Nancy Reed

Nancy Reed is an American witness central to the 1969 Berkshire UFO incident, one of the most notable UAP events in U.S. history. A resident of Sheffield, Massachusetts, she owned Reed's Diner, which became a hub for community discussions of UFO sightings amid the Space Race era. On September 1, 1969, Nancy, her mother Marion, and sons Thom (9) and Matthew were driving near the Old Sheffield Covered Bridge when their car was enveloped in brilliant amber light, leading to fragmented memories and a reported close encounter or abduction. Over 250 witnesses reported similar sightings that night, flooding local radio WSBS. Nancy also claimed a prior encounter in 1954 as a teenager in Maine, involving an approach by unknown entities during an overnight stay with her mother and friend. Despite ridicule, her husband Dr. Howard Reed, an attorney and former mayor, advocated for the family, aiding UFO researcher Robert Bletchman in presenting the case at a UN symposium on October 2, 1992. In 2015, the Great Barrington Historical Society validated the incident, inducting it into U.S. history with a monument near the site.