 presents
1949 UFO
Chronology
and the Grudge Report  Not the actual cover, but
the publication above and documents
therein can be ordered from the Fund for UFO Research. Full NARA version is now onsite at August, 1949; SECRET Project Grudge Report Created Dec. 20, 2005, updated 12 Nov 2018
This chronology is currently a 29-page report and a very important year in UFOlogy. I want to thank all the members of the A-Team who made this possible. To look at and/or print all the 1949 Blue Book monthly summaries, click here. Otherwise the monthly listings are inserted within this chronology by month. Note: There are 209 entries in the 38-page La Paz catalog, the " Summary of Sightings of Unknown Phenomena, 17th District OSI". But in the 1949 group there were 144 sightings and the only ones listed here are the reports with some important details to make them extraordinary. Also, brief case descriptions giving the category number, name of witness, and source in brackets (M=military), are NICAP UFO Evidence entries that haven't been located. Finally, I want thank Loren Gross for thoughtfully and diligently collecting data many years ago for his UFO Histories and supplemental notes, in particular here the year 1949. And a big thanks to CUFOS and Mary Castnor for housing them on the CUFOS site. UFO_History_Gross/1949_01-06_History_2ED.pdf
Francis RidgeUFO_History_Gross/1949_01_06_HistorySN.pdf UFO_History_Gross/1949_07_12_History_2ED UFO_History_Gross/1949_07_12_HistorySN.pdf NICAP Site Coordinator The Chronology Jan.
1, 1949; Jackson, Mississippi (BBU)
5 p.m. Pilot D. [?] Rush flying private plane
saw a 60 ft cigar-shaped object cross the sky in
front of the plane to the SW, nearly colliding,
at 500 mph. (Sparks; Project 1947; McDonald
list; Saunders/FUFOR Index)
Jan.
4, 1949; Hickam Field, Hawaii (BBU 275)
2 p.m. USAF pilot Capt. Paul R. Stoney, on
ground at Pacific Command HQ, saw a flat
white, elliptical object, with a matte top,
about the size of a T-6 aircraft, circle at
about 3,000 ft while oscillating to the right
and left, then speed away. (Jan Aldrich)
Jan. 5, 1949; Sea of Japan At 10:07 p.m. local time, an unknown object was picked up on radar. The length of observation was 4 minutes. The source of information was the Far East Air Force (FEAF). (Dan Wilson) Jan. 5, 1949; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Briefly mentioned in report at Los Alamos below. No other data. Jan.
6, 1949; Kirtland AFB, New Mexico (BBU)
OSI Case 16. Diamond shaped object in
horizontal flight much faster than a jet.
Jan. 6, 1949; Los Alamos, New Mexico (BBU) OSI Cases 16 & 17 (mentions above incident again). Unusual sounds heard. Report mentions a Jan 5 incident) Col Eustis Poland, G-2 Intelligence,
US Army, issues memo to the Director of Army
Intelligence concerning the wild hypotheses
that were spreading concerning the
southwestern light phenomena. (Courtesy,
Project 1947 and Joel Carpenter)
Jan. 23, 1949; 4 miles S of
Tillamook, Oregon (BBU)
11:05 a.m. Machinist and former wartime air defense observer Charles E. Leckington and wife Rose C. while driving S on Hwy 101, about 1/4 to 1/2 mile N of Pleasant Valley, saw a shiny, silvery, round stationary object about 10-15 ft size glinting in the sun to the SE at about 35° elevation about 2,000 ft height about 1/2 to 3/4 mile away (in its belated investigation in April, AFOSI claimed a height figure of 500 ft without explaining the discrepancy). When he went inside his shop with Allen Hughes of neighboring Hughes Grocery to get binoculars the object had disappeared. No sound or trail. Burt [Bert?] J. Smith, father-in-law of Leckington, living in house behind the Leckingtons, saw for about 1 min the polished silver saucer-shaped object reflecting sunlight [nearly?] overhead at first, about 1,000-2,000 ft [1,400-2,000] altitude, angular size of full moon (0.5°), then moving NE at about 30-50 mph [30-35 mph], for about 1 min to disappearance at 45° angle [elevation]. (Sparks; FOIA; BB files; Saunders/FUFOR Index) 2.5-3 mins 3 witnesses ~1 Full Moon triangulation The memo
documents speculation on Soviet
nuclear-powered disc by USAF Col C. D.
Gasser of the Nuclear Energy for the
Propulsion of Aircraft (NEPA) project at Oak
Ridge, Tennessee. Gasser reported
rumors coming from Wright-Patterson AFB that
nuclear-powered disc-shaped planes might be
making incursions into US airspace and
returning to the USSR over the North Pole.
(Courtesy of Project 1947 site)
Jan.
24, 1949; About 250 miles SW of Bermuda
Island, Atlantic (BBU)
12:00-2:10 a.m. (Z/GMT/UT) (For more detailed report click on link above) USAF pilot and crew of RB-29 bomber in the 373rd Recon Squadron based at Kindley AFB, Bermuda [on classified Atomic Detection System service] was searching for a lost BOAC aircraft. At 1,500 ft and at 200 mph saw to the left (in the N) a red glow on the ocean 1 to 1-1/2 miles in size extending up to 2,500-3,000 (or 4,000-6,000) ft altitude with 2-4 white searchlight-like beams of light within the red glow. At 12:25 a.m. B-29 turned toward the light and by 12:40 approached so close, estimated 100-150 ft [?] distance at 6,000 ft altitude, that pilot made a sharp bank to avoid collision. B-29 crew unable to take nuclear fallout sample of air around red glow because in haste to take off on search mission they failed to bring filter paper. B-29 circled the red glow from all directions for 44 mins as the glow slowly moved [at about 10 mph headed W], when they finally departed the area at 1:24 a.m. Red glow still visible on landing in Bermuda [at about 2:10 a.m.]. (BB Maxwell Microfilm Roll 5 pp. 167-233; Project 1947; Saunders/FUFOR Index) Jan.
27, 1949; Cortez-Bradenton, Florida (BBU
284)
10:20 p.m. Capt. Sames [Sannes?],
Acting Chief of the Aircraft Branch,
Eglin AFB, and wife saw a cigar shaped
object as long as 2 Pullman cars, with 7
lighted square windows and throwing
sparks, descend then climb with a
bouncing motion at about 400 mph.
(Berliner; FUFOR Index) 25 mins
Jan.
30, 1949; Near Amarillo to near
Lamesa, Texas (BBU)
5:54 p.m. (MST). Thousands of witnesses over several states saw spectacular green fireball, N-S trajectory triangulated by Dr. Lincoln LaPaz as 12 mile altitude over Amarillo area descending slightly on nearly horizontal 143-mile path to near Lamesa disappearing about 8 miles altitude. No noise except slight hissing. 100+ witnesses interviewed. (Sparks; FOIA) 10-20 secs Jan. 30, 1949; Roswell, New Mexico (AFOSI 19) 5:55 p.m. Approximately 200 observers. W-E, 2000', horizontal flight, blue green, moving slowly, disappeared in shower of lighted fragments. Also seen at Alamogordo (AFOSI 20) and Fort Worth, Texas (AFOSI 21). "Protection
of Vital Installations (three page pdf
file)
To AFOSI concerning the latest
Green Fireball incident seen over
several states on Jan 30,
1949. "All out investigation
OK'ed by OSI" says the handwritten
notation of Feb 4, 1949. LaPaz
investigated and determined the
Green Fireball had a 140+ mile
trajectory from near Amarillo to
near Lamesa, Texas, at a multiply
triangulated altitude of about
60,000 to 40,000 feet at a
velocity of 25,000 to 50,000 mph
-- an absolute physical
impossibility for a meteor.
No traces were found despite LaPaz
and AFOSI plowing through miles of
Texas mud looking for fragments.
(Brad Sparks)
Possibility
that some of the incidents may
represent technical developments
far in advance of knowledge
available.
NARA-PBB1-21
-
February 1-28 Sightings
Feb.
10, 1949; North of Dayton,
Ohio (BB)
At 2032 local time Capt. Roger J. Groseclose, USAF Pilot, and 1st Lt. Ray W. Adams, USAF Student Pilot, observed from the air at 7,900 feet a white object with a blue glow in a straight gradual descent to approximately 9,000 feet then it broke into two parts and disintegrated. The object was in sight for approximately 5 seconds. [Probable meteor] (Dan Wilson, BB files) SECRET Project SIGN Report, Feb. 11,
1949 (72-page pdf file)
The order of
February 11, 1949, that
changed the name of Project
Sign to Project Grudge had not
directed any change in the
operating policy of the
project. It had, in fact,
pointed out that the project
was to continue to investigate
and evaluate reports of
sightings of unidentified
flying objects. In doing this,
standard intelligence
procedures would be used. This
normally means the unbiased
evaluation of intelligence
data. But it doesn't take a
great deal of study of the old
UFO files to see that standard
intelligence procedures were
no longer being used by
Project Grudge. Everything was
being evaluated on the premise
that UFO's couldn't exist. No
matter what you see or hear,
don't believe it. (Ruppelt)
[Correction: The order
changing SIGN to GRUDGE was
dated Dec 16, 1948, by AF Dir
of R&D Gen Donald Putt,
not made effective until Feb
12, 1949, after SIGN's Final
Report was issued Feb 11.
