Air Intelligence Information Report: Reporting of Unidentified Aerial Objects, 9 July 1953

On 9 July 1953, at approximately 1205 hours, three airmen assigned to the 3750th Medical Group at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, observed an unidentified aerial object while standing on the hospital ramp. The witnesses, who were on their lunch break, were alerted to the object after noticing two B-25 aircraft flying westward. The object was described as a circular, metallic, silvery-white disc with a phosphorescent glow. It appeared to be at a very high altitude, significantly higher than the B-25 aircraft. The object was observed to be spinning horizontally and moving from the northwest to the southeast before changing direction toward the southwest. The witnesses estimated the duration of the sighting to be between eight and ten seconds. They reported that the object made no sound and emitted no vapor trails or smoke. One witness described the object as having a vertical 'U' shape before it disappeared over nearby buildings. The witnesses, who were noted as being of average or above-average intelligence, maintained that they had not previously believed in 'Flying Saucers.' An investigation by the Provost Marshal confirmed that no other military or civilian units had received similar reports, and that the pilots of the B-25 aircraft in the vicinity had not observed any unusual activity. The official conclusion recorded on the report form suggests the sighting was an 'altitude illusion,' though the detailed statements provided by the witnesses remain part of the official record.