65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_003
- Source
- uap_archive
- Record updated
- 2026-08-19
Record summary
The FBI's 62-HQ-83894 case file includes investigative records, eyewitness testimonies, and public reports concerning Unidentified Flying Objects and flying discs documented between June 1947 and July 1968. The records include high-profile incident accounts, photographic evidence from sites like Oak Ridge, TN, and technical proposals regarding potential propulsion systems. Additional topics include convention programs, researcher accounts, and extensive media coverage from the period. This file is partially posted on FBI vault with more redactions and some pages missing. Included here is the complete case file with several newly declassified pages and only minor redactions.
Published source text
Read the available text below. Archive transcriptions may contain OCR errors; later context is labelled separately. A recorded claim is not a finding that it happened.
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Source text · mention onlySTANDARD FORM NO. 114 • , ~ .. •Office··Memo; ,,,dum , uNrTEn s1 TO ,J.. ~.....~ FROM $ SUBJECT: DATE: Sept;Elllber 4, 1947Director, FBI A.IRMA.ILSAC, San Fran cis co SPECIAL DELIVfflY REPORTS oaYING DISCS EncJ.oeed is a copy of a letter dated August 25, 1947, with attachment frcm Lt. Col.. DONALD L. SPRINGER of A-2, Hamilton Field, California. Even thoug)l Col . SPRINGER feels that Mr. JOHNSON may have read somel/of his claims in a newspaper, Col. SPRINGER believes that Mr. F. M JOHNSON should be interviewed in this matter. In accordance with Bureau Bulletin No. 42, dated July 30, 1947, Portl.and is requested to exhaustively interview Mr. F. M. JOHNSON, 106 N.W. First Ave., Part.land, Oregon, regarding hiB alleged sighting of a "flying disc" on June 24, 1947. Copies or the result of this interview should be furnished the San Francisco Field Office tor distribution to the 6th Army Intellig«ica. rmK:MR ... Ehcls. 2 62-2938 cc Portland (F.hcls. 4) - .AMSD
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Source text · mention onlyNFIDZI~TiALi ... , Authority: NNO 90986 EEAJr.LUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE Office 0£ tho Assi:;tan't Chief of Sta.i'f, A-2 !ntelli£er..ce Ilamilton Field, California . 4AFDA. 26 Aucust 1947 SUl3.JECT: Flyini;; Di so • TO: Special Agent in Char~e, FBI, U. s. Depart.ment of Juitioe, Federal Office Building, Room 422, San Francisco, Calif. l. The attached true copy of a letter from 'r. F. M. Johnson wae reoeived by thie officer 22 A~guat 1947. 2. Your attention is invited to the similarity between Arnold 's early report and this ~ent leman'a report. A possibility exists that Mr. Johnson might have read aome or this · 1n the newspapers when Arnold was publ1cizod re this ma~tor. 3. Thia headquarters doos not intend to investigate ~his incident . It is requested that a roeult or nny in~erview you may make be furnished this ~eadquarters. 'J. DONALD L-. SPRIJIGER 1 lnolt (dup) ~ Lt. Colonel, GSC Ltr fr i;- . ·•• Johnson AC of S,' A-2 (True Cy) ) I • AUG 2'1 1
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Source text · mention only• PORTLAND, OREGON, August 2oth l9t7 Lt. Col. Donald L. Springer . Aasietant Starr Sir . Saw in the portland pnper a short time ago in rogards to an artio l e 1n recards to tho so called fl ying diso having nny basi s of £not . I cun say am a prospeotor and was in the lit Adams distriot on June 24th the day K.:?,nne*k mol d of Boise Idaho claiMB he saw a ~Orl!!Ction of flyinG dtso. And 1 saw the samo f l yin& objeots at about the :st:une 'time. Ihviu; r.. telot;c:>pe with rt'!t at tho +.:.mo i onn e.sure you they are r~~l nnd notin~ lil=o tho~ I ovur 3aw before ~hoy did not pass verry hir,h over whore l ,..-a.o ato.nding a.t the tho tii:n o. ,?lobly 1000 .rt . thoy rtero Round abo~t 30 root in dime.tor tapering sharply ton point in tho bN1d end in en OVC'.l :lhnpo. with u brit;h"G top aur:!'acQ. ! did not heor any noiao U3 :rou would ~on a plane. But ther~ was an object in the tail end looked like c. 6115 hanu or a block shi.f'ting !'ro:::i side to side like a big magen~t. Thero spoed as rar as i know seoced to be ereater than anythint I ever saw. Lost veir, I got or tho objeots they vere standing on edge 13&.rtkin~ in a Cloud . Yours Respectfully /s/ F. M. Johnson A Lt . Colone l, AC 0£ S, A- 2 L\. Urt 106 No . West 1st Ave Portland . Oregon CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlySTAN RM NO. 64 Office· ¥en... ·,- · durJZ. UNITED S GOVERNME N T Director, FBI DATE: Septanber 4, 1937 Atten: Assistant Director D. M. LADD SAC, San Francisco AIRMAIL SUBJECT : REPCRTS oPFLrnm Discs Enclosed for your information are copies of two l etters from Lt. Col. DONALD L. SPRINGER of A-2, Hamilton Field, California, dated August 27, 1947, with attachmen t s reporting the sighting of "flying discs" on Guam, and result of A-2 investigation at Tacoma and Kelso, Washington. DWK:MR 62-2938 ~ ~~ 9vf Df EJTCLOSURE ATTACHED nt' ~ • ' COPIES DES'T'W)YED 270 NOV ld 1~b4 . ~,\V ~ ......
