What wartime nickname for reported UFOs gave Foo Fighters their name?

The wartime nickname for reported UFOs that gave Foo Fighters their name was “foo fighter.” During World War II, Allied aircrews used the term for mysterious lights and aerial objects seen near their aircraft, especially over Europe and the Pacific.

The expression became associated with reports from the U.S. 415th Night Fighter Squadron in late 1944. The word “foo” is generally linked to Bill Holman’s Smokey Stover comic strip, which featured “foo” jokes and the catchphrase “Where there’s foo, there’s fire.”

These sightings were not officially identified as extraterrestrial craft. Pilots described glowing red, orange, or white objects that could follow aircraft, turn sharply, and disappear. Proposed explanations included St. Elmo’s fire, electromagnetic effects, reflections, and visual illusions.

The band Foo Fighters adopted the name in the 1990s, when Dave Grohl was recording his first album after Nirvana ended. “Foo fighter” is therefore both a World War II UFO nickname and the source of the band’s name.