Buzz
While the Vietnam War isn't typically linked to UFO encounters, tales circulated among soldiers on the frontlines and civilians at home. Some accounts are more credible than others, yet they all highlight humanity's tendency to seek explanations for unusual phenomena.
10. HMAS Hobart
By the mid-war period, North Vietnamese forces seldom deployed helicopters, despite having them earlier in the conflict. As a result, many UFO reports during this time involved glowing, hovering objects, as troops were certain they couldn't be enemy helicopters.
In June 1968, Australian observers spotted 30 floating lights near the DMZ. Concerned about a potential Tet Offensive-style assault, NATO forces quickly dispatched F-4 fighters and patrol boats to engage. The lights moved toward the sea and were fired upon by several ships. Tragically, a US Navy swift boat was struck by friendly fire, resulting in its sinking and the loss of five crew members.
Amid the chaos, the Australian destroyer HMAS Hobart stood prepared to confront the enemy. At 3:30 AM, the commander issued an “Action Stations” alert after radar detected a fast-approaching aircraft without IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe). The plane attacked the HMAS Hobart, causing damage to the ship and fatalities among the crew.
During the turmoil, the F-4 pilots attempted to establish contact with the floating lights. However, their efforts resulted in only a few ambiguous encounters. By the end of the night, the pilots had returned to their base.
The following morning, no evidence of enemy helicopters was discovered, despite extensive antiaircraft fire aimed at the lights. The event was ultimately attributed to atmospheric anomalies or potential helicopter movements.
General George S. Brown, who led the 7th US Air Force, publicly shared his views after the war. While the government classified all UFO sightings as enemy helicopter activity, Brown maintained that the Hobart incident was an example of UFO interference in military operations.
9. Pete Mazzola’s Sighting
Pete Mazzola was a young soldier at the start of the Vietnam War. Initially uninterested in UFOs, his experiences during deployment led him to develop a belief in their existence.
During his service, Mazzola observed numerous “meteors” that moved in ways defying the behavior of typical shooting stars. Later in the war, he had a firsthand encounter with a UFO.
While on patrol, Mazzola’s squad was ambushed and trapped by enemy forces. As they sought a way to escape, they noticed glowing objects ascending over the rice fields and hovering motionlessly.
As the objects ascended, they were fired upon by American warships to the south. Unexpectedly, the Vietcong also began shooting at the floating lights. Despite accurate targeting, neither side managed to hit the objects. Mazzola vividly remembers shells exploding just short of the lights, leaving their true nature a mystery to both the Americans and the Vietcong.
The encounter profoundly impacted Mazzola, leading him to establish the Scientific Bureau For Investigation post-war. Headquartered in New York, Mazzola devoted his life to studying UFO phenomena and other paranormal occurrences.
8. Coyne Incident
While not directly tied to Vietnam, the 1973 Coyne incident is a notable UFO sighting involving the US Air Force during the Vietnam era. The event is named after Major Larry Coyne, the commanding officer of the helicopter involved.
During a routine training flight at 760 meters (2,500 ft) over Mansfield, Ohio, a four-man army reserve crew noticed a red light rapidly approaching their helicopter. Preparing for a collision, they were stunned when the object halted directly in front of them.
After recovering from the initial shock, the crew observed that the object had a cigar-like shape. A green light from its underside flooded the helicopter cabin. Moments later, the mysterious object swiftly departed.
As the crew prepared to head back to base, they realized they had ascended several thousand feet in just a few seconds during the encounter. This climb happened at an unusually rapid pace, far exceeding their helicopter’s normal capabilities. What made it even more puzzling was that the pilot had configured the controls for a 20-degree descent.
Every crew member corroborated the account, and ground witnesses also reported seeing something unusual near the helicopter. In UFO research circles, the Coyne incident is regarded as one of the most credible cases due to multiple independent witnesses. It remains a standout event among UFO sightings from the Vietnam era.
7. Skylab 3 UFO
Though not directly tied to Vietnam, another notable UFO sighting during the war occurred during the Skylab 3 mission in 1973. The mission faced numerous challenges, including frequent disruptions in radio communication.
Shortly before the three Skylab astronauts returned to Earth, they lost radio contact and observed something peculiar through the wardroom window. Astronaut Owen Garriott quickly grabbed his camera and captured an image of the object, which appeared oddly distorted and wavy.
Once radio communication was restored, the astronauts informed CAPCOM about a red light oscillating outside the space station. The light eventually faded as it was overwhelmed by the Sun’s brightness, disappearing from view. It was the nearest and most luminous object they had observed throughout the mission.
Upon returning to Earth, Garriott stood firm in his account. During his debriefing, fellow astronaut Jack Lousma noted that, among the numerous satellites observed during the mission, this was the only one that appeared distinctly extraterrestrial.
In recent years, skeptics have attributed the photograph to space debris or optical illusions, yet it remains one of the earliest recorded UFO sightings in space.
6. Shag Harbor, 1967
One of the more bizarre incidents during the Vietnam era occurred in 1967 at Shag Harbor, Nova Scotia. On the evening of October 4, several witnesses reported seeing a bright object fall from the sky and plunge into the harbor.
