Godman Army Airfield

Shortly after, they lost radio contact with Captain Mantle.

Mantle's wingman then returned to Godman Airfield.

When they returned, one of the pilots, NG-800, reported that he had seen something which he identified as looking like the reflection of sunlight on an airplane canopy.

Shortly after making this statement, NG-800 then landed, refueled, and took off again to look for both the object and Captain Mantle.

Venus was approximately south-southwest of Godman Field, about 33 degrees above the horizon at around 3 p.m. Where witnesses placed the object was generally southwest and somewhat higher.

So geometrically, Venus wasn't an absurd candidate.

And they'd had, I think, at Godman Airfield, like about a month or so earlier, they had actually had an incident where they were chasing Venus.

So this wasn't completely out of the question.

Mantell died mysteriously in the sky south of Fort Knox.

But before his radio went silent, he sent a strange message to Godman Air Force Base.

The men who heard it will never forget it.

It was January seventh, nineteen forty-eight.