What did the declassified documents reveal?

1953-02-9551580-Richmond-Va Released through The Black Vault, a digital archive of declassified documents. The document, a report from the 21st District Office of Special Investigations, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, pertains to the observation of unusual aerial objects by four civilian guards at the Richmond Quartermaster Depot on February 10, 1953. PROVENANCE The document was declassified and released through The Black Vault, a digital archive of declassified documents. The original document is a report from the 21st District Office of Special Investigations, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The document was likely declassified under the Freedom of Information Act. THE DOCUMENT The report begins by stating that four civilian guards at the Richmond Quartermaster Depot observed unusual aerial objects on February 10, 1953. The first guard, Charles L. Camp, stated that at approximately 0615 hours, he saw two objects approaching from the east at an altitude of approximately 400 feet. The objects were circular in shape, approximately 30 feet in diameter, and appeared luminous, colored orange in the center and yellow at the edge. The objects proceeded southwest at a slow speed, hovered over a 75-foot water tower, and then disappeared over the trees. The second guard, Jessie E. Zant, stated that at approximately 4515 hours, he observed two yellowish-colored flat disc-shaped objects over the water at an altitude of approximately 150 feet. The objects emitted no sound, hovered over the water, and then suddenly disappeared from sight moving vertically at an extremely rapid rate of speed. The third guard, Harry L. Derr, stated that at approximately 0615 hours, he observed two objects or lights approaching him from the northeast at a distance of 1 mile, at an altitude of approximately 1000 feet and approximately 200 feet apart. The objects passed over the Elk Pasture and then disappeared from his line of vision. The fourth guard, Carlisle E. Fields, stated that at approximately 0600 hours, he observed two objects coming toward him from the north at an altitude of approximately 9 feet. The objects appeared to be circular in shape, approximately 35 feet in diameter, and were colored orange in the center with a blue edge. The objects passed over Fields' head and proceeded south at a speed of approximately 35 miles per hour "dancing and darting about". CONTEXT The report was likely written in response to the observation of unusual aerial objects by the four civilian guards. The report provides a detailed account of the observations, including the time, location, and description of the objects. OUTRO This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. The document, a report from the 21st District Office of Special Investigations, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, provides a glimpse into the observations of unusual aerial objects by four civilian guards at the Richmond Quartermaster Depot on February 10, 1953. Canonical URL…

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.

1953 02 9551580 Richmond Va

◆ BLUF — The short version

1953-02-9551580-Richmond-Va Released through The Black Vault, a digital archive of declassified documents. The document, a report from the 21st District Office of Special Investigations, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, pertains to the observation of unusual aerial objects by four civilian guards at the Richmond Quartermaster Depot on February 10, 1953.

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/1953-02-9551580-Richmond-Va

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Episode notes

Source document: https://archive.org/details/1953-02-9551580-Richmond-Va

Questions about this case

What was 1953 02 9551580 Richmond Va about?: 1953-02-9551580-Richmond-Va Released through The Black Vault, a digital archive of declassified documents. The document, a report from the 21st District Office of Special Investigations, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, pertains to the observation of unusual aerial objects by four civilian guards at the Richmond Quartermaster Depot on February 10, 1953.
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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1953 02 9551580 Richmond Va

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