Report of Sighting of 'Flying Discs' or Other Phenomena in the Atmosphere — Port O'Connor, Texas, 2 August 1949

On 2 August 1949, at approximately 2045 hours, personnel stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboat Station in Port O'Connor, Texas, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witnesses, including BMC Doyle J. Green, BM2 Carl L. Stone, EN3 Robert D. Gardner, and SN Ralph Chambers, reported seeing a single, spherical object emitting a dull red glow. The object appeared to be at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet and was described as moving very slowly, remaining stationary at times, with occasional slight losses of altitude and a general movement toward the North. The observation lasted for approximately four to five minutes, during which the intensity of the glow reportedly varied, with the object disappearing and reappearing before finally vanishing. The weather conditions at the time were partly cloudy with a light breeze, and an electric squall was noted to be visible in the southwest, having passed the station an hour prior. Following the incident, a check was conducted with the nearby Matagorda Air Base, which confirmed that no aircraft were known to be in the vicinity at the time of the sighting. The report was formally submitted by LCDR S. Y. Hammond of the U.S. Coast Guard to the Commanding General of the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in accordance with Air Intelligence Requirements Memorandum Number 4. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency was that the object was the planet Venus.