--- PAGE 1 --- [Blue banner top right] DECLASSIFIED Authority: NND 917033 [Strikethrough: SECRET] (stamped vertically on the left) [Strikethrough: SECRET] (stamped horizontally on the right) [Label on envelope] EXHIBIT #530 Op 257 Secret Serial 00196P57 R/S S-06200 dated 4-23-49 Subject: Flying Discs REPORT FILED M-5 AIRCRAFT - UNIDENTIFIED JONES 2-27-50 [Strikethrough: Secret] (stamped horizontally below the typewritten text) --- PAGE 2 --- [strikethrough: CONFIDENTIAL] [strikethrough: SECRET] [strikethrough: SECRET] [strikethrough: SECRET] 020249 30014 S 78-1(126) [strikethrough: CONFIDENTIAL] P 615 [unclear: 9w? 1? 26] --- PAGE 3 --- . [strikethrough: RESTRICTED] CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 101 1. Date 18 February 1948 2. Time 5:01 P.M. 3. Location Norcatur, Kansas 4. Name of observer M. R. Krehbiel account (taken from newspaper) 5. Occupation of observer Editor 6. Address of observer Norton, Kansas 7. Place of observation Norcatur, Kansas 8. Number of objects One 9. Distance of object from observer N/S 10. Time in sight N/S 11. Altitude 30 - 35 miles above earth [strikethrough: SECRET] 12. Speed N/S 13. Direction of flight N/S 14. Tactics N/S 15. Sound One big explosion - "afterwards a lot of little explosions" 16. Size N/S 17. Color Bluish-white smoke smudge [strikethrough: SECRET] 18. Shape Mushroom 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction Meteor 21. Exhaust trails None Bluish-white smoke smudge 22. Weather conditions N/S [stamp: RESTRICTED] 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs Photo of vapor trail left in sky by explosion 25. Manner of disappearance Disintegration 26. Remarks: Oscar Monnig, of the Texas Observers, Amateur Astronomy, 1010 Morningside Drive, Ft. Worth, offers "tangible proof that the fireball [strikethrough: was a meteorite] --- PAGE 4 --- RESTRICTED of February 18 over northern Kansas was just that, inasmuch as meteorites have been recovered from it." There were found, beginning April 24, first several smaller fragments up to one of 4 1/2 pounds. Then a disturbed spot in a clover field led to the digging up of a piece of some 109 pounds embedded about two feet in the soil. The stone is what is termed as an "achondrite", a technical name for an unusual type of stony meteorite. It is reported to be of a type which will deteriorate rapidly. A photograph of the trail of the meteor, made by amateur photographer Duane W. Wray of Norton, shows the vapor trail left in the sky by the explosion of a meteor which was seen in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. It was made at Wray's home, nine miles north of Norton, just four minutes after the meteor exploded. A smudge of blue- white smoke remained in the sky for an hour February 18th. This photo- graph is in file under Incident #101. Further remarks are contained in supplement. RESTRICTED [handwritten: √ 101a] --- PAGE 5 --- 101 EXHIBIT B Statement taken from Leland Sammons My name is Leland Sammons, and I live on a farm 14 miles west of Stockton and 1 mile north, off US 24. On February 18 at about 5 P.M., I was standing near my hog-pen about 100' east of my house, when I heard the pheasants raising a disturbance and the chickens all rushed to the chicken-house. I looked around toward the house to see what was causing it and saw something hovering just above the house. I ran toward the house, and it then lowered over the north end of the house and settled toward the ground. I was then very near it, approximately 6' when it stopped about level with my face, and just wobbled around for an instant, fire belching out of it and sucking back in. The thing was about 4' long, shaped something like a funnel. There was a pipe sticking out the back of it, and once as it wobbled around, the pipe was sticking right at my belly. Suddenly there was a lot of sparks showered from it, and the fire increased as if a fuse might have lighted, and it took off in a north-westerly direction very fast, gaining altitude as it went. My wife heard it leave and ran out where I stood, and we watched it go, leaving a trail of smoke all the way. Suddenly there was a great cloud of smoke in the sky, not more than 40 seconds after it left my yard, and in a few seconds or more, we heard an explosion. I then stepped off from my house to where it had been, and it was five steps. Yes, it was hot, I could feel the heat from it. Had I not been washing my car prior to the occurrence, wetting the ground, there would have been a bare spot in the yard where the thing started up because there was a great rush of fire from it when it left. It must have been quite high when it exploded. --- - - - --- - - - --- - - - --- - - - --- Kenneth Hays, son of Floyd Hays, 14 miles east of Norton on US 36, at the Jct. of K-60, south side of highway. At about 5 to 5:30 P.M., not sure of time, was riding his horse in a pasture, when he heard something queer in the sky. Looking up to the south-west, he saw what appeared to him to be a rocket, just like he had seen during the war in Europe. It startled him, and he jumped off the horse. He then remounted, watched its course, almost on a level but losing altitude a little, and it then exploded with a big cloud of smoke, apparently over Norton, from where he was, south of Prairie View. He rode on toward home a ways, when suddenly the sound and jar of