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Source text · mention onlySECRET HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff,A-2 Intelligence Hamilton Field,Californie 4APDA 27 August 1947 333.5/1208-1 62-2938# SUBJECT:Re Flying Disc. TO: Special Agent in Cherge,FBI,U.S,Departmont of Justice， Federal Office Building, Roon 422,San Francisco,California. 1.Following is extraot from the Weekly Intelligence Summary Air Transport Command, Washington 25, D. C., dated 20 August 1947, Copy No.120,Artiele I,Pg 1: #pLYING OBJEOTs IN GUAM: Unidentified flying objects heve boen observed by three Americen enlisted men of the 147th Air- ways and Air Communications Service Squadron at Harmon Field, two objects,whieh they deseribe es small, crescent shaped and traveling at a speed twioe that of a fighter plane, passed over them on a zig-zag course in a westerly direetion at an approxi- mate altitude of twelve hundred feet. The objects disappeared into elouds and a few seconds later a similar object possibly one of those previously observed, emerged from the clouds and proceeded west.No further details have been reported." 2.For your information. ga bONALD L. SPRINGER ACof S,A-2 SECRET
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Source text · mention onlyHEADQOARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE Office of the Aa•iatant Chier of Statf , A-2 Intelligenoe Hamilton Field, California UFDA 27 Augua'b 1947 333.6/1208-I SOBJECTs Investigation 0£ Flyin& Disc . TOs Speoial Agent in Charco, FBI, u. s. Department of Juatioe. Federal Office B~ilding. Room 422, San Franoisoo , California . Atta~hed aunmiary rorwarded for your information . DONALD L. SPRINGER l Inoli Lt. Colonel , GSC Summary of In£orma.tion. AC of S, A- 2 j
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Source text · mention onlyHEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORC~ Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff. A-2 Intollic;enco Hnnilton Field , California 4AFDA 27 August 1947333.5/1208 • 1 SUBJECT, Investigation of Flying Disc . TOr Spooial Agent in Charge. FBI • u. s. Depar tment of Justioe, ~ Seattle , Washington . \ Attached aUl'Ullary for11arded for your information. 1 Inola DONALD L. SPRnTOER Swmnary of Information. Lt. Colonel , GSC AC or s. A-2 I . CO~J~IDE1'JTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyJ. eCO!'JFIDEN'TIAL. COPY All! COUE GSRVICE D:TACimCmr ( 62d MF B'J) oChord Field . r ~o • .aehlncton la Au uat 1~7 SUB CTt iw italon RcPon r-o, Comiandlug orr1ce~ Air ·••cu• Service oDill Fi•ld, Florida 1. JIIS IO?f mn.mm fhirtv• ine. 2. JiATURE. a. A'I 0400 P61' • 1 Au!rull't 47. ARtff P'LlGBT EP.VICE noti.f1•4 'llh1e' dot c nt t t n plane had beon Hetl to oraeh nd burn thirtoOl'l (la) Jll.11•• ou1:h or JCEL301 aab1n ton (4608 ••• 12.20f115' )- ~. Acrron TAKE •• l J.~ 4?. At 04,&0 't, AUS r•oeind 1ni'o t1on rrc-o IMT. o. c. Cl rk, loo 1 ah ritt nt &&LOO, •h•, thAt tho acono or tho crcoh llfll8 ' t1f'toon \16) to i; nty (to) dloe •••t ot .KELSO in the Yiclnity ct OO"aLE OREEX . Th• tmLS0 CM.of' or olloo .,~ an ai:ror'ft!'v .'.t"ly low ovor tho tomi, th n omah ruid but'll to out. ~• ~lc:• .,,.,., abo\.lt 02$0 P..,i". A ohook of 1.ror tt knOYn to 'bo in tho v1.o1ll1ty r•.-•d•cