20-Foot Flying Saucer In Lemon Grove? That’s the Story from 1973

How boring our own lives might be if we couldn’t marvel at a few urban legends. The Grove has its fair share. Here are the strangest ones I know:

• During construction of the in 1928, a worker was killed (or died) and then entombed all these years inside the lemon. Unless someone is willing step forward on this one, I am going to say a definite myth.
• A Native American princess, or a , is buried under, or next to, state Route 94 near the College Grove shopping center. Another myth, but with a sprinkling of truth. A member of Polish royalty was buried there before construction of the freeway.
• Two mummies were found in 1980 in a Lemon Grove homeowner’s garage. The ““ is true, and they can still be viewed at the Museum of Man in Balboa Park.

But maybe you have not heard the tale of the flying saucer. This is from the website Encounters with Aliens on this Day for Nov. 16, 1973:

In Lemon Grove … two 11-year-old boys saw a dark domed disc in an empty lot. The boys were outside, intending to play in the vacant lot in their residential neighborhood.

When they got to the field at 7:15 p.m. there was already a dark object hovering about 18 inches above the ground. It seemed to be inactive in every way. One of the boys cautiously approached it and rapped on it with his flashlight 3-4 times. It made a sound like it was made of metal.

Instantly, the object’s dome lit up in a brilliant red light which illuminated the entire area. It rose three or four feet off the ground, and a row of green lights came on around its perimeter, flashing in sequence. The thing then began rotating, making a “woooo..woooo..woooo” sound….

The UFO continued to rise and the boys began to run home. As they did so, they felt chills and a tingling sensation, and they also felt weak, “like they were going to die … and running in slow motion.”

 The UFO, later estimated to be 20 feet in diameter, took off at moderate speed and disappeared into the clouds.

The boys told both their mothers immediately upon getting to their homes of their close encounter. Field investigation revealed two holes in the ground, 6x6 inches square and 6 inches deep…. Five residents recalled unusual television interference at the time when the boys reported the object. A magnetometer at the La Posta station registered a “perturbation” at 7:20 as well. It was discovered that local telephone service was impaired, ultimately requiring two “fused” phone lines to be replaced.

Please note the liberal use of numbers, a technique that tries to make the article sound believable: “18 inches above” … “3-4 times” … “6x6 inches square and 6 inches deep.” And, what in the world is a “perturbation”? Supposedly, this “sighting” took place in the area that is now state Route 125, making it harder to confirm any of the facts.

So, readers, I am asking for your help to debunk or affirm this urban legend. Who knows the story?

When it comes to UFO sightings according to the National UFO Reporting Center, Lemon Grove has had five occurrences, while neighboring Spring Valley has reported 19 UFOs in the sky. Yet another good reason to respect the Grove.