FOIA: Tatum, NM Sighting 17SEP50 (ASTRO:Refraction of Setting Sun)?

NM_SEP_17_1950.pdf
Tatum,NM Sighting 17SEP50 Classified: (ASTRO:Refraction of the Setting Sun)
This is an interesting file which is focused on a civilian sighting of an orange erratic object which appeared and disappeared over the skies of Tatum, NM on 17SEP50.
Document date: 1950-09-17
Department: 509TH Bomb Wing M
Author: LTC Tootelian, Wing Intelligence Officer
Document type: Report
pages: 9


Archivist's Notes: Only a small portion of this file is difficult to read. Included in this report is a letter from the witness, John Bado, a geologist,who carefully documents his sighting and includes some drawings of the object. The classification is a little strange, refraction of the setting sun, with no documents to help us understand how this determination was made. The last line of the Intel Officer's report on page 9 shows that the officer believed a recent magazine article could have made this witness recptive to seeing objects. I didn't see anything in the report to suggest that the witness even read that article. One last item of interest is on page 1 where the record card has numerous crossed out blocks and altered data, could there have been another witness to this sighting?

Near dusk on 17Sept1950 a geologist named John Bado was on his way to an oil well near Tatum, New Mexico when he observed a UFO during a rainstorm. He described it as being "wider in the center than it's outer edges" and in a "vertical" position. This first sighting only lasted some 10 seconds, during which he said the object "came forward" and then receded.

Still driving in the storm, a few seconds later he again saw the object. It was now "much closer", being estimated as a mile to a mile and a half away. It had now rotated so that it was in the "horizontal" position. This time it remained in view for a longer period of time, estimated to be 15 or 20 seconds, and maybe as long as a minute. The object seemed to be heading right towards the witness in a "gliding" manner. He stated it was "larger than the largest plane I have seen". Again the object receded and disappeared.

A few seconds later Mr. Bado saw it for a third and final time. The object was now moving south and a little west, and seemed rounder and bigger than before. Mr Bado went on to the oil rig where he later wrote out the report. He also made drawings of the object, which he added to the report.

The dismissal of John Bado as having been influenced by some magazine article, without even bothering to interview him, is ridiculous. Whatever happened that day, it seems that the witness tried to give as good of a report of the incident as he could. I find it to be at least as good as many modern reports.

The comment of NGC2736 sums it up quite well.

For ease of use I ‘translate’ the handwritten report of John Brado and include his drawings from pdf. page 5 and 6:







At no time did the object seem to travel at a high rate of speed, all apparent movement was fairly slow and very smooth at the time the observation was mad it was moving(?) fairly steady to slow. The hour of (?) time of observation was near dusk, and (?) did not have to lights on the Powerwagon.
There where no distinct edges on the object, the orange yellow was fuzzed at the edges and the same applies to the gray band (?) in the middle.
At no time did the object seem to be spinning or rotating.
There is no doubt I was very exited at the time of observation, especially at the time of the second view, it actually seemed like it was going to hit me.
After seeing the object disappear the last time it started to rain, very, very hard.
I have made the following rather preceding statements in the view that perhaps if this object was a guided missile? Some Location of object could be obtained for military purposes.
My idea is, it may have been a tornado in the making, a lightning bolt, a comet and if possible a so called “flying saucer”
I do not desire no publicity (