PROJECT 10073 R;:CQRD ,:. . 20 l~arcn 66 2'J/0735Z Surfside, 'lexas /'~c:~no,~tT) multip:e i 3. SOURCE 10. CONCLUSION ,4. NUMBER OF OBJ!:CTS 5. LENGTH OF OBS:~VATION TYPE OF OBSERVATION Ground Visu-.1 9. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE Other( Blown Tr:;.nsfo:-:.1er) 11. BRIEF SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS Obs~rve s noted tte li~i1ts in two :-to~scs ~bo:...'-lCv . .c.~ apart f rom eacn ot:&er a.nd approx.i.r te::r on~ i:.i:..e ;,'::. .. ~:!c extr~:::~ly bri.t:;hter thu.n nom~l. Ir._-:-,-;aiat::l:r follo ... -.:: . ; noticed -.fter a trva':\~ndous blue !1.as :1 c~: ::. <1~ h<i.d ~c :. .. -- ed -.pproxir.ately ir, ~:-1e center of t:1c .:.~-:o f1CUses. .tG:;o obs~rved 'vt~s a 'l:hitis(, .1lo.-1 to the r :.;:-1t of \1h cr.-.: tr.c blue flash -v:as Sc;<!n. Th:.::; v~),i ect '"-PF-C e.:-ed to be <...bci.lt from 300-500 feet above th~ .~round. Anoth~r observer said the object had ;., oro.tn5c glo\v <md h<td \.;indo:.-~s. The UFO woved ;..way at a .f;.,st r~te of spe~d. Local_pm-Je r re- port.ed ~ blo1m trc;.nsformcr which wo.s defective. fTD SEP 63 0-329 {T OE) J>rnlo1u edlt1one o ( thl (orro mAy be uud. STAT~MENT OF .U. F . O. S IGHTING BY JOHN A . ~lEITLICH RM3 ~59-2 66 lJSCG: ~HILE STA~JDING ON THE'BRIDGE ON QUARTERt~ASTER WATCH AT 0125S ON THE fJORi:liiG OF 3/20/66, I HAD BEEN STARING UNTHINI<JI~GLV OUT THROtiGH Tf.iC: !'0:17- I i'!OT ICED TH/~T THE LIGHTS I N TWO HOUSES ABOUT. H~i0 YARDS APART Ei\CH OTHER AND APPROX'ONE J.':ILE D IRECTFROM OUR SHI P , BLINKED ON 1W'0 OFF VZRY ~A?IDLY AND AT AN INTENSITY EXT~E~ELY BRIGHTER THAN NOR AL, AS T~O HOUS.ES IN PARTICULAR WERE CO~PLETELV FCOODED F~0M ~ITHI~I AY !~MEDIATELY FOLLO~ING THI S , All POWER ~AS CUT I~ TI~Z ;\t'{f::,~, :~H l CH . 1. NOTICED AFTER A TRf).iEElDOUS BLUE FLASH OF LIGHT HAD OCCIJRED :>.P:>:WX C~i.TER OF THESE TWO HOUSES. T O GET l\ CLE;\RER LOOI< AT THE S I T II AT I m~, I T~ ~ ~JS ~T OUT TO THE PORT SIDE WI NG OF THE BRIDGE AND NOTICED A DISTI~CT .~!d l T l ~ H G. LOW A80U.T 45 DEG TO THE RIGHT OF V!HERE I HAD NOT I.CED TI-lE RllJE FL.i!SH. T-i IS 03JECT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT FROM ~00. T O 500 FEET A~?VE (!!10 GLO'.'! OF WHITE LIGHT THAT APPEARED TO Pt.JLSt\TE I N ITS lf:TE:.SITV. I MUST SAY r:C'. i J 'T RIED TO V.I D MYSELF HITO BELEIVI~!G T'!! S '.'!;\S 1.~ 05J~CT 0F SOME EART~ILY FO~r~ QUT RUL~D THIS OUT AND INFORMED MY SI.IPEqVIS0R ~HO ~AS ~ITTI~G I~ THE RADIO SHACK AT THiS TIME, THAT I SAW A U. F . O. AND n:Di POii.T:::D I T OUT TO Hit.;. ! 'VIAS ORDERED TO trUMEDIATELY GET A CA l~RA BUT U?ON 1iY RETURN THE U. F . O. HAD D I SAPP[ARED, THUS R. WEITLLCH RM3 SV:;., TEr,;nJT f.,:f\DE BY GLEi\JN A. MUSHETT, RrV.1 ' I WAS I N THE RADIO SHACK WORKING'WHEN THE QUARTERMASTER OF THE ~ATCH RE:O~TED SEEING A BLUE FLASH I N THE SKY. THIS WAS ABOUT 1:35 A!A LOCi\L T H.-:=:. A F~'1! SECONDS LATEii THE SHIP AND ENTIRE ARtA ~AD A PO'!IEP. F AILU~E. T~E QUARTER MASTER NT OUT ON THE BRIDGE, AND AS HE ~ALKED OUl' HE R ~-c~TED SEEING A UFO I N THE SKY. HE HOLLERED FOR srMEONE ELS~ SO I \'!H !T OUT AS SOON AS I WALKED OUT I SAW A .VEAY LARGE OBJECT ! N THE I T ~!AS OVEL IN SHAPE. IT WAS GIVING OFF A ORANGE GLOW AND ARRnUND :-::.:: 0!3J=:CT ITSELF IT ~'!AS GIVIr-.!G OFF A BLUE LIGHT, SHORTELY AFTER SEEP\G IT TH.:: BL~=: STOPPED. I TOLD T HE QUARTER ~ASTER TO GET SOME BINOCULARS, GO BELOW A~!D GST A CM.'.ARA. AS I OSSERVED THE UFO THROl]GH I COULD SSE IT H.~!:J PORTS OR VI I NDOWS. THESE WI ~!DOWS WERE C:?s :.;. AS i COULD SEE Cm:ilt\ G FRO;A INSID~ THC:: UFO I T \'lAS GIVING OFF A . ...,;"' . .-... L::.. I ~UST H~\~ OBSERVED IT FOR ABOUT A MI N OR LONGER. T H:"::\ I T S'7' ;~?.TED TO MO~E UP ?Sm.