At 2200 hours, local time, 23 November 1948, Capt. ------ saw an
object in the air directly east of this base. It was at an unknown
altitude. It looked like a reddish star and was moving in a southerly
direction across Munich, turning slightly to the southwest then the
southeast. The speed could have been between 200 to 600 mph, the
actual speed could not be estimated, not knowing the height. Capt. ---
--- called base operations and they called the radar station. Radar
reported that they had seen nothing on their scope but would check
again. Radar then called operations to report that they did have a
target at 27,000 feet, some 30 miles south of Munich, traveling at
900 mph. Capt. ------ reported that the object that he saw was now in
that area. A few minutes later radar called again to say that the
target had climbed to 50,000 feet, and was circling 40 miles south of
Munich.

Capt. ------ is an experienced pilot now flying F-80's and is
considered to be completely reliable. The sighting was verified by
Capt. ------ , also an F-80 pilot.

The possibility that this was a balloon was checked but the answer
from Air Weather Service was "not a balloon." No aircraft were in the
area. Nothing we know of, except possibly experimental aircraft,
which are not in Germany, can climb 23,000 feet in a matter of
minutes and travel 900 miles per hour.

By the end of 1948, Project Sign had received several hundred UFO
reports. Of these, 167 had been saved as good reports. About three
dozen were "Unknown." Even though the UFO reports were getting better
and more numerous, the enthusiasm over the interplanetary idea was
cooling off. The same people who had fought to go to Godman AFB to
talk to Colonel Hix and his UFO observers in January now had to be
prodded when a sighting needed investigating. More and more work was
being pushed off onto the other investigative organization that was
helping ATIC. The kickback on the Top Secret Estimate of the
Situation was beginning to dampen a lot of enthusiasms. It was
definitely a bear market for UFO's.

A bull market was on the way, however. Early 1949 was to bring
"little lights" and green fireballs.

The "little lights" were UFO's, but the green fireballs were real.

CHAPTER FOUR

Green Fireballs, Project Twinkle, Little Lights, and Grudge

At exactly midnight on September 18, 1954, my telephone rang. It was
Jim Phalen, a friend of mine from the Long Beach _Press-Telegram_,