP WEBSITE:
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In the Tacoma incident (Case 547), several people, including Gene Gamachi, of 1309 South 8 Street, I. W. Martenson and Gordon Pollack, together with a group called “the Center and J Street Neighbors,” had reported that a flying saucer, one of several, had landed on a rooftop at an unspecified time, and that several “little people” had gotten out; the occupants “vanished when reporters approached.” No other information was included in this abbreviated account in the Tacoma News Tribune, of July 8th. |
[Ref. ni2:] THE NICAP WEBSITE:
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July 7, 1947; Tacoma, Washington Bloecher's case 547, from his book, is a humanoid report. |
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
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30. Location. Tacoma Washington Date: July 7 1947 Time: unknown Levity also had its day, coming from Gene Gamachi, 1309 S 8 St, I W Martenson and Gordon Pollack, and a group called the "Center & J Street Neighbors." The "neighbors" reported the disks, after landing on a neighborhood roof, disgorged several "little people" who vanished when reporters approached. Humcat 1947-8 Source: Humcat quoting newspaper source Type: B |
[Ref. lg1:] LUIS R. GONZALEZ MANSO:
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7 July 1947 -- Tacoma, Washington Residents of the Center and J Street neighborhood, including Gene Gamachi and I.W. Martenson, told of seeing a number of objects, some of which landed on nearby roofs. Witnesses saw several "little people" who disappeared upon the arrival of newsmen. Sources:
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[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
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7 Jul 1947 - Tacoma, Washington, USA 7 July 1947 22:45 Tacoma, Washington, USA Disc lands on neighbors roof, several "little people" emerged, disappeared when reporters approached. Close encounter with a an unidentified craft and its occupants. More than two discs were observed by three male witnesses in a field for 30 minutes (Ashby; Davies; Demars; Gamachi; Reid; Samuelson; Streans). A dwarf was seen. Levity also had its day, coming from Gene Gamachi, 1309 S 8 St, I W Martenson and Gordon Pollack, and a group called the "Center and J Street Neighbors." The "neighbors" reported the disks, after landing on a neighborhood roof, disgorged several "little people" who vanished when reporters approached. Hynek rating: CE3 Vallee rating: CE3 [Sources are listed as:] "Webb, David, HUMCAT: Catalogue of Humanoid Reports"; |
[Ref. kr1:] KEVIN D. RANDLE:
Kevin Randle indicates that in July 1947 in Tacoma, Washington, Gene Gamachi and L. W. Martenson said they had watched a number of discs, some of which landed on the neighbor's roof. Of course by the time the police and reporters arrived, the saucer and the little men were gone.
[Ref. pr1:] PETER ROGERSON:
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July 7 1947. TACOMA (WASHINGTON : USA) Gene Gamachi of South 8th Street and some neighbours, including I. W. Martesson and Gordon Pollock observed a number of disc shaped objects land on a roof. From these emerged several small beings which fled when reporters approached. Bloecher 1967 case 547 and Bloecher personal communication citing Tacoma Times Tribune 8 July 1947. |
The information is obviously so thin and little circumstantiated that the case seems undecidable to me: hoax of neighbors, press hoax, extraterrestrial visitors? One may have dome doubts about a flying saucer landing on a roof...
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | Severe | October 16, 2018 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Primary source [tt1] not available. | Help needed. | Opened. |
Extraterrestrial visitors or hoax.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | October 16, 2018 | Creation, [db1], [mk1], [ni1], [ni2], [ar1], [lg1], [ud1], [kr1], [pr1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | October 16, 2018 | First published. |