~ ABOUT 500 FEET T O ABOUT A !HOUSAND FEET V::8\' SLO~.'LY AS IT REACH~D 20:,:iEWHERE AROUrJD A THOUSAND FEET THE ORAI~G::: GLO',': IT \'l AS GIVING OFF GOT U.RGER, THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER BLUE FLASH THE ORIH!G;: GLO : SUBSIDED A::D THE UFO MOVED AWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPeED, iAS OUT OF S I GHT IN SEVERAL S~CONDS. T HE QUAP.TE?.1:iASTER AND A!-!OTHER k1EMB9R OF THE CREW AND MYSELF WAS r:ATCHJ~G ~ AREA T WO OBJ~CTS SHOT UP FRO~ THE GROUND AT A HIGH RATE OF SP~ED. T 1-:E C3JECTS GAVE OFF A WHITE GLO'!J, BUT rW.HC)M THEY GAVE NO TriA I L OR ST~E.~}.~ AS THEY j,;ovED UP. ALSO I N SEVERAL S~CONDS THEY WERE OUT OF S ! Gi-:1 . I OU.io.<_) STi~TUi.SI'JT iv!AD~ BY KEITH VANORDEN, FA 360-317 USCG"': AT ;51355 H :O 08JECTS VERY BRIGHT SHOT UP INTO TilE SKY M!D DISA~nEARD ~UICI<LY AT ABOUT 1 AND ~NE HALF MILES FROM OUR SHI P , ~5~ DEC MAG. KEITH VtNORDEN FA !-irs. Sarah Hunt, Comtmm1ty Relations Office, Chief, Public Information Division, USCG UFO Sighting statements 1. Forwarded for proper routing and information are statements of three Coast Guardsmen assigned to the USCGC LroARE. One20 March 1966 they claimed to have sighted a UFO W. K. THOMPSON, JE. Enclosures : TREASURY DEPARTMENT UNITED STATES COAST GUARD ADDRCSS REI'L Y TO: Com~nding Officer OSCGC LEGA .. lill (~-144) Freeport, Texas 77541 From: Co.llll'landing Officer, USCGC LEGARE {W11J!X;-144) September 1966 tro: COLONEL vfarren S. tm:EEIER, tB.AF, Deputy for Technology & Subsystems Subj: UFO Sighting; supplementary inforll'.ation Ref: (a) COL tIHE:EI.ER ltr of 16 AUG 66 1. Further investigstion into the circumstances surrounding the pmo~er fail'.lre referred to in reference (a) was conducted by contacting !1R. ~KEF..3ERGER of the Houston Lighting and Poucr Company. This revealed the .follo\ling w.formation: (a) On the early hOl.us of 20 Jvbrch 1966, the LFllARE was moored at the U. S. Coast Guard Station, Surfside, Texas. The ship was utilizing electri- cal ?O'trer supplied by shore tie. (b) A pCMer failure occured at 0135, 20 l'.arch 1966, which encompassed the e 2:.tire Surfside area . !-R. ECKERB:ffiGER reports that this "ras caused by a blown transforrner on a power pole. (c) The electric Company's ,.ight trouble creu replaced the line fuse befa:-e checking the poles, hoping tint this would correct the situation. Several minutes later the fuse bleY again. The trouble crew checked the poles in the area and found a defective transformer. It was repaired nnd restored to the area. This sequence of events took appro::d.metely one 2. The Coast Gue.rdsmen who sighted the UFO report that: (a) The visibility was good, and the Surfside Bridge could be clearly seen, e. distance of about three miles. (b) The first power failure occured simultaneously with the sighting of ~he la:-ge tiF0 mentioned in the original statements made by those Coast Guardsr:.e~ concerned. As this UFO rose slowly and then sped a'Jay, the pov1er was restored. --, (c) A few minutes after restoration the p~er died again. Then the two soalJ UF0 s (streaks of light shooting quickly up from the ground) were sighted. They rapidly disappeared. (d) Some time later the electric company's repair truck '\-res sighted ldth its rotating orange beacon and spotlight. It was recognized as a truck and it was not in the same location where the UFO had been seen. Keep Freedom in rour Future Witlz. U.S. SalJings Bonds CONT CO, LEGAF..E ltr 5700 Ser 177 dtd 12. SEP 66 3. The delay in answering your letter was due to the vessel being located in the shipyard in lilrvey, Louisiana during the month o August. mrm L. ccn:.r.OM Lieutenant, USCG C OIJI.nv==l ing Of.'ficer USCGC LEGARE (1JN!!n -1.44) ; .. "narillo NiB \1inona., lv.i::.'"'lesota Ho-uston, 'l'e:<a.s -Feb::.ua:y 1.,. c= Co:1sequer.cas Lycor.dng, Haw York -April 5 TeXls -lt.Ug"ust 27, "i 966 Ro~a, Georgia -August 27, 1966 East Dennis, Yass. -QQtober 8, 1966 AC Su:f~co F~sto=y Files Proj : 5992D -STAR TREK ~Jtmnnm II ~() IDCA! IC' Surfside Texas PRESSURE TEi-fP lJATA SOIJRCE: E:l'AC Upper-air History Files. Tll~E: 1200Z DA'IZ :f1arch 20, 19 DIRECTICi~ ANAlYST: TSgt Dunham b"IOfl.O.