DOW-UAP-D161, Air Intelligence Information Report, Alaska, 1953
WAR.gov / Department of War PURSUE Release 07
An October 1953 Air Intelligence Information Report from the U.S. Air Force’s 5004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron on a light that a resident of Little Diomede Island, Alaska, saw on the southern tip of Big Diomede Island, USSR.
Document Highlights
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Short overview
An October 1953 Air Intelligence Information Report from the U.S. Air Force’s 5004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron on a light that a resident of Little Diomede Island, Alaska, saw on the southern tip of Big Diomede Island, USSR.
Why this is interesting
The source, a 14-year-old student and hunter from Little Diomede, had kept watch on Big Diomede every night for a week on his own initiative; a member of the squadron stationed on the island rated him fairly reliable and noted his excellent eyesight. He saw a light at an estimated 95 feet above sea level for several seconds, the size of a nickel held at arm’s length and the colour of a burning match or dim flashlight, and thought it came from a large flashlight or spotlight; it did not reappear. The preparing officer found the location unusual because people had never been seen on that part of the island and it was hard to reach at night. He mentions that the southern tip would be the best place to signal the Alaskan mainland, but adds that there is no evidence this was the purpose of the light. The form gives the night as dark, without overcast, with stars clearly visible, and includes a sketch of the observation.
Selected passages
- “The location of the light is considered somewhat unusual because people”
- “the same color as a burning match or dim flashlight.”
- “maintained a watch on Big Diomede on his own initiative.”
Background
This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report (AIIR), a standardized U.S. Air Force reporting form used to record raw information of potential intelligence value for later analysis. The form served as a primary vehicle for U.S. Air Force field intelligence collection throughout the early Cold War, until defense-wide reporting standards were established in the early 1960s. This AIIR records an October 6, 1953, incident on Little Diomede, Alaska, in which a resident of the island reported observing a light on the southern tip of Big Diomede, U.S.S.R. The report states that the light lasted for several seconds and appeared as though it came from a large flashlight or spotlight. It further describes the light as about the size of a nickel coin held at arm’s length and about the same color as a burning match or dim flashlight. All descriptive and estimative language contained in this report reflects the reporter’s subjective interpretation at the time of the event. Such characterizations should not be interpreted as a conclusive indication of the presence or absence of any intrinsic object features or performance characteristics. AARO Comment: The Diomede Islands are situated in the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia and constitute the nearest point of territorial proximity between the United States and the former Soviet Union.