Documents / Official release
This 1952 file of U.S. Air Force intelligence correspondence on flying objects comes from the Directorate of Intelligence at Headquarters USAF. It records the return to the Coast Guard of a negative of objects photographed at Salem Air Station on 16 July 1952, and requests to Naval Intelligence to analyze the Tremonton film by Delbert Newhouse and the Great Falls film by Nicholas Mariana. It also holds Strategic Air Command report transmittals, letters from members of the public, and an Okinawa object said to have fallen into the sea.
From the source:Release of 2026-09-18 Incident: September - December 1952, Various. This file is an archival collection of U.S. Air Force Director of Intelligence records relating to reported “flying disc” incidents during the period from September through December 1952. Drawn from multiple governmental and non-governmental sources, it compiles a wide range of material associated with reported sightings and official handling of those observations, rather than presenting a single analytical conclusion on the nature or origin of “flying discs.” The contents include correspondence, memoranda, reporting forms, case summaries, distribution and routing material, and other administrative or intelligence-related documentation tied to flying-disc reporting and review during that period. Pages 26-36 of the file refer to an incident reported near Tremonton, Utah, in July 1952, in which a U.S. Navy Warrant Officer recorded film of unidentified objects that the Air Force later assessed were likely seabirds. Overall, the file is a broad documentary collection reflecting how such reports were recorded, circulated, and evaluated in late 1952.
SECURITY I NFORMATION A.FODT-2.A.2 MaJ 7ournet/dbv/71379 Wrtn 13 Nov 52 (Unclassified.) Return or Project Blue l3ook llater1al tr~Chief. Ai.r !recbn1cal Dept of the Air Force ~1 OV 1 4 1q52 Intelligence Center Hq USIJ' - Am:ta Maj Fournot/dbv/71379 • Wr1ght-,;..l>ntterson.AY.B Ohio -=------..~ l. !l'he i"Ue on the sightiJJt a.t Austin, ~e:ms on 8 June 52, preTiouily' borrowed :from.lTUA-5. is returned herewith. iali- a. !he Photographic Divioion. AFOAG, ma.de a set of color duplicates (enlarged) -.ghich is attached for J'Olll' retention (Incl 3) . lllaok and· white reproauotions pre Tiously attached to the file are aleo included 1n In.cl 3 . In addition. the Photographic Division made a number of black and white enlarg8l!Jenta which are attached tor your retention (Incl 4) . 3 . Based on further ana.1Jts1a. tbe Photographic l>irlsion and this oi"tice do not agree with the \1ADC eva.l.uation of parb.elions (•aun doga") s1nce the imgea do not appear a~ tho required angle of 22° or 46° nor are the:, 1n l1ne horhontall7 with the sun as would be required for the f'or-.tion of a parhel1on (which vould appear at tbe intereectiOA of the inner or outer halo circles - 22° and 46° respectivel7 - wit h the parhelic circle; the latter ia 1n a borbontal ,Plane coincidental with the poeit1on ot the sun). .Ldd1t1oaal~. it vill be noted 1n the photograph• t1:5t the 1.magea di■pla7a f'l.a.t portion vh1chappeara inverted from the correspond~ portion of the eun behind the cloud. Since a pa.rhel1on 1a the result of refraction through ice cr:,atals. the resulting 1ma£e would not be lnnrted. Inst ead, it la OUP opinion ~ t tbe ima.gee are poH1bly a form of mira£e caused by a bot air mas• •,1hic·1 .W raTeled froa left to right acroH the field of' -view and act ed a.a a lena. llowe-Yer, there is a a.mall :1.Jia.ge in the third photograph of the aoquenci, which. lf' evaluated aa another 1.mge .of the aamo tn,.. would eeemingl.7 el.iminate both parhel 5.a and mirages from eonaldemtion. lfhie ilage ia located directl7 above tbe ~eventh telephone pole f'rom the right at a -vertical distance approximately equal to tbe height of the pole. The minute size ot this 1aage mili.tatea •trongly ago.ins t the muace theo%7 ,since the hot air m.ee would mve lad to tum about 90o and proceed a•7 ~rom the ewaem 1n o~der to produce this effect. Thare~ore, f'tlrther s.nal.7si s appear• to be Justii'ied. Suggeat the con•~t astronomer bo o.sked for an opinion. x - .;,,-, ;:,,9 A-r,1 e,4. Recoim:zend tlat the original photographs ( Incl. 2) be returned to owner immediat el7 as request ed in the report ooTerin,: thie incident • 4 Incl a ( w/ ori,:. on.lT) UILLUM A. ADAMS 1 . 8 Jun 52, ...w: Lir. ~ex Colonel, USAJ' Sight in4: Ue Eolder Ohle~, !opioal DiTision 2 . :En'f'elope eontainin£ 4: tranaparenciee Deput:, Director for tlillaJl'JtJ~~1'1 3. ~ • color duplicates Directora• 4 . '1 • bl.le a. whi~, enl.Arge!!lenta COORDINATIONz AJ'OIB-~ '- AFOlli-2A Bo J!./t ~ecessa17, t elt-explanat ory.
Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 253 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.