Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Rockford, Michigan, July 1957

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding an unusual object sighting reported on July 30, 1957, near Rockford, Michigan. The report was filed by the 4671st Ground Observer Squadron. The witnesses, identified as a local couple, reported seeing three round objects that appeared the size of a walnut at arm's length. These objects were described as changing colors between red, green, and yellow, and leaving a small red exhaust trail. The objects were initially stationary but later moved in a bobbing motion, with two moving west and one moving northeast. The total duration of the sighting was approximately 30 minutes. T/Sgt Carlos D. Estep of the 4671st Ground Observer Squadron was dispatched to the scene to verify the report and confirmed observing the objects in a bobbing motion. The official conclusion recorded on the card suggests that the description is consistent with the Aurora Borealis, which was reportedly observed throughout the United States starting on August 26, 1957. The correspondence includes a memorandum from the 4671st Ground Observer Squadron to the Air Defense Command, noting that the report was delayed due to routing errors and that standard Air Force forms were not immediately available at the time of the report.