and guided-missile expert on active duty at the White Sands
teen minutes later; it did not behave in any way like the
Proving Grounds in New Mexico. McLaughlin wrote that on
unidentified object, he said firmly. Even the severest critic had
April 24, 1 949, he and a group of other engineers had been
to think about this report. And the sighting grew in impor
preparing to launch a Project Skyhook high-altitude research
tance when it came out that the navy had cleared McLaugh
balloon. As a preliminary, they had released a small weather
lin's article for publication, even though i t sharply contra
balloon to establish wind patterns aloft. And when the the
dicted the findings of Project Grudge.
odolite operator swung his instrument to track the balloon, a strange obj ect had crossed i ts path. McLaughlin reported that the object was elliptical and
The sighting itself was not the only point of debate in the article. McLaughlin was one of the first to note a pattern of UFO incidents around military bases and atomic facilities in
close to I 05 feet in diameter. It was flying a t the extremely
the southwest. He calculated that the planet Mars had been
high altitude of about fifty-six miles, and the engineers cal
in an excellent position to observe doings on Earth on july 1 6,
culated that it was moving through space at five miles per
1 945, the day the first atomic bomb was exploded in New
secon d - 1 8,000 miles per hour. At the end of its trajectory
Mexico; the flash might have been bright enough to be visible
across the horizon, it soared higher at 9,000 miles per hour
from that planet, and thus have prompted a visit by curious
until it was lost from view. The object, said McLaughlin, was
Martians. Critics responded that more sightings should be
visible for one minute, and all the observers agreed that it was
expected at closely guarded facilities because more people
flat white in color. McLaughlin wrote that he was convinced
there are on watch. True enough, but it could then be said
the object "was a flying saucer, and further that these disks
about the sightings themselves that the quality of the observ
are spaceships from another plane t . "
ers lent credence to the reports.
T h e White Sands sighting carried weight. Here was an
Still, one thing that had been missing through i t all was
experienced naval officer backed by a crew of engineers and
any reasonable photograph of a UFO. But that changed dra
a technician with a theodolite. What is more, McLaughlin
matically on May I I , 1 950, when Paul Trent, a farmer in
largely eliminated any possible "balloon" explanation by
McMinnville, Oregon , took two clear photographs of what
stating that they had released a second weather balloon fif-
looked very much like a hovering saucer.
In 1950, Donald E. Keyhoe created a sensation by claiming the government was hiding UFO evidence.