Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Staff Message — Misawa AB, Japan, 13 June 1963

On 13 June 1963, at approximately 1200Z, Airman Third Class Robert J. O'Connor of the 6139 Air Police Squadron observed an unidentified object near Misawa Air Base, Japan. The witness, described as a usually reliable security guard, reported seeing a round object resembling an aircraft landing light. The object was initially white but changed to a green tint after it began to rise. It was observed moving in an arc of approximately three feet for 8-10 movements before suddenly accelerating upward and disappearing after about 10 seconds of rising. The total duration of the sighting was estimated at 3-4 minutes. The weather conditions at the time included an overcast sky and haze, with surface inversions recorded at 1200, 8500, and 21000 feet. No radar traffic was reported at the time of the sighting. The official evaluation, conducted by 2LT Theodore W. Towl of the Operational Intelligence Branch, concluded that the sighting was a weather balloon. The report suggests that the haze and temperature inversions, combined with the reflection of a nearby air facility's rotating green and white beacon, led to a misinterpretation of the object. However, the report also acknowledges that the reported green tint and the specific movement of the object did not perfectly align with the beacon reflection theory.