Randolf AFB, TexasJune 1952

On the night of June 12, 1952, military personnel stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas observed a series of unidentified aerial objects moving erratically across the sky near a drive-in theater. Between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. CST, a captain from the Physiology Branch of the Aero Medical Laboratory called to report seeing approximately 15 to 20 objects total, though never more than three at one time. The objects appeared three times brighter than Venus, roughly four times faster than an F-86 fighter jet, and about one-twentieth the size of the full moon. They were bright bluish white in color.

The witnesses described the objects moving in multiple directions, going both upward and downward, with some performing nearly perfect wave-like patterns. Most notably, the objects would suddenly appear and disappear without gradually fading out. The night was clear with excellent visibility. An investigation noted that while a weather balloon was considered, the erratic motion and sudden disappearances made this explanation unlikely. The file notes that proper interrogation by competent personnel at the time might have cleared up the situation.

The Air Force's official evaluation of this case was unidentified. No definitive explanation was reached for what the witnesses saw. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 105 pages.