Sighting Report - Nashville, Tennessee - 27 July 1965

This document is an official Air Force incoming message dated July 30, 1965, regarding a UFO sighting report from Nashville, Tennessee, on July 27, 1965. A witness, identified as a moderately reliable housewife and secretary, reported seeing a round, silver object approximately forty feet in diameter with a low domed top. The object appeared to have a blue halo with white stripes, was flashing, and seemed to spin. The witness noted colors of orange, red, and yellow. The object was observed for approximately one to one and a half minutes while the witness was driving, appearing to travel alongside the automobile before disappearing behind trees. Captain Gerald N. Marr of the 314th Combat Support Group investigated the incident. He interviewed a Berry Field control tower operator who confirmed that a Cessna 172 was in the area at the time, towing an electrical advertising banner. The investigation concluded that the reported object was indeed this aircraft and its banner. The banner, which could be extended to thirty feet in length and eight feet in width, contained many small light bulbs that spelled out words in a continuous moving motion, creating the illusion of a spinning object for a distant observer. The report notes that visibility was five miles with haze, which caused city lights to reflect on the banner, accounting for the colors described by the witness. The Air Force determined that no further investigation was required, noting that other witnesses in the area had reported similar sightings.