Correspondence regarding U.F.O. sighting report in Baltimore, Maryland, 1957

This document collection details a series of exchanges between an amateur astronomer in Baltimore, Maryland, and the U.F.O. Committee of the Air Force regarding an unidentified aerial object observed on the night of November 6, 1957. The witness, who identified themselves as an amateur astronomer with hundreds of hours of sky-watching experience, reported seeing an unusual object between 9:43 P.M. and 9:47 P.M. E.S.T. The witness initially contacted the Air Force in December 1957, but subsequent correspondence in late 1958 reveals a significant administrative confusion. The Air Force, specifically the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), repeatedly searched its records for a report from the witness but was unable to locate any documentation of the sighting. Major Lawrence J. Tacker of the Office of Information Services informed the witness on November 10, 1958, that no record of the sighting existed and that no other sightings had been reported in the Baltimore area on that date. The witness wrote back on November 13, 1958, clarifying that the sighting occurred on November 6, 1957, not December 15, 1957, and requested a new search. Internal routing slips (DD Form 95) show that Major Robert J. Friend of AFCIN-4E4 conducted multiple follow-up searches of ATIC files for dates surrounding November 6, 1957, but again failed to find any corroborating reports or the original submission from the witness. The final conclusion provided by the Air Force was that no record of the case existed, and therefore no evaluation could be offered. The documents illustrate the administrative challenges and record-keeping limitations faced by the Air Force in processing civilian UFO reports during this period.