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45-447: On 7 January 1948, 25-year-old Captain Thomas F. Mantell, a Kentucky Air National Guard pilot, died when he crashed his P-51 Mustang fighter plane near Franklin , Kentucky , United States, after being sent in pursuit of an unidentified flying object (UFO). Mantell pursued the object in a steep climb and disregarded suggestions to level his altitude. At high altitude, he blacked out from

90-483: A basket attached." While UFOs are culturally associated with the mysterious, they are often later identified, particularly as balloons. Skyhook sightings were behind many UFO reports during the 1940s and 1950s. The more famous Roswell Incident and 2023 high-altitude sightings were also later attributed to military balloon projects. Captain Thomas Francis Mantell Jr. (30 June 1922 – 7 January 1948)

135-924: A government building on Center Street and the Madisonville City Hall on Main Street. Madisonville and most of Hopkins County are in the Hopkins County School District . Hopkins County Schools operate eight elementary school, four middle school, and two high school sub-districts. Elementary schools: Grapevine Elementary, West Broadway Elementary, Pride Avenue Elementary, Hanson Elementary, Earlington Elementary, Jesse Stuart Elementary, Southside Elementary, and West Hopkins School. Middle schools: Browning Springs Middle School, South Hopkins Middle School, West Hopkins School, and James Madison Middle School. High schools: Hopkins County Central High School and Madisonville North Hopkins High School . Madisonville

180-512: A historical marker in honor of Mantell in his hometown of Franklin. The marker is located at the exit off Interstate 65 . 36°40.063′N 86°33.461′W  /  36.667717°N 86.557683°W  / 36.667717; -86.557683 Kentucky Air National Guard As commonwealth militia units, the units in the Kentucky Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command . They are under

225-491: A lack of oxygen ; his plane went into a downward spiral and crashed. The incident was among the most publicized of early UFO reports. Later investigation by the United States Air Force 's Project Blue Book indicated that Mantell died chasing a Skyhook balloon , which, in 1948, was a top-secret project that he would not have known about. On 7 January 1948, Godman Army Airfield at Fort Knox , Kentucky , received

270-522: A rail hub, coal mining center, and had a large tobacco market. This continued until the 1960s when manufacturing and service industries came to the area. On November 15, 2005, a tornado ripped through the city, destroying some parts of it. The tornado began to form around 3:00 PM. The neighborhood near the Madisonville Country Club was greatly affected by the storm. The home of Madisonville resident and former Boston Celtics star Frank Ramsey

315-605: A report from the Kentucky Highway Patrol of an unusual aerial object near Madisonville which could not be immediately identified. Four F-51D Mustangs of C Flight, 165th Fighter Squadron Kentucky Air National Guard , one piloted by Captain Thomas F. Mantell, were told to approach the object. Mantell climbed to 15,000 feet. According to former U.S. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt , no one could recall Mantell's description of

360-421: Is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Hopkins County , Kentucky , United States, located along Interstate 69 in the state's Western Coal Fields region. The population was 19,591 at the 2010 census . Madisonville is a commercial center of the region and is home to Madisonville Community College . Madisonville was founded in 1807 and named for then- Secretary of State James Madison . It

405-423: Is a 410-bed hospital that offers services typically found in larger cities (such as life flight , women's health centers, and a comprehensive cancer center). Madisonville is a wet city in the county of Hopkins County ; making it a moist county , one of only sixteen in the state. Madisonville is the county seat of Hopkins County. Government operations for the city are based out of several buildings including

450-467: Is also home to Madisonville Community College , which consolidated with Madisonville Technical College in 2001. The college is a member of the sixteen-college Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). The school is also affiliated with Murray State University , Lindsey Wilson College , the University of Kentucky , and the University of Louisville . Because of these university partnerships,

495-670: The Global War on Terrorism . Flight crews, aircraft maintenance personnel, communications technicians, air controllers and air security personnel were engaged in Operation Noble Eagle air defense overflights of major United States cities. Also, Kentucky ANG units have been deployed overseas as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq as well as other locations as directed. On September 17, 2018,

