Long before drones flooded the skies of New Jersey in the fall of 2024, residents had already had numerous encounters with unidentified flying objects. Would you expect otherwise from the state that was the filming location for the iconic movie "War of the Worlds"?
These objects, known as UFOs (or UAPs - Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, according to the new terminology), have been recorded in New Jersey skies for decades. One of the earliest known cases was the sighting of a mysterious glowing object over the town of Wanaka in 1966.
At that time, numerous New Jersey residents reported an unidentified flying object over the Wanaque Reservoir, which caused widespread consternation.
Eyewitnesses from Ringwood, Totowa, Paterson, Oakland and Butler Townships described a strange object ranging from 2 to 9 feet in size, emitting light brighter than any star and changing color from white to red to green. The object exhibited a flight path not typical of man-made aircraft.
The credibility of the sighting was supported by a large number of reports, including that of Wanaka Mayor Harry T. Wolfe, who described the phenomenon as "terribly strange" and oval in shape.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the object burn a hole in the ice of the reservoir, with a bright beam of light shooting down from it. The next day, police officer Jack Wardlow also observed a brilliant white disk near his home, confirming its disk- and egg-shape.
This event marks a significant moment in New Jersey's long history of UFO sightings, which have been documented for generations.