Project 10073 Record Card — Richey, Montana, May 1959

This document file contains a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding a civilian report of unidentified material found in a field near Richey, Montana, in May 1959. A civilian witness discovered numerous strips of aluminum scattered over a large area and subsequently mailed a sample to the Civil Defence Department in Washington, D.C., requesting identification. The material was forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) for analysis. Internal routing slips indicate that Major Robert J. Friend oversaw the processing of the inquiry. The final response, dated June 24, 1959, and signed by Major Lawrence J. Tacker of the Public Information Division, informed the witness that the material had been analyzed and identified as 'chaff.' The letter explained that chaff is a material dropped from aircraft to interfere with radar detection and noted that, in this specific instance, the material had been dispersed by military aircraft during a practice mission. The record card confirms the conclusion that the items were not unusual for areas where Strategic Air Command (SAC) or Tactical Air Command (TAC) practice missions were conducted.