the explosion reached him. Mrs. Hays was home in the house, when she heard and felt something like a truck might have struck the house. She ran out of the house and then first saw the huge cloud of smoke. About 40 minutes later, a part of the smoke cloud drifted directly over their house, and went on east over Phillipsburg. --- - - - --- - - - --- - - - --- - - - --- Ralph New, postmaster at Norcatur, stated that at about 4:50 P.M. he was standing just inside the front window of the postoffice, when he observed a blinding flash as if someone had taken a flashlight picture. He could locate no one with a camera, but noticed several men walking to the center of the street and looking up. He then walked out to where they were and looking up, saw a high cloud of smoke in the sky almost directly overhead --- PAGE 6 --- (COPY) 10/P 323 W. Tenth St., Pueblo, Colorado February 20, 1948 Office of the Chief of Staff U. S. Army Washington, D. C. Subject: Explosion in the sky near Norcatur, Kans. 4:00 p.m. (MST) February 18, 1948 Purpose: To call attention to some peculiarities in connection, whether coincidental or not According to an AP bulletin appearing in the Pueblo CHIEFTAIN for February 18, 1948, some object was seen moving eastward across the sky on the late afternoon of February 18th, and when this thing reached a position approximate to Norcatur, Kansas, exploded, or disrupted, or disappeared. The ex- plosion is said to have been terrific. Directions given as to the progress of this appearance in- dicate that it moved from west to east. Information contained in the dispatch under a Denver dateline indicate that while many would call this object a bolide - e.g., exploding meteor - the astronomers of Chamberlin Observatory (Denver) did not so assess it: it is said in the dispatch that these officials could offer no explanation of it. If this is the case, the appearance is anomalous, and may lend itself to other meteoric explanation. A sketch-diagram of the earth and moon's orbit reveals a pe- culiarity in connection with the appearance, which may be significant. If a line is stricken at right-angles across the meridional position of the site of explosion of this meteor at hour angle four o'clock (local time) and this line be considered the west-to-east course of the object, then it will be seen that if this line is continued outward into space toward the orbit of the moon it will intersect the lunar orbit at a place near to where the moon would be at from 80 to one hundred hours after the explosion took place. New moon occurred at 9 D 10 H 2 M February; First Quarter at 17D 8H M. February - the moon moves approximately 12.5 degrees per day along its orbit. --- PAGE 7 --- 10/8 It is held by rocketry experts (example, WILLY LEY – see his ROCKETS, p. 192, diagram and note in connection there- with) that it would take about 100 hours for a rocket-craft to negotiate the distance from Earth to Moon. Prior to its explosion over Norcatur, this object of Feb. 18th was variously reported as a "falling plane", a "jet plane", and a "ball of fire". It is said by some to have left a trail of smoke behind it. It is the suggestion of this writer that the Army collect and assimilate reports on this object, with a view to determining where it was seen as an object trailing smoke and where as a ball of fire. If this thing is a rocket of some kind headed for the moon, it might first have been seen as a streak of smoke, then later as a ball of fire, and lastly as a tremendous ex- plosion when it at last reached sufficient speed and eleva- tion for take-off. The writer has in mind the various and unexplained reports on "flying saucers", and bases this speculation upon long consideration of various oddments of reports whose significance might be of space-craft from other worlds of space. The so-called "meteoric procession" which crossed Toronto in February 1913, consisted of a number of groups of illuminated bodies traveling in groups of three and moving in "rigid formation", all pursuing a course across the same streak of the earth's surface. If a line is projected backward along this line of flight it will be seen that this line "comes out" at the position of the moon at the time. The 1913 phenomenon occurred in the mid-period of a series of reports on dirigible aircraft of appearance like zeppelins which were seen over England and whose appearance terminated - or reports on the appearances stopped - just prior to the inferior conjunction of Venus of April 24, 1913. The writer begs to call attention to the fact that the times prior to and just after inferior conjunction of Venus are prolific in reports of strange things seen in the sky. Also that lights have been reported on the moon from time to time, back for at least a century. If in the future of military experiment the moon is selected as a base for the launching of rockets (which has been suggested by some writers), it may be well to look first 2 --- PAGE 8 --- 1012 into reports like this one on the explosion over Norcatur and the direction of the object involved. There is a possibility, however remote this may seem, that the moon is either inhabited or in use by other than human beings. ours, /s/ NORMAN GARRETT MARKHAM It may do not harm to watch the moon for possible arrival of this thing in the quarter at 80 to 100 hours after "its Departure". NGM 