Project 10073 Record Card — Shady Oaks, Louisiana, 19 November 1953

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype report regarding a UFO sighting that occurred on 18 November 1953 near Shady Oaks, Louisiana. The witness, an employee of the Louisiana Department of Highways, reported observing a stationary white light, similar in intensity to a star or light bulb, suspended over a house and tree. After approximately five minutes, the object began to move and suddenly appeared as five or six less intense lights. The witness described the object as having a 'dipper shape' and being the size of a baseball or grapefruit. The object moved at a right angle, accelerated, and eventually curved sharply toward the south-west before disappearing behind trees. The witness reported no noise during the seven-minute observation. Military authorities at England Air Force Base investigated the incident, ruling out local helicopter operations after consulting with the Air Force and Army at Fort Polk. Radar units (653 AC&W Squadron) reported no contact in the area. A jet aircraft was observed in the vicinity five minutes after the object disappeared, which the witness believed was flying to or from England Air Force Base. A weather balloon was reported found in the area, and although it could not be confirmed if it carried a light, investigators concluded this was the most likely explanation for the sighting. The report notes that the witness's wife corroborated the account, which helped investigators dismiss the theory that the sighting was merely a light fixation caused by darkness.