West Walden, N.Y., June 1949 - Incident Number: 352June 1949

In June 1949, multiple people in West Walden, New York, reported seeing unusual objects in the night sky. The sightings occurred over several days and involved witnesses in different locations, including at least one military observer at nearby Stewart Field.

On the evening of June 1st around 1:30 p.m., a group of people watching the sky noticed three objects that looked like balls of fire hanging together in a vertical position. The objects appeared yellowish-white and as bright as several 100-watt bulbs. They seemed to drift slowly northward and were last seen moving south and downward, fading slowly from view after about 35 minutes.

That same evening around 6:50 p.m., a truck driver observed a single object through binoculars that was longer than half the moon. The object appeared bright yellow with other colors blended in and had an oblong shape with what looked like a smaller object in front. The witness watched it rotate for about one hour before it suddenly disappeared after a noise like a rifle shot or airplane.

Later that night at 9:15 p.m., another observer in Walden reported seeing a yellowish-white, oblong object at an altitude of 45 to 50 degrees. It moved away from the moon and remained visible for about 15 minutes before disappearing very suddenly.

At 9:30 p.m., an observer at Stewart Field in New York noticed a shining yellowish-white object shaped like an inverted exclamation mark, about three-quarters the size of the moon. The witness watched it for 15 to 20 minutes as it slowly faded from view. Observers noted clear skies and good visibility on all nights. The Air Force classified these sightings as unknown. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 10 pages.