3 --- PAGE 9 --- (COPY) FILE REF: - SIGGE-M-1 From: To: Subject: Purpose: 101d March 14, 1948 Norman G. Markham MAIN HOTEL, Pueblo, Colo Chief Signal Officer U. S. Army, Washington, D.C. Norcatur, Kans., sky explosion of 18 February, 1948 To show a speculation regard- ing the above phenomenon and another one of earlier date and to call attention to occurrences between the two which have an appearance of relationship whether coinci- dental or not. The geographical position of the Norcatur explosion suggests possible linkage with other occurrences happening inside latitudinal limits arbitrarily demarkable between 43° 36' North (which is the latitude of Boise, Idaho) and 36° 10' North (the latitude of Nashville, Tenn.), a belt about 485 miles wide. This suggestion is gained from positions given for occurrences happening between June 24, 1947 and February 18, 1948, as shall be hereinafter briefly described. ---------- THE BOISE (Idaho) OBJECT—This was seen either beginning or ending at 330 pm 24 June 1947 and was visible for 20 minutes. It was in the western sky, was of comet-like appearance, and settled gradually toward the horizon as planetary bodies set. It was seen by Lt. Gov. Whitehead and Chief Justice Lampert. Its nature was unknown. The peculiarity which connects this object, for speculative purposes, with the explosion of some unknown object over Norcatur, Kans., on 18 February 1948 is the seeming of a relationship between the positions of the moon for the two phenomena: In the former case the moon was at the date of phenomenon, about 7%. 63 before the position of First Quarter; on the second case it was about 8%.73 beyond the position of first quarter. Since the Boise object was visible for 20 minutes before it sank this argues it was about ten degrees above the horizon when first seen. Now if a line be drawn westward and at ten degrees zenithward from the --- PAGE 10 --- horizon of Boise at 3:30 p.m. and another line be drawn from the position of the moon at one hundred hours before the sighting of the Boise object, and projected to the center of the earth, it will be seen that this ten- degrees-altitude and the moon-earth line intersect as a place far above a geographical position considerably to the west of Cape Blance, in the neighborhoodof about 700 miles off the coast. The Boise object in its appearance suggests a rocket-type of craft possibly using reaction blasts to brake itself down for a landing on the earth. The bright point and plumy tail of the description suggest this, as also its apparent fixity in space. HOLLE'S "SHIP IN FLAMES" -- Nine days after the sighting of the Boise object a forest lookout named Earl Holle saw at or soon after 4:00 p.m., 3rd July, 1947, something he took to be a "tanker in flames". This was seen horizon-ward from a point in Sonoma County, California, near to Fort Ross. A search was instituted by the Navy or Coast Guard, and nothing was found. The soviet tanker ELBRUZ, which had been in the vicinity, was queried and found to be all right. This was not explained. If this apperance had been on the horizon, there is no telling how far it may have been from the observer. CAPE MENDOCINO BLIMP INCIDENT -- Not far from the location of Holle's "burning ship" an accident occurred to a navy blimp, 14 July 1947, off Cape Mendocino. This blimp suddenly settled into the water, slipped out its crew and rose again. The anomaly here is that one would not expect to find drastic down-drafts of such violence as to thus upset a lighter than air craft. Possibly a downdraft accounted for the accident - but if the Signal Officer will look up the incident of the British steamer Talma which, at the time of the sighting of a luminous wheel-like phenomenon in the Gulf of Martaban, reported a slowing of the engines from some unknown cause, it may be seen that possibly forces are generated in some manner by certain unknown objects at times in the ocean, which may have physical attraction for material objects. This blimp accident occurring in waters where occurred other phenomena shortly to be mentioned, seems to have a doubtful side to it. THE OAKLAND OBJECT -- Early on the morning of 13th October, 1947, a photographer named Ben Dobus together with a taxidriver named A. J. Goldman saw a thing "that looked like Saturn with a ring around it." It shot at terrific speed WESTWARD across the sky of the Bay area, and was seen shortly after midnight. 2 --- PAGE 11 --- 191g This may have been heading in the general direction of what may have been the goal of two later objects which roughly resemble it in description. THE TICONDEROGA OBJECTS -- According to the tanker Ticonderoga's second officer, two "flying discs" were seen heading SOUTHWEST when the ship was in 43 degrees fifteen minutes north and 124 degrees 54 minutes west, at 0620 GCT, 12th November 1947. These may have been heading for the object seen in the Pacific off the Golden Gate, not long afterward -- or possibly at the same time, if earlier reports on this are consulted. THE PHANTOM REEF -- On November 24, 1947, the Navy denied that it had found a phantom reef or other obstruction to navigation at a point about 400 miles west of San Francisco. The Navy Survey ship MAURY, sent out there in response to reports of ships that some huge object had been seen in the water in that neighborhood, reported that when in