While working on an oil rig on the south rim of devil's basin-on a bright full moon night-in the winter of 1979-1980 i was talking to james dyson(now deceased), when i noticed a bright orange-red ball of light coming over the snowy mountains to the west of us. i told jim, look it's an ufo!! jim said i was full of bull! we watched it for about 20 seconds, when it changed color to bright white! after we watched it for about 20 seconds more and turned back to it's original bright ornage-red. then disapeared in a straight line of flight to the east!!! i then took a walk around the rig for about 3 minutes, then told my driller about the ufo sighting(about 1 more minute), i walked back down on the mud tank, where i had seen the ufo, and was talking to jim. when i saw a bright white ball of light coming over the snowy mountains west of us in almost exactly the same place as the ufo. i told jim here comes the air force following the ufo! unlike the ufo, the white light remained white, unlike the ufo, however,it not only remained white, but split into two, and i could see the smoke trails of two f4f phantom fighter jets trying to follow it!! where the ufo crossed in about 1 minute, it took them 3 or more to cross from horizon to horizon.