{rjl} large flat irregular surfaced object flying slowly over town
I was visiting in-laws in Whiteville, Tn, a small town in Western Tennessee sometime around July 1972. Late in the afternoon, my mother in law received a call from a friend across town saying that something was flying over the town. We all went out into the back yard. A large black object was overhead. It was so low, seemed just over the tree tops and so large that all but the leading edge could be seen. The sides and far side were obscured by the trees and houses. There were no lights or sound. It was flying in a straight line very slowly. We knew it was not anything man made. This was the early 70s, nothing could stay airborne and move that slowly. I did not feel frightened, a little in awe but not enough to remain out there to watch it pass fully overhead. I had a baby at the time and may have had to go in and tend to him; I don't remember that part. But I do remember that my mother in law was calling everyone she knew to go out and look. The whole town had to have known about it.
I don't think any reporting was involved. Who would you call? No one seemed to make a big deal about it including myself.
Over the years, I never really thought about it until I sat the movie, Independence Day. The bottom surface of the mother ship was what I remembered seeing flying over Whiteville. Lower and probably not as large as the movie mother ship but the same color and shape.