the approximate latitude and longitude of the supposed obstruction they picked up an echo from something in the water 1600 yards from the ship; but that when they had steamed to within 400 yards of this, the echo vanished. There seems a possible connectability between the various elements so far considered. Later on January 7, 1948, there were occurrences in the neighborhood of Wilmington, O., Ft. Knox, Ky., Franklin, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn., all of which must be now familiar to the archivists of the Signal Office. Something like a "flying disc" was pursued by one Lt. Mantell and two other pilots, Mantell being killed while in the process of attempting to gain altitude to get close to whatever it was he was chasing. Also, in this connection, it may not be amiss to mention the deaths of two military officers who were said to have been bringing back material evidence from "flying discs" one of which was said to have met with some kind of accident over Maury Island, Puget Sound, around June, 1947. It will be seen on inspection that the geographical locales of these incidents fit inside the belt of latitudes hereinbefore mentioned. THE NORCATUR EXPLOSION was described in a previous letter of this writer, and it was shown in that letter that a line tangential to the meridian of Norcatur, Kans., at hour-angle 2:20 p.m., would if con- tinued outward into space to the orbit of the moon, intersect the moon's orbit at a point where the moon would have been at about 100 hours after the time of the explosion. According to rocketry theory, it would take a reaction-propelled craft of the rocket type about 100 hours to reach the moon. 3 --- PAGE 12 --- I submit there is a likelihood that on June 24, 1947, something like a space-ship came here from the moon and upon February 18, 1948, returned to the moon. This is of course speculation. But has anyone yet explained the "flying discs" in terms of all the pretty-well proven facts in connection with them? Has anyone yet devised a fuel powerful enough to kick a rocket from Earth to the Moon? There have been hundreds of reports, during the past century, on occurrences which imply this world is visited from outside space. Absence of contact by these postulatable visiting entities may imply a state of culture far beyond ours, to the point where it would be inex- pedient for their members to have to do with us en-masse. These reports have never been seriously considered by science, which in general ignores them. However, according to Dr. Rocht of Chamberlin Observatory, Denver, there is nothing in astronomy to explain the thing which exploded over Norcatur. Dr. Nininger's idea that the thing was a meteor flatly disregards Dr. Rocht's opinion, which may have been based on the Denver Posts' statement that a Denver woman saw the Norcatur object twenty minutes before the explosion occurred. I submit that the Army needs men who are capable of recognizing the anomalies beforementioned when they occur, evenif only to aid in speculation regarding them. The undersigned offers his services to that end, if the Army may wish to avail itself of them. /s/ N. G. MARKHAM 4 --- PAGE 13 --- 10/m Excerpt of letter dated April 11, 1948 from Dr. Lincoln LaPaz, Director, Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Deputy Executive Director, Committee on Geophysical Sciences, Research and Development Board: Thank you for the surprising documents sent me under date of March 30. As you remark, certain aspects of Markham's letters are fantastic (for example: (1) the fireball procession of 1913, February 9, was genuinely meteoric, although a rare type of chain fall; (2) no astronomer could take seriously Markham's "invasion by beings from Venus or the Moon"- theory; (3) he appeals to, and biases in his favor, such untrustworthy evidence as newspaper stories, e.g., the absurd statement attributed to Dr. Rocht of the Chamberlin Observatory). Nevertheless, Markham is justi- fied in calling attention to certain incidents as unexplained, for example, the "flying lenses" (in my opinion 99% hoax and imagination and 1% real). As regards the Norcatur, Kansas incident, I remain convinced that, like the Four Corners incident, it was a genuine meteorite fall, although one of exceptional size (again like the Four Corners fall). However, there are many curious aspects of both these falls, some of an objective nature, like the singular fact that in spite of intensive searches (ad- mittedly under bad terrain and weather conditions), not a trace of meteoritic material has so far been found; some of a non-objective nature, like the amazing testimony given by Mr. Leland Sammons, Mr. Alfred Glenn, and other witnesses of the Norcatur incident, both to members of the State Highway Commission of Kansas and to Institute of Meteoritics field survey parties. (See exhibits A, B, and C enclosed.) Some comment on such testimony as appears in A,B, and C would seem desirable: 1. Glenn first reported the battery case as red hot. When I pointed out that the paper on it was not charred, his account was changed to "too hot to handle". The Institute of Meteoritics party found only two men, not four, who saw the battery case fall. The battery case has been examined by Dr. Victor Regener, Department of Physics, University of New Mexico, who states that it appears to be identical with the small batteries used in portable radios. 