PROJECT BLUE BOOK

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
0 Was Balloon
18 Jan 59 La Crosse, Wisconsin 00 Probably Balloon
DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Possibly Balloon
Local_ 1800 Ground-Visual Ground-Radar 0 Was Aireraft
00 Probably Aircraft
GMT_ 18/2400Z 0 AinVisual Air-Intercept Radar Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS SOURCE Ox Was Astronomical Meteor
Yes 0 Probably Astronomical
No Civilian 0 Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION NUMBER OF OBJECTS OURSE Other.
000 Insufficient luotion
Unk no wn
not given one West
10. BrIEF F SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
Newspaper reported asked about sighting and In view of the wide area over
enclosed clipping. No case in file. Only which the obj was observed and the
information received was the clipping. Obj descrippion of a fast flying light,
was sighed by many witnesses ofer a fairly the obj is considered as a meteor.
large area. Described as a flash of
light flying at a high rate of spedf/
Atic forn 329 26 SRP s2)
.
1
:

Jan. 26, a959
United States Air Force Headquarters,
Washington 25
Dear Sir:
This report is a little late but I hope you will be
interested enough to help us out.
The enclosed clipping will explain what I am after. The enclosed clipping will explain what I am after.
-
due to lack of infornation or release, to add to the heap?
Or is there some 1 light you can possible shed hers?
. , - ted.
Yours very truly,
encl: news clipping
IC

18 JAN 59
1
1'
2
19 February 1959
ing news story on an unidentified flying object seen over La Crosse,
Wisconsin, on 18 January 1959.
A thorough search of our records indicates cular
sighting was no ported to the Air Force.
A check with Air Force radar and weather stations in the area
failed to diaelgx any vehicle failed to diaelgx any vehicle or balloon in the area at the time or balloon in the area at the time
which would which would cause cause the effects described in the news article. described in the ticle.
The fact that Civil that Civil Aeronautics Administration personnel and Administration personnel and
local airport ofricials saw nothing officials saw nothing unusual is also considered is also considered
significant.
Sincerely, Sincerely,
. ,
LAWRENCE J. TACKER •
Major, USAF
Executive Ofricer
Public Information Division
Office of Information Services
,
The La Crosse Tribune Company
Fourth and Cass Streets
La Crosse,
123 LED 1a
J2 OV

.
SECTION TWO 9
La Crosse Tribune Monday, Jain. 19, 1959
m NO EXPLANATION
t
Fiery, Fast-Flying
Object Seen In Sky
West Salem and La West Salem and La Crosse res- Crosse res- several several persons persons s called at a called at about 6 about 6
idents early Sunday reported see- idents early Sunday reported d see- a.m. to a.m. to report the incident. Milo report the incident. Milo
ing a fiery object in the sky trav- ing a fiery object in the sky trav- Novotny, CAA official, said the of-
1 eling at a very high rate of speed. fice had no record of fice had no record of unusual sky unusual sky
7 But officials at the Civil Aero- happenings and that a log on air- happenings and that a log on air-
LP nautics Administration and Unit- craft showed no mention of "for- craft showed mention of "for
no
ed States Weather Bureau facili- eign" objects at that hour.
on ties at La Crosse ties at La Crosse Municipal Air- The sun, according to The sun, according to weather weather
3 port could shed no light on what bureau records, did not rise in IE
it was. The officials it was. The officials personally this area Sunday until 7:35 a.m., .
had not witnessed anything had not witnessed anything new new discounting that as a factor in discounting that as a factor in
in the sky y at that hour. that hour. the report.
** *
1 At West Salem, it was was report- report-
ed, several persons ed, several ersons in in various
places saw a ight flash of light
- about 6 a.m., traveling from east
to west.
Highway 16 and said the light
shone brightly into his car. Joe
Larson, a resident at a hotel
downtown, witnessed it as did a
Mr. Hendrickson of Northern
state Power Co. ,
Oscar Storandt said be was at
home wben he noticed a bright
light flash through the window
about the same hour but he at-
tributed it possibly to a passing 2
car.
*
Finn A. Johnson, a meteorologi-
. cal technician at the USWB, re-
ported to his administrator, that
4
.

MEMO ROUTING SLIP NEVER CE FCR APPROVALS. DISAPPROVALS,
c RRENCES, OR SIMILAR ACTIONS
11 NAME OR TITLE INITIALS CIRCULATE
r . Major L. J. Tacker
ORGANIZATION AND LOCATION DATE COORDINATION
SAFIS-3 OSAF
2 3
FILE
INFORMATION
3 NECESSARY
ACTION
NOTE ANO
RETURN
4 SEE ME .
Holmlund
SIGNATURE
La Crosse Wisc.
REMARKS According to our recerds, we have not
Larry-
recoived a repert on this incident. Since we do not.
have any informatien other than that contained in the nave any inror tlen etnorthan cout contalnod lcne
clipping, we can not make any valid conclusion. We knqw
of ne ballons or other vehicles in the area at the tim 0
that would cause the effect. The fact that CAA and that would cause the effect. The fact that CAA and
local airpert officials saw nothing unusual is signifi- lecal airport officials saw nothing unusual is signifi-
cant.
.
FROM NAME OR TITLE 148 DATE
Ted Hieatt 9 Feb 59
ORGANIZA LOCATION TELEPHONE
AFCIN-4X3 55266
DDF 0 95 Repiaces DA AGO Form 895, 1 Apr 48, and AFHQ e48-16-74067-1 GP0
Form 12, l0 Nov 47, which may be used.