Operational Immediate Sighting Report — Misawa AB, Japan, 12 February 1953

This document is an 'Operational Immediate' message sent on February 13, 1953, by the 511th AC&W Squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan. It reports a sighting of an unidentified object that occurred on February 12, 1953, at 2230 hours. The object was observed at the Nemuro Air Force Detachment, located at 43-18 North, 145-36 East. The witness described a single object that was flashing red, green, and white, noting that it appeared similar to a navigation light. The observation lasted for 15 minutes. According to the report, the object was first seen one degree above the horizon. Over a period of 5 to 12 minutes, it reportedly climbed to an altitude of 15 to 20 degrees above the horizon, before descending back to one degree above the horizon and disappearing. The report explicitly states that speed and direction were undetermined and that there was no radar contact from the Nemuro detachment. The conclusion provided in the document identifies the object as the planet Venus, suggesting that the perceived movement and climb were the result of an optical illusion or atmospheric refraction.