2. K. Hays' identification of the Norcatur object as a rocket has the following support: On the morning of February 19, I talked to the towerman and two assistants at the Air Base at McCook Field, Nebraska. All three denied the Norcatur object was a fireball and described it as a black object with an extremely bright jet of flame pouring out of the rear. Furthermore, a 14-year old, and presumably unbiased, schoolgirl in Oberlin, Kansas wrote me a similar description of the "fireball." --- PAGE 14 --- 101 1/2 3. A determined effort is under way to check up on Sammons' veracity (and sanity!) I have neither seen nor talked to Sammons, but another member of the Institute of Meteoritics party (Dr. D. M. Gragg, an Instructor in the Department of Mathematics) who did so believes Sammons (who is a well-to-do farmer) to be sincere and very badly scared. Of course nearness to a big meteorite fall would scare one as badly as an atom bomb; but how could it produce such testimony as Sammons". The "meteoritic" incidents from the great fall of 1945, November 29 (from which no meteorites have been recovered either!) through the sequence of similar falls culminating in the Four Corners and Norcatur incidents, coupled with such t ings as the Ussuri incident, convince me that ei ther the earth is under a most unusual cosmic bombardment or many of the fireballs are not meteorites at all. While I still cling to the meteoritic hypothesis, it is clear that which ever alternative is the right one, the situation cries aloud for thorough investigation. --- PAGE 15 --- 10-g (COPY) EXHIBIT A Roy W. Cox, Director of Highways STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION OF KANSAS Division 3 Norton NOTES TAKEN AT NORCATUR, KANSAS, Night of Feb 18 Mr. Ralph New, Postmaster at Norcatur, tells us that at approximately 4:50 PM he was standing in the north window of the post office in Norcatur looking toward the City Hall when he was suddenly illuminated very brightly by some terrific light. He ran outside into the street where others were looking toward the northeast at a very large cloud of white smoke high in the sky. He stated that in about a minute and a half, there was a terrific explosion followed by a heavy rumbling noise like thunder and that the smoke cloud was growing larger all the time. Also there was a white smoke trail in the sky from the southwest where the missile had come from. He said that from the center of the street, the explosion and the first big mushroom of smoke was directly overhead and at a tremendous height. Another man in Norcatur stated that just prior to the explosion, he had heard the motors of an airplane. Chief Scott learned from some man in Norton that just following the explosion, something fell at his feet on the street and he picked it up, to find that it was a small flashlight battery resembling those used in 'fountain pen flashlights' and that it was red hot. After a crowd of men gathered and examined it, he was unable to find it and thinks that someone took it. Kenneth Hays of east of Norton was about 5 miles south of Prairie View when he heard something roaring in the sky to the west of him, far away and very high. He says that it resembled a rocket traveling northeast toward Norton direction, and that suddenly there was a terrific explosion followed by a mushroom of white smoke and that there followed other explosions or something resembling explosions. When he saw it, it was nearing the ground or horizon, in other words, losing altitude. Edgar Young's boy at Reager, was standing beside the Reager elevator and heard something high over head, looked up to see a very bright flash of light and then a loud explosion followed by a big cloud of smoke. The airport at Norton thought about 20,000 feet, time 4:50. Checked but no planes missing. --- PAGE 16 --- 101 PL but slightly east. Suddenly, about 1 and 1/2 minutes after he had seen the flash, there was a terrific explosion and jar, shaking the ground and causing the windows all around to rattle. Following the explosion, there were several loud reverberating rumblings across the heavens. He stated that the explosion must have been very high. - - - - - - - - - - Edgar Young, a boy living at Regar, just east of Norcatur, was outside the elevator, when he observed the explosion, looked up and saw the huge cloud of smoke. He stated that it was almost overhead but slightly west of him. He said that it was a big explosion. The elevator man was out in the elevator, when he heard the explosion. He thought that his oil-burner had exploded in the office and ran in to see about it. Finding it O.K., he ran outside to see what had exploded, saw the big cloud of smoke high overhead, slightly west. - - - - - - - - - - Eastern Kansas newspaper carried a story about 6 days ago of one just like this one, coming from the south to vicinity of Iola, Kansas, where it turned west and disappeared into the sky. - - - - - - - - - - Check with Chief Scott of Norton about a burned flashlight battery which fell in the street of Norton just after the explosion. It was too hot to be picked up for several minutes. Chief Scott has it. Note: A copy of Exhibit "C" referred to in letter from Dr. LaPaz, was not received. --- PAGE 17 --- [stamp: CONFIDENTIAL] CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 