Project 10073 Record — Kahoka, Missouri, 7 October 1964

On October 7, 1964, at 9:00 p.m. CST, a civilian witness in Kahoka, Missouri, observed a stationary light phenomenon in the sky. The witness initially believed the object was the moon, but upon closer inspection, described it as resembling an electric light pole reflecting light from the earth to the clouds. The witness noted that the light appeared to be centered in the clouds, which took on a funnel-shaped appearance. The following day, the witness contacted the local newspaper, the Gazette-Herald, and learned that the switchboard had been flooded with calls from other residents regarding the same phenomenon. Theories circulating in the town included surveyors working east of Kahoka or a light source from a barge on the river. The witness subsequently wrote to J. Edgar Hoover at the Federal Bureau of Investigation expressing concern about the potential for powerful light beams to be harmful to eyesight and inquiring about the nature of the light. The correspondence was forwarded to the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2. The official Project 10073 record concluded that the sighting was likely the result of searchlight activity, with the witness observing a reflection of light on clouds rather than the moon itself.