Report of Aerial Observation - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

This document consists of a letter dated May 6, 1949, from a civilian witness in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, to the Technical Intelligence Division at Wright-Patterson Field, and a subsequent acknowledgement from Colonel W. R. Clingerman of the USAF Intelligence Department. The witness reports an observation made before dawn on a day in the fall of 1948. While looking out of a second-floor window during a storm, the witness observed chains of luminous discs moving in swift, co-ordinated, and intricate patterns over the Cape. The witness estimated there were about a dozen chains, which appeared to be self-propelled and guided. The discs were described as being the size of a safety match head, with the chains being the length of a match-stick. The colors were described as faint shades of blue, lavender, pink, and green. The witness noted that the discs appeared to overlap like fish scales and were set obliquely to the axis of the chains. The witness initially considered if the objects were related to jet planes arriving at Otis Air Base, but dismissed this due to the stormy weather and the nature of the maneuvers. The witness compared the movement to patterns in Disney's 'Fantasia' and noted that the chains dipped to at least 3000 feet above the Cape. The observation lasted between five and ten minutes. The witness did not report the incident at the time, fearing others would not believe them, and only shared the information with their spouse. The witness explicitly stated that the display was not related to the Northern Lights.