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540-453: The Louisville & Nashville Railroad pushed its line southward from Henderson through Madisonville and toward Nashville in 1870. Madisonville was home to schools for African Americans including Atkinson Literary and Industrial College . From 1892 to 1912 The Hustler , originally The Madisonville Hustler , was a newspaper serving Madisonville. By the early 1900s, Madisonville was

585-564: The Strategic Air Command 12th Fighter-Escort Wing which was returned to Bergstrom AFB , Texas. In England, the mission of the 123d was to provide fighter escort for SAC B-50 Superfortress and B-36 Peacemaker bombers while flying over Western European airspace on their deterrence alert missions. The 123d left their P-51Ds at Godman AFB and the personnel boarded C-124 Globemaster II transports to England where they initially began conversion training on F-84E Thunderjets . Today,

630-598: The United States Air Force (USAF). Kentucky ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are operationally gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. In addition, the Kentucky Air National Guard forces are assigned to Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty and Air Force Reserve counterparts in their assigned cycle deployment window. Along with their federal reserve obligations, as commonwealth militia units

675-605: The United States Census Bureau , Madisonville has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48.4 km ), of which 17.9 square miles (46.3 km ) are land and 0.81 square miles (2.1 km ), or 4.42%, are water. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Madisonville has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of

720-537: The census of 2000, there were 19,307 people, 8,077 households, and 5,330 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,085.0 inhabitants per square mile (418.9/km ). There were 8,889 housing units at an average density of 499.5 per square mile (192.9/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 86.21% White , 11.24% Black or African American , 0.18% Native American , 0.51% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.63% from other races , and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of

765-464: The 123d Airlift Wing (123 AW) provides worldwide theater airlift for U.S. military and humanitarian operations. The wing is equipped with eight C-130H2.5 model aircraft. The 123rd Airlift Wing will receive a squadron of eight new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, replacing its current fleet of the C-130H Hercules models which the unit has flown since 1992.Multiple groups, squadrons and flights carry out

810-739: The Kentucky Air National Guard deployed the 123rd Fatality Search and Recovery Team following Hurricane Florence at the request of the North Carolina public health officials. The Kentucky National Guard also deployed two other units in support of relief efforts; the Kentucky Air National Guard's Louisville-based 123rd Special Tactics Squadron and the Kentucky Army National Guard's 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade from Frankfort. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Madisonville, Kentucky Madisonville

855-645: The Union, half the state had seceded at the Russellville Convention and was controlled by the Confederacy early in the war before being conquered by the Union. Farming was the major occupation in Hopkins County for most of the 1800s, with tobacco the leading crop. Around 1837 an outcropping of coal was discovered, and the first coal mine in the county opened in 1869. Mining did not become a major industry until

900-407: The armed services, the large craft would have been unknown to Mantell or the observers on the ground. A report from Madisonville, Kentucky , identified the object as a balloon after viewing it through a telescope. Dr. Seyfert, an astronomer at Vanderbilt University , observed the object through binoculars drifting south of Nashville, Tennessee. He described it as "a pear-shaped balloon with cables and

945-403: The average family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males. The median income for a household in the city

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990-560: The college offers many associate and bachelor's degrees that are normally found only at the university level. Madisonville has a lending library , a branch of the Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library. Interstate 69 is a north–south corridor through the eastern side of the city that connects to I-24 and Henderson . The Western Kentucky Parkway is 9 miles (14 km) south of town. The Western Kentucky Parkway's westbound lanes feed into I-69 southbound;

1035-610: The eastbound lanes feed into the Blue Grass Parkway (via I-65 northbound) at Elizabethtown . The Western Kentucky Parkway also intersects I-65, which feeds into Bowling Green to the south and the Natcher Parkway . In addition to trucking routes, CSX Transportation and Paducah & Louisville Railway run through Madisonville. The Madisonville Municipal Airport has a runway that is 6,050 by 100 feet (1,844 m × 30 m). Since 2012, Madisonville has maintained

