Incident No. 15 Sighting Report — Camp Hood, Texas, 31 March 1949

This document comprises a series of reports and correspondence regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on 31 March 1949 at Camp Hood, Texas. The primary witness, a 1st Lieutenant from Company C, 12th AIB, reported observing a round, basketball-sized object at approximately 2150 hours. The object, which exhibited a fire-colored and white appearance with a long, visible trail, was observed at an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet. The witness noted that the object maintained a straight flight path parallel to the road for a duration of 10 to 15 seconds before fading from view due to distance. The observer was in a vehicle at the time of the sighting and did not stop. Notably, the report includes a specific observation that there was significant radio interference immediately following the sighting. The investigation was conducted by the Fourth Army, and the findings were forwarded to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for further review. The documentation includes a formal transmittal letter from the Headquarters Fourth Army, dated 4 April 1949, signed by Colonel Eustis L. Poland, as well as the standard 'Guide for Investigation of Unidentified Aerial Objects' forms. Additionally, an incoming message from the 15th District OSI at Ogden, Utah, references a 'so-called meteor' and mentions an investigation into an 'air burst of considerable force' occurring on 5 April 1949, though this appears to be a separate or related administrative entry within the file. The report is marked as unclassified.