Alexandria, LouisianaJuly 1949

On the evening of July 6, 1949, a woman in Alexandria, Louisiana saw an unusual object in the sky while sitting in her front yard. She described it as round and flat-edged, with a thick center glowing with bright yellow light. The object appeared to be about the size of an automobile wheel and was traveling slowly toward the northeast, like a balloon drifting through the air. She watched it for roughly thirty seconds before it disappeared behind some trees and a building.

Air Force investigators interviewed the witness on July 18, 1949. They found her to be a person of excellent character with above-average intelligence. A neighbor who had known her for five years confirmed that she was trustworthy and not someone who exaggerated. The investigators checked local police records and the sheriff's office, with no concerns raised about her reliability or truthfulness.

In their written report, investigators noted several details about the sighting. The object was moving slowly at an estimated 100 miles per hour in a horizontal line. The witness said the night was clear and dark, with no moon shining. She was wearing corrective glasses at the time, and her vision was normal when corrected. The object made no sound and left no trail.

The Air Force's official conclusion on the case file was that the object was a balloon, though the file itself does not explain the reasoning behind that determination. The complete case file, consisting of 15 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.