We know the date of the
change because it was
commented on at the Los Alamos
green fireballs conference of
Feb 16, 1949, as having
occurred the previous
"Saturday," Feb. 12. - Brad
Sparks]
Feb. 14, 1949; Canado, New Mexico (AFOSI 22) 6:40 p.m. Dr. (deleted) and his wife were returning from Gallup (New Mexico), they crossed the long bridge about two miles due east of Ganado. As they came up the hill west of the bridge, where the road heads south, brilliant white light was observed in the sky directly in front of the car, and somewhat above the horizon. The object appeared to hang stationary, then fell in slight curve to the west. Mrs. (deleted) said that the object was slightly greenish color. Both agreed that the object had an orange tinge as it fell, and that sparks appeared to trail off the object, both while stationary and as it fell. Dr. (deleted) said that his first reaction was that it was an airplane on fire, and that he had so reported to the Arizona State Police."45 (Gross, UFO History, 1949, pg. 21)
Feb. 17, 1949; Grants [Sandia Base, Albuquerque?], New Mexico (BBU) OSI Case 24. 6 ? p.m. [Mitchell
? and others] saw oval white light
moving S in vertical climb then
leveled off, then a gradual
ascent. (FOIA; FUFOR Index)
Feb. 17, 1949; Albuquerque, New Mexico (BBU) 6:00 p.m. (AFOSI Cases 23 and 24) Apparently the same object viewed at different or overlapping times on its trajectory. Case 23 is truck driver Herman Wilcox at about 6 PM (actually 5:57) from near Grants, NM, and Case 24 is UNM Prof. Marvin May at 5:57 PM from Albuquerque (who with his training in meteorite tracking with LaPaz has the more accurate time than the truck driver). There were also about 100 guards at Sandia Base including the Officer of the Guard, sighting it at 5:59-6:06 PM evidently. Feb. 23, 1949. Sandberg Pass 40
miles S of Bakersfield, Calif.
(BBU)
10:30 p.m. USAF pilot of T-11 with 703rd Air Reserve Division saw a sausage-shaped object circle the plane at 10,000 ft in 360° and 180° turns. (Sparks; Project 1947; Saunders/FUFOR Index) 40 secs Feb. 27, 1949; Los Alamos, New Mexico (BBU) 7:05 p.m. Green-white fireball seen in horizontal flight from W to E. (FOIA) 2 secs Feb.
28
(not 23rd), 1949; Sandberg Pass
40 miles S of Bakersfield,
Calif. (BBU)
10:30 p.m. USAF pilot of T-11
with 703rd Air Reserve Division
saw a sausage shaped object
circle the plane in 360° and
180° turns. (Project 1947)
March 2, 1949; Los Alamos, New Mexico (BBU) 12:10 a.m. Sewald saw
high speed light in
horizontal flight low in
the sky N to S. (FOIA;
FUFOR Index) 2 secs
March 3, 1949; Los Alamos, New Mexico 1:59 a.m. (AFOSI 27) This report is not an original BB unknown, nor has it been included in the Comprehensive Catalog of Project Blue Book Unknowns by Brad Sparks. The report is, however, mentioned in the BB Microfilm files and listed in the La Paz/AFOSI Catalog. The behavior of the Green Fireballs is suspect in almost all of the AFOSI Catalog cases, especially so in this one where the FB is in an almost vertical descent, something no meteor of any kind can do. March 6, 1949; Killeen
Base, Camp Hood, Texas
(BBU)
8:20 p.m. (AFOSI 29
& 30) Army Sgt. Hubert
Vickery and PFC John
Ransom on patrol at the
AFSWP (Armed Forces
Special Weapons Project)
nuclear weapons storage
site saw a blue-white
oblong object about 2 ft x
1 ft in size travel S from
286° to 279° azimuth
elevation 5°45'. Other
sightings by Army patrols
from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
(FOIA)
March 6, 1949.
Killeen Base/Site B
[Nuclear Weapons
National Stockpile],
Camp Hood, Texas
(BBU)
8:45 p.m. Army artillery observation patrol saw a light-colored round object with trail about 10° long travel S to N from azimuth 189° elevation 21° to azimuth 210° elevation 6°31’. No sound. Other sightings by Army patrols (see above, below). (Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, p. 413, Maxwell Roll 5, p. 627; FOIA) 1 sec March 6, 1949.
Killeen Base/Site B
[Nuclear Weapons
National Stockpile],
Camp Hood, Texas
(BBU)
[8:20?] p.m. Army artillery observation patrol saw a blue-white ball-like “fixed flash,” size of basketball [?], in the NE at azimuth 40° elevation 59°. No sound or trail. Other sightings by Army patrols (see above, below). (Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, p. 413, Maxwell Roll 5, p. 627; FOIA) 1 sec March 7, 1949.
Killeen Base/Site
B [Nuclear Weapons
National
Stockpile], Camp
Hood, Texas (BBU)
March
8, 1949; Killeen
Base, Camp Hood,
Texas (BBU) (AFOSI
Case 39)1:15 a.m. Army artillery observation patrol saw a brilliant blue-white flash of light like flashbulb in the NE at azimuth 40° elevation 66°15’. No sound. [Meteor?] Other sightings by Army patrols (see above, below). (Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, p. 413, Maxwell Roll 5, p. 627; FOIA) 1 sec March 7,
1949. Killeen
Base/Site B
[Nuclear Weapons
National
Stockpile], Camp
Hood, Texas
(BBU)
1:30 a.m. Army artillery observation patrol saw a blue-white ball-like “fixed flash,” size of basketball [?], in the NNE at azimuth 16° elevation 27°30’. No sound. [Meteor?] Other sightings by Army patrols (see above, below). (Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, p. 413, Maxwell Roll 5, p. 627; FOIA) 1 sec 1 174. March 7,
1949. Killeen
Base/Site B
[Nuclear Weapons
National
Stockpile], Camp
Hood, Texas
(BBU)
1:30-2 a.m. Army artillery observation patrol saw a bluish-white ball-like flash of light like flashbulb in the WSW at azimuth 250° elevation 26°. No sound. Other sightings by Army patrols (see above, below). (Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, p. 413, Maxwell Roll 5, p. 627; FOIA) 1 sec ? 2 175. March 7,
1949; Camp
Hood, Texas
(AOSI 32-34)
PFC. Max Eugene
Manlove, 1st
Provost
Squadron, Camp
Hood, Texas,
observed a
teardrop-shaped
object, orange
in color, drop
vertically in
front of him.
Observation
time: 2 seconds.
(AFOSI 34). 1:30
a.m. Two other
sets of military
witnesses. Very
brief (2 secs?).
(AFOSI 32, 33).March 7,
1949. Killeen
Base/Site B
[Nuclear Weapons
National
Stockpile], Camp
Hood, Texas
(BBU)
1:45 a.m. Army artillery observation patrol saw an orange tear-drop shaped object, 2 x 1 ft in size [?], drop vertically to ground, in the ENE at azimuth 60°. No sound. [Meteor?] Other sightings by Army patrols (see above, below). (Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, p. 413, Maxwell Roll 5, p. 627; FOIA) March 7,
1949. Window
Rock, Ariz.
(BBU)
6:10 p.m. Sighting of round object fire red in the center shading to blue at edge, 3 ft in diameter [?], traveling estimated 200-300 mph, in the N at elevation 40°-45° disintegrating at the end. No sound. (Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 91, p. 414) 5-8 secs 2 a.m. Army
infantrymen in separate
locations 1/2 mile apart
sight different lights,
one white seen by Payne,
the other, by Cpl. Luke
Sims, was of a yellowish
red light in level flight
crossing 60° of sky.
(FOIA; FUFOR Index) 5 secs
?
March 8, 1949; Los Alamos, New Mexico (BB) 6:35 p.m. Two observers reported intense white/aluminum colored object moving horizontal, then descending, from 800 mph to slower than a twin-engine airplane. (Dan Wilson, AFOSI Cases 36-37) March 13, 1949; Albuquerque, New Mexico (AFOSI Case 40) 9: 50 p.m. Not a BBU but a Sandia Base OSI Case. Ball-shaped object with a tail of fire flying at a speed slower than a meteor on a slightly descending path. Object appeared to be half the size of full moon. March 14, 1949.
Aircraft bet. Honolulu
and Canton Island (BBU)
bet. 9 and 9:16 a.m. (GMT). (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) March 17, 1949;
Killeen Base, Camp Hood,
Texas (BBU 319)
7:52 p.m. Capt.
Horace McCulloch, Asst.
G-2 of the 2nd Armored
Division at the nuclear
weapons storage site,
was preparing the test
firing of flares in
order to prove recent
sightings were mistakes
when he and his men
themselves saw aerial
phenomena, 7 separate
sightings by trained
artillery observers in
different locations
enabled rapid
triangulation of large,
green, red and white
flare-like objects
flying in generally
straight lines. (FOIA) 1
hr ?
