Background
What started out as a usual evening in Flatwoods, WV on September 12, 1952 would prove to be anything but usual for some of the locals. Four boys playing football in the schoolyard witnessed what could only be descibed as a "shooting star". The boys, however, knew what they saw was, by no means, a shooting star.The Crash Site
The Braxton County Monster
One of the curious onlookers had a flashlight and when he pointed it at the object, what has become known as the "Braxton County Monster" was seen. The description was as follows: "...a bright red face, bright green clothing, a head which resembled the ace of spades, and clothing which, from the waist down, hung in great folds". The monster's body was described as beingman-shaped and clad in a dark pleated skirt; later described as being green. Some accounts record that the creature had no visible arms, while others describe it as having short stubby arms; ending in long claw-like fingers, which protruded from the front of its body. It seemed to be floating above the ground towards them. Frightened by this spectacle the group dispersed, but eventually ended up back at Mrs. May's home and phoned the sherriff.Attempts to Debunk

So; what is to be made of the countless eyewitness reports of the "Braxton County Monster"? Official reports are few and far between. One possible explanation comes from a local insurance salesman and self proclaimed "amature astronomer", Earl Stephens. It is his opinion that the "Braxton County Monster" was, in fact, a meteor, commonly called a fireball, that originated in the outer atmostphere, forming a gasterous ball. Stephens backs up his theory with the fact that the earth entered a meteoric stream in August of that year.
I am not a scientist, professional or otherhwise, so with the lack of offical reports, I can only rely on a handful of eyewitness reports and an opinion of an amature astonomer, as that is all there is available for me to ponder. I'll let you decide for yourselves.
Donald Keyhoe's Explanation
Pioneer UFO Researcher
Major Donald Keyhoe writes in 1953
"The Air Force hands-off attitude seemed peculiar to me. For the monster story was having a serious effect, in addition to letters from worried Americans... If the Air Force had sent investigators publicly in hopes of killing the story, it might have backfired. Papers and magazines would picture the Intelligence officers as making a serious investigation. It might seem proof, to some people, that the Air Force was soberly impressed by the report - or at least that giants from space were considered a strong possibility... It was far better to brand the whole thing as a hallucination - which Intelligence evidently believed was the answer... Whether or not the Air Force analysis is correct, one point is certain - Intelligence carefully avoided a public investigation in order to prevent hysteria."
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