Incident #353 Sighting Report — Vicksburg, Mississippi, April 1949

This archive contains a collection of documents related to Incident #353, a sighting of a triangular-shaped object over Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 23 April 1949. The primary report, filed under Project 10073, describes a civilian observation of a triangular object that appeared to have wings and a row of lights along its edges. The object was observed for 5-10 seconds, moving at a moderate speed toward the East. Despite the witness's detailed description, the official conclusion recorded on the project sheet is 'Astro (METEOR).' The archive also includes extensive documentation regarding a separate, high-profile series of reports from White Sands Proving Ground in August 1949, where press coverage of 'flying saucers' or 'flying discs' caused significant concern for military authorities. These documents detail the efforts of the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) to determine the source of these reports, which were linked to press conferences held during the firing of the 'Viking' rocket. Military officials, including General Blackmore and Captain Detchemendy, denied that any official releases regarding 'flying discs' were made by the Army, attributing the stories to press speculation and misinterpretations of technical activities. The documents highlight the tension between military classification, public interest, and the role of the press in disseminating information about unidentified aerial phenomena during the late 1940s. The file includes routing sheets, internal memos, and statements from various personnel, reflecting the administrative process of investigating these reports under projects such as Project Grudge and Project Sign.