Incident #366 Sighting Report — Wingate Ordnance Depot, Gallup, New Mexico, 5 June 1949

This document is a collection of reports and correspondence regarding unidentified aerial phenomena observed in 1949, primarily focusing on an incident at the Wingate Ordnance Depot in Gallup, New Mexico. On 5 June 1949, at 1950 hours, Captain John W. Stewart, a Post Engineer Officer, observed a single, spheriod-shaped object of a brilliant orange color. The object was in view for approximately five seconds and left a trail of white smoke that persisted for about 15 minutes. The observer, noted for his excellent character and 20-20 vision, was in his car at the time of the sighting. The official conclusion reached by the investigating authorities was that the object was a meteor. The document also includes a broader report from the Office of Special Investigations, dated 26 July 1949, which summarizes several other sightings of unidentified objects in New Orleans, Dallas, and Fort Bliss during May and June 1949. These reports detail various descriptions, including flat circular objects, arrow-head formations, and objects moving at high speeds. The compilation serves as a record of the military's efforts to document and investigate these aerial phenomena during that period, with many reports being forwarded to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for further analysis. The file includes multiple 'Guide to Investigation' forms, which standardize the collection of data such as time, location, duration, and physical characteristics of the observed objects.