Project 10073 Record Cards and Intelligence Reports — Chicago, Illinois, June 1952

This collection of documents details multiple reports of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) in the Chicago, Illinois area during June 1952. The primary report concerns a sighting on 11 June 1952, where a civilian observer reported two globular, dark blue objects with grey centers, approximately six inches in diameter, moving in a trail formation from the southwest to the northeast at an estimated altitude of 6,000 feet and a speed of 500 MPH. The observation lasted between 30 and 45 seconds. The observer, who was noted as having experience in judging aircraft altitude and speed, initially delayed reporting the incident until a newspaper article regarding 'flying saucers' prompted him to contact the authorities. Air Force intelligence officers, including Captain Neil M. MacLachlan, evaluated the report and concluded that there was no known condition or activity that could account for the sighting. The documents also include a separate report from 23 June 1952, involving a Major John H. Eleveld Jr. of the Civil Air Patrol, who observed two round objects resembling 'giant soap bubbles' near Owensboro, Kentucky, which reflected the sun in a yellow-lavender light. These objects were also described as flying in a trail formation and moving at high altitude. The documentation includes standard Project 10073 record cards, intelligence information reports (AF Form 112), and correspondence between various military units, including the 5th District OSI and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). The reports emphasize that the objects did not follow the flight characteristics of conventional aircraft, and in the Chicago case, the observer noted the objects did not follow the curve of the earth, leading to speculation about their origin. The files are marked as unclassified and were downgraded at three-year intervals per DOD Directive 5200.10.