The initial report came from a Canadian DC-9, which observed a large rectangular object plummeting from the sky, followed by a series of explosions. Local residents also alerted nearby authorities. Officers quickly arrived, assuming an aircraft had crashed into the ocean.
Authorities collaborated with local fishermen to search for wreckage or potential survivors. However, nothing was discovered. After consulting both Canadian and American government agencies, it was confirmed that no aircraft were missing along the Eastern seaboard. The origin of the object remained a mystery.
Witnesses described the object as moving rapidly and producing a sound resembling an overhead bomb explosion. Despite extensive efforts, no one could identify the mysterious craft. Ultimately, it was collectively deemed a UFO.
5. Las Vegas 1962 Incident
As tensions escalated toward the Vietnam War, the military encountered several UFO-related incidents. One notable event occurred in 1962 when a UFO reportedly crashed at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas.
Early reports indicated that radar had detected a high-speed object over Mesquite, close to Las Vegas, but lost track of it shortly afterward. In the following days, witnesses began sharing their accounts of the incident.
Conflicting narratives emerged about the object’s landing site. Some claimed it crashed in Utah, while others believed it landed near a power station in Eureka, Nevada. Additional reports mentioned an explosion over Mesquite. Most sources, however, pointed to a crash site near Las Vegas.
Numerous individuals contacted the Las Vegas sheriff’s office to report strange lights in the sky. Witnesses near the city described seeing the object explode over the desert. Local residents even organized search parties to locate the crash site.
Despite extensive efforts, no debris or evidence of a crash was ever found. When the US government concluded its investigation, it acknowledged that the radar contact was genuine, but the visual sightings were unreliable. As a result, the case was deemed impossible to analyze.
4. USS Kilauea Sighting
Many UFO accounts from the Vietnam War lack verification and are often shared as anecdotes among soldiers. One such tale involves crewman Norman Burns and his strange encounter with a water UFO toward the war’s conclusion. At the time, Burns was aboard the USS Kilauea, patrolling the Indian Ocean.
During a night in 1974, Burns and a companion were on the ship’s deck, observing another vessel ahead in formation. The ship’s wake stirred up a glowing trail of phosphorus algae.
Without warning, the glowing trail intensified, becoming exceptionally bright. A luminous sphere emerged from the water, soared over the destroyer, and plunged back into the ocean. Burns estimated the sphere to be 30–60 meters (150–200 ft) wide. Everyone on watch witnessed the event, yet no one could determine its origin.
3. Patrol Boat Attack And Only Known UFO Photograph
In 1968, two patrol boats stationed in the DMZ between North and South Vietnam observed a pair of UFOs approaching. The UFOs halted and hovered above the first boat. Crew members on the second boat saw a blinding flash of light from the UFOs envelop the first vessel, resulting in a massive explosion that destroyed it.
In another notable event, the sole confirmed photograph of a UFO during the Vietnam War was captured in 1967. An American soldier, riding in the back of a truck near Chu Lai, noticed a strange object in the sky.
Using his Electro-35 Yashica camera, the soldier snapped a photo of a cylindrical object hovering just above the rural road. Such encounters contributed to the prevalence of UFO stories throughout the Vietnam War.
2. Nha Trang Base 1966 Sighting
The Nha Trang base served as a crucial strategic hub for the US during the war. In 1966, it became the site of one of the most remarkable UFO encounters of the conflict, witnessed by thousands of soldiers.
On a quiet night, American troops gathered to watch an outdoor movie. Nearby, bulldozers worked on hillsides, and two Skyraider attack aircraft prepared for a mission. An oil tanker was also anchored in the harbor.
As the soldiers enjoyed the movie, the northern sky abruptly illuminated. At first, they assumed it was a flare. However, the light began moving rapidly toward the base.
Witnesses described the light as moving unpredictably, alternating between bursts of speed and sudden slowdowns. It flew at an altitude of approximately 7,600 meters (25,000 ft) before halting and descending to hover just 90–150 meters (300–500 ft) above the ground.
As the light hovered, all electrical systems on the base malfunctioned, including the Skyraiders’ engines and the bulldozers. After a brief pause, the light shot upward and vanished into the night. Power was eventually restored, but the event left everyone baffled.
1. B-52 Shot Down By A UFO
Another intriguing UFO account from Vietnam involves a downed B-52 bomber. While the documentation is unclear, this story remains a popular topic among UFO enthusiasts.
This incident is linked to Project Grudge, a US Air Force initiative to investigate UFO sightings, which was officially concluded in 1951. However, UFO researchers argue that the project continued its operations during the Vietnam War.
In the 1970s, Green Beret Captain William English was dispatched to Laos to examine the wreckage of a crashed B-52 bomber. The plane had disappeared under mysterious conditions, and the US Air Force was determined to recover any evidence from the site.
Captain English located the aircraft, which appeared surprisingly intact. The only visible damage was consistent with a crash landing. Upon opening the hatch, he discovered the crew still seated, but their bodies were severely disfigured and mutilated. The cockpit itself showed no additional signs of damage.
English gathered samples and submitted the bodies for autopsy. However, shortly after the incident, the Laos government expelled him. Regardless of its authenticity, this story remains a fascinating account from the closing stages of the Vietnam War.