1080-523: The elements of the Kentucky ANG are subject to being activated by order of the Governor to provide protection of life and property, and preserve peace, order and public safety. Commonwealth missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of vital public services, and support to civil defense. The Kentucky Air National Guard consists of

1125-429: The establishment of the 123d Fighter Group and is oldest unit of the Kentucky Air National Guard. It was federally recognized and activated at Standiford Field, near Louisville. Its 165th Fighter Squadron, the flying component of the 123d, was equipped with P-51D Mustangs. Its mission was the air defense of the state. 18 September 1947, however, is considered the Kentucky Air National Guard's official birth concurrent with

1170-643: The establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate branch of the United States military under the National Security Act of 1947. With the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, and the regular military's complete lack of readiness, the ANG was mobilized into federal active duty. The 165th Fighter Squadron was federalized and ordered to active duty on 10 October 1950. The squadron

1215-672: The following major unit: On 24 May 1946, the United States Army Air Forces , in response to dramatic postwar military budget cuts imposed by President Harry S. Truman , allocated inactive unit designations to the National Guard Bureau for the formation of an Air Force National Guard. These unit designations were allotted and transferred to various state National Guard bureaus to provide them unit designations to re-establish them as Air National Guard units. The Kentucky Air National Guard origins date to 9 June 1947 with

1260-437: The ground. Witnesses reported Mantell's Mustang in a circling descent. His plane crashed on a farm south of Franklin , on Kentucky's border with Tennessee . The Mantell incident was reported by newspapers around the nation, and received significant press attention. A number of sensational rumors were also circulated about the crash. According to UFO historian Curtis Peebles , among the rumors were claims that "the flying saucer

1305-608: The jurisdiction of the Governor of Kentucky though the office of the Kentucky Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States . The Kentucky Air National Guard is headquartered at Louisville Air National Guard Base, and its commander is Brigadier General Dave Mounkes. Under the "Total Force" concept, Kentucky Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of

1350-659: The local post-coal economy. GE Aviation , Jennmar , International Automotive Components Group (IAC) , Ahlstrom , Land O' Frost , Carhartt Cutting in Madisonville, Carhartt RCV Distribution in nearby Hanson, Kentucky and other corporations have operations in the area. During the 1970s, the Regional Medical Center (RMC) and Trover Clinic were built by the Trover Foundation. RMC, now owned by Baptist Healthcare System and operated as Baptist Health Madisonville

1395-586: The local power companies to speed up the process of re-powering the town. Madisonville is located about 50 miles (80 km) south of Evansville, Indiana . Interstate 69 (formerly the Pennyrile Parkway ) passes through the eastern side of the city, with access from exits 111, 114, and 117. U.S. Route 41 passes through the center of town as Main Street, running generally parallel to I-69. The highways lead north 38 miles (61 km) to Henderson and south 35 miles (56 km) to Hopkinsville . According to

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1440-613: The newly formed Kentucky Air National Guard on 16 February 1947, becoming a F-51D Mustang pilot in the 165th Fighter Squadron . Following his death in January 1948, Mantell's remains were sent to Louisville for burial in the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery . He was survived by his wife Peggy and their sons, Thomas and Terry Mantell. On 29 September 2001, the Simpson County Historical Society unveiled

1485-599: The object, but "saucer historians have credited him with saying" that the object was "metallic and of tremendous size". Mantell continued to climb to 22,000 feet, but his wingmen did not follow due to lack of sufficient oxygen equipment and tried to contact him to request he discontinue his ascent. Since Mantell's aircraft also lacked the requisite oxygen equipment for high-altitude flight, the Army later determined that once Mantell passed 25,000 feet (7,600 m) he blacked out from lack of oxygen and his plane began spiraling back towards

1530-409: The population. There were 8,077 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and

