What did the declassified documents reveal?

On August thirteenth, nineteen forty‑seven the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued an office memorandum titled “Flying Disc Reported at Hackensack, New Jersey August third, nineteen forty‑seven – Miscellaneous.” The document is notable because it records one of the early post‑war sightings of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that was circulated among FBI field offices. The source is archived at The Black Vault and available through the Internet Archive. The memorandum was released to the public through The Black Vault’s online collection. The file appears in the archive under the identifier 65HS1‑83422896162‑HQ‑83894Section2 and was uploaded on the archive.org platform. No specific Freedom of Information Act case number is listed, and the declassification authority is indicated as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which authorized the public release of the material. The document reads as follows: “Office Memorandum – To: Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation – Attention: Assistant Director – Date: August thirteenth, nineteen forty‑seven – Subject: Flying Disc Reported at Hackensack, New Jersey August third, nineteen forty‑seven – Miscellaneous. Reference is made to the teletype from the Newark Division to the Bureau dated August fourth, nineteen forty‑seven stating that a ‘Flying Disc’ had been reported to have been seen at Hackensack, New Jersey on August third last by one Charles Casey Lia, Jr., and William Truex. Charles Casey Lia, Jr., 287 Euclid Avenue, Hackensack, upon interview by Special Agent Arthur F. Williams of this Division, stated that on August third he had been standing with William Truex, a soldier stationed at Fort Dix, observing a ham radio rig atop a two‑story house on Simons Avenue, Hackensack. It was approximately seven forty‑five p.m., and they were in this vicinity for the purpose of meeting Truex’s girlfriend, one Joyce McFarland. Truex commented to Casey Lia that a child had apparently lost its balloon. Casey Lia looked about a block or a half‑block away and noticed a round, black object moving from south to north and east of the spot where he and Truex were standing. Casey Lia noted that it was moving too fast to be an ordinary balloon, but he could not discern whether it was globular in form or a disc. He said it was about thirty to forty inches in diameter, moving north in a horizontal plane about two hundred yards above the top of the hill at Summit Avenue and Simons Avenue. It proceeded at a steady rate, emitted no rays, and was moving fast enough to require them to turn their heads steadily in order to follow it. Truex’s girlfriend came out about fifteen seconds after they first sighted it. They pointed it out to her, and she said it looked like a bird on the horizon so small. It faded out of sight shortly thereafter. Casey Lia said that a line drawn along its apparent course of flight would go from the vicinity of Bendix, New Jersey to a point west of Westwood, New Jersey. Casey Lia also said that…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record 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.

65 Hs1 834228961 62 Hq 83894 Section 2

◆ BLUF — The short version

” The document is notable because it records one of the early post‑war sightings of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that was circulated among FBI field offices. The source is archived at The Black Vault and available through the Internet Archive.

Date: JUL 17 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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Episode notes

On August thirteenth, nineteen forty‑seven the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued an office memorandum titled “Flying Disc Reported at Hackensack, New Jersey August third, nineteen forty‑seven – Miscellaneous.” The document is notable because it records one of the early post‑war sightings of an…

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Questions about this case

What was 65 Hs1 834228961 62 Hq 83894 Section 2 about?: ” The document is notable because it records one of the early post‑war sightings of an unidentified aerial phenomenon that was circulated among FBI field offices. The source is archived at The Black Vault and available through the Internet Archive.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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