Correspondence Regarding Magnesium Anode Found in Emmons, Minnesota

This collection of documents details the investigation into a metallic object discovered on a farm near Emmons, Minnesota, on July 7, 1959. The object, described as being 17 inches long, 5 inches in diameter, and weighing approximately 12 1/4 pounds, was initially reported to the Sheriff of Freeborn County. The Sheriff subsequently contacted a local newspaper photographer, leading to coverage in Minneapolis newspapers. Detachment 7 of the 1006th AISS recovered the object and conducted a site study, noting that the object was heavily corroded and lying on top of the grass with no signs of impact, such as ground penetration or scorched vegetation. The object was described as resembling a corroded artillery shell with a small spring protruding from the rear. Military personnel, including Major Lawrence J. Tacker, coordinated the investigation and instructed local officers to inform the press that the object had been forwarded to the appropriate Air Force echelon for analysis. Following an evaluation by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC), the object was definitively identified as a magnesium anode, a device typically used for preventing corrosion in pipelines. The Air Force maintained that this was a final evaluation and not a tentative one. The documents also include correspondence between the Air Force and a civilian, identified as being associated with Fulcrum Productions, who had inquired about the object and requested photographs or samples. The Air Force declined these requests, citing a policy established by AFCIN that prohibited providing special information or samples to the general public.