Department of War·Document
USNavy-Report-of-Flying-Discs_1948
A 1948 Navy memo from the 5th Naval District Commandant establishes a formal reporting chain for "flying disc" incidents — directing naval stations to route sightings to both the nearest Air Force command and Naval District Intelligence. The dual-reporting requirement is a small but telling detail: the Navy wasn't just deferring to the Air Force, it was keeping its own intelligence channel open from the start.
This document is a memorandum from the Commandant of the 5th Naval District, and it cites a memorandum related to "flying discs" from the Chief of Naval Operations. The memorandum requests that naval stations report incidents to the nearest Air Force command and to the Naval District Intelligence Office.