March 18, 1949; Fort
Chimo, Quebec, Canada
(BBU)
7:50 p.m. (EST). USAF
and RCAF personnel at
Detachment Crystal-I,
1227th Air Base Sq,
including USAF 1st Lt.
and Warrant Officer JG,
RCAF Flying
Officer/Liaison Officer
Brodribb, and a USAF
civilian employee, saw a
red light like an
aircraft light to the S
traveling W to E at high
altitude estimated
10,000 ft and 200-250
mph silently with stops
and starts and
flickering, and a turn
to the S at the end.
(FOIA) 2-5 mins
March
25, 1949 Letter
6-6:30 p.m. (AFOSI cases
42-45). Various
witnesses, including
police officer,
postmaster (Montoya,
N.M.), newspaper editor
(Tucumcari Daily News),
saw a contrail-like
yellowamber-orange
object, length/width
ratio 5:1, 1/6 moon's
diameter, slowly moving
from S (205° azimuth) to
W (254° azimuth) at
about 45°-60° elevation
(75° at Montoya moving
180° to 260° azimuth),
wiggling slightly, at
first in a vertical
orientation [?], dived
steeply-leveled-climbed
2-3 times, reversed
course once at top of a
climb, a bright glitter
of white light at a
leveling off. No sound
or trail. (FOIA) 15-30
minsFBI letter to Air Force who was seeking help from FBI. Includes attachment below. March 29, 1949.
Shemya AFB, Aleutian
Islands, Alaska (BBU)
10:05 p.m. USAF
crew of B-29 bomber
saw a dull yellowish
light flying at 2,400
ft. (Project 1947)
March 31, 1949. E of Killeen Base, Camp Hood, Texas (BBU) 11:50 p.m. (AFOSI
Case 46) Army Lt.
Frederick Davis on
patrol saw a reddish
white ball of fire
pass horizontally over
the base airstrip, and
noted interference on
the field telephone
afterward when he
reported it. (FOIA)
10-15 secs
April
3, 1949. 1 mile SE
of Dillon, Montana
(BBU)
11:55 [11:50?]
a.m. Miller
Construction Co.
owner Gosta
Miller, a
commercial pilot
and aviation
engineer, and an
employee, and a
trucking company
owner and a gas
station attendant
(Lovell, Lessey,
Greene) saw an
object like two
inverted plates
attached
face-toface,
matte blue-grey or
greenish-grey
non-reflective
bottom, bright
aluminum top
reflecting
sunlight, 20 ft
diameter (others
estimated 15-25
ft), 4-5 ft
thickness. Object
seen over the N
end of town at
3,000-5,000 ft
height about 4
miles away moving
in several
directions rocking
or rotating in
semi-circles 6
times, move E
descending rapidly
to about 700-1,000
ft height, rock
again a few times
with upper side
now visible
reflecting
sunlight, fly SW
to 2 miles W of
Dillon, rock again
a few times, then
rapidly flew over
airport 12 miles
NE of Dillon at
1,000 ft departing
rapidly to the E
disappearing over
mountains. No
sound or trail.
Speed 1,000
mph so great
object seemed
blurred.
(Berliner; cf.
FOIA; Jan Aldrich)
several mins
April
4, 1949.
Merced,
Calif.
(BBU)
10:20 p.m.
Major William
Parrott,
former Air
Force pilot,
saw a
generally
round object
with curved
bottom and
dull coloring,
giving off
clicking sound
until
overhead.
Parrott's dog
reacted.
(Berliner) 35
secs
April 5, 1949; Los Alamos, New Mexico (AFOSI Case 47) 10:00 p.m. S-N, green with red afterglow, approximately 300' above S. slope of Fejarito Mountain, object of tremendous speed disappeared behind mountain. April 5,
1949. Los
Alamos, New
Mexico (BBU)
April
6-7, 1949.
Memphis, Tenn.
(BBU)11 p.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 1/2-1 sec April 6,
1949. Los
Alamos, New
Mexico (BBU)
12:05 p.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 3-5 sec 1 190. April 7,
1949. Los
Alamos, New
Mexico (BBU)
1-1:35 a.m. 5-45 secs 2 (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 12:01
[12:30?], 2,
3:30, 4 a.m.
Housewife Mrs.
Mike Love
Stewart and
Dorthy
[Dorothy?]
Hall (and
Helen
Howell?), a
husband and
son, saw 6-9
climbing,
diving,
whirling
yellow or
silvery oval
objects which
avoided 3-4
airplanes,
traveling from
SW to SE about
45° elevation
about 1-2
miles away,
1/4 moon
angular size.
(FOIA) 2-4 hrs
Bet. 2:45
and 3:00 p.m.
Air National
Guard Lts.
Reeser and
Salter, pilots
in a T-6
heading SE
over March
AFB's radio
beacon at
7,000 ft,
first saw
about 1,000 ft
below them for
4-5 secs a
tumbling red
and grey
wingtip-tank-shaped
object,
smaller than a
T-6, and then
4 white
domed-disc
parachute-shaped
objects
separated by
about 1,000 ft
each. They
circled around
and copilot
saw the 4
white
parachute
shapes, no
shroud lines,
etc., and
climbed to
9,000 ft for a
better look
but the
objects
disappeared to
the E. (FOIA;
FUFOR Index)
April 12, 1949; Albuquerque, New Mexico (AFOSI Case 51) 7:30 p.m. SE-NW, round white object 1/8th size of moon moving very fast. April 12, 1949; Elpaso, Texas (AFOSI Case 52) Witness reported grayish object rose straight up leaving smoke trail, 15 minutes duration. April 15,
1949; Peterson
AFB, Colorado
Springs,
Colorado (BB)
3:30 PM
MST. The color
of unlighted,
frosted
electric light
bulbs the
hurtled over
the base. The
Intelligence
Division of
the Fifteenth
Air Force
investigated:
"Objects
followed
straight
course. When
first seen,
the object on
the left was
an apparent
distance of
five feet
behind the
first, and
with an
increase of
speed overtook
the first
object in
about two
seconds and
flew in close
formation with
the first
object. This
fact seems to
preclude the
possibility
that these
objects were
meteors.
Object was
first sighted
by T/Sgt.
Morbeck, who
was watching a
B-25 pass over
the field, and
observed the
objects
passing above
the B-25,
going in the
opposite
direction, and
called them to
the attention
of Major
Bullock and
M/Sgt. Fink,
who were
standing near
by and
remarked: 'Are
those
airplanes?
Boy! They are
sure fast.'"
(pg. 63 Gross
1949, Blue
Book case 294)
April 15,
1949. El Paso,
Texas (BBU)
April 20
[21?], 1949.
Ludington,
Mich. (BBU) 4:30 p.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 15 mins April 18,
1949.
Flagstaff and
Williams,
Ariz. (BBU)
1:48 a.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 1-2 secs Afternoon.
Paul Timm and
Pat O'Connell,
high school
students, saw
a fast moving
white "comet
with a tail"
cross the sky
to the W
disappearing
over Lake
Michigan.
(FOIA; FUFOR
Index)
April 22, 1949; Cliff, New Mexico (AFOSI Case 54) 9:05 a.m. W-E, 20-degrees dropping slowly, aluminum colored, round flat thin 15' diameter object in view 2 minutes. April
24, 1949; 3
miles N of
Arrey, New
Mexico (BBU
358)
10:30
a.m. (MST).
General Mills
meteorologist
and balloon
expert Charles
B. Moore and 4
Navy crew on a
balloon launch
crew (Akers,
Davidson,
Fitzsimmons,
Moorman) saw a
white, round
ellipsoid,
shadowed
yellowish on
one side,
length/width
ratio 2.5x,
cross the sky
from the S
(azimuth 210°
elevation 45°)
to the E at
about 5°/sec
angular
velocity,
passing near
the sun (126°
azimuth 60°
elevation),
tracked by
Moore viewing
through 25x
ML-47
theodolite
after it came
out of the
sun. Object
seemed to turn
to the N,
maintained
constant
azimuth at
about 20°-25°
when it
suddenly
climbed from
25° to 29°
elevation in
10 secs and
disappeared by
distance or
dust
obscuration.
Distance
unknown; by
assuming 57
miles,
velocity is
then 5 mi/sec
or 18,000 mph
(earth orbital
velocity, not
escape
velocity) but
this is pure
assumption.
(Sparks)
60-secs
April 25, 1949; Springer, New Mexico (BBU) 6:30
-7:30 AM. A
25-year-old
man by the
name of Abreu,
and another
friend, were
fishing at
Springer Lake,
a body of
water four
miles NW of
the New Mexico
town of the
same name.
They were
preparing bait
when they
heard a
peculiar
sound, similar
to a high
pitched
whistle. They
both thought
it was some
high flying
ducks coming
in for landing
and they
looked up in
the air. What
they saw was
certainly not
ducks. The
objects were
silvery white
in color
and
looked like
balls, similar
to Christmas
tree
ornaments,
that passed
them at very
high altitude
and going very
fast and out
of sight in
very few
seconds." (BB
case 318) They
observed the
objects for
over an hour
and made a
sketch that
showed the
objects in
various
formations as
they zoomed
overhead. The
word: "zoomed"
may be good
word to use
since the
witness
remarked: " I
do not believe
that these
objects could
have been
picked up or
followed with
field glasses,
they weew
moving much
too fast."
