Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Message — Copemish, Michigan, July 1961

This document collection details a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings occurring on July 7, 1961, in the vicinity of Copemish, Michigan. The initial report, filed under Project 10073, describes an object that first appeared as a basketball-sized light, which later split into four smaller objects the size of baseballs. These objects, described as bluish to red in color, were observed intermittently over a two-hour period. The witnesses, including a waitress and several local residents, reported that the objects moved slowly, initially appearing at a high altitude before descending to tree-top level. Subsequent reports from the same night describe a bright, glowing light similar to a full moon that brightened and faded, and later, a red object the size of a grapefruit moving smoothly near the ground. Witnesses also reported observing a faint rotating beacon inside a glowing object. Military investigations conducted by the 752nd Radar Squadron and the Strategic Air Command (SAC) confirmed that there were no known military or commercial flights in the area at the time of the sightings. Despite the detailed accounts provided by the witnesses, who were noted as being sincere in their observations, the Air Force Technical Intelligence Center (AFTIC) was unable to identify the phenomena. The reports suggest the possibility of a private helicopter, but this could not be verified. The case remained classified as 'Unidentified' pending further information. The documentation includes correspondence regarding the request for meteorological data, specifically radiosonde adiabatic charts, to assist in the evaluation of the atmospheric conditions during the incident.