Newspaper clippings, combined PDF

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

# POSTING THE GUARD

Those Discs Again

Lt. George Gorman of the 178th Ptr. Sq. at Fargo, N. D., won't forget the night of 1 Oct. That was the night he flew into a story that hit the front pages of newspapers all over the country and brought back last year's tales of flying discs.

Gorman took off into a clear night and flew two hours with little more to do than watch the northern lights play tag. But when he brought his F-51 back over Pargo, to his left and below he saw a strange light. And here is Lieutenant Gorman's own story:

Ohio has had some nasty floods in its time, and the 112th Engr. [C] Bn. is getting itself ready for duty when the next comes along. Personnel volunteered for additional training in use of DUKWs, over and above the time they spend in complying with their NGTP, and here's one crew cruising on Lake Erie.

"At first it seemed like just another running light on an airplane. But it wasn't. For when seen over the lights of the town it had no wings. It was just a light. It seemed to be about eight inches in diameter.

"I watched it for a time. then followed as it circled over the town to make sure it wasn't just another airplane. Then I called the tower.

"According to them, there were no other ships reported in the area just mine and a cub. I asked them to check National Guard operations and their report was the sarge.

I reported the position of the object and went after it in a diving

turn to the left. It was flying at about 4,500 feet, and, as I approached, the light blinked on and off several times, then brightened and picked up speed."

The Mustang was wide open but the light pulled away, keeping in a tight left turn. "It turned twice around me as I made a single circle." the lieutenant reported. "It must have been pushing 600 miles an hour."

CONGRESSMAN JOSEPH MARTIN, JR. center, Speaker of the House listens to an air control intercept mission on a field telephone conducted at Camp Edwards Falmouth Mass. by the 67th Fighter Wing Mass Air National Guard recently during their second postwar two week summer encompassment. Lt. Col. Charles W. Hedges, right, A2 Officer is explaining the operation to Speaker Martin. Also looking on is Rep Richard B Wigglegworth extreme right who was among the important Federal and State Officials who conducted a tour of inspection of the Officers and Men at the Camp.

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Lieutenant Gorman said he resisted an impulse then and there to go home and count fingers and toes. "It is hard." he said, "to believe your own eyes when something with no wings walks off and leaves you standing still."

The tower had seen the light, too, and was checking it through binoculars. The glasses showed the fighter pilot making a head-on shot at the light. The rate of closure was terrific.

The lieutenant said be ducked as the object passed over and made a climbing turn to the left. I pulled around again, trying to cut it off. No luck.

We went through another head-on pass with the object taking the initiative. At 7,000 feet we both pulled up but the object did the better job. It climbed to 17,000 feet. I pulled up so quickly the F-51 hit a high speed stall but got to 14,000 anyway. I leveled out but didn't try to get above that point. No oxygen.

Then the light came back to Lieutenant Gurman's altitude. He turned, dropping to 11,000 feet where the light made a quick turn and tried another head-on pass. Then, in a fin I burst of speed it went straight up and out of sight.

Sand the lieutenant. "I don't mind the aloud patying. I splice N'd and

and send home."

What makes this story so different from earlier reports of flying discs is the testimony of lower operators Lloyd Jennings and H E Johnson. Both made statements to

## THE NATIONAL GUARDSMAN