factor because neither the press, the radio nor
TV was even mentioning the words "flying saucer."

The reports weren't much in terms of quality. Some lady would see a
"bobbing white light"; or a man, putting his car away, would see a
"star jump." These reports, usually passed on to the Air Force
through the Air Defense Command's Ground Observer Corps, merely went
on the UFO plotting board as a statistic.

But before long, in a matter of a week or two, the mass of reports
began to draw some official attention because the Ground Observer
Corps spotters themselves began to make UFO reports. At times during
the middle of August the telephone lines from the GOC observation
posts in Hamilton County (greater Cincinnati) to the filter center in
Columbus would be jammed. Now, even the most cynical Air Force types
were be-grudgingly raising their eyebrows. These GOC observers were
about as close to "experts" as you can get. Many had spent hundreds
of hours scanning the skies since the GOC went into the operation in
1952 to close the gaps in our radar net. Many held awards for
meritorious service. They weren't crackpots.

But still the cynics held out. This was really nothing new. The
Project Blue Book files were full of similar incidents. In 1947 there
had been a rash of reports from the Pacific Northwest; in 1948 there
had been a similar outbreak at Edwards Air Force Base, the
supersecret test center in the Mojave Desert of California; in 1949
the sightings centered in the midwest. None had panned out to be
anything.

Then came the clincher.

On the night of August 23rd, shortly before midnight, reports of a
UFO began to come in from the Mt. Healthy GOC observation post
northwest of Cincinnati. Almost simultaneously, Air Defense Command
radar picked up a target in that area. A minute or two later the
Forestville and Loveland GOC posts, also in Hamilton County, made
sightings. Now, three UFO's, described as brilliant white spheres,
swinging in a pendulum-like motion, were on the ADC plotting boards-
confirmed by radar. All pretext of ignoring the UFO's was dropped and
at 11:58P.M., F-84's of the Ohio Air National Guard were scrambled.
They were over Cincinnati at 12:10A.M. and made contact. Boring in at
20,000 feet, at 100% power, they closed but the UFO's left them as if
they were standing still.

The battle in the Cincinnati sector was on.

Almost every night more UFO's were reported by the GOC. Attempts
were made to