'i\:lhi(l;nry A':'IC ~ILVERTIPPED OBJECT IS OBSERVED MOVING SKY A allver-tipped object oke moved slowly across the section ot the ednesday afternoon between 4:1!\ nd 4:25 and then alowly disaP- ared, seemlnc to dissolve from t tail forward, according to rs. Everett R. Johnson , Water- "We were looking to the north- meteor like in the east and went slowly isappearing the north," Mn. John so n said. t hunc like a silver ball r ight the north and then dissolved." Two others who th Mrs. Johnson saw t hia phe- menon, her small son, Everett, o was fascinated by tho sight, her m other, Mrs. Daniel M~ rear, Watertown, R. D. 2. 6t' p 0 'ea M d = E a I ht b sri 0 d 0 rt j The Wat~rtown Dei ~ Times Watert New York UNCLASSIF\ED UNDEVELOPED LEADS DISTRICT OFFICE NO. 11, TINKER AIR FORCE BASE. OKLAHO CITY. OKLAHOMA AT OKLAHOMA CITY OKLAHOMA Will oheok recorda at the Office of 2059th Air Wing. Tinker AFB. to deternaine flight oouree or four ( 4) Rawinsonde Balloons which were released tram Gritt.iaa AFB. Rome, New York on 11 May 1949. one eaoh at 0400. 1000. 1600, and 2200 hours, EST. UNCLASS1F!ELI HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS REPORT OF INVESTIGATION UNCLASSiFiED Incident, Waterto~n, New York REPORT MADE BY OLIVER R. RUPERT REPORT MADE AT DO #5, Vl/PAFB, Dayton, Ohio OFFICE OF ORIGIN SPECIAL INQUIRY None, this is an initial ort. Investigation requested by Acting Chief; Analysis Division, Intelli5~nce Department, Headquarters Air Materiel Counr!and, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, D~on, Chic. Information received re- nects Watertcmn Da11 y Times, YfatertoTm, New York released information on 12 May 1949 indicating a silver tipped object was observed moving in the sky betvreen 4:15 and 4:25 P.M. on 11 May 1949. Obs who s his object iden d as Mrs tert Mr atertown, RD 2. DISTRIBUTIOH DO #22 (Incl.) ACTION COPY FORWARDED TO Commanding General Air Materiel Command Wright-Patterson AFB Dayton, Ohio ATTN: MCIAXS 01,J\S F. DCYLE, JR. Captain, USAF Acting DISTRICT coMMANDER FILE STAMP AFCSI FORM 4 U. I . GOVUIIII(IIT ,IIIITI~G O,IC:C PROJECT "GRUDGE" 1. This investigation is predicated upon receipt of a Routing & Record Sheet, dated 24 May 1949 from Lt. Colonel A. J. IIEJ STREET, JR., Actine Chief, Analysis Division, Intelligence Department (MCIAXS) Headquarters Air J.:ateriel Conunand, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, who received infor- mation hereinafter set forth, regarding sighting of unidentifjed aerial phenomena reported by news clipping in the vicinity of \':ate ork on 11 ~ 1949. Information transmitted \~atertoT:n, New York. 2. Report from the viatertovm Daily Times, Watertovm, New York, SlLVER-TlPPED OBJECT IS OBSERVED MOVING IN SKY A silver-tipped object trailing smoke moved slowly across the northeast section of the sky v:ednesday afternoon bet1-reen 4:15 and 4:25 and then slowly disappeared se to dissolve from the tail forward, according to Mrs. ova1 "We were looking to the northeast and this meteorlike thin g rose in the east and slowly across the horizon, disapFearing in the north," Lirs. said. It hung like a silver ball right in the north dissolved. Two others who were nomenon, her small son and her mother, Mrs ridj ng with ?!rs. '\'rho wc..s fascinated , \'latertovm, R. s aw this phe- o:l the sight' 3 Reque:st return of completed leads to reach this office not later than INCLOSURES FCRS DISTRI.C:J' OFFICE No. 22, GRIFFJSS AFB Guide to Investigation .(in dup) 1JNCLASSlFlED PR.OOECT "GRUDGE" . uNcv.ss\f\0 tn~DEVELOPED LEAD DJSTjtiCT OFFICE NO. 22J GRIFFIS~. }..FB, RO~.:E AT WATERT<X:N, NEVf YORK Will conduct such investigation as necessar.y to adequately answer all questions set forth in attached Guide to Investigation. . UNCLASS\F\0 UNITED STATES AIR FORCE THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS REPORT MADE BY REPORT OF INVESTIGATION TITLE REPORr MADE AT DO :/f22 Grif'f'iss AFB INCIDENT, WATERTOWN, NEW YORK OFFICE OF ORIGIN DISTRIBUTION Interviews and oheoks made regarding un- identified aerial objeots reportedly seen between 1545 and 1700 hours EST on ll May 1949 in the Watertown, New York area and Miss all of rtown, New York. ACTION COPY FORWARDED TO FILE STAMP UN CLASS:::-! cD C. CARPENTER Major, USAF JH4tricl Commandtr. 