Project 10073 Record Card — Anderson, South Carolina, 28 June 1964

This document collection details a UFO sighting reported by Beauford Parham on the night of June 28, 1964, near Anderson, South Carolina. Parham, a North Carolina motorist, claimed that while driving at approximately 70 miles per hour, a circular object resembling a spinning top hovered over his vehicle, causing the engine to slow down. He reported that the object emitted a hissing sound, a brilliant glow, an offensive odor, and intense heat, which he claimed caused pain in his arm. Parham further alleged that the object left marks and oily spots on his car and that the vehicle was radioactive. The incident was investigated by the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) at Anderson, where Mr. Woodcock, the facility chief, tested the car with a Geiger counter and found no radioactivity. The Air Force, specifically the Project Blue Book office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, evaluated the report and concluded that the phenomenon was likely St. Elmo's fire, citing the stormy weather conditions in the area at the time. The Air Force determined that no formal report was required as the event was not considered an unidentified flying object. Despite this, Parham and other correspondents, including Alberto P. Juliano of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), challenged the official findings, asserting that the investigation was inadequate and that witnesses, including reporters, had observed the car's condition. The documents include internal Air Force memoranda, a project record card, and newspaper clippings from the Macon Telegraph and The Atlanta Constitution, which highlight the public and media interest in the sighting and the subsequent controversy regarding the official Air Force explanation.