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military told the pilots and the press not to give the incident much publicity so the public would quickly forget. If this was the case, it worked, because in the weeks that followed, the average American citizen forgot about the night the saucers buzzed the capital. The New York Times story appears below.1 I found it interesting that the first sightings took place on July 19/20, yet the story was not published until July 22. To me, the delay indicates the military may have held the story until it had a better handle on what actually took place. STRANGE OBJECTS IN THE SKY: FLYING SAUCERS SEEN ON RADAR OVER WASHINGTON, DC From: the New York Times Washington Correspondent: Washington, DC, July 22, 1952. The Air Force announced last night that the objects had appeared on the radar screen in the air route traffic control centre at the National Airport, first on one section of the screen, and then soon afterwards, on another section, which showed them moving in a different direction. Their speed was only 100 to 135 miles an hour, which is very slow for “flying saucers.” One pilot watched the objects for about twelve minutes as he flew from Washington to Martinsburg, West Virginia. Another pilot reported that a brilliant light had followed his aircraft from Herndon, Virginia to within four miles of the National Airport.
On July 29, 1952, the air force held a press conference concerning the sightings because some of the smaller news1 New York Times. “Strange Objects in the Sky: Flying Saucers Seen on Radar Over Washington, DC.” July 22, 1952.