July 21, 1952 — Dobbins AFB, Marietta, GA
10:30 a.m. Radar used to measure wind velocity in the upper atmosphere at Dobbins Air Force Base, Marietta, Georgia, detects an unusual object flying at 50,000 feet. Observing the blip are four radar technicians who state that “it could have been an electromagnetic phenomenon but they did not believe it was.” A second blip appears on the radar moving toward the wind-finding weather balloon and passing through it three separate times. USAF officials report “in private conversations” that the object moves at 1,200 mph, slows considerably for 3–5 minutes, then disappears. The Civilian Defense director in Atlanta, George M. “Pup” Phillips, receives a report of the object but has “no details.” Col. Murray C. Woodbury, commander of the 35th Air Division at Dobbins, checks with “defense officials in Washington” before telling the press that such reports are sent to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (Project Blue Book) in Dayton, Ohio, for evaluation. Surprisingly, he admits, “We try to intercept such objects and identify them, but so far we have been unsuccessful.” [Eberhart]
George M. “Pup” Phillips:
Murray C. Woodbury:
Telex:
Sources:
“Dobbins Air Base Reports ‘Object’ 50,000 Feet Up, Flying 1,200 MPH,” The Atlanta Constitution, July 25, 1952, p. 11;
Loren E. Gross, The Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse: UFOs, a History: 1952 July 21st–31st, Supplemental Notes, The Author, 2001, p. 3;
Brad Sparks, Blue Book Unknowns Catalogue, Case 695, p. 152;
NICAP, “Blip Makes Passes on Wind-Finding Target”;