102 1. Date 18 February 1948 2. Time 1500 MST 3. Location [strikethrough: XXXXXXXX] Air Near Green River, Utah 4. Name of observer Lenord P. Marchese (B-29 Pilot, Lt. 28 Bomber Gp) Carl W. Stucki, Lt., Co-Pilot, (see reverse side for other witnesses) 5. Occupation of observer Pilot 6. Address of observer 77th Bomb Sq, 28th Bomb Gp (VH), Weaver AFB, S.D. 7. Place of observation 39° N - 100° W - near Green River, Utah 8. Number of objects One 9. Distance of object from observer 100 miles 10. Time in sight N/S 11. Altitude 20,000 feet 12. Speed Very high 13. Direction of flight Southeast of Limon, Colorado 14. Tactics Explosion rate 15. Sound Could not be determined due to B-29 engine noise 16. Size Huge 17. Color Multi-colored ball of fire 18. ShapoHuge multi-colored ball of fire and dense cloud of smoke 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction N/S 21. Exhaust trails Vapor trail with ball of fire at head of trail 22. Weather conditions Clear 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs None 25. Manner of disappearance N/S 26. Remarks: [strikethrough: XXXXXX] Over [stamp: CONFIDENTIAL] --- PAGE 18 --- A huge multi-colored ball of fire trailing a dense cloud of smoke was sighted at approx 1500 hours MST 18 Feb 48, 39° N-100° W at approx 20,000 ' by two B-29 aircraft of the 28th Bombardment Group (VH). It was seen some 100 miles southeast of the B-29s. Size was estimated as huge altho impossible to determine accurately due to the distance. It was traveling at very high speed and heading southeast of Limon, Colorado, at approx 20,000 ft. Witnesses: Capt Howard H. Berodt, AO-49504, 718th Bomb Sq 28th Bomb Gp (VH). Pilot of 1st B-29 Capt Maurice T. Ritenour, AO-48043, 718th Bomb Sq 28 Bomb Gp (VH). Co-Pilot of 1st B-29. 1st Lt Leonard P. Marchese, AO-748714, 77th Bomb Sq., 28th Bomb Gp (VH). Pilot of 2nd B-29 1st Lt. Carl W. Stucki, AO-735916, 77th Bomb Sq, 28th Bomb Gp (VH). Co-Pilot of 2nd B-29. NOTE: See Incident 101 - Norcatur Kansas. [strikethrough: CONFIDENTIAL] [handwritten in bottom right corner: 102a] --- PAGE 19 --- RESTRICTED CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 103 1. Date 18 February 1948 2. Time 1500 MST 3. Location [illegible] Air near Green River Utah 4. Name of observers Capt. Howard H. Berodt - Capt Maurice T. Ritenour (See Inc 102 - corroboration) 5. Occupation of observer Pilots 6. Address of observer 718th Bomb Sq, 28th Bomb Gp (VH) Weaver AFB, S.D. 7. Place of observation 39° N - 100° W - Near Green River, Utah 8. Number of objects One 9. Distance of object from observer 100 miles 10. Time in sight N/S 11. Altitude 20,000 feet 12. Speed Very high 13. Direction of flight Southeast (of Limon, Colorado) 14. Tactics Explosion rate 15. Sound Could not be determined due to B-29 engine noise 16. Size Huge (Seen 100 miles west of the B-29's) 17. Color Multi-colored ball of fire 18. Shape Hugh multi-colored ball of fire and dense cloud of smoke followed 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction N/S 21. Exhaust trails Vapor trail with a ball of fire at the head of trail 22. Weather conditions Clear 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs None 25. Manner of disappearance N/S 26. Remarks: [strikethrough: None] - Same as incident 102 which see RESTRICTED --- PAGE 20 --- [stamp: RESTRICTED] CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 104 1. Date 7 Mar 48 2. Time 2055 C 3. Location Smyrna, Tenn. 4. Name of observer Frank L. Fenn, Maj, USAF, CO, Smyrna AF Base Cpl Richard C. Pettingill & Pvt Frank C. Johnson, 5. Occupation of observer CO of Smyrna & radio and tower operators AACS Station 6. Address of observer Smyrna AAF, [unclear: Suxy?] Smyrna, Tenn 7. Place of observation Smyrna AAF - 6 miles from (ground) 8. Number of objects 1 9. Distance of object from observer 6 miles 10. Time in sight 45 minutes 11. Altitude About 5° above horizon 12. Speed very slow 13. Direction of flight WNW away from Smyrna 14. Tactics N/S Faded away 15. Sound None 16. Size Unknown 17. Color yellow-orange 18. Shape oval 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction N/S - seemed to be flare 21. Exhaust trails None 22. Weather conditions CAVU - 10 miles 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs Figs (2) showing yellow orange flame-like oval 25. Manner of disappearance faded into horizon 26. Remarks: (over) [stamp: RESTRICTED] --- PAGE 21 --- RESTRICTED A yellow-orange object which had the appearance of a flare was observed some six miles from Smyrna AAF between the west and northwest just above the horizon and moving directly away from Smyrna. The speed was estimated as slow since the object remained visible some forty-five minutes. It gradually faded away disappearing into the horizon. No exhaust trail was seen and no sound was heard. RESTRICTED 104a --- PAGE 22 --- • RESTRICTED CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 105 1. Date 8 Mar 48 2. Time 1100 3. Location Belmont, N. C. 4. Name of observer Mr. A. C. Morrison 5. Occupation of observer Supt. Meter Dept, Duke Power Co., Charlotte, N. C. 6. Address of observer Charlotte, N. C. (Duke Power Co.) 7. Place of observation Belmont, N. C. (Sighted from ground) 8. Number of objects 1 9. Distance of object from observer N/S 10. Time in sight about 10 seconds 11. Altitude N/S - could not be estimated 12. Speed Around 