(FOIA; FUFOR
Index) Few
secs
April 27, 1949 Joint Intelligence Committee Report
(retyped copy)
April
27, 1949. SE
of Killeen
Base, Camp
Hood, Texas
(BBU)The USAF
Directorate of
Intelligence
personnel
briefed the
Deputy Chief
of Staff for
Operations,
Actual copy
Lt. Gen. Lauris Norstad, and his staff on UFOs in a TOP SECRET "Air Brief." April 27, 1949 The Air Force sends Top Secret "Unidentified Aerial Objects" presentation with Appendix A, a summary of Air Force actions to the Joint Committee on Intelligence (JIC). Committee is composed of representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force intelligence divisions.
"Memorandum to
the Press" No.
M 26-49,
released to
the press from
the Pentagon.
Based
on Project
Sign / Grudge
(classified
codenames for
Project
"Saucer") info
from AMC
Technical Intelligence Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, the last gasp of the pro-UFO faction. 9:20
p.m. 2 Army
soldiers
[Pillett and
Belislandro?]
on patrol saw
a blinking
violet object
1-secs 1/2
inches in
diameter 10-12
ft away and
about 6-7 ft
above ground
in motion,
passing
through
branches of a
tree before
disappearing.
At 9:25 p.m.,
2 miles away 4
Army men
sighted a
4-inch bright
light, with a
2-4-inch
metallic cone
trailing in
the back, 600
ft away 6-7 ft
above ground
silently
approaching
from the NE in
level flight
at 60-70 mph,
disappearing
suddenly in
the SW at 150
ft away. At
9:37 p.m. the
same witnesses
saw a 2-inch
white light
appear 100 ft
away to the
NNE flying in
a zigzag in
level flight
about 6 ft
above ground,
disappearing
suddenly. At
9:39 p.m. the
same witnesses
saw a 3rd
light in the
WSW. (FOIA;
FUFOR Index;
Jan Aldrich) 1
min+
April 28, 1949 April 28, 1949;
Gary/Michigan
City, Indiana
8:00 a.m. CST. (Account where time was given says 1:00 o'clock in the morning) Businessman-Pilot Leon Faber was “just amazed” by the mysterious object he said he saw. Faber said he spotted “a bright, shining object moving east” while flying over the Gary-Michigan City, Ind. area.“It looked like one of those flying saucers." he said. “Certainly it was something I've never seen before.”Faber said he was flying at 6,000 feet and the object, 10,000 feet away, looked about the size of a basketball.“It was on its flat side and just disappeared suddenly,” he said. “It didn't get any smaller, like something moving away from you at a distance. It just suddenly disappeared. Goodness, it’s the most stunning and amazing thing that ever happened to me. I didn't think it was possible.”Faber, 49, is president of the James Knights Company, manufacturers of radio crystals. He said he was talking by radio to some radio hams when he spotted the object and described it to them for the five minutes the object remained in his view. (Project 1947; Sandwich, IL; Terre Haute, Indiana, The Tribune - April 29, 1949) 9:15
a.m. William
Sackett and
William Gibson
pursued 6
flying discs
10 inches
diameter by
car along Hwy
60 for 5 miles
as they flew
at low
altitude in
"wide circles"
paralleling
the road.
(FOIA) 5 mins
5:45
p.m. (AFOSI
Case 57)
Howard Hann
[Hamm?], Mr.
Hubert
[Huber?] and
Tex Keahey saw
a a very large
bright,
sausage-shaped
object, with
no fins, wings
or
protuberances,
travel from NE
to SW, over a
period of 12
minutes or
so. The
object was
shiny metallic
and reflected
the sun,
and
appeared to be
revolving as
it moved like
the "slow roll
of an
airplane."
There was no
noise, nor was
there exhaust
or a vapor
trail.
There were no
wings or
engines or
"protuberances
of any
sort."
It appeared to
be traveling
at 300-600
mph. (FOIA;
FUFOR
Index)
April 28,
1949. SE of
Killeen Base,
Camp Hood,
Texas (BBU)
8:30-10 p.m.
Several Army
security
patrols
sighted a
variety of
strange
lights, mostly
slowmoving
changing color
from white to
red to green,
one with a red
blinking
light, one
with a
"coneshaped
affair"
trailing in
the rear
similar to one
seen the day
before. (FOIA)April
29, 1949
First
installment of
Saturday
Evening Post
article by
Sidney
Shallett "What
You Can
Believe About
Flying
Saucers."
April 30, 1949. Albuquerque, New Mexico (BBU) 10:15 p.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 2 secs May 2, 1949. Elko, Nevada (BBU) 11:40
a.m. CAA radio
operator Mr.
Small using
field glasses
saw 3 flying
discs 30 ft
diameter at
14,000 ft
moving
(heading?) SW
at 300-400 mph
make a left
turn and
depart ahead
of a United
airliner
taking off
from Elko
airport.
(FOIA; FUFOR
Index) 3-4
mins
May
3, 1949.
Sidney, Ohio
(BBU)
9:00 a.m.
Store owner
Wilford and
Sprague saw
bright shiny
disc high
overhead at
about 85°
elevation
heading NE
wavering,
climbing and
descending
slightly on a
straight path.
(FOIA; FUFOR
Index) 2 mins
May 4,
1949. 4-1/2
miles W of
Maplewood,
Ohio (BBU)
6:30 p.m.
Ms. Wical saw
bright silver
flat circular
object to the
SE traveling
NE with sun
glaring off
the surface,
spinning at
high altitude,
no sound or
trail. (FOIA;
FUFOR Index)
<2 mins
May
5, 1949; Ft.
Bliss, Texas
(BBU 376)
11:40 a.m. Army officers Maj. Day [May?], Maj. Olhausen, Capt. Vaughn saw 2 oblong white discs, flying at about 200-250 mph, make a shallow turn. 3" object passed through field of fire on Waco #4 firing range. (Berliner) 30-50 secs May 5, 1949 Letter to CO, Kirtland AFB
The
Inspector
General USAF,
17th District
Office of
Special
Investigations,
Kirtland AFB,
New Mexico.
Letter to
Commanding
Officer
Kirtland AFB,
New Mexico, 5
May 1949
May 6,
1949. Los
Alamos, New
Mexico (BBU)
1:05 a.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) <1 sec 1 1/8 213. May 6,
1949. Killeen
Base/Site B
[Nuclear
Weapons
National
Stockpile],
Camp Hood,
Texas (BBU)
8:40-9:30 p.m. UFO observation network using Army artillery observers (Lt. Mardell E. Ward?), established 2 days earlier, tracks its first object. (Sparks; BB Maxwell Microfilm Roll 5, p. 628, Roll 91, pp. 414ff.; FOIA; Jan Aldrich) 50 mins ? May 6, 1949: Sidney, Ohio (BBU) 8:30 a.m.
Stump, Herman
and Quinn saw
a bright
object about
1/2 mile to
the W moving S
at high speed,
no trail or
sound, one
saying it was
too bright to
see the shape
the other
saying it had
a flat
circular
shape. (FOIA;
FUFOR Index;
Jan Aldrich) 2
mins
May 6, 1949; Livermore, Calif. (BBU 379) 9:35 a.m.
C. G. Green
saw 2 shiny,
disc-like
objects rotate
around each
other and
bank, then one
shot upwards
with a grey
trail and
rejoined the
other.
(Berliner) 5
mins
UFO
observation
network using
Army artillery
observers
(Ward?),
established 2
days earlier,
tracks its
first object.
(FOIA; Jan
Aldrich)
real-time
triangulation?
May 6, 1949; Moscow, Russia The test pilot (Apraksin) took off in new aircraft for a test flight and was flying at maximum altitude. The cloud cover in the take-off area was light but when he found himself at Moscow latitude clouds covered the ground. He established communications with Vol'sk and maintained communications with the base at all times. Suddenly an incomprehensible aircraft, described as a "flying cucumber", appeared and was flying considerably lower. Later, it began to descend. The pilot directed his aircraft toward the object and the speeds of both machines were very great and collision appeared inevitable. At a distance of about ten to twelve kilometers cones of light beams were directed at his aircraft. (See more detail at link above). May 7,
1949; S St.
Louis,
Missouri (BBU)
7 p.m.
(CST). Just
after sunset
Vaughn saw the
sun glinting
off a flat
reddish-brown
object,
"somewhat
triangular"
shaped,
oscillating,
the size of a
private plane
but faster.
