In July 1952, Delbert Newhouse filmed near Tremonton, Utah. He served in the US Navy and worked as a photographer. The film he shot later became the subject of an Air Force investigation.
The surprising detail is that the story appears in Newhouse’s service record, not in a detailed account of the film. An experienced photographer stood behind the camera, and his footage was reviewed as part of a program investigating unidentified phenomena seen in the sky.
The Photographer Behind the Camera
Newhouse shot the footage with a 16 mm camera, the kind used to make motion pictures. Photography was no sideline: during his Navy service, he worked as a photographer and gained experience in photography and imaging.
Air Force investigators described him as an expert photographer, citing his service experience. That adds an important detail: the person behind the camera knew his way around one. But it doesn’t answer what, exactly, the film captured.
The Film Reaches the Air Force
The film was examined as part of Project Blue Book, a US Air Force program that ran from 1952 to 1969. The program sought to determine the nature and origins of unidentified phenomena seen in the sky.
Two military paths crossed: a Navy photographer shot the film, and Air Force investigators examined it. These details appear in Newhouse’s service record, alongside information about his duties and training. The combination of a personal service record and an investigation of a film offers a glimpse of how the military documented unusual cases.
What Remains Unknown
The record does not describe what appears in the film or what conclusion investigators reached. It offers no conventional explanation for the phenomenon, and no information about whether the film is available to watch.
What remains is a single image: a Navy man behind a camera, and a film that lands on the Air Force’s desk.
