'Draw a giant penis' in the sky, a Navy officer told a pilot. And so they did.

In late 2017, a mysterious penis appeared in the sky over Washington state. It was never clear where it came from — until now.

After the clouds cleared, the Navy took its phallic PR disaster very seriously, conducting a full investigation into the matter and concluding that a Navy pilot drew the masterpiece and that an electronic warfare officer goaded them into it. And now, thanks to an information request from the Navy Times, we know exactly how embarrassing that prodding was.

On that clear November day, two junior officers "noticed that the white contrails their jet produced were particularly robust," the Navy Times writes. "Draw a giant penis. That would be awesome," the EWO told the pilot in a recorded cockpit conversation documented in the investigation. The pilot seemingly laughed it off, but the officer again said "you should totally try to draw a penis."

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Pride seemingly got the best of the pilot, who was described in the investigation as a "shy introvert." "I could definitely draw one, that would be easy," the pilot told his cockpit mate, then proceeded to do so. "Balls are going to be a little lopsided" and "the shaft will go to the left," the pilot reported at one point, per the investigation. A lieutenant commander later radioed over to compliment the officers' "amazing" work.

Not everyone was impressed. The Navy Times did not learn if the artists were punished, but there was some clearly documented anger in the investigation. Read this Pulitzer-deserving report at the Navy Times.