Early the next day around 7:05 A.M. CST a private pilot viewed a very strange sight from his small aircraft while over Cook Springs, Alabama. Silhouetted against a nearby mountain, he noted a circular object with a mirror-like finish. The pilot attempted to close in, but its speed was so great, it soon flew out of sight s1Birmingham, Alabama, News, 8 July 1947, p. 1.
At 8:15 A.M. Arizona State Highway Department workers Henry Varela, R.N. Villa, and Henry Hodges observed two "flying saucers streak high over the city of Yuma." Villa and Hodges saw them first and when Varela heard his friends talking he thought they must be describing aircraft. But Varela had seen an aircraft pass over just moments earlier and what he then witnessed looked nothing like it. All three men described the objects as saucer-shaped. They stated that they were silver in color and appeared to be just alike with one flying behind the other. The one thing that so amazed the men concerned the absolute lack of sound associated with the incident despite the fact the objects were at a fairly high altitude. The actual altitude could not be estimated, but all agreed the saucers were very high and traveled extremely fast in a straight line until they disappeared out of sight to the northeast. James Gordon of the US Weather Bureau suggested that the men could have simply made a misidentification of the planet Venus despite the fact that two distinct objects were seen in the same area of sky at the same time s2"Two 'Flying Discs' Reported Seen Over City By Three Highway Dept. Men," The Yuma Sun & Arizona Sentinel, 9 July 1947, p. 1.
Around 9:30 or 10:00 A.M. PST at Muroc Army Air Force Base, California, (today Edwards AFB) Lieutenant Joseph C. McHenry viewed with three other witnesses, two silver spherical objects traveling about 300 miles per hour in level flight. The unknown craft moved northward toward Mojave, California, against the prevailing wind at 8,000 feet when a third object appeared―heading in the same direction but making several tight circles.
McHenry told intelligence officers that no aircraft he knew of could have performed such sharp maneuvers. Yet that was not the end of the story that day at the super secret Muroc test grounds s3Project Blue Book Files, Roll No. 1, Case 51, listed as Incidents 1-le in 1947 era documents. By 11:50 A.M. at nearby Rogers Dry Lake, two technicians observed another strange event. They reported seeing a luminous round object for about 90 seconds. The men had been watching two P-82 fighters and an A-26 attack plane that were preparing for a seat ejection test when the UFO came into view. At first the men thought the object might be the parachute from the test, but that occurred later. The object did, however, very much resemble a fabric-like object not quite as dense as a parachute canopy with a white aluminum color. It flew silently at a little under 20,000 feet until descending at about three times the rate of the parachute, which was visible during the ejection test. As it came lower its silhouette presented a distinctive oval shape with two projections on the upper surface which seemed to slowly oscillate. The UFO moved against the wind in a northwesterly direction toward Mount Wilson until it was lost from sight as it descended level with the tops of a nearby mountain range s4"Project Grudge, Final Report No. 102 AC 49/15-100," Appendix B and Appendix I, Final Report by J.A. Hynek, Project Blue Book Files, Roll No. 85, Administrative Files, Box 1, listed as incident 4 in 1947 era documents; and Project Blue Book Files, Roll No. 1, Case 52, listed as Incident 4 in 1947 era documents.
Still later at 3:50 P.M., 40 miles south of Muroc, a P-51 pilot at 20,000 feet spotted a wingless, tailless "flat object of light-reflecting nature." He twice attempted an intercept but could not climb high enough. Intelligence later took great note of that incident because they determined that no military or civilian aircraft were in the area s5Edward J. Ruppelt's personal papers, File R104 and R105, courtesy of Professor Michael Swords.
That night at 9:20 P.M. spherical objects were again seen in the area, this time at 8,000 feet still moving against the wind at around 300 miles per hour. This was reminiscent of a sighting just the day before at 10:10 A.M. when Muroc test pilot Major J.C. Wise, while preparing his XP-84 aircraft for takeoff, observed one yellowish-white spherical object traveling at 200 to 225 miles per hour at 10,000 feet. It headed east with an oscillating motion s6Ibid.; and Project Blue Book Files, Roll No. 1, Case 44, listed as Incident 3 in 1947 era documents.
These disc sightings over Muroc really shook-up the Pentagon. Known collectively as the Muroc Sightings, the incidents led the Army Air Force to issue classified orders requiring reports of any "saucer-like" objects to be given to the T-2 branch (the Technical Intelligence office―redesignated the Technical Intelligence Division or TID in August) of the Air Materiel Command at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. A post-war version of the highly secret T-2 wartime intelligence group, the Technical Intelligence (later Division) specialized in collecting data on enemy aircraft.
