Case Solved? Newly Uncovered Details Point To Triangular Twentynine Palms 'UFO' Being Flares
Written by Christopher Sharp - 11 July 2023
Image acquired from The Black Vault
New information acquired by reporter John Greenewald has shed new light on a reported Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) case from April 20, 2021, witnessed by Marines from Camp Wilson in Twentynine Palms, California. Marines stationed at the base captured and provided footage indicating what seemed to be an unidentified object with five lights and a triangular outline.
The new information, provided by Greenewald through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, shows images and footage from the night of April 20, 2021, which appears to depict five flares in a similar formation captured by the Marines on the same night.
UAP researcher, Dave Beaty, who also made a FOIA request, searched through detailed logs of a training exercise conducted at the time of the sighting. After analysing the data, Beaty wrote:
‘The usage of parachute retarded illuminating flares fired from Super Huey helicopters and the Hyda-70 rocket system by the Marines seems to explain the images the other group of witness Marines, from Camp Wilson, filmed. It’s possible that they were not briefed on the operation or confused by the appearance of the flares over the mountains.’
Baffled by what they witnessed that night, the Marines fired illumination rounds, an event captured in footage by the troops. This footage was accompanied by other videos and images provided to investigative journalists Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp, who published the story on their WEAPONIZED podcast in May 2023.
However, according to eyewitnesses, the lights (and what was believed to be a craft) had disappeared before anything could be illuminated.
But newly released material obtained and released by Greenewald seems to show two flares illuminating what appears to be five smoke trails, which may have not been clearly visible to marines who witnessed the event.
Image acquired from The Black Vault
This further suggests that the lights seen by the Marines were, in fact, flares, with the apparent shape perhaps being explained by smoke trails or related - although there is no definitive conclusion to explain the outline of a shape. It is worth noting that witnesses also describe seeing the outline of a shape with their own eyes, not just through a camera.
Speaking to Liberation Times, one of the Marines present at the time didn’t believe the shape could be caused by smoke trails and is still searching for other explanations - explanations which were not provided by high-ups:
“We were not briefed beforehand by any higher-ups about any training going on at the time. We were not offered an explanation afterwards either.
“I just know we had photos showing a shape and other Marines said they could see a shape with their own eyes. In the photos released with the FOIA you can see that the smoke trails were above the lights and remained there - that can’t be an explanation on why a shape appeared to us beneath the lights.”
The new evidence does seem to provide a compelling explanation for what was seen by witnesses. However, the Marine witness who was present at the time remains uncertain as to whether flares did cause the sighting. Ask for his assessment on the probability that the lights could be explained by flares, he stated:
“I’d honestly say 60/40 after these other images have come out. 60 being that they aren’t.”
Jeremy Corbell, who has been seeking explanations and gathering additional testimonies since initially publishing footage and testimonies from the Marines that night, welcomed the new evidence. He believes it may provide some answers to the Marines, who were not given any explanation by senior personnel at the time. Corbell told Liberation Times:
“I am very happy that new information has emerged, which may help provide answers that the eyewitnesses have been searching for.
"Similar to any unsolved investigation, be it concerning UAP or otherwise, it is an ongoing process wherein one can anticipate the unveiling of new information, leading us closer to comprehensive answers. This is precisely why we made the decision to share this case with the public and actively pursue additional information to crack it wide open.
"At first glance, the lights did appear to show a craft. But the newfound information appears highly compelling, pointing towards flares as the most plausible explanation. However, just like the U.S. government's own investigation into UAPs, it is imperative for us to meticulously scrutinize the evidence and arrive at a definitive conclusion before relegating UAP to a non-UAP status.
"We are now duty-bound to undertake our own verification of the presented data, ensuring rigorous validation, before categorizing this as a solved case. Our honorable service members deserve nothing less."
Historically only a small proportion of UAP cases have been left unresolved, often meaning the vast majority of events have some prosaic explanation.
From 1947 to 1969, the U.S. Air Force investigated UAP under Project Blue Book - of 12,618 sightings reported 701 remained unidentified - meaning the vast majority could be explained.
The ongoing French UAP investigation, known as GEIPAN (an acronym for Groupe d'Études et d'Informations sur les Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés, or Study Group and Information on Non-Identified Aerospace Phenomenon) has found that just 3.3% of cases investigated remain as unambiguously explained phenomena.
The historical data trends, along with the compelling new information obtained through the FOIA, strongly indicate that flares were the likely cause of this case. However, with Marines convinced they saw a physical craft with their own eyes, investigations are expected to continue.