San Antonio, TexasJune 1953

On the night of June 2, 1953, a husband and wife in San Antonio, Texas witnessed something unusual in the sky. Around 10:20 p.m., the wife was hanging clothes in the backyard when she noticed what she first thought was a falling star. Instead, she saw a streak of light continuing to move at high altitude, followed by a similar object behind it. She called her husband, who joined her in the front yard. Both observed yellow, round-shaped objects that seemed to change speed and direction at will, circling overhead and moving in zig-zag patterns. The witnesses said they saw a total of six objects over roughly two hours, though never more than three at once. They heard no sound from the objects.

The husband, a U.S. Air Force officer, took the sightings seriously. He contacted Kelly Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and Lackland Air Force Base to report what they were seeing. A neighbor, an Army captain, was also called to observe. The husband reported frustration with the response from Lackland Air Craft and Warning Unit, saying the officer he spoke with seemed unconcerned. However, the Randolph Air Force Base Officer of the Day indicated he was also tracking the objects on visual inspection and stated they were definitely not aircraft. Around 12:30 a.m. on June 3, the witnesses stopped watching and went to bed. The Air Force's initial evaluation labeled the sightings as "searchlight activity," though investigators noted they made no effort to locate searchlights in the area.

A separate sighting occurred on June 16, 1953, when control tower operators at Kelly Air Force Base observed an elliptical object giving off white light around 7:45 p.m. The object appeared roughly the size of a 4.5 by 9.5 inch envelope held at arm's length and seemed motionless in the sky. The operators used binoculars but saw no additional detail. They reported seeing no sound, no trail, no exhaust, and no visible propulsion system. After about five minutes, the object disappeared suddenly, like a light being switched off. One observer noted the object resembled "a cloud or smoke through which a light was shining."

Investigators confirmed no aircraft were in the area at the time. The control tower operator himself concluded the sighting was likely the reflection of the setting sun on a high cirrus cloud (a thin, wispy cloud in the upper atmosphere). Dr. Allen Hynek, a civilian consultant on Project Blue Book, reviewed the case and agreed, writing in a letter that "the light of the setting sun on a high cloud" was the probable explanation. The Air Force formally evaluated the June 16 sighting as "probably light reflection on cloud."

This case file spans 21 pages as held by the National Archives.