T-2 at the Air Materiel Command had been "unofficially interested" in the disc reports which had filtered in via the Pentagon and various Air Force commands―namely the Fourth Air Force n1Thanks goes here to technical assistance from UFO researcher Joel Carpenter. In fact, beginning with the July 4th Independence Day Sightings a directive came down from Army Air Force Chief of Staff General Carl Spaatz who wanted the 4th AAF Intelligence at Hamilton Field to "open a file," although he specified that they should then report their findings to the Air Materiel Command. Yet the Muroc incidents threw matters into high gear and motivated the Pentagon to ask for a maximum effort from intelligence units around the world. Orders were then sent to all US Army air bases requiring sightings near their area to be investigated and reports sent directly to Wright Field with paperwork also going to the Pentagon. Actually, research shows that most of the early casework went directly to the Pentagon, and Wright Field did not get a complete set of files until September of 1947―by which time Loedding was working in a meaningful way with the investigations and personally lobbying for the reports.
By July 8th investigators from Wright Field, along with Alfred Loedding, began to speculate the flying disc phenomenon may be advanced German Third Reich weapons and/or aircraft being designed and flown over the United States by the Soviet Union's military forces. Specifically suspect were the wartime designs of flying-wing style aircraft inspired by the Horten brothers, Reimar and Walter of-Goettingen. One of their jet propelled flying wing designs had made its way to Wright Labs after the war and was undoubtedly studied by Loedding and the T-2 office.
Shortly after July 8th Technical Intelligence at Wright Field requested that the US Army Counter Intelligence Corps-Europe, or ECIC, help in the investigation s7Jan L. Aldrich, "The Horten Brothers, Air Materiel Command and UFOs: Perspective Thinking." 1998 Project 1947 web page article―first draft. (May be viewed at https://www.iufog.org/project 1947/.). Their agents in Germany scoured the allied occupation zones for clues to the existence of any models of Horten-like aircraft but found nothing s8United States Army Intelligence Command (INSOM) documents, dossier 198239. (May be viewed at https://www.blackvault.com/foia/army. html#l.). Thus, without doubt, the government already began feeling pressure to solve the saucer mystery as early as July 8th. Although, it is unknown just how much reactive concern the Truman administration placed on the Pentagon and subsequently to Intelligence. Yet, between July 8th and July 9th, the wheels began turning very fast. Washington released the following statement:
Washington, July 9 (UP)―Official Washington was sure today that it knew what the flying saucers were not-but it hadn't the faintest idea what they were. The Army Air Forces said they had the matter under investigation. Preliminary study has disclosed that the flying discs are not:
1. Secret bacteriological weapons designed by some foreign
2. New-type Army rockets.
3. Spaceships. s9"Army Tells What Discs Are Not," St. Louis (Missouri) Post-Dispatch, 8 July 1947
In reaction, Army Air Force Requirements Intelligence branch chief, Brigadier General George F. Schulgen, called on the FBI to give additional assistance. Schulgen also brought in one of the Muroc pilots to the Pentagon to be interrogated by a host of generals, scientists, and even psychologists. Despite a thorough grilling, the pilot remained convinced that he had seen a "flying disk" s10Documents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and George M. Eberhart, ed., The Roswell Report, A Historical Perspective (Chicago: J. Alien Hynek Center for UFO Studies, 1991), p. 11; and Ruppelt, Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, pp. 22-23 (See Appendix II.)
Schulgen also worked on the flying disc phenomenon with Pentagon Intelligence Collections branch executive Colonel Robert Taylor and his right-hand man, Lieutenant Colonel George D. Garrett. It was Garrett and the Collection branch that Loedding would coordinate with in his liaison work. But, documents do show Loedding had meetings in person with Schulgen as well. Taylor and Garrett were also the military connection to the FBI. They utilized FBI Special Agent S.W. Reynolds for the first inquiries into the by-then nation-wide rash of disc sightings.
In late July, Colonel Garrett, perhaps after networking with Loedding, decided to write up a report and send it to both the FBI and the upper echelons of the Pentagon. His memo basically served as a preliminary estimate of the current UFO situation. The intention in compiling the paper may have also been to bring the issue to a head.
