Littleton, IL & Clinton, IA: Cone-shaped fiery objects
At 4:45 a.m. on July 20, 1964, Joseph J. Winkel observed a large shadowy cone emitting reddish-purple flames near Littleton, Illinois. Simultaneously, a USAF airman reported a similar glowing cone near Clinton, Iowa.
Background
Witnesses and Event
Joseph J. Winkel was driving east in the early morning through wooded country on State Highway 101, about 2 miles west of Littleton, Illinois. He saw a cone-shaped, shadowy object roughly 18 metres across, with reddish-violet flames coming from its end. It climbed to about 450 metres, flew straight toward him, turned sharply upward, and steadied at 1,000 metres. The sparks turned blue-yellow and formed a fireball before it disappeared seconds later.
Second Observer
At the same time, a USAF Airman 1st Class driving east on US Highway 30 about 12 kilometres west of Clinton, Iowa noticed a comparable cone-shaped light phenomenon.
Significance
These parallel sightings during the UFO wave of 1964 illustrate the concentration of unusual aerial appearances in the USA. Sources point to consistent descriptions, including military involvement.