WHAT LOOKED LIKE STARS IN SKY THAT WERE MOVING IN FORMATION

After work I had arrived to my grandmothers house as I always do working in a Local band getting home late…  The sky's in Roanoke - Virginia  at night are crystal clear with great visibility... a blanket thick were you could spend hours gazing (No city lights made them stand out).  Off towards the NW over Highway 81 approx 11:00 o-clock high I noticed around what appeared to be 6-8 stars that were moving all in steady formation never changing distance very slowly.... The lights were no difference in contrast as the stationary stars except these were moving very slow!!!....It was really strange because how could stars cross in formation across the sky?....The stars did not sparkle and never changed relationship to each other...it was something I'll never forget....These were not aircraft for certain I was a Airforce Dept. and knew the difference.  At first my brain couldn't comprehend what was happening  because the stationary stars did not move and there were so many of them one had to focus to see the group...The group went from left to right across the sky and slowly faded away!...The distance could not be determined from my location but I knew it was considerable....I told my wife years later and family but told no one at that time mainly because I was by myself (No one was up at 3:00 am never not even a neighbor's dog) sighting  was from the base of Mill Mountian...people that live there know what I'm saying about that hour & the clarity of the night view.
Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate.  PD