The First Balloon Sightings
The first balloon sighting was on November 4th, 1944. A navy ship spotted something resembling white cloth south of California while doing a patrol.
Although the incident was reported because of Japanese markings on the balloon’s altimeter, the military dismissed the incident.
But two weeks later, more cloth and fragments were found in the ocean – and soon, elsewhere. Balloons were quickly found up and down the West Coast. Some armed with what appeared to be bombs.
