PHILNEWS – The Phillips Petroleum Company Employee Magazine. 1954 Case

 May, 1954

ARE “flying saucers” from outer space?  Phillips Production employees and their families living at South Cole Creek camp, 25 miles east of Casper, Wyoming, can't answer this question, but they do know that they recently observed eight of these “objects” for a period of at least 15 minutes.

    Marge Michaelis, wife of sub-foreman A. L. Michaelis, describes the incident like this:

    ‘My two sons and I had just returned from Sunday school.  It was 11:30 am. As we got out of the car, our neighbor, Bill Eden, called to us, ‘What do you see up there?’ he asked, pointing to the sky.

“Looking to the north, I immediately spotted several extremely shiny round objects.  They looked about the size of a dime and were rapidly moving toward us.  Someone shouted, ‘Saucers!’

“Everyone watched as they came closer.  They seemed to go over, under and around each other in free easy maneuvers, giving the impression of a bubbling motion.  The objects moved.  south, then west, back east and finally drifted to the north.  They appeared to follow an arc, dropping down as they went into the north, then rising and dropping again as they neared us.

"Suddenly, they formed a straight line and headed west at an incredible rate of speed.  From this formation, we could count eight definite objects about the size of golf balls, only flat.  The distance from the first to the last object seemed about 3½ feet.

“Bill and Wilma Eden, six children and myself watched the objects for several minutes.  We felt certain they were somehow controlled and must be saucers.  We did not see protrusions from their naturally round shape.  The objects did not leave a vapor trail.  No sound reached us.

“I ran into the house for my husband’s binoculars.  Through the glasses, the objects looked about the size of croquet balls.  Each one looked identical with the other.  Next, they drifted close to us, broke from the straight line pattern and began the bubbling motion once again.  They changed position so quickly that no one knew whether the first, last or middle ones moved first.

“For the third time we watched them move in a straight line, zooming and banking.  Someone screamed ‘They're landing!’  Then when they seemed about 75 feet off the ground, they broke formation and rapidly gained altitude.

“With that, I ran Into the house.  Someone had to know about these ‘things’”.  The operator gave me the Air Force detachment in Casper.  After several minutes delay, I heard a man answer ‘Air Defense, go ahead.’

“The airman was interested, polite and businesslike.  He took our names, approximate location and description of the objects.  On the following day, the commanding officer of the detachment called on us to obtain a more detailed report of what we had seen.  We referred to telephone poles, ridges and drilling rigs to more accurately determine approximate location of the objects.  The officer made notes during our conversation, and told us he was sending a report to Washington.  He was extremely serious about all details and told us it was one of the best reports he had received.

Three members of the South Cole Creek Ground Observer post observe and
spot aircraft. They are (left to right), Marge Michaelis, Doris Yelton, Marie Groth.

“Several days letter, another airman came out to discuss the possibilities of forming a Ground Observer Corps post at South Cole Creek camp.  All of us expressed an interest in organizing such a post if we could receive proper instruction and training.

“My husband and I attended an open house at the Air Force detachment later that month.  At that time, the commanding officer told us he had received an answer to his report.  Washington knows what they are, he said, ‘but they didn't tell me everything.’

“‘What do we call them, just saucers?’ I asked.

“He replied ‘We have no better name for them.’  He told us that on the same day we saw the objects, a group of pipe line employees working west of Casper had made an almost identical report.”

Since the organisation of the Ground Observer Corps at South Cole Creek camp, five Phillips families have volunteered as observers.  This group meets once a month to view training films, hear talks by Air Force personnel and discuss material in the Air Force manual.

Marge Michaelis is group supervisor.  Bill Hatfield is chief observer.  Wilma Eden is assistant chief observer.  Other observers are A. L. Michaelis, Bill Eden, Jean Hatfield, Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Yelton, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Groth and Eddie Hatfield.

Bob Groth (left), light truck driver at South Cole Creek, receives his silver
observer wings from Major Merlon S. Evans, Casper Air Force detachment.

Bob Groth receiives GOC Silver Wings South Cole Creek, Wyoming 1954

Bob Groth (left), light truck driver at South Cole Creek, receives his silver

observer wings from Major Merlon S. Evans, Casper Air Force detachment.

To earn silver wings, observers must complete 36 hours formal training.  Credit hours are earned by attending monthly meetings and demonstrations, observing and reporting irregularities in aircraft flying over the camp and by participating in scheduled alerts.

Phillips families at South Cole Creek are to be commended for their work as ground observers and for the important part they are playing in our National Defense program.