UFOB Report — St. Louis, Missouri, 15 November 1953

This document is a military teletype report (JEDST 12) dated 23 November 1953, concerning an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UFOB) sighting that occurred on 15 November 1953. The report was generated by the USAF ACIC in St. Louis, Missouri, and addressed to various commands, including the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson AFB. The sighting involved a single object observed by three individuals while they were driving on Highway 30 between Cedar Hill and High Ridge, Missouri. The witnesses, whose reliability was noted as unevaluated, described the object as having an undetermined shape, appearing as a 'pinhead' in size, and exhibiting a starlight or blue-white color. The object was initially mistaken for a falling star. Its flight path was reported as moving from due south to the southwest, before continuing in a westerly direction. The observers estimated the object's speed at 1,000 mph and noted that it remained in sight for approximately two minutes. No tail, exhaust, or audible sound was detected, and the angle of elevation remained constant until the object disappeared from view. The report explicitly states that no optical aids were used and that the observation was a ground visual. Capt. Harold P. Edwards, the Adjutant at the center, rendered the report based on a verbal account from the civilians. The official conclusion provided in the document is that a preliminary analysis was impossible due to the 'sketchy nature' of the information, though it suggests the phenomenon was 'possibly attributable to flight test of jet acft under cloak of darkness.' The document is marked as unclassified and includes instructions for downgrading at three-year intervals and declassification after twelve years per DOD Directive 5200.10.