0-2 0 8 RoplaCOI AFCSI Fnrn~ 1. This is a joint investigation of Special Agent and the writer. AT WATERTOfiN, NE\V YORK 2. On 17 June 1949, the writer interviewed Mi Hunting- tonville Road, Route 2, Watertown, New York, a granunar school student, concern- ing her alleged observation of an object in the sky an 11 May 1949 from 1545 to 1600 hours, EST, along a rural r oute near Watertown, New York. The geographic location of this point of observation is the st. Lawrence River area, (263) Longitude 76 degrees 48, Latitude 44 degreeso This info~ant stated tnnt while riding in a vehicle, heading northeast through a rural area, another passenger in this vehicle observed en object traveling through space and brought this observation to the attention of occupants of t~e oar. The vehicle was stopped and closer observation was made again after getting out of the oar. ted that this object appeared to be approximately a foot in l ength, rectangular in shape, similar to a shoe box, and white in color. She furuner stated that there seemed to be only one object, appearing from the south, gr ad- ually gaining altitude for about three minutes, leveling off, end moving to the northeast slowly, until it completely disappeared. The ~pproximate t ime the j object was vi le was estimated at from ten to fifteen minutes by thi s infor.m- 1 ant ed that the weather was excellent on this date with no clou ds affecting the visibility, making it possible for her to discern that the object was smooth-surfaced, reflecting the sun'D rays, similar to the surface of a I conventional aircre.f't, that it neither made eny sound nor left any apparent trail of smoke, or odor of any kind. The writer checked with the Police Depart- ment end Jefferson County Sheriff'' s Office, Watertown, New York and there wa s infor.mation concerning this informant. The writer interviewed SUB~CT's mother end she advised is twelve y ears of a ge, attends a local grammar school, end concerning her daughter's accuracy of visi on, she related that in n recent eye examination h er vision had proven above n ormal. 3. The writer also interviewe tingtonville.Road, Route 2, Watertown, New York, a housewi e ving on a fann, c oncerning her al l e ged observation of an object seen while driving along a rural area near Wa tertown, New The geographic location of the point of observation is St. Lawrence Ri ver area, {263), Longi es 48 Latitude 44 degrees. Upon being interviewed by the writer, tated that while driving along a rural area near Watertown, New York on 11 May 1949, she observed an object soaring through t he s17 . She stated that at first sh e thought she was seei " so she imnediatel called attention o the other ers, 1:is , and ..... to the object. After alighting from the vehicle, ed further that she observed an object in the air resembling an automobile cap at a distance, and upon closer scrutiny it seemed to be a silver ball, similar to aircraft fuselage. She stated that the object seemed to appear over a nearby hill about one-half' mile away to the southeast, was visible as it moved slowly for ten or fifteen minutes, gaining altitude for two three minutes, then leveling of leaving a forty root gray smoke trail which gradually diminished. She said that as the object moved f'rqm southeast to north- DECLASSiJJb' pU~ 0.10 _ .. J I o o I o 4t I o ,',-east the smoke gradually disappeared end the ~ject seemed to dissolve gTadually. 