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CONFIDENTIAL

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1030 hours 18 August 1947

Telephone message received from Mr. Al Rock, City Editor, Oakland Tribune:

Mr. Ray A. Switzer, 3431 David Way, Sacramento 2, Calif., and insurance executive with the firm of McGuire and Wallis, of Sacramento, reported the following incident:

At 4:15 P.M. on August 14, while driving on Cedar Navine Road, 4 to 5 miles southeast of Placerville, Calif., he, accompanied by his wife, observed a "vapor" trail moving from north to south. Closer observation revealed a piece of "shiny metal" at from 500 to 1000 feet altitude moving at a "high rate of speed". The object appeared to be more "rocket-shaped" than disc-shaped. It appeared to be approximately 5 feet in length and was "tilted in a semi-circle".

The object struck the ground with a "puff of black smoke" about 100 feet below the top of a hill which was approximately 750 feet ahead of the automobile driven by the observer. An intervening canyon prevented investigation of the location where the object was observed to have landed.

The observer is able to identify the location where the object was observed to land.

(Mr. Switzer is a University of California graduate, and is personally known by members of the Oakland Tribune staff. He is a brother-in-law of Col. Gray of the Marine Hospital of Southern California.)

CONFIDENTIAL