\ r Ol-'4 NO. 10 144 Y If U EOITION UNrTED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum : Mrs. Se.rab Hunt, Community Relations Office, FROM : Chief, Pub~ic Information Division, USCG SUBJECT: UFO Sighting statements 1. Forwarded for proper routing and information are statements of three Coast Guardsmen assigned to the USCGC !.EX}. On 20 March 1966 they claimed to have sighted a UFO. Enclosures Btty U.S. Savings Bonds Regt~larly on the Payroll Savings Plan I OU.io,(' UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AODilUS tV1Y TO: CoiT.!'!:a::.ding Officer USCGC LEGARE (lVSC-144) Freeport, Te~s 77541 Com."DB.nding Officer, USCGC LEGARE (HSC-144) Co.:r~.""Jandant ( CPI) Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District (dpi) UFO Sighting Statements (a) Comdt (CPI) ltr dtd 13 APR 66 1. In accordance with paragraph 2 of reference (a), the following ini'~.::.ation is submitted: (a) Hoored to USGG dock, USCG Station, Freeport, Texas. (b) Hoored (c ) The time of the sighting was at 0135, 20 l~rch ]96. The majority of th9 ere"" ""as on liberty. The OOIY'was-reti.red for the night. The Co.:;.mand- i~g O:ficer was at ho=s. The vessel 'W2.S on B- 2 SAR status. The QH of the watch, 1,1ho observed the UYO, was standing his watch on the bridge. An -off~ Ci\itylJOD~ l1USHE'IT, run wes in the radio shack, adjacent to the bridge writing letters. He also obse::-ved the phenon:eno::.. The third observer uas VAN ORDEN, FA \tho was placing a ships ger~rator on the line after a shore power failure. COD was called, but the object had disappeared by that time. (a) The Co ndL~g Officer ""as contacted by telephone immediate~ after the i~cident occurred. He spoke with the OOD and ell three observers. They we=e in a highly e:xcited state ar.d related their observations to him. None of the observers bad ~een drinking. T pheno~e~on was observed on Sunday morning, the same day that ~O's ra observed L~ Houston, Texas and in }fichigan. It is significant to note tb~t the crew's s i ghtings was r eported to t he Commanding Officer befc=s either of the other sightings had been made known to the public tr..r C'l.:f::: :.he ne-ws meC. ia; To assign a degree of credibility to such an incident ""hen the assesso.:-was not actu.o11y a \titness is a difficult task, ho'Wever the sur- roundL circumstances end the fact that one observer was a qualified OOD lenas validity to the story. It is the opinion of this command that these men did indeed see some sort of flying object, although l.fithout having persor~lJy observed the UFO, to assess its origin or identity wotud be purely supposition. ll May 1966 FIRST END03.SEHENT on CO, USCGC LEGAHE (1-TSC )44) ltr 5720 Ser 120 o 4 1-iay 66 From: Co:-.ma.nder, Eighth Coast Guard District To: COlll!:l3lldant {CPI) Subj : UFO Sighting Statements 1. ?o:n-m.rded as requested. R. P. ZIG'AS By direction Addru rply to: . TREASURY DEPARTMENT UNITED STATES COAST ~UARD COMMANDER (dpi) 8TH COAST GUARD DISTRICT CUSTOMHOUSE NEW ORLEANS, LA. 70130 Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District Commandant (CPI) Subj: UFO Sighting Statements; information concerning 1. E~closure (1), received from the USCGC LEGARE (WSC-144), is for~arded for your information and for further transmittal to the United States Air Force UFO Investigating Unit. R. P. ZIGqS . By direction Enol: (l) UFO.Sighting Statements CO':)'l to: usc::;c LEGARE PUiiltC lHfuP.tt\ATlGN nl