January 23, 1948🇺🇸Sighting
Military Base
Fort Knox, KY: Lt Orner tracks white-red light
USAF Lieutenant Paul I. Orner observed and tracked a white light with red hue using a weather theodolite at Godman Army Airfield for over two hours. This sighting preceded the Mantell incident on the same day.
📍 US Army installation in north-central Kentucky, home to the gold depository and Godman Army Airfield. Site of the 1948 Mantell Incident, where a pursuit of an unidentified object led to a pilot fatality.
Background
Observation Details On 7 January 1948, between 4:45 p.m. and 7:06 p.m., 1st Lt. Paul I. Orner from the USAF used a weather theodolite at Godman Army Airfield, Fort Knox, Kentucky, to monitor an unidentified white light exhibiting red tones for more than two hours.
Witness and Tracking Orner, as AACS Detachment Commander, confirmed the object southwest of the tower, visible to the naked eye and through field glasses, appearing small and possibly self-illuminated or reflective. This methodical tracking provided precise data amid multiple personnel reports of a large, unusual sky object.
Context and Significance The event occurred during ongoing sightings from 2:40 p.m. onward, prompting fighter intercepts including Capt. Thomas F. Mantell's fatal pursuit. Evidence includes tower logs and witness statements, highlighting early military UFO engagement. Importance rated 8/10 for its role in the landmark Mantell case chain.
Connections
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