600 MPH 13. Direction of flight Easterly 14. Tactics None - moved in straight line at constant speed without change in altitude or direction 15. Sound None 16. Size From a distance - that of a small coin 17. Color bright or silver - looked metallic 18. Shape round or sphere (unable to determine which) 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction Metallic 21. Exhaust trails None 22. Weather conditions Clear with scattered white clouds 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs None 25. Manner of disappearance behind small white cloud 26. Remarks: (over) RESTRICTED --- PAGE 23 --- RESTRICTED A round metallic-appearing object moving very rapidly at an estimated speed of 600 MPH was observed near Belmont, N. C., at approx 1100 the morning of 8 Mar 48. The weather was clear with excellent visibility with a few small scattered fleecy white clouds. It could not be determined if the object were a disc or sphere. Its apparent size was that of a small coin of a bright or silver color. It reflected the sun maintaining a steady reflection which did not flicker. The object which was under observation for some 10 seconds was on an easterly heading and moved in a straight line at a constant speed without apparent change in altitude or direction. It was impossible to determine the altitude but it was moving above the clouds. No sound of any kind was heard nor was any exhaust trail observed. NOTE: Witness (Mr Morrison) is a man of excellent character and reputation, a first-grade engineer and employee of Duke Power Co for some 30 years. He impressed the agent as being conservative and sound and is a technical man with a very technical and responsible position. Mr. Morrison was careful in his statements. He does not claim he saw the "flying disc", merely [unclear: akim] claiming that they saw an object which they could not identify with any natural phenomenon or known type of aircraft. It resembled "a round metallic appearing object moving very rapidly." Witnesses: Mr. Hendrix, assistant Superintendent, Meter Dept Duke Power Co., Charlotte, N. C. Mr. G. W. Jordan, Gastonia Electric Co., Gastonia, N. C. 105-a --- PAGE 24 --- ●●CONFIDENTIAL CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 106 1. Date 5 March 1948 2. Time 1610 - 1655 3. Location Bakersfield, California 4. Name of observer George L. Buchner 5. Occupation of observer N/S 6. Address of observer Bakersfield, California 7. Place of observation From ground, southwest toward Buena Vista Lake,Calif. 8. Number of objects Two 9. Distance of object from observer 10 - 12 miles 10. Time in sight N/S 11. Altitude N/S 12. Speed N/S 13. Direction of flight Earthward 14. Tactics N/S 15. Sound N/S 16. Size N/S 17. Color Seemingly on fire, black and red smoke trailing behind 18. Shape Similar to falling aircraft 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction N/S 21. Exhaust trails Brownish-white smoke and debris trailing 22. Weather conditions N/S 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs None 25. Manner of disappearance Behind a water tower, which was an obstruction to the view 26. Remarks: Comments of G. L. Buckner and other witnesses to this sighting contained in attached supplement. 22 --- PAGE 25 --- [handwritten: 106?] CONFIDENTIAL HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2 Intelligence Hamilton Field, California 4AFDA-3/1208-I SUBJECT: Investigation of Flying Disc. Mar 11, 1948 TO: Chief of Staff United States Air Forces Washington, D. C. ATTN: DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE Air Intelligence Requirements Branch 1. Incident reported on 9 March 1948, this headquarters, per telephone call from Sgt A. M. Larsen, Sheriff's office, Bakersfield, California. [handwritten: 106] a. Observation by Mr. (George L) Les Buchner, Bakersfield, California, of two objects falling to earth from unknown source on 5 March 1948 between 1610 and 1655 hours. Description of objects similar to falling aircraft with smoke and debris trailing. Observation made at Bakersfield with objects sighted southwest toward Buena Vista Lake, California. [handwritten: 107] b. Observation by Mr. Denio, employee of the Pacific General Electric Company, Bakersfield, California, of two objects which fell to earth from unknown source north of Bakersfield, California, 8 March 1948. One object seemed to be on fire with red and black smoke trailing behind. 2. Informant Larsen stated that searching parties, aircraft and rescue units have made numerous attempts to locate these reported objects without success. 3. Investigation of incident has been initiated by this headquarters. Report will follow. /s/ Donald L. Springer DONALD L. SPRINGER Lt. Colonel, USAF AC of S, A-2 Information to: ADC, Mitchel Fld, N.Y. FBI, San Francisco G-2, Sixth Army DIO, San Francisco (12th Nav.Dist) CONFIDENTIAL 23 --- PAGE 26 --- 1068 CONFIDENTIAL! HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence Hamilton Field, California 4AFDA-3/1208-I SUBJECT: Investigation of Flying Discs SUMMARY OF INFORMATION: Information from the Sheriff's Office, Bakersfield, California, revealed that numerous calls from residents in Bakersfield concerning peculiar objects in the sky over Bakersfield, predicated an investigation by their office and contact with A-2 Headquarters Fourth Air Force. On 13th March 1948, two informants, Mr. George L. Buchner, and Mr. H. B. Nix, stated that they observed a flying object which appeared to be consumed in fire, and left a brownish-white plume of smoke, which suddenly stopped and disappeared. Seconds later, what appeared to be a parachute, was seen to be drifting to the east. The object, as described, appeared to be a burning fabric airplane, consumed in smoke. Observations were made in Bakersfield of object to the south and southwest, approximately ten to twelve miles distance, around 1600 hours on 5 March 1948. 