In other words, this report hoped to establish a position on the phenomenon. Garrett, and certainly Loedding, first of all wanted to know if the discs represented a secret American project. (See Appendix III.) After that their more overwhelming fears centered around something of foreign―namely Soviet origin. All of these men, however, quickly became frustrated with the higher echelons of the military in their attempts to crack the mystery. Distinguished UFO researcher Professor Michael Swords writes in reference to this:
As July wore on into August, Garrett, Schulgen, and Reynolds became confused by a void of interest or pressure emanating from the high echelons of the Pentagon. They had gone through an investigative furor, which they considered to be similar to the flying disks, the previous year when hundreds of "ghost rocket" reports were made in Sweden and other European countries. In the 1946 experience, though, the top brass had exerted continuous pressure to find an answer. But here, the brass had gone completely quiet. This puzzling void has been termed "the Silence from Topside." It was very peculiar to Garrett and the FBI. Their mutual suspicion was that the very highest brass knew what this phenomenon was already s11Michael D. Swords, "Project Sign and The Estimate of the Situation," first draft of unpublished article written for 1998 issue of Journal Of UFO Studies.
The Silence from Topside refers to a connection to the Roswell Incident. Some researchers feel that physical evidence was recovered during that event, proving the flying discs to represent a real technology. The assumption is of course that the "technology" was of extraterrestrial origin and that the "top brass" were involved in a cover up of evidence. Others feel that if there was a suspicion that the high brass "knew the real answer," it involved the idea of a secret insight into captured Nazi technology. The FBI simply wanted to know up front if the phenomenon was something that actually required their expertise as the Bureau's manpower was limited. In other words, as Loren Gross wrote in his book on the 1947 wave: "If the saucers were not due to Communist agents making false reports, there wasn't much to keep the FBI busy" s12Gross, UFOs: A History 1947, p. 53 (See Appendix IV for example of FBI memos expressing concern). Yet, the military was truly concerned about a Soviet link. Even as late as 1952, some Pentagon officials would be speculating about a German/Soviet connection to the disc mystery. Following is an intriguing letter which came into Air Force Intelligence in 1952. It would seem to support such an assertion if it is indeed a genuine account:
Rudolf Goy
Menehek-Power
P.O. Box 2000
Mont Joli, P. Q,Canada 5 September 1952
Vice-Chief of Staff of U.S. Air Force
Gentlemen:
I'm sorry if I send this letter to you, but I have something to tall (sic) you about the "Flying Saucers." I am a German, and my trade is Aeronautical Engineer. Please dont(sic) think I look for a job in this trade. No, I just wont (sic) tall (sic) you, was happend (sic) about this plane before all is over. I am sorry if I writh (sic) in the German laguage (sic) below, my english grammar is too bad to tall (sic) you right." [Translator's note: these first three paragraphs are in English in the original text and I have copied them verbatim.] I would like to stress once more that by writing you this letter, I am not looking for a position nor do I want to make my name famous in an easy way. To start with, I would refuse this. Since there is so much clamor going on, I think it is time for me to tell you something about it and for this reason I am writing you a few lines. All this noise about these flying apparatus is known to you, but I would like to tell you not to believe in the visits from other planets or in the meteorological phenomena, because I believe that all this is a big mistake. In 1944 I worked with a small group of scientists and technicians on flying apparatus which resembled exactly this "Flying Saucer." Due to the air raids our group was sent to Silesia in order to work undisturbed. The experiments were only model tests and they were supposed to be realized in great haste since, according to Teich Marshal Goring's directive, this was Hitler's "Mystery Weapon." We were subordinate directly to him (Goring) and cut off from every outside communication. Even the letters which I wrote to my wife had to be addressed via Berlin where they were subject to censorship. The end came in 1945. We wanted to save at least something, so we separated and tried to reach the west individually. As I found out, not everyone succeeded because three of our group were captured and with them a part of the test results as well as some technical drawings. This was reported to me by a colleague who succeeded in escaping at the last moment. This is what I have to say on this point. Now, let's go to the apparatus itself. After the wind-tunnel tests, an experimental model was built of 3.6 m (in diameter). The driving motor was the same as " the one used for the experimental rockets. The steering gear was remotely controlled and similar to the FX-Bombs, which I know you are familiar with. From the aerotechnical standpoint, the results were amazing and they surpassed all expectations. However, it would take too long to give you all the details. You have a staff of scientists and technicians and I can only advise you to work a full steam so that the technique will not be 10 years ahead in a certain part of the world, while you believe yourselves to be in the first place. I am thinking of the jets in Korea. But please, do not think that I, as a small man, would like to propose something. I don't. But do not be misled about things which do exist. Perhaps you will say: "Who does he think he is, this German guy, he can't teach us, Americans, etc. ..." Please, gentlemen, the question now is not "who invented this thing," the only thing that matters now is not to be the last one and, at a decisive moment, find oneself confronted with the facts. By then, of course, it would be too late. Just look at 1939-1945, and I believe we learned enough. I hope that you do not misunderstand me. Even though my duty is not to gossip about these things, nevertheless, the existence of these things released me from the secrecy-oath given at that time to the constructor. I wish you every success in this work and I remain Sincerely, Rudolf Goy
P.S. I am reported the same to the Vice-Chief of Staff of the Royal Canadian Air Force n2Thanks to Jan L. Aldrich for allowing the authors to photocopy a large selection of former Air Force files which contained this letter and are now held in private hands.