(FOIA; FUFOR
Index)
May 7, 1949; Killeen Base, Camp Hood, Texas (BBU) 7:40 p.m. Lt. Mardell Ward, at the Army's UFO observation post, and another observation site, spotted a brilliant white diamond-shaped object at triangulated location 15,000 ft away at 1,000 ft 57 secs 2+ real-time triangulation altitude headed NW. Object was tracked for 57 seconds as it traveled 20 miles (at 1,300 mph) while changing color from white to reddish to greenish as it dropped altitude and dimmed then disappeared. No sound. (FOIA; Jan Aldrich; Loren Gross Jan-Jun 1949 Supp p. 79, erroneously put at Los Alamos) May 8, 1949; Killeen Base, Camp Hood, Texas (BBU) 10:08-10:17
p.m. Lt.
Mardell Ward,
at the Army's
UFO
observation
post, and 2
other posts
sighted
brilliant
diamond-shaped
object to the
W moving NW or
NE at 1,600 ft
altitude
slowly
dropping.
Severe radio
interference
during
sighting, none
afterward.
(FOIA; Jan
Aldrich; Loren
Gross Jan-Jun
1949 Supp p.
80,
erroneously
put at Los
Alamos) 9 mins
real time
triangulation
May 8, 1949; Tucson, Arizona (AFOSI Case 67) 9:30 a.m. Four witnesses reported a motionless, metallic, circular object at 4,000' that started moving west then turned to the north. Object was moving horizontal, then rapid climb at 45-degree angle to 20,000' until out of sight. 10-20 minutes. May 9, 1949; Tucson, Arizona (AFOSI Case 68) 2:30 p.m. SW-NE, silvery object, 25' in diameter and moving at 750-1000 mph. 6-10 secs. May
9, 1949
Time
article called
UFO witnesses
"spinners of
yarns."
To
Director of
Special
Investigations,
Office of the
Inspector
General USAF,
Washington 25,
D.C. Page 4--
Dr. Kaplan
expressed a
great concern,
as these
occurrences
relate to the
National
Defense of the
United States.
May 12, 1949 Memo
(front page
unredacted)...Both
pages (lower
quality,
redacted)
SECRET memo from IG USAF to Dir. Special Investigations about Kaplan visiting the district office to review reports. 490512mclaughlin_Van-Allen.pdf
Letter to Dr. J.A. Van Allen from Cmdr R.B. McLaughlin about tracking flying saucer "a few weeks ago". May 12, 1949; Holloman AFB, New Mexico (BBU) 9:30 p.m. (MST). AF contract solar astronomer, Donald H. Menzel, of Harvard Observatory, was being driven by military car from Holloman AFB, on Hwy 70 just outside the base, en route to Alamogordo [headed ENE on road azimuth 66°], when shortly after leaving the base he saw a bright reddish star Antares about 6°-8° East [to the lower left] of the nearly Full Moon estimated to be 15°-18° above the ridge line [99.3% illuminated Moon at about 19° elevation 136° azimuth, Antares at about 11° elevation 132° azimuth] rising above the Sacramento Mountain ridge. Shortly afterward he noticed first one small round white light low about 3°-4° over the ridge to the lower left of the Moon and star and then another identical light to the right of the first and in horizontal line, about 3° apart [at roughly 122° to 125° azimuth, 5°-6° elevation, seemingly over Moore Ridge, summit 7,264 ft, 32°42'22" N, 105°51'11" W, 15 miles away]. Each light was white possibly slight greenish tinge, about 0 to 1st stellar magnitude, the left one slightly brighter, both increasing in brightness as if possibly rising above a haze layer, both initially "fuzzy" but apparently sharpening in edge contrast. Each light suddenly disappeared one after the other before the car could be stopped. Menzel estimated that as the car traveled 50 mph it created a 3-mile baseline over which he nevertheless noticed no perceptible change in the lights' azimuths, or perhaps no more than 1° to 2°, hence a distance he calculated at 180 miles and object "diameter" about "¾ mile" (4,000 ft) [correct figure 2,300 ft]. (Sparks; BB NARA Microfilm Roll 88, pp. 904, 920-1; Roll 91, pp. 424-5; Maxwell Roll 6, pp. 241-9) 4 mins 1 witness 1/4 Full Moon May 13, 1949; Shafer Butte, nr. Boise, Idaho (BB) Bt. 11:00 and 11:20 a.m. Mountain Time, Robert F. Smith, a World War II bomber pilot, saw six unidentified flying objects about 10 miles west of Shafer Butte. Smith at the time was driving from Caldwell to Boise. Five of the objects were flying in a "V" formation at an estimated 13,000 feet. The objects were the approximate size of a B-29 aircraft, silver on top and dull on the bottom, and the shape of a half-circle with a point in the front. The objects were in view for approximately 5 minutes. The five objects appeared to be in a descending spiral formation and seemed to be linked together because they remained in almost perfect formation. The objects then changed course and took off into the sky at high speed. No commercial or private aircraft were known to be in the vicinity where the objects were observed. Neither were military aircraft scheduled in that area. (Dan Wilson, BB files) May 16, 1949; Davis Monthan AFB, AZ 5:00 pm. Object was described as black, round and flat in shape, similar to a washtub. It maintained the same altitude, fluttering as it disappeared behind an obstacle. Ground/visual from a military source. 8-10 seconds May 19, 1949; Fort Bliss, Texas 8:30 a.m. Numerous military witnesses observed a round silver thin object, rocking giving an edgewise and sideways view, 30 degrees altitude. Object in sight for approximately 5 minutes. Object moved about 15 to 20 miles during observation. Maneuvers: Irregular rolling and tilting motion slowly rising as it traveled away. May 20, 1949; Pontchartrain Beach, New Orleans, Louisiana (BBU) 4:25
p.m.
Tulane Univ.
Associate
Professor of
Political
Science (USAFR
Lt Col) John
E. Kieffer of
12th AF, Kelly
AFB, San
Antonio,
Texas, was
lying on his
back at the
beach when he
sighted a
bright, shiny
silver flat
spherical
object in the
ENE headed WSW
[towards him]
joined by 5
smaller
similar
objects
grouped around
the larger
object which
made a large
circle over
New Orleans
Airport, then
[main object]
made a
rotation
around its
horizontal
axis and
disappeared.
At 45 degrees
to 50 degrees
elevation
initially.
No
sound.
No visible
means of
propulsion.
(Sparks;
BB
files)
23 mins
1 witness
May 21, 1949; Moses AFB, Hanford, Washington (BBU) Afternoon. An F-82 fighter was dispatched from Moses Lake AFB, near Hanford, Washington, to intercept a flying disc that was observed hovering in restricted air space over the Hanford Atomic Plant at an altitude of 17,000 to 20,000 feet. The silvery, disc-shaped object bad been visually sighted by crew and personnel from the Hanford radar station and confirmed on radar. May 23,
1949. Moses
Lake AFB,
Wash. (BBU)
May 24, 1949.
Killeen
Base/Site B
[Nuclear
Weapons
National
Stockpile],
Camp Hood,
Texas (BBU)8:45 a.m. (PST). Three USAF pilots, Lt. Col. Walter C. Hearne, Lt. Col. Wallace R. Jordan, and 1st Lt. Gerald B. Blish, sighted from the ground at 325th Fighter Wing, Moses Lake AFB, a small [pinpoint-like] bright silver light traveling at high speed straight and level heading about 15° - 20° course about 5-10 miles away at about 10,000 to 15,000 ft altitude. (Sparks; BB Maxwell Microfilm Roll 6, pp. 565- 9) 1 to 1- 1/2 mins May 23,
1949, Camp
Hood, Texas
10:10 PM.
A light
estimated to
have been
three feet in
diameter,
round in
shape, and
changing from
an amber to a
greenish-yellow
in color. The
light was in
sight for
about 2 or 3
mins, and was
about 1,500
yards from the
observer. The
speed was slow
and the light
appeared to
grow. No
maneuvers were
noted. (Gross,
UFO History,
1949, pg. 82)
May 23,
1949; Camp
Hood, Texas
11:30 PM.
A strange
light was seen
that
reappeared
approximately
20 times and
was described
as being round
and about the
size of a half
dollar. The
color was
similar to
that of an
ordinary light
bulb. The
light was in
sight for
several
seconds and
moved straight
up aid down
with a slight
lateral motion
right to left.
(Gross, UFO
History, 1949,
pg. 82)
May 23,
1949; Camp
Hood, Texas
11:30 PM.
Another
section of the
camp noticed a
light that
appeared and
reappeared
several times.
It was
described as
being the size
of a light
bulb when held
at arm's
length and was
round in
shape. The
duration of
the sighting
was about one
minute. The
movement of
the light was
straight up
and down at
slow speed.
(Gross, UFO
History, 1949,
pg. 82)
12:30
a.m. Round
pale-yellow
slowmoving
light about
6,000 to 9,000
ft away
smaller than
Full Moon,
slightly above
horizon.
Tracked by
Army UFO
observation
network at
Site B nuclear
weapons
storage
stockpile? (BB
Maxwell
Microfilm Roll
5, p. 630) 60
secs
May 24, 1949; Rogue River, Oregon (BBU) 5:00 p.m.
(PST). NACA
Ames Research
Lab employees
Don Heaphy and
?, plus Mrs.