1575-408: The supposedly radioactive wreckage. Sensational media featured a variety of unsubstantiated rumors including Mantell describing the object as "metallic", Mantell being wounded by a mysterious "ray", his body being missing from the wreckage, and unexplained tiny holes found in his wrecked aircraft; Kehoe and Ruppelt dismissed these rumors. Venus had been in the same place in the sky that Mantell's UFO

1620-543: The unit's mission by providing administrative and logistical support, including airlift operations, combat control, pararescue, maintenance, supply, transportation, contracting, communications, civil engineering, personnel, base services, security forces and medical functions. Since the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States , elements of every Air National Guard unit in Kentucky have been activated in support of

1665-497: Was $ 31,097, and the median income for a family was $ 38,688. Males had a median income of $ 32,064 versus $ 20,940 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,381. About 13.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 27.5% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over. Because of its location near important roadways, Madisonville is a leading manufacturing hub for western Kentucky. Industrial and factory production has revitalized

1710-476: Was a C-47 Skytrain pilot assigned to the 96th Troop Carrier Squadron, 440th Troop Carrier Group , which air dropped the 101st Airborne Division into Normandy on 6 June 1944. Mantell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism while piloting a C-47 named Vulture's Delight and towing a glider under heavy anti-aircraft fire. After the war, Mantell returned to Louisville and joined

1755-471: Was a Soviet missile; it was [an alien] spacecraft that shot down [Mantell's fighter] when it got too close; Captain Mantell's body was found riddled with bullets; the body was missing; the plane had completely disintegrated in the air; [and] the wreckage was radioactive." However, no evidence has ever surfaced to substantiate any of these claims, and Air Force investigation specifically refuted some claims, such as

1800-652: Was a United States Air Force officer and a World War II veteran. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for courageous action during D-Day , and an Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters for aerial achievement. Mantell graduated from Male High School in Louisville. On 16 June 1942, he joined the United States Army Air Corps , the preceding organization to the Air Force, finishing Flight School on 30 June 1943. During World War II , he

1845-559: Was destroyed in the storm. Mayor Karen Cunningham ordered a curfew in parts of the city and declared a state of emergency . In January 2009 , a severe ice storm hit Madisonville. Hopkins County and much of the rest of state of Kentucky were affected. Madisonville was placed under a curfew for the safety of the citizens. The storm was responsible for widespread power outages and damage to homes as well as trees. Many residents were without power for weeks, and tree limb clean-up took months to complete. Many out-of-state power companies assisted

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1890-548: Was moved to Godman Air Force Base at Fort Knox along with the 123d Fighter Group. At Godman, the squadron was joined by the North Carolina ANG 156th Fighter Squadron and the West Virginia ANG 167th Fighter Squadron . All three squadrons were equipped with P-51Ds. After over a year of training at Godman AFB, the 123d was re-designated as a Fighter-Bomber Group and deployed to RAF Manston , Kent, England to replace

1935-500: Was named the seat of Hopkins County in 1808 and formally incorporated in 1810. Hopkins County and Madisonville were divided by the Civil War . Union supporters joined a regiment recruited locally by James Shackleford; Al Fowler recruited Confederate troops. The courthouse in Madisonville was burned by Confederates led by Gen. Hylan B. Lyon on December 17, 1864, as they passed through western Kentucky. While Kentucky remained mostly in

1980-451: Was observed, and the crash was initially thought to have been caused by the pilot mistaking the planet for an unidentified object, a conclusion reached by Project Blue Book investigator J. Allen Hynek in 1948. Hynek later retracted the Venus explanation, concluding it was incorrect because "Venus wasn't bright enough to be seen" by Mantell and the other witnesses, and because a considerable haze

2025-442: Was present that would have further obscured the planet in the sky. In 1952, Project Blue Book identified the object Mantell pursued as a Skyhook balloon , a top-secret project that he would not have known about at the time. The massive spy balloons rose to 100,000 feet in the air. The Army determined that Mantell lost consciousness pursuing one into the atmosphere without oxygen. Classified and likely released by another branch of

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