In late July Colonel Garrett finished his preliminary estimate of the current UFO situation:
From detailed study of reports selected for their impression of veracity and reliability, several conclusions have been formed:
- This "flying saucer" situation is not all imaginary or seeing too much in some natural phenomenon. Something is really flying around.
- Lack of topside inquiries, when compared to the prompt and demanding inquires that have originated topside upon former events, give more ordinary weight to the possibility that this is a domestic project, about which the President, etc. know.
- Whatever the objects are, this much can be said of their physical appearance:
- The surface of these objects is metallic, indicating a metallic skin, at least.
- When a trail is observed, it is lightly colored, a Blue-Brown haze, that is similar to a rocket engine's exhaust. Contrary to a rocket of the solid type, one observation indicates that the fuel may be throttled which would indicate a liquid rocket engine.
- As to shape, all observations state that the object is circular or at least elliptical, flat on the bottom and slightly domed on the top. The size estimates place it somewhere near the size of a C-54 or a Constellation.
- Some reports described two tabs, located at the rear and symmetrical about the axis of flight motion.
- Flights have been reported, from three to nine of them, flying good formation on each other, with speeds always above 300 knots.
- The discs oscillate laterally while flying along, which could be snaking s13Wendy A. Connors, Anatomy of a Project (unpublished manuscript, 1998).
The report did force the Pentagon to start eliminating possibilities. The Chief of Research and Development, General Curtis E. LeMay, dispelled the first assumption. He stated, that "the Army Air Force has no project with the characteristics similar to those which have been associated with the Flying Discs" s14Ibid. Nevertheless, something from somewhere was definitely flying over US air space that July. The people concerned, like Loedding, had but one other possibility to eliminate―a Soviet connection.
On that watershed day of the 8th of July, UFO activity proved active elsewhere in the country. At 1:00 P.M. PST in Avalon, California, several hundred witnesses on Santa Catalina Island off Long Beach observed a formation of "saucers." Most observers agreed that there were six disc-shaped objects in the formation which passed over the island. Among those were Army Air Corps veterans Bob Jung, Kenneth Johnson, and Alvio Russo. Jung actually got a photo of the objects as did Alvio Russo. Russo, who had piloted 35 combat missions over Europe, estimated their speed at 850 miles per hour. Jung clarified the details by stating that they were flying in two elements of three each about as fast as a Navy Tiny Tim rocket. He said the formation came in from the northeast and disappeared over the hills to the south of AvalonBay s15Los Angeles, California, Examiner, 9 July 1947.
By 3:30 P.M. PST in Seattle, Washington, a "very shiny" oval-shaped disc with a "glass dome on top" flew in a northwest direction over the city s16Seattle, Oregon, Post Intelligencer, 9 July 1947. In St. Joseph, Missouri, at 4:20 P.M. CST Mrs. La Verla McCord and neighbor Mrs. Frances Illines reported a white luminous round object traveling slowly to the northeast. The craft seemed to be high, but the women were surprised that it made no noise. Many tried to convince them that they had seen a balloon despite the fact that the wind at that time was from the east. Weather Bureau observer Arthur Van Cleave confirmed this although admitted winds above 8,000 feet were from the northwest, but did not think they could have been capable of blowing a balloon northeast. Then, just as the excitement over the first sighting died down, another disc report came at 6:00 P.M. from St. Joseph s17Balloon Disc Theory Isn't Applicable Here, "St. Joseph (Missouri) Gazette, 9 July 1947, p. 5.
One of the most credible accounts of the early sightings came out of an incident over Alton, New Hampshire, at 4:26 P.M. EST. The report was made by private pilot Thomas Dale, the son of noted Governor Charles M. Dale and a highly respected pilot during WWII. For that reason the press took great interest in his story and undoubtedly accounts of the incident were monitored by Loedding and others in Dayton as well as the Pentagon. Furthermore, Dale was not alone at the time. His friend Jere Stetson was in the aircraft with him and both told an identical account.