Oliver
Elizabeth
McBeth,
pharmacist and
wives, saw in
the E at
azimuth 60° a
hamburger-shaped
metallic disc
about 25-35 ft
to 100 ft wide
with a tail
fin and
"dirty"
surface, rough
wrinkled
surface in the
rear, at about
5,000 ft
altitude about
1-4 miles away
traveling at
about C-47
speed (200
mph?) which
accelerated to
jet speed (600
mph?) to the
S, azimuth
170°. Observed
with 8x
binoculars.
(Battelle
Unknown 10;
Bruce
Maccabee;
FOIA; FUFOR
Index; Jan
Aldrich) 90
secs-3 mins
May 24,
1949. Killeen
Base/Site B
[Nuclear
Weapons
National
Stockpile],
Camp Hood,
Texas (BBU)
7:46 p.m. Security agent [Army CIC?] sighted brilliant stationary incandescent round light [low on the horizon?] then sighted the same about 2 secs later but ½ the apparent size. (Sparks; BB Maxwell Microfilm Roll 5, p. 630) 1 sec May 27, 1949; Near Hart Mtn., south-central Oregon (BBU 404) 2:25 p.m.
(PST).
Oil company
vice-president,
USNR pilot,
former AAF
flight
instructor,
Joseph C.
Shell, flew
his
lightened-load
SNJ Navy
aircraft from
Red Bluff,
Calif, to
Burns, Oregon,
heading NNE at
212 mph ground
speed at 9,000
ft above MSL
(about 4,000
to 5,000 ft
above ground
level), saw to
his right
(about NE)
something
metallic in
the distance
[about 20
miles away] at
about 42° 38'
N, 119° 43' W,
which as he
approached
resolved into
5-8, most
likely 6-7,
oval or
egg-shaped
metallic
objects, 2:1
length/width
ratio, and 1/5
as thick, each
the same size
less than 20
ft in
diameter, fly
in trail
formation,
with an
interval equal
to 3-4x their
length between
the lead
object and the
2nd object,
and only 1/2
to 2/3 object
length spacing
between the
2nd and all
remaining
objects, which
separation
remained
constant
almost as if
being towed by
the lead
object.
He saw the
objects
"outlined"
against the
bluffs of Hart
Mtn, and could
see the dark
ground between
each object,
and noticed
they had
slightly
changed course
from a
"quartering"
path to a path
parallel to
his course in
the opposite
direction
(heading SSW)
at about 230
±30-40 mph
while
following the
rim of the
bluffs (which
rim was about
7,000 ft MSL),
appeared to be
about 1,000 to
1,500 ft below
his altitude
about 5-1/2 to
7-1/2 miles
away at
closest
approach (to
his ESE), but
less than the
10-mile
distance to
the
bluffs.
Near end of
sighting Shell
dropped in
altitude and
then could see
the objects at
his flight
level, at his
estimated
position 42°
41' N, 119°
49' W, hence
his estimate
of objects'
altitude as
about
1,000-1,500 ft
below his
original 9,000
ft MSL.
Objects
disappeared on
the horizon
out of visual
range, at
estimated
position 42°
28' N, 119°
48' W.
Visibility
being >60
miles.
(Sparks;
Berliner;
Jan
Aldrich;
Footnote.com
images 6313041
ff.)
5
mins
1
witness
1/30 ? Full
Moon
11:10
a.m. USAF
pilot Giles
flying F-80
saw a circular
object moving
at high speed
and
disappearing
into cirrus
cloud
overcast.
(Project 1947;
FUFOR Index)
June 1,
1949; 2 miles
from Stewart
Field,
Newburgh [or
at Walden?],
New York (BBU)
8:30-9
p.m. (EST).
S/Sgt. and 6
others saw
yellow oblong
soundless
object appear
and disappear
every few mins
30° NW of the
moon [which
was at about
268° azimuth
35°
elevation].
(FOIA; FUFOR
Index) 30 mins
June 2,
1949. Los
Alamos, New
Mexico (BBU)
12:40 a.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 1 sec June
5, 1949
Walter
Winchell
column: "The
New York
World-Telegram
has confirmed
this
reporter's
exclusive
report of
several weeks
before--which
newspapermen
have denied--
about the
flying
saucers. Said
the front page
in the
World-Telegram:
'Air Force
people are
convinced the
flying disk is
real. The
clincher came
when the Air
Force got a
picture
recently of
three disks
flying in
formation over
Stephensville,
Newfoundland.
They
out-distanced
our fastest
ships.June 6,
1949; Killeen
Base, Camp
Hood, Texas
(BBU)
9:05-9:08 p.m.
Williams,
Jones and
others in UFO
observation
and
triangulation
network
tracked a
hovering
orange object
about 30-70 ft
in diameter, 2
mils angular
size, 1 mile
above ground,
3 miles S of
the
observation
post, 4-1/2
miles S of the
Plotting
Center, which
suddenly
started moving
in level
flight then
exploded in a
shower of
particles.
(FOIA; FUFOR
Index) 2 mins
40 secsJune
10, 1949; 20
miles SW of
Boston, Mass
(BBU)
3:35 p.m.
(MST). During
the test
firing of a
Navy rocket
[actually AF
V-2 rocket No.
47 to 83 miles
altitude] 5
tracking
stations
observed 2
small circular
objects about
1.7 ft in size
parallel the
1,500 mph
rocket on each
side, then the
W object
passed through
the rocket
exhaust,
joined the E
object and
both
accelerated
away. Observed
through 20x
telescope
(theodolite)
tracking
instrument
(with photos?
that failed to
show UFO's). 8
mins later a
possible 3rd
object was
sighted.
(Sparks; BB
Maxwell
Microfilm Roll
5, pp. 1466-7,
1470;
McLaughlin
TRUE article
Mar 1950;
Saunders/FUFOR
Index; LA
Times, Aug.
30, 1949USAF
pilot
Kirschbaum
flying T-6
with 58th FI
Sq saw a white
tubular 100 ft
long flying at
100 mph,
chased but
lost. (Project
1947; FUFOR
Index)
June 11,
1949. Los
Alamos, New
Mexico (BBU)
8:57 p.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 4-5 secs June 14 (not the 10th), 1949; White Sands, New Mexico (BBU) June 20,
1949. Los
Alamos, New
Mexico (BBU)
8:10 p.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 1.5-3 secs June 22,
1949; Oak
Ridge,
Tennessee
Three women,
one school
teacher,
another
biologist
working at an
Oak Ridge lab,
and third who
was wife of
member of the
Security
Division, AEC,
Oak Ridge
observed a
very odd trio
of "flying
saucers" for
about 15
minutes: "It
was described
as consisting
of two
identical
rectangular-shaped
objects which
appeared to be
coordinated in
movement and
which moved in
wave-like
motion. The
third object
was circular
in shape and
appeared to be
in level
flight between
and above the
two
rectangular
objects. The
rectangular
objects
appeared to be
bright' metal
on top but
dark
underneath,
while the
color of the
circular
object was the
same as that
of frosted
glass. The
'flying
saucer,' when
last sighted,
was in level
flight and was
flying in
anorthwesterly
direction. The
weather was
clear with
high cummulus
clouds. The
'flying
saucer' flew
at speed of
from 10 to 15
mph over an
area just
about the
center of Oak
Ridge." 131
(Gross, UFO
History, 1959,
page 83)June
24, 1949;
Mesa, Arizona
(AFOSI Case
75)
3:45 p.m.
Five objects
observed by
two witnesses.
One object
moved
vertical.
Described as
steel gray and
at least one
was a disc
with two
flanges. 400
mph.
June 27,
1949.
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU)
1:38 a.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 2 mins June 29, 1949. Flagstaff, Arizona (BBU) 8:10 p.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) June 30, 1949. Seligman, Arizona (BBU) 4:30 p.m. (Sparks; BB Microfilm Roll 91, pp. 414ff.) 8 secs July
3, 1949;
Longview,
Wash. (BBU)
10:40,
10:49, 11:25
a.m.
(PDT?).
Aeronautical
engineer
Moulton B.
Taylor with
experience in
USN guided
missile and
pilotless
aircraft
development
was airport
manager at
Longview
preparing for
an air show
when someone
pointed out an
object in the
sky to the NW
at about 30°
elevation.
Taylor
immediately
announced this
sighting over
the public
address system
to the crowd
of 150-200
observers,
including
pilots, who
watched a
metallic
discus-shaped
object cross
the sky from
NW to SE
(track offset
to the W not
quite reaching
zenith) with
an oscillating
falling-leaf
motion along a
straight path
and occasional
sun glints,
estimated
altitude
30,000 ft at
300 mph,
approx. size
of DC-3 [about
100 ft]
disappearing
in smoke from
a wood pulp
mill at about
80° elevation
after a total
duration about
2-1/2 to 3
mins. A
2nd similar
object was
seen about 6
mins later
coming from
the N [or NNE]
at about the
same
altitude/distance,
at about 45°
elevation,
heading about
due S on
slightly
curved path
(concavity of
path away from
witness,
radius of
curvature
about 15
miles),
disappearing
in the sun
(about ENE
[actually ESE
azimuth 116°
elevation 53°
at 10:51 a.m.
assumed PDT])
after total
duration about
2 mins (on a
possibly 8
mile long path
[240 mph]).
