What did the declassified documents reveal?

Cold Open. This is a declassified memorandum from the Air Technical Intelligence Center, Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, dated May nineteen forty‑five. The document, catalogued as 1950‑11‑9618573‑[ILLEGIBLE], concerns a reported unidentified object that allegedly fell into the sea off the village of Ginama in the Ryukyu‑Retto, Okinawa. It is notable because it records an early assessment of the feasibility of a recovery operation and references the future handling of the case by Project Blue Book. Provenance. The file was released to the public through The Black Vault archive. The entry on archive.org provides the full text and a downloadable PDF. No specific Freedom of Information Act case number is listed; the declassification authority is indicated as the United States Air Force, Topical Division, under the direction of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army. The release date is not specified in the archive entry. The Document. The memorandum opens with a description of the source of the report: “Source: Observation of an object falling into water. Reported by a Sergeant, United States Air Force, at an air base in Okinawa, May nineteen forty‑five.” The attached analysis notes that the water off the village of Ginama is relatively deep. According to the attached sketch, the object would have entered at a depth of at least ten fathoms. The memorandum continues: “Reference our DF dated twenty‑eighth August nineteen fifty‑two, same subject as above. Large‑scale maps of the area in question were obtained and the correct spot located. It will be noted on I‑1 that the water off the village of Ginama is rather deep. According to the sketch, the object would have fallen in at least ten fathoms of water. A search for the object would entail diving operations at this depth over an area of approximately one‑half square mile or more. For this reason it is considered impractical to request an attempt at recovery.” The memorandum then makes a recommendation regarding the preservation of the case files: “It is suggested that all documents pertaining to this case be filed in the event that the future status of Project Blue Book warrants a recovery attempt. All documents referring to this case are returned herewith.” Later sections of the memorandum detail a follow‑up investigation. The text records that a Sergeant reported the object’s fall and provided an approximate location on a map, accompanied by a large‑scale sketch. The Air Force Office of Intelligence (AFOI‑2) was tasked with determining the feasibility of a recovery or further examination. A hydrographic chart of the area was obtained, but the data reported by the Sergeant did not match the chart. Consequently, the memorandum directs: “Subject matter will not be suitable for inclusion in the Daily Staff Digest. Action: a copy to be dispatched. Coordination: Colonel Wolfe, nineteen fifty‑two. The attached DF will be used to re‑interrogate Sergeant G‑U‑M in order to resolve these…

Why was this case declassified?

This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

1950 11 9618573 [illegible]

◆ BLUF — The short version

Cold Open. This is a declassified memorandum from the Air Technical Intelligence Center, Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, dated May nineteen forty‑five. The document, catalogued as 1950‑11‑9618573‑[ILLEGIBLE], concerns a reported unidentified object that allegedly fell into the sea off the village of Ginama in the Ryukyu‑Retto, Okinawa.

Agency: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Date: JUL 18 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source documenthttps://archive.org/details/1950-11-9618573-ILLEGIBLE

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Episode notes

Source document: https://archive.org/details/1950-11-9618573-ILLEGIBLE

Questions about this case

What was 1950 11 9618573 [illegible] about?: Cold Open. This is a declassified memorandum from the Air Technical Intelligence Center, Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, dated May nineteen forty‑five. The document, catalogued as 1950‑11‑9618573‑[ILLEGIBLE], concerns a reported unidentified object that allegedly fell into the sea off the village of Ginama in the Ryukyu‑Retto, Okinawa.
Why was this case declassified?: This material was released by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked in the case notes above so the citation chain is fully auditable.

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1950 11 9618573 [illegible]

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