They stated that while flying southwest over Alton at an altitude of 2,800 feet, a strange object appeared two miles to the east and some 1,500 feet below their plane. It then approached them at "excessive speed" in a matter of 15 to 18 seconds as it veered north over Alton Bay and Lake Winnipesaukee, toward Moultenboro. Both men were careful not to assume anything. Dale, in fact, stated that "I'm not saying it was a 'flying saucer,' or disc." But the men did agree that it did not "in any way, shape or manner" resemble any type of known aircraft. They then went on to stress that it was definitely of metal construction, about 20 feet long, and "not exactly round in shape." When they first spotted the object it was observed in profile against the trees below. They said the sight left them "flabbergasted" s18Manchester, New Hampshire, Morning Union, 9 July 1947; and Boston, Massachusetts, Globe, 9 July 1947.
That evening numerous sightings came from Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. Although only a few reports were printed by area newspapers, hundreds of witnesses in the city and area suburbs saw a huge flying cone-shaped object that was colored gray s19Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Inquirer, 9 July 1947; Springfield Illinois State Journal, 9 July 1947. Researchers, however, are always hesitant when reading accounts of cone shaped objects simply because that is a prime characteristic of the large research balloons―just starting to come into use at that time.
Around 9:50 P.M. PST a huge formation of luminous "flying saucers" were spotted over Fraser Valley, British Columbia, heading west at great speed s20Vancouver, British Columbia, Sun, 26 July 1947. Finally at 11:05 P.M. PST, UFOs appeared over Chino, California which topped a list of dozens of sightings in the state that day which involved hundreds of witnesses s21Chino, California, Campion, 11 July 1947.
Other headlines from the 8th came from all over North America, but exact times for the sightings are hard to pin down. Saucer reports, for example, came from parts of Ohio, but no times were recorded s22Cincinnati, Ohio, Enquirer, 8 July 1947; and Cincinnati Post, 8 July 1947; and Sandusky, Ohio, Register-Star-News, 8 July 1947. Similarly, a very good sighting came from Corapeak, North Carolina, that day. Many valuable details were provided by a news article―all but the time of sighting:
A Farmer saw an object shaped like an enormous pancake, something like a flounder with its tail cut off. It appeared to be about 20-30 feet in diameter and moving about 800 miles per hour at about 2,000 feet. The object had two window-shaped openings. The body seemed to be of stainless steel or aluminum with a glow. The witness heard an almost inaudible sound as the object passed out of his sight in three or four seconds. It had several protruding pipe-shaped extensions which emitted vapor s23Norfolk Virginia Pilot, 9 July 1947.
A report from Norfolk, Virginia, places other strange aerial phenomena over the East Coast:
Lt. Cmdr. L.D. Patterson of the Naval Station reported five yellowish discs like the moon, flying in formation over the Air Station from the West. Patterson said the formation was surrounded by a mist, and the bodies each left trails.
Walter Hurst who telephoned the Ledger-Dispatch for Patterson, said that Patterson, a pilot of considerable time in the air, was unable to establish the altitude having no point for calculation s24Norfolk, Virginia, Ledger-Dispatch, 8 July 1947.
Even far distant American bases experienced UFO incidents during the summer wave. It was on the 8th at 5:33 P.M. HST that one hundred Navy men at Pearl Harbor witnessed a mysterious "silvery colored" object with no wings or tail sail over Honolulu at rapid speed in a zig-zagging flight heading east. Five of the observers familiar with weather balloons commented that it just could not have been any type of balloon. Yeoman 1st Class Douglas Kahcerle of New Bedford, Massachusetts, stated: "It moved extremely fast for a short period, seemed to slow down, then disappeared high in the air" s25"Flying Disc Tales Decline As Army, Navy Crack Down," Las Vegas, Nevada, Review-Journal, 9 July 1947.
On the other side of the world in Australia, "flying saucers" were reported over Sydney on the 7th and 8th. The sightings occurred at night over the suburb of Kensington when two "white shiny discs" traveled quickly to the west toward Parramatta at about 10,000 feet. "Flying saucers" moving in a V formation were also reported over South Africa by Johannesburg residents s26"Anyone Can See Hying Saucers!," Wellington (New Zealand) Post, 8 July 1947; and The (Dublin) Irish Times, 9 July 1947. (Many other reports were made in foreign countries over these July dates and it is apparent that much research still needs to be done to document them all).