Project 10073 Record — Sighting Report, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1956

This document is a collection of records and correspondence related to a UFO sighting reported by a former World War II radio operator and cryptographer. The primary incident occurred in 1956 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the witness observed a brilliant, metallic disc-shaped object while standing in front of his home at noon. The witness reported that the object circled 360 degrees, stopped, and hovered at an altitude he estimated to be over 100,000 feet. He noted that the object was visible in clear, cloudless skies and appeared to be the size of the planet Venus. The witness, who was a veteran of the 63rd Troop Carrier Squadron, reported the incident to his mother and brother, and later to a neighbor who was the wife of a Major in the Civil Air Patrol. He also mentioned discussing the sighting with a Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico. The document includes various forms and correspondence from the 1960s, as the witness sought an official explanation for his experience. The Air Force, specifically the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and Project Blue Book, responded to the report by suggesting that the object might have been an upper-atmospheric high-altitude balloon, a common explanation for such reports. However, the witness expressed strong skepticism, citing his background in radio operations and his conviction that the object's movements were not consistent with a balloon. The file also contains miscellaneous clippings and reports of other sightings from 1956, including incidents in Oregon, Oklahoma, and Hawaii, which were compiled by the Air Force for informational purposes. The document reflects the administrative process of the Air Force's UFO investigation efforts, showing how reports were processed, evaluated, and often dismissed due to the lack of contemporary data or the passage of time, which the investigators noted made verification nearly impossible.