Project 10073 Record Card: Temple, California Incident

On April 9, 1957, at approximately 4:45 a.m., residents of the San Gabriel Valley in California were awakened by a loud noise described as a 'sonic boom.' Shortly thereafter, 10-year-old Patrick Murphy discovered a 30-inch-wide, cone-shaped hole in the backyard of his home at 8831 Greenwood Avenue. The incident was reported to the Temple City Sheriff's deputies, who subsequently involved the U.S. Army and the 4602d. Army ordnance specialists from Fort MacArthur, led by Captain R. B. Jackson, arrived to investigate the possibility that a missile or bomb had impacted the site. The excavation, which involved the 58th Ordnance Detachment and Air Force intelligence personnel, continued for several days. Despite digging to a depth of 16 to 20 feet, the team failed to recover any object. During the excavation, the team unearthed various debris, including a chunk of concrete with yellow paint, a rusted baby carriage, a tin can, and a piece of garden hose, all of which were determined to be unrelated to the incident. Captain Jackson noted that while the hole appeared to be caused by an impact from the sky, there was no evidence of an explosion or any object remaining in the ground. Air Force sources denied that any missiles were missing from their inventory. The investigation concluded that the search was fruitless, and no further action was contemplated. The incident generated significant local interest and media coverage, with various theories ranging from meteorites to unidentified flying objects, though the official military assessment remained inconclusive.