THINK ABOUTIT UFO SIGHTING REPORT
Date: January 1952
Sighting Time:
Day/Night: afternoon
Location: Shemya Island, Aleutians, Alaska
Urban or Rural: Rural
Hynek Classification: CE-I (Close Encounter I) Observation of an object in close proximity to the witness (i.e. within 500’)
Duration: few seconds
No. of Object(s): 1
Size of Object(s): 30 feet across
Distance to Object(s): 300 feet
Shape of Object(s): bat-shaped
Color of Object(s): gray
Number of Witnesses: 1
Special Features/Characteristics: USO
Source: Martin Caidin “Hydrospace” quoting letter to Nicap April 4 1966
Summary/Description: While employed as a rigger on this remote island, Eldon L. White was wandering around looking for Blue Fox Burrows on his day off, when a whirring whining sound caused him to look up. About 300 feet above him, falling leaf-like towards the water was a gray, bat-shaped craft.
It was about 30 feet across. The leading edge of its wings was spaced with round openings emitting a greenish yellow glow. Top center of the wing was a dome emitting a greenish yellow glow. Top center of the wing was a dome emitting a pulsating red glow from inside. Underneath and aft (rear) of the wing was a long rod or shaft. Around 75 feet above the water this craft commenced hovering for a few seconds, then fell off into a steep angled glide and disappeared beneath the water.
The witness gaped and waited quite some time for it to surface—but it never did.
The Shemya Island Strategic Context
During the early 1950s, Shemya Island was a critical military outpost in the Aleutians, serving as a refueling stop for aircraft and a key listening post during the Cold War. The witness, Eldon L. White, was working as a rigger in this high-security environment when he witnessed the event. The “bat-shaped” description is particularly unique for this era, which was dominated by reports of “flying saucers” or “cigar-shaped” craft. The presence of round openings emitting a greenish-yellow glow suggests a specific mechanical design, while the pulsating red dome indicates a possible navigation or propulsion indicator common in many CE-I reports.
Analysis of the USO Behavior
The transition from air to water—falling “leaf-like” and then disappearing beneath the waves—classifies this as a classic Unidentified Submerged Object (USO) case. The fact that the object hovered 75 feet above the water before submerging suggests a controlled entry rather than a crash. This behavior is often cited by researchers like Martin Caidin as evidence of “trans-medium” travel, where a craft can operate with equal efficiency in both the atmosphere and the deep ocean. The whining sound reported by White is another physical detail that aligns with high-energy propulsion theories often discussed in early NICAP investigations.
Legacy of the Shemya Sighting
This report, eventually documented by Martin Caidin in his work “Hydrospace,” remains one of the most credible Aleutian sightings due to the witness’s background and the specificity of the mechanical details. The lack of a resurfacing event, despite White waiting “quite some time,” reinforces the theory that these objects utilize the vast, unmonitored depths of the Pacific for concealment. For modern researchers, the Shemya case serves as a vital historical link in the study of oceanic anomalies during the 1952 UFO flap.