Then a 3rd
sighting at
11:25 a.m.
coming from
almost due W
[or WNW] at
about 40°
elevation, on
a W-E straight
line path
(passing to
the N, not
quite reaching
zenith) again
at about the
same
altitude/distance
at which time
the
oscillations
were precisely
timed at
48/min, and
again
disappeared in
the sun (to
the ENE
[actually ESE
azimuth 127°
elevation 58°
at 11:27
a.m.]) (again
on a possibly
8 mile long
path [240
mph]).
(BB Maxwell
Microfilm Roll
6, pp.
1227-1240;
McDonald
1968) 3
+ 2 + 2 mins
150-200
witnesses 1/5
- 2/5 Full
Moon
July 8, 1949; Shoshone Lake, Yellowstone Park, Wyoming Bt. 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. A man and his wife were fishing from a rubber boat when they heard what sounded like the whir of duck wings. Looking straight up over their heads, 800 to 1,000 feet, there were 8 objects appearing to be round and about 20 feet in diameter, and very bright metal like bright aluminum, sailing (very fast) like a can lid but not in formation, no smoke or exhaust. When the disc-shaped objects were over the center of the lake one of them turned completely over sailing in among the rest of them without coming in contact with the other objects. Just before the disc went out of sight the one on their right turned on its edge and sailed down and away from the rest. (UFOS A History, 1949, pg.15) 1:13 p.m.
(MST).
Military
aircraft pilot
Knight saw 2
white or
silver objects
on head on
course below
the nose of
his aircraft.
Project 1947;
FUFOR Index)
July 23, 1949: North of Delphi, IN 11:40 AM. Two observers fishing at a quarry, plus a separate witness, saw some 12-meter objects circle and play in the sky at about 1500 feet estimated altitude. Type unknown. July 24, 1949; Mountain Home, Idaho (BBU 483) 12:03-12:13
p.m. Henry
Clark, manager
of a flying
service,
flying a Piper
Clipper at
19,000 ft, saw
7 delta-shaped
objects, 35-55
ft in span,
20-30 ft long,
2-5 ft thick,
light colored
except for a
12 ft diameter
dark circle at
the rear
[center?] of
each, with a
flat top
surface and a
2-5 ft high
dome, sharp
needle nose,
flat tail,
outer panels
oscillated
then
disappeared.
Objects flew
in a tight
formation of
2's with 1
behind, and
made a
perfect, but
un-banked,
right turn
about 1,500 ft
ahead and 500
ft below with
no wake
turbulence,
displaying
decreasing
smooth
oscillations,
then turned
right again
passing the
aircraft at
about 450-500
mph. Clark's
engine ran
rough during
the sighting,
and on landing
was found with
all spark
plugs burned
out.
(Berliner; cf.
NARCAP) 10
mins
July 30, 1949; Mt. Hood, Oregon (BBU 496) 9 p.m.
Northwest
Airlines Capt.
Thrush, 2
Portland
control tower
operators, and
a flying
instructor
(Henry,
Penhallegan,
Brasford) saw
an object with
1 white light
and 2 red
lights,
maneuver and
hover. (Dan
Wilson, BB
files,
Berliner; Jan
Aldrich)
July 30,
1949. Killeen
Base/Site B
[Nuclear
Weapons
National
Stockpile],
Camp Hood,
Texas (BBU)
9:35,
10:04 p.m.
(Sparks; BB
Microfilm Roll
91, pp.
414ff.) 2-2.5
secs + 2- 3
secs
NARA-PBB1-30
-
August 1-31
Sightings
Aug. 6, 1949.
Las Cruces,
White Sands,
Alamogordo,
and
Albuquerque,
New Mexico
(BBU)
8-8:30
p.m. (Sparks;
BB Microfilm
Roll 91, pp.
414ff.) 1-5
secs
August 8, 1949, Medford, Oregon (BB) 11:20
p.m. to 12:30
a.m. At
Medford
Municipal
Airport, six
observers
(some
military; some
civilian
CTO's) saw a
number of
objects,
varying from 1
to 7,
traveling slow
to very fast.
the objects
were estimated
at 30,000 feet
and were
shiny, and
would fly
formation for
a while and
then break off
and reform in
trail
formation.
They would
disappear for
short periods
and then
reappear in
the same
general area.
Persons from
the control
tower used
binoculars to
get a better
look at the
objects and
were able to
distinguish
wings on the
objects but no
further
identification
could be made.
Air Force
Conclusion:
Balls of
thistle. (Dan
Wilson, BB
Archives)
Rev. Gregory Miller, Norwood, Ohio, in the presence of other witnesses, with help of Norwood police officer, obtained 16 mm black and white movies of a large disc hovering in a searchlight beam. The disc emitted "two distinct groups of triangular-shaped objects." (CRIFO Newsletter, Vol. I, No. 5, August 6, 1954). One of a series of well-witnessed sightings logged by Army searchlight operator, Sgt. Donald R. Berger. Three 25 foot rolls of movie film were exposed, using a Hugo Meyer F-19-3 camera with telephoto lens; also several still photographs with a Speed-Graphic and 14 inch Wallensach telephoto lens, the best of which were submitted to Time-Life and reportedly never returned. One photograph reproduced in "Inside Saucer Post. . .3-0 Blue," by L. H. Stringfield, Cincinnati, 1957 August. 20, 1949; Las Cruces, New Mexico (BBU) A high
AF officer was
involved in
the radar
tracking
of five
apparently
metallic UFOs
which flew
south over the
base at
tremendous
speed and
great height.
[UFO Evidence,
Section II]
Fall,
1949; New
Mexico
September 5, 1949; Reno, Nevada 2:00 p.m. MST. Observers: S/Sgt Willie L. Cole, USAF, 23rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, his wife and another lady reported a perfectly round, silver object with curved sides coming to a smooth round edge, about the size of a P-38 wingspan. Altitude: 3000 to 5000 feet; speed: 500-600 mph heading due west. Object flew perfectly straight and level for about 2 minutes. Comments: No sound, smoke, contrails, or exhaust was observed. (BB Archives, Ridge) September 5, 1949; Lebec, Calif (BBU) 12:10 p.m. 2 USAF pilots flying military aircraft with 3538th Maintenance Sq saw an oval object climb at tremendous speed to the S. (Project 1947) September 9, 1949; Mexico, Missouri Noon hour. A round silver object was observed in the sky by Sydney McGee, foreman of the tin shop, and John Wright, a tin shop employee. The object was estimated to be 20 feet in diameter and six feet thick and was hovering at an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 feet altitude. The object suddenly took in a burst of speed and vanished to the southwest. One other person also saw the object. (Dan Wilson, Reference: Mexico Evening Ledger, September 9, 10, 1949, Page 1) September
9
[10?],
1949; Goose
Bay, Labrador,
Canada (BBU)
9:56 p.m. (AST). Military aircraft pilot saw an egg-shaped object disappear into a cloud at high speed. (Project 1947; FUFOR Index) Concerning/including
"Light
Phenomena"
September 5, 1949; Reno, Nevada (BB) 2:00 p.m. MST. Observers: S/Sgt Willie L. Cole, USAF, 23rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, his wife and another lady reported a perfectly round, silver object with curved sides coming to a smooth round edge, about the size of a P-38 wingspan. Altitude: 3000 to 5000 feet; speed: 500-600 mph heading due west. Object flew perfectly straight and level for about 2 minutes. Comments: No sound, smoke, contrails, or exhaust was observed. (BB Archives, Ridge) September 6, 1949; Missing BB report found for Payerne, Switzerland. Swiss Col. Eggenberger. September 26, 1949, Lexington, Nebraska (BB) 6:30 PM. Six members of a farming enterprise were threshing wheat when they saw three objects coming from the general direction of the sun (SW). As the objects proceeded they gave off a dazzling brilliance. They maintained a level flight with two of the objects changing positions as they flew. The power of the illumination remained constant throughout the incident (i.e. no pulses or flashes). Once the objects reached a direction NW of the observers, they made a smooth 90 degree turn straight upwards and climbed rapidly out of sight. One of the farmers was a recent graduate of a two-year course in aeronautical design and thought the objects looked like a domed-disk when viewed face-forward, but were actually like a stubby, wingless, tailless fuselage when seen from the side. About five miles away, four other persons saw what they felt were two fast-moving objects flying in the distance at level flight before abruptly turning straight up and flying away from the Earth. This group of people did not know their distant “neighbors.” (UFOs & Government) September 30, 1949; Camp Holabird, Maryland (BB) 3:17-3:19 PM. While on duty as a Military Policeman on the Main Gate, witness observed two (2) unidentifiable aerial objects near the smoke stack of the Chevrolet Assembly Plant which is adjacent to Camp Holabird. These objects appeared to hover between the smokestack and a large tree, a relatively short distance away. FLOYD described the objects as disc shape, much like an enlarged silver dollar, very shiny, but at such a distance as to prohibit actual observance of any specific color. A comparative measure as to the actual size of the objects was estimated as being approximately one half the diameter of the Chevrolet Assembly