A declassified intelligence document catalogued as DOC_0000015391 carries a blunt, unambiguous title: "UNIDENTIFIED FLYING SAUCERS (UFO)".
Though the contents of the memo are not shown in the available scan, the document’s classification and titling confirm that U.S. intelligence formally logged and distributed internal reports under the explicit term "flying saucers"-a term generally avoided in modern aerospace lexicon but commonly used in early UFO documentation.
🛸 From Dismissal to Definition
During the early 1950s, the CIA and military intelligence gradually shifted from viewing UFO reports as public distractions to potentially significant intelligence data.
The use of "flying saucers" in the title reflects how terminology had not yet migrated to "UFO" or "UAP" as seen in later years.
This memo likely served as a routing or cover sheet for observations gathered either domestically or from foreign sources.
📁 Minimal but Deliberate
Despite its brevity, the record shows intent: these sightings were collected, labeled, and preserved under formal document control. No effort was made to disguise the topic or use euphemisms-suggesting the subject was treated seriously enough not to be dismissed, even if unexplained.
This kind of document is part of a wider paper trail indicating consistent, structured logging of aerial anomalies during the Cold War period-especially those with potential military or strategic implications.