106 108 On 13th March 1948, informant, Mr. H. B. Nix, stated that he observed an object at 0830, 8 March 1948, due north of Bakersfield, approximately five miles distance. The object was a large, orange-red ball of fire, somewhat larger than a small airplane, appeared to remain static for approximately thirty seconds, then split and continued to burn; each visible as a burning half. A parachute, with a black object hanging was then observed to fall, drift to the east and disappeared into the hills east of Bakersfield. On 13th March 1948, two informants, Mrs. Callie R. Mason, secretary, Haberfelde Building, Bakersfield, California, and Dr. J. E. Johnson, dentist Haberfelde Building, Bakersfield, California, stated that they were in Room 518, Haberfelde Building, on the morning of 9 March 1948. Mrs. Mason was a patient of Dr. Johnson. Both informants stated that they observed a flaming object which appeared at first to be a very small airplane. Orange red flames seemed to envelope the object with considerable black smoke trailing in a zigzag manner for approximately 4,000 to 5,000 feet. The object was observed at 1,000 feet, approximately due north of Bakersfield, seven to ten miles distant at approximately 0830 hours. 10 Informants further stated that the object disappeared behind a water tower, which was an obstruction to their view, and was near the ground. Both informants watched for an explosion, thinking that it would explode upon reaching the ground, but nothing unusual was noted. CONFIDENTIAL 27 --- PAGE 27 --- [strikethrough: CONFIDENTIAL] 106 A-2 COMMENT: Although there is no evidnece to substantiate the following, it is the opinion of this headquarters that this activity could be attributed to marker flares. Any further developments, or evidence obtained, will be forwarded this headquarters from the Sheriff's Office, Bakersfield, California. EVALUATION Of Source C Of Information 3 [strikethrough: CONFIDENTIAL] 25 --- PAGE 28 --- • RESTRICTED • CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 107 1. Date 8 March 1948 2. Time N/S 3. Location Bakersfield, California 4. Name of observer Mr. Denio 5. Occupation of observer Pacific General Electric Company employee 6. Address of observer N/S 7. Place of observation Sighted from ground 8. Number of objects Two 9. Distance of object from observer N/S 10. Time in sight N/S 11. Altitude N/S 12. Speed N/S 13. Direction of flight Earthward 14. Tactics N/S 15. Sound N/S 16. Size N/S 17. Color One object seemingly afire, red and black smoke trailing 18. Shape N/S 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction N/S 21. Exhaust trails N/S 22. Weather conditions N/S 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs None 25. Manner of disappearance [strikethrough: N/S] Fell to earth 26. Remarks: See supplement to Incident #106. 2C --- PAGE 29 --- •RESTRICTED CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 108 1. Date 8 March 1948 2. Time 0830 3. Location Bakersfield, California 4. Name of observer H. B. Nix 5. Occupation of observer N/S 6. Address of observer N/S 7. Place of observation Sighted from ground 8. Number of objects One 9. Distance of object from observer 5 miles 10. Time in sight Approx. 30 seconds before splitting and burning 11. Altitude N/S 12. Speed Static for approx 30 seconds, and then drifting 13. Direction of flight eastward 14. Tactics N/S 15. Sound N/S 16. Size Larger than a small airplane 17. Color Orange-red ball of fire 18. Shape Ball 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction N/S 21. Exhaust trails N/S 22. Weather conditions N/S 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs None 25. Manner of disappearance Drifted to the east into the hills east of Bakersfield 26. Remarks: See supplement to Incident #106 RESTRICTED 27 --- PAGE 30 --- [stamp: RESTRICTED] CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS Incident # 109 1. Date 9 March 1948 2. Time 0830 3. Location Bakersfield, California 4. Name of observers J.E. Johnson and Mrs. Callie R. Mason 5. Occupation of observer J.E. Johnson, Dentist, Mrs. Mason, Secretary 6. Address of observer N/S 7. Place of observation 5th Floor of business building 8. Number of objects One 9. Distance of object from observer 7 - 10 miles 10. Time in sight N/S 11. Altitude 1000 feet 12. Speed N/S 13. Direction of flight Due north of Bakersfield 14. Tactics Zig-zaging 15. Sound N/S 16. Size Appearance of a very small airplane 17. Color Orange-red flame 18. Shape Appearance of a very small airplane 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction N/S 21. Exhaust trails Considerable black smoke trailing for 4000 to 5000 feet 22. Weather conditions N/S 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs None 25. Manner of disappearance N/S 26. Remarks: See supplement to Incident #106 [stamp: RESTRICTED] 28