Plant's smoke stack. Approximate angle of elevation during the period of observation was estimated as about 15 degrees. The objects seemed to be proceeding in no apparent direction, but because of the uncertainty concerning the distance of the objects from the observer, it would be difficult to estimate any definite speed. FLOYD heard no sound that he could attribute to the objects and saw no flames or exhaust. The objects appeared to be without fins, canopies, or antenna. Weather conditions at the time of observation were evaluated as relatively clear, no clouds were present, although a slight ground haze is thought to have existed. Position of the sun at time of observation was estimated as being 15 degrees in azimuth south of the objects, and an undetermined angular distance above. It was impossible to establish the manner of disappearance of objects inasmuch as the objects left FLOYD's field of vision during an interruption caused by persons passing through the gate. (Blue Book files, Jan Aldrich) October 1, 1949; Jackson, Mississippi Cat.11 Rush case (M) Oct. 11, 1949; Holloman AFB, New Mexico (BB) Bet. 10:45-11:00 a.m. (MST).USAF M/Sgt. Ralph M. Stevens,Tech Aide in Lower Atmospheric Research, Elec & Atm Res Section, Holloman AFB, and Sgt. Marion H. Graves were at Ryan Site #4 tracking a balloon launch by theodolite when they spotted a high speed round white dish-shaped object in the NW at 60° in straight flight pass overhead to disappearance at 60° elevation in the SE. Size compared to B-29 [141 ft] at 150,000 ft range [1/10 full Moon].(Sparks; BB files) Oct. 12, 1949; Holloman AFB, New Mexico (BB) 11:15 a.m. MST. S/Sgt Clifford B. Hart, a flight engineer, and two others, observed a round, white or aluminum colored object moving across the sky from the south to north. It then veered to the northeast where it disappeared. Hart estimated the speed of the object at 1,500 mph at an estimated altitude of 35,000 feet. Hart estimated the size of the object comparable to a B-29 aircraft. The other witnesses were S/Sgt J.D. Denning, and S/Sgt Harry A. Boggs, both are aircraft mechanics. The object was in sight from 45 to 60 seconds. On this same day a similar object was sighted at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, at 1:40 p.m. MST. (Dan Wilson, BB files) Oct. 12, 1949; Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona (BB) 1:40 p.m. MST. Four airmen, S/Sgt John A. Bobst, S/Sgt Paul C. Wallingford, T/Sgt Roy Elias, and 1st Lt. David J. Latz observed a white or silver round solid object of apparent metal construction traveling from the northeast to the southwest at a high rate of speed possibly as much as 1,000 mph at an estimated altitude of 25,000 to 30,000 feet overhead. The object had an estimated diameter of approximately 50 to 100 feet. The object was in sight for approximately 15 seconds. The four men were standing in the aircraft parking area for the 65th Bomb squadron. (Dan Wilson, Blue Book files) Oct.
14, 1949; Mt.
Palomar
Observatory,
Calif (BBU)
1:15 and 1:20 p.m. Observatory Manager of Public Relations Harley C. Marshall drove away from Observatory when he saw a perfect "V of V's" formation of about 16-18 silver [round?] objects without tails or wings overhead traveling at high 1 + 1 EM effects on cosmic ray detector speed to the NW and emitting a sound like jets but not quite the same which noticeably lagged behind visual location of objects in the sky by about 35°-40°. Marshall stopped car and observed objects disappear [behind?] cloud cover that extended from horizon to about 45° elevation. [Marshall returned to Observatory] and phoned Asst. Superintendent-Electrical B. B. Traxler on duty who at about 1:20 p.m. saw one dark unidentified object traveling to the SW while checking the cosmic-ray Geiger counter recording equipment and saw that the needle had jumped off scale for several secs. For the next 10 days another 21 incidents of off-scale cosmic-ray detector incidents occurred at scattered times fitting a periodic 1.5-hour time schedule, a phenomenon not seen before or after, and unexplainable by equipment failure or radio interference from aircraft. Several Navy aircraft of differing prop and jet types were flown near Palomar Observatory using radio, altimeter and radars on Oct. 21 and Nov. 2 in an unsuccessful effort to trigger the Geiger counter. (Jan Aldrich; McDonald list) Oct.
21, 1949; Mt.
Palomar
Observatory,
Calif (BBU)
In
regard to the
14
& 17 &
21 Oct 1949
sightings at
Mt. Palomar
Observatory in
the NICAP
chronology and
Sparks' "BB
Unknowns"
list, the 25
Nov 1949
"case" in the
Blue Book
Archive is not
a "case"
occurring on
25 Nov 1949
but the date
the document
was written
and it
contains some
material on
this incident.
It is not
actually a
case file, but
a collection
of
correspondence
(47 documents)
related to the
potential
detection of
atomic powered
UFOs by Geiger
counter
equipment,
which was put
together in
1952. There
are several
pages about
the events and
witnesses at
Mt. Palomar.
It was found that in October 1949 such an incident occurred at the Mt. Palomar Observatory and that the Navy had investigated them (21 incidents). (NARA-PBB85 762, 766 - Fran Ridge) Nov. 3, 1949; Baja (near) California Air Force pilot saw four discs in formation. [III], Donnelly case (M) Nov. 21, 1949; Akita, Honshu, Japan (BBU) USAF
pilot flying
F-80 fighter
saw a
rectangular
object flying
at 500 mph.
(Weinstein)
Nonexistent
case date
invented by BB
to cover the
real events on
various dates
in Oct-Nov
1949. is
merely the
date of an
ONR-Pasadena
report on
these
radiation/UFO
incidents.
Dec. 4, 1949; Bet. Covington and Hammond, Louisiana (BBU) 4:35-4:38 p.m. (CST). USAF pilot of C-47 transport Flight AF 5566, Maj. F. E. Whitker, Base Legal Officer of Walker AFB, Roswell, N.M., copilot 1st Lt. P. H. McDavid and crew chief engineer Staff Sgt. C. Thomas also from Walker AFB, while flying from Carswell AFB, Dallas, to Keesler AFB, Miss., at 180 mph at 5,500 ft heading 90° (E), saw a bright silver sphere about the size of a jet fighter [50 ft?] come towards their aircraft heading about 300° or about W nearly head on at 1 o’clock position [from about 120° ENE] at about the same altitude, 5,500 ft, at high speed in excess of 600 mph or faster than a jet then after about 30 secs object turned abruptly to the S, then stopped, bobbed up and down. Object made several accelerations and decelerations and sharp direction and altitude changes during sighting, very maneuverable in all directions, Whitaker describing as appearing to “bounce all over the sky.” Object disappeared by sudden burst of speed crossing field of vision in about 1 sec. No vapor trail, exhaust, distinguishing features, or sound noticeable above the C-47’s noise. Apparent size half-dollar on windshield. (Jan Aldrich) To
Director of
R&D, HQ,
USAF, from
AMC, Dayton.
More on
conference.
Dec. 13,
1949; Holloman
AFB, New
Mexico
Note: Unknown aerial phenomenon sighted (bad link on DBase and no details or source) December
27, 1949
This was both
the GRUDGE
codename AND
final report
(Technical
Report) that
were not
released and
remained
classified
SECRET until
Aug 1, 1952,
and even then
no one knew it
was
declassified
except
possibly
Donald Keyhoe
and Leon
Davidson. 5 p.m.
James and 3
other pilots
of military
light training
planes saw a
blimp-shaped
object
outdistance
the [4?]
planes at high
speed.
(Project 1947;
FUFOR Index,
Dan Wilson)
Dec. 29, 1949; Hamlet, North Carolina Time not given. A former Air Force Pilot, Phillip Gibbons, observed a UFO over Hamlet. The Pilot shared the object was 20 feet in diameter, bright aluminum in color and appeared at 3,000-4,000 feet. Gibbons called the object “a bright aluminum ball”. Gibbons believed the object was not a balloon as he would have caught it in his plane. (“Silver Sphere Gives The Slip To N.C. Flier”, “Something Fishy” Says Pilot Who Tried to Catch Hanging Ball, UP, The Anniston Star, Anniston, Alabama, December 29, 1949, Thursday, Page 16; submitted by John S. Chase) Dec. 29
[28?], 1949.
Bet. Hamlet
and Greenwood,
North Carolina
(BBU)
5 p.m.
James and 3
other pilots
of military
light training
planes saw a
blimp-shaped
object
outdistance
the [4?]
planes at high
speed.
(Sparks;
Project 1947;
Saunders/FUFOR
Index) 4
Dec. 31,
1949. Andrews
AFB,
Washington,
D.C. (BBU)
Daytime.
Wash DC Air
National Guard
113th Aircraft
Control
Squadron
Corporal
Robert E.
Guinn happened
to look
overhead
during a jet
takeoff and
noticed an
object like a
"huge stack of
tinfoil" when
it tilted
toward the
sun, floating
in and out of
the clouds,
the size of an
ANG hangar,
then suddenly
headed SE at
high speed.
(Sparks; BB
Maxwell
Microfilm Roll
7, p. 1053-5)
1
|
|
Back to NICAP Chronology Home Page
|
