Greenville, Mississippix, August 1953August 1953

On the evening of August 27, 1953, military personnel at Greenville Air Force Base in Mississippi reported seeing an unidentified object near the base. The sighting began at 2145 (9:45 p.m.) when Master Sergeant T. O. Cooper first spotted the object from his home. It remained visible until 2235 (10:35 p.m.). A second group of observers at the base control tower saw the object from 2230 (10:30 p.m.) until 2300 (11:00 p.m.), extending the total observation window to nearly two hours.

The object appeared to be circular in shape and resembled a large star. It emitted alternating flashes of red, green, and white light for roughly three to four seconds at a time, then switched to a steady red glow that seemed to fade as if the object were moving away. The witnesses reported it moved slowly northward and downward across the horizon. Though it appeared to be rotating, no exhaust or propulsion system was visible. The object's actual speed, altitude, and distance from the observers remained unknown. Weather conditions at the time included broken clouds at five thousand feet and visibility of seven to eight miles.

The investigation confirmed that three qualified observers were involved. Master Sergeant Cooper held a private pilot certificate and had three hundred hours of flying time. Captain William D. Lehman was an Air Force officer on flying status. Airman A. E. Arceneaux was a qualified control tower operator. All three used binoculars (7 x 50 magnification) during portions of the sighting. Memphis Control was notified and reported no aircraft in the area. The weather detachment confirmed no weather balloons had been released. No physical evidence was found, and the object's manner of disappearance was obscured by clouds.

The Air Force file makes no explicit final determination about the cause of the sighting. The full case file, comprising 15 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.