Editing USS Tiru UFO sighting

The '''''USS Tiru'' UFO sighting''' is a [[UFO sighting]] first reported by [[Milton William Cooper|William Cooper]], involving an alleged encounter with a massive metallic craft during a test dive near [[Hawaii]] in 1966. Cooper described the object as resembling a giant metallic ship, approximately the size of an [[aircraft carrier]], emerging from the [[ocean]] and tumbling through the [[sky]] before vanishing. According to one source ([[Jim Spieser]])<ref name="CooperSacred" />, this was the first public report of a "multiple [[List of UFO sightings involving military personnel|military witness sighting" of a UFO]].

==Event==
The alleged sighting occurred aboard the ''[[USS Tiru (SS-416)|USS Tiru]]'' in 1966 during its transit from [[Pearl Harbor]] to [[Seattle]] for the [[Rose Festival]]. According to Cooper, the submarine was cruising on the surface at approximately 10 knots when the port lookout reported a strange contact at a range of 2 miles, bearing 315 degrees relative.<ref name="CooperSacred">[https://sacred-texts.com/ufo/usstiru.htm Sacred Texts: USS Tiru UFO Sighting].</ref> Cooper, the lookout, insisted that others verify the sighting. Through binoculars, the port lookout, the [[Officer of the Deck|OOD]], and the starboard lookout witnessed a massive metallic craft, described as [[List of sightings of UFOs claimed to be more than 100 meters long|larger than a football field]] or the size of an [[aircraft carrier]]<ref name="CooperSacred" />, tumbling end over end from the [[clouds]] into the [[ocean]], causing huge geysers of water to rise upon impact.<ref name="Cooper1991">Cooper, Milton William (1991). ''[[Behold a Pale Horse]]''. Flagstaff, Ariz.: Light Technology Publishing. ISBN 978-0929385228. PDF: [https://highlanderjuan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/William-Cooper-Behold-a-Pale-Horse.pdf Highlander Juan's archive]. Internet Archive: [https://archive.org/details/beholdpalehorse0000coop/page/n19/mode/2up "Behold a Pale Horse"], p. 19.</ref> Cooper noted that he observed the object [[transmedium UFO|rise from beneath the ocean]], tumble on its axis, and disappear into the clouds.

The craft allegedly re-emerged from the [[ocean]] multiple times, tumbling into the [[clouds]] and back into the [[sea]]. Radar and sonar operators reported unusual signals corresponding to the craft's position.<ref name="CooperSacred" /> The [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] and [[Chief Quartermaster]] joined the witnesses on the bridge, and photographs were reportedly taken using the ship's 35mm camera.<ref name="Cooper1991" /> Cooper described the object as a large, [[Flying saucer|saucer-shaped craft]] with an inverted bowl structure, metallic machinery on the surface, and possible [[windows]] or [[lenses]] around its perimeter. It emitted no detectable sound and did not interfere with the submarine's [[electrical systems]] or instruments.<ref name="CooperSacred" />

==Aftermath==
Cooper claimed that the witnesses, including himself, '''[[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]] Ball''', and a crewman nicknamed '''Geronimo''', were ordered by the [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] to sign [[non-disclosure agreements]] [[intimidation of witnesses of paranormal and unconfirmed events|under the threat of severe penalties]].<ref name="Cooper1991" /> The incident was classified by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] (ONI), and the photographs were never publicly released.<ref name="CooperSacred" /> Cooper further alleged that he felt uneasy  discussing the event, describing a sense of fear akin to his experiences in [[Vietnam]].<ref name="CooperSacred" />

Cooper reported this incident publicly, for the first time as far as is known, on what was also supposedly his first public post to a [[Bulletin board system|UFO message board]]<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fbfsBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT94 | title=Pale Horse Rider: William Cooper, the Rise of Conspiracy, and the Fall of Trust in America | isbn=978-0-698-15798-9 | last1=Jacobson | first1=Mark | date=September 4, 2018 | publisher=Penguin }}</ref>. Cooper detailed the incident and expressed frustration over the silence of other military witnesses, attributing it to intimidation by policies such as [[JANAP 146-E]], which imposes penalties for disclosing classified military information. He described the event as one of the most vivid and terrifying moments of his life and claimed that the sighting's details could be verified through ship logs and records if access were granted.<ref name="CooperSacred" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:UFO incidents involving military personnel]]
[[Category:USO sightings]]
[[Category:UFO sightings]]
[[Category:Transmedium UFO sightings]]