One California grandmother has been waiting for answers since she was a child and her mother spotted a UFO hovering while she hung clothes out to dry. A therapist in Texas has been an "experiencer" since childhood. And another Lone Star resident, a 36-year-old musician, has been delving into the extraterrestrial world since he learned about an incident not far from his hometown.
All of them on Friday, like the rest of the "UFO community," were waiting with bated breath for what was touted by the US government as a historic moment: The first release of never-before-seen files about unidentified anomalous phenomena, a trove of 162 documents including images, details and, enthusiasts hope, a step towards further transparency – and answers about what's "out there".
"Whereas previous Administrations have failed to be transparent on this subject, with these new Documents and Videos, the people can decide for themselves, 'WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?'" President Donald J. Trump wrote on Truth Social after the documents were released. "Have Fun and Enjoy!"
The Department of War debuted a new website for the public on Friday with files and images - but no commentary or conclusions on the material, writing that, "given the scope of this task," it would "be releasing new materials on a rolling basis as they are discovered and declassified, with tranches posted every few weeks.
