Project 10073 Record Card — Bethlehem, Connecticut, 4 July 1961

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated military communications regarding a UFO sighting in Bethlehem, Connecticut, on July 4, 1961. The primary witness, a 46-year-old veteran pilot, reported observing a round, bright red object, approximately the size of a quarter, moving in a straight path with slow apparent motion. The object was observed for 15 minutes and was noted to twinkle while passing overhead before disappearing behind high, thin clouds to the southeast. The witness, who had previous experience with aerial phenomena, stated this was a unique experience for him. The sighting was corroborated by two 15-year-old boys who were present at the time. Following an investigation by the 99th Bomb Wing at Westover Air Force Base, it was determined that the object was a helium-filled weather balloon. The investigation identified an artist named Talbot in Washington, Connecticut, who had released weather balloons with railroad flares attached on both July 4 and July 5, 1961. The military concluded that these releases satisfactorily explained the reported sighting.