Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting near Seminole, Texas, December 1960

This document consists of a series of incoming staff messages and a Project 10073 record card detailing a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings that occurred in the vicinity of Seminole, Texas, in December 1960. The primary reports describe a brilliant, yellowish-orange, round object, approximately the size of a half-dollar, which appeared to rotate at 60 cycles per minute while casting a brilliant beam. The object was observed by both military personnel from Reese Air Force Base and local civilians, including members of the Texas Highway Patrol and oil company employees. Witnesses reported that the object appeared in various weather conditions, including clear skies, cloudy weather, and during a thunderstorm. A notable feature of the sightings was the reported electromagnetic interference, which caused shortwave radios to lose sound and disrupted television reception when the object was in the area. The military investigation, led by Captain Roger N. Anderson of the 3560th Pilot Training Wing at Webb Air Force Base, involved dispatching a T-33 aircraft to the site on December 16, 1960. The pilot of the T-33 identified the object as a rotating beacon mounted on a 50-foot pole, which possessed the same characteristics as the reported UFO. The official conclusion reached by the investigators was that the sightings were likely caused by this rotating beacon, with the movement of the object attributed to 'photokinesis.' Despite this conclusion, the investigating team noted that the witnesses, including three Air Force officers, had observed phenomena they had not encountered in their previous experience. The document also highlights that the civilian witnesses in the area, who were working for an oil company, were initially concerned about the object but became casual about the sightings, referring to the object as 'he, him, and it.' The report emphasizes that the witnesses had no desire for publicity and welcomed the presence of Air Force investigators.