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The primary source documents on this page highlight pivotal moments in the course of American history or government. They are some of the most-viewed and sought-out documents in the holdings of the National Archives.

Join Rob McConnell on The 'X' Zone Radio/TV Show as he welcomes Keith Chester, UFO researcher, artist, filmmaker and author of the groundbreaking book Strange Company: Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II, for an extraordinary investigation into one of the most fascinating and overlooked chapters in the history of unidentified flying objects.Long before the modern UFO era began with Kenneth Arnold's famous flying saucer sighting in June 1947, military pilots and aircrews were reporting mysterious objects in the skies over Europe and the Pacific.During the Second World War, Allied and Axis military personnel encountered strange lights, glowing spheres and unidentified aerial objects that appeared to display flight characteristics they could not readily explain.These mysterious objects became known as Foo Fighters, a name that would eventually become synonymous with some of the earliest documented military UFO encounters.But what were these strange aerial phenomena?Were they secret experimental weapons developed by Nazi Germany? Unfamiliar atmospheric or electrical phenomena? Misidentified aircraft? Or could some of these encounters have involved technology originating beyond Earth?For Keith Chester, these questions became the foundation of an extensive historical investigation.His fascination with UFOs began after he witnessed an unidentified object during daylight in the mid-1960s. By the late 1980s, he was actively researching UFO reports and had established contact with veteran investigator Leonard Stringfield, whose own wartime experience with unexplained aerial phenomena helped inspire Chester's research.In 1999, Chester began making regular visits to the United States National Archives in College Park, Maryland, examining military intelligence reports, operational records and other historical documents concerning unusual aerial sightings during World War II.Over several years, he painstakingly assembled accounts from military personnel who described objects exhibiting unusual speeds, unexpected manoeuvres and appearances that differed from conventional aircraft.The results of his investigation were published in 2007 as Strange Company: Military Encounters with UFOs in World War II, a book that challenged the widespread assumption that serious UFO reports began only after the war.Chester's research examines reports involving American, British and other Allied aircrews, as well as military intelligence efforts to determine whether the unexplained objects represented enemy technology or an entirely different phenomenon.Among the most intriguing cases are accounts of glowing balls of light reportedly following aircraft during nighttime missions, unusual objects appearing near military formations and aerial phenomena that seemed to behave independently of known aircraft.Some witnesses believed the objects were advanced German weapons. Others considered electrical disturbances, optical illusions or unfamiliar natural phenomena.Yet certain reports remained unresolved in the records Chester examined.Could military personnel have encountered something genuinely unknown during one of the most technologically intensive conflicts in human history?The conversation also explores the difficulties investigators face when interpreting historical UFO reports.Combat stress, poor visibility, rapidly evolving military technology, incomplete documentation and the passage of time can complicate attempts to reconstruct what witnesses actually observed.Although unusual wartime sightings are documented, there is no independently verified evidence establishing that the Foo Fighters were extraterrestrial spacecraft. Their possible explanations include natural atmospheric phenomena, wartime equipment, observational errors and other causes that may be difficult to determine retrospectively.Nevertheless, Chester's work raises important questions about how military authorities investigated unexplained aerial phenomena and why certain reports received relatively little public attention after the war.His research also provides a historical perspective on today's discussions about Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), military aviation safety, government transparency and the scientific investigation of unexplained observations.

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Attorney General Rob Bonta says transferring the facility’s records out of state would limit access for public agencies, researchers and families.

Tribal leaders and historians warn the planned closure of three National Archives locations will limit the public’s access to tribal enrollment information and documents revealing the atrocities…

SAN BRUNO, CA –Despite bipartisan and bicameral support for preserving America’s national archives, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) gave a dismissive response to federal lawmak...

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John Kjær has retired after 50 years working at the National Archives of the Faroe Islands, KVF reported. Friday was his last day at the archives, where he worked as an archivist. He plans to clear his office so someone else can use it, then focus on other interests, particularly sport. He is inv…

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CHICAGO — Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) led a letter with 20 members of the U.S. House and Senate to the Archivist of the U.S. Bradford Wilson, expressing strong opposition to the announceme...

via The Hill News — Chinese President Xi Jinping will close out his first state visit to the U.S. in over a decade on Friday with a tour of the National Archives alongside President Trump. The building houses important documents in American history, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The archives also has an…

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