Hector Quintanilla

Hector Quintanilla Jr. (1923-1998) was a United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel of Mexican-American heritage, best known as the final chief officer of Project Blue Book, the USAF's official UFO investigation program from 1963 until its closure in 1970. Succeeding Lt. Col. Robert Friend, he oversaw the analysis of over 12,000 sightings, with approximately 701 remaining unidentified. Key achievements include leading the investigation of the 1964 Socorro Zamora case, which he deemed 'the best-documented case on record' after exhaustive checks, including radiation tests, yet unsolved. Project Blue Book aimed to assess national security threats, technological advancements, and identify sighting causes. Post-retirement in San Antonio, Texas, Quintanilla authored 'UFOs: An Air Force Dilemma' (1975), detailing his experiences. He passed away on May 18, 1998, after a golf cart accident, survived by six children.