Correspondence Regarding Albuquerque Sighting and Life Magazine Photographs

This document consists of correspondence between the 34th Air Division (Defense) at Kirtland Air Force Base and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) regarding an aerial phenomenon sighting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 31, 1953. The sighting was reported by a photographer named G. M. Hunsley Jr., who observed an object hovering over the city between 9:00 and 9:15 p.m. Hunsley described the object as white, appearing larger than a star, and noted that it shifted to blue and red colors while stationary. The object was observed at an altitude of 15 to 20 degrees above the horizon.

1st Lt. Glen D. Parrish of the 34th Air Division initiated the correspondence by forwarding a newspaper clipping from the Albuquerque Journal to Captain Edward J. Ruppelt at ATIC. Parrish noted that the Air Force had not been notified of the sighting until after the fact, and that the original negatives had already been sent to Life Magazine. Although Hunsley was willing to cooperate with the Air Force, the photos were unavailable for immediate analysis. Dr. La Paz had already ruled out the possibility of a meteor.

In his reply dated February 11, 1953, Captain Ruppelt acknowledged the receipt of the clipping and expressed frustration with the tendency of witnesses to send photographs to commercial publications for sale, which complicates official investigations. Ruppelt indicated that ATIC would attempt to obtain the photos from Life Magazine. Additionally, the correspondence touches upon other administrative matters, including a personnel application for a slot at ATIC and a meeting with representatives from Los Alamos regarding radiation pick-ups, which were determined to have no correlation with unidentified flying object sightings. The document concludes with a note on a scheduled briefing tour of Air Defense Divisions.