An FBI memorandum detailing reports of a 'flying disk' sighting in Merced, California, involving witness William H. Parrott and reports from local military personnel.
STANDARD FORM NO. 64
Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : Director, FBI
DATE: May 13, 1949
FROM : SAC, Los Angeles
[HANDWRITTEN: 6/13/49]
SUBJECT: "FLYING DISK" REPORT
[REDACTED] INFORMATION CONCERNING
On May 5, 1949 Mr. MEL HODELL, a reporter for the Sun-Star
newspaper, Merced, California, advised Special Agent MARLIN W. JOHNSON,
that his paper had been contacted by Lt. Col. STANLEY JACOBS, Intelligence
Officer, Castle Air Force Base, Merced, California, relative to any
reports that the newspaper might have received concerning "flying disks"
in the Merced vicinity.
Mr. HODELL stated a close friend of his, one WILLIAM H. PARROTT,
12-A Langdon Villa, Merced, had advised him that he had observed a
strange object, and as he is in the Air Corps Reserve, he reported same
to the Intelligence Officer at Castle Field.
On the same date Mr. GEORGE BREMER, Detachment Commander, Office
of Special Investigations, Castle Air Force Base, Merced, California, advised
SA MARLIN W. JOHNSON that he had heard that an individual had reported
seeing a "flying disk" to the Intelligence Office at the Base but that
the Intelligence Officer had not furnished the information to him. Mr.
BREMER later on the same date contacted SA JOHNSON and exhibited a letter
written by STANLEY F. JACOBS, Lt. Col., USAF, Adjutant (Intelligence
Officer) to Commanding General, Air Material Command, Wright-Patterson
AFB, Wright Field, Ohio. This letter contained a statement given by
Mr. WILLIAM H. PARROTT which read as follows: "I had occasion to step
from my home, located approximately one mile west of the town of Merced,
on the night of April 4, 1949, at approximately 2220. My attention was
diverted to a clicking noise of considerable intensity. I stopped on the
sidewalk about 20 feet from the front steps and recognized the source of
this clicking to be in the sky in an area about 40 degrees from the surface
of the earth in an easterly direction. The sky condition was 20000 thin
broken with 12 miles visibility and surface winds were reported as north
nine M.P.H. at Castle Air Force weather station. My home is approximately
seven miles south of Castle Air Force Base and in an area somewhat sheltered
from surface winds, and no appreciable surface wind was apparent at the
time the aural observation was made. After about ten seconds of looking
into the area described previously as being the source of this sound, an
object was observed blanking out stars in describing a flight path in a
west or northwesterly direction. Only one object was apparent, its shape
can be described as only a solid mass. Its size can be estimated as four
or five feet in diameter in keeping with an estimated altitude of con-
siderably less than 1000 (one thousand) feet. Color was shown by the
reflection of ground lights on only two occasions, and appeared to be
100-2442
MWJ:JAW
RECORDED - 110
INDEXED - 110
[HANDWRITTEN: 162-83894-171]
[HANDWRITTEN: 13 MAY 17 1949]
[HANDWRITTEN: 33 MAY 25 1949]
EX-76
COPIES DESTROYED
270 NOV 18 1964
EX-39