1 She COlWnented that the visibility that day was excellent as there were no clouds. present to affect it whatsoever, therefore she could see the object was not illuminated by its own source but seemed to reflect the rays or the sun, rather like the fuselage of a conventional aircraft. The writer made checks at the Police Department end Sheriff's Office, ~'{o.tertown, New York and they proved nega- tive. It was disclosed to this writer that Mr a between sixty and sixty-five years of age and he found that she lives in a poor locality and docs not seem to be very well educated. The writer asked this observer about her vision in order to determine its aooura.oy ttnCl she stated that she is far-sighted and wears glasses but that her vision was not obstructed in any way at the time ot this observation. .., 4. Huntingtonville Road. Route 2, Watertown, New York the writer on 17 June 1949, concerning her alleged observation of en object seen in space at approximately 1615 to 1625 hours EST, 11 May 1949. driving tne vehicle traveling along a rural route near WatertoYm, Hew York, northeast of Watertown, New York she related. The geographic location of this point of observation is Sto ~wrenoe River area, (263), Longitude 75 degrees, 48, Latitude 44 degrees. She stated that her attention was drawn to the object by her mother, a passenger in the vehicle she was driving, sho first noticed this object by the reflection of the sun upon it. Upon disembarking from the vehicle in which they were riding, this informant stated that she saw an object in aerial fli~t, that it seemed to be approximately two feet in diameter, although the ex- act distance was undetermined. She continued that this object was disc-shaped, appeared to be ~ooth end shiny, similar to an automobile hub cap. that the object seemed to appear over a nearby hill and then moved slowly until it was over Black River, New York about five miles northeast of observation point. She added that the object appeared in the southeast, gained altitude for two to three minutes, < moved slowly north maintaining a constant altitude, leaving a trail of light _ ~ \ smoke the exact width of the aerial object, extending about one hundred and fifty ~ \ feet to the rear. Then, she said, the object seemed to dissolve from the tail and )V ~ work forward until it completely disappeared leaving a smoke trail, which also '6' \ gradually thinned out and finally disappeared. She noted that there were no ; violent movements of the object and that the appearance and final disappearanc described happened within a period of approximately fifteen minutes. Mr / further related that the object did not seem to be illuminated by its of p r but seemed to rei'leot the rays of the sun in a manner similar to a re- flection on the surface of a conventional aircraft, also that the object seemed to produce neither sound nor odor. She remarked that this day, 11 1!ay 1949, was clear end the weather excellent with no clouds present to restrict their visi- bility. A oheok of the Police Department end the Sheriff's Offioe, Watert own, Hew York was made by the writer with negative results and due to the nature of :the small oonanuni ty in which they all lived, neighborhood investigations were not made on any of these informants. This writer asked Mrs out her vision in order to determine its accuracy and she related that she is rar-si~ted but does not wear glasses, adding that her vision was not obstructed at the time of thia observation 6. The writer interviewed Capta th Aircraft Control Warning Squadron. Pine Camp. New York reg possibility of any unuaual aerial activity on 11 May 1949. Upon interview Captain ULK stated that Air Force Radar Equipment waa in operation on 11 May 1949 from 0800 to 1630 hours, EST and that no ,anusual. activity was indicated during this period. He rele.ted tbat a flight of P-51 s departed from Pine Camp, New York on a "Round Robin Fligbt" at 1500 hours. ll May 1949. however, he added there were no u. s. Air Force or Royal Canadien Air Force jet aircraft in the vicinity on that dateo S. Flight L Canadien Liaison Officer with the 648th Warning Squadron, Camp, New York stated when intervie"fted by the iter. that Royal Canadian Air Force Vampire type jets were