Gem, WV: Wingless craft crash & MIB visit
In 1924, a farmer near Gem, West Virginia, witnessed a silent, wingless object crash. Locals including reporter John Cole found wreckage and odd strangers; Cole surrendered a fragment to an Army man at night, and the site was later cleared.
Background
Witnesses and Initial Observation
A farmer near Gem, West Virginia observed a large, silent craft without wings in 1924, which crashed in a wooded area. He described it as enormous, comparable to a battleship. Locals, among them reporter John Cole and the sheriff, searched the area and found the wreck in a clearing.
Wreck Details and Strangers
The object measured roughly 23 metres in length and had windows, but no propeller, wings, or tail fin. At the site were unusual individuals of Asian appearance in black suits or silver overalls who spoke an unfamiliar language. The group eventually left the site without taking further action.
Fragment and Cover-Up
John Cole took a small piece of the material home with him. At 3 a.m. he was woken by a man in army uniform, who demanded the fragment and was given it. Two days later the entire crash site had been cleared, without any traces remaining.
Significance
The case is regarded as an early account of a UAP crash, with elements of Men in Black-type figures and military involvement, documented by John A. Keel. It has been cited as fitting patterns of anomalous events in Braxton County.