# May 9, 1949 — White Sands Proving Ground — Cmdr. Robert B. McLaughlin White Sands Sighting

**URL:** https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/t/may-9-1949-white-sands-proving-ground-cmdr-robert-b-mclaughlin-white-sands-sighting/137
**Category:** Blue Book Unknowns
**Created:** [May 9, 2025, 1:13am UTC](https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/t/may-9-1949-white-sands-proving-ground-cmdr-robert-b-mclaughlin-white-sands-sighting/137 "2025-05-09T01:13:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![jeffknox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@jeffknox](https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/u/jeffknox)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2025, 1:13am UTC](https://uapdiscovery.discourse.group/t/may-9-1949-white-sands-proving-ground-cmdr-robert-b-mclaughlin-white-sands-sighting/137/1 "2025-05-09T01:13:40Z")

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![05091949-WhiteSandsProvingGround-RobertBMcLaughlin](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/1X/053d522f5b16b36ccbac6887eb30bf199bdd8c2f.png)

May 9, 1949 — White Sands Proving Ground  
Naval Unit Commander Robert B. McLaughlin, with several other officers, witnesses a white object overhead during the launch of a WAC Corporal B rocket at White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico. It disappears “in a blinding burst of speed to the west.” [Eberhart]

Sources:  
Brad Sparks, Blue Book Unknowns Catalogue, Case 225, p. 61;

 ![05091949-WhiteSandsProvingGround-Sparks-Case225-p61](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/1X/23863262976010c6d3c0f6629879c478be5e3897.png)

R. B. McLaughlin, [Letter to J. A. VanAllen], May 12, 1949;

> **[490512mclaughlin\_Van-Allen.pdf](https://www.nicap.org/docs/490512mclaughlin_Van-Allen.pdf)**
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> 544.12 KB

 ![05091949-WhiteSandsProvingGround-VanAllenLetter-1](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/1X/6c85662d17267d40aea66793b8915f517aef915c.jpeg)  
 ![05091949-WhiteSandsProvingGround-VanAllenLetter-2](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/uapdiscovery/original/1X/9d880ae74f7b228294c247cf82006d48448e77f0.jpeg)

Robert B McLaughlin’s True Article:

> **[ufo - UFOs at close sight: 1950 article of TRUE Magazine, Navy officer speaks](https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/htm/true50mc01.htm)**
>
> ufo - UFOS at close sight: 1950 article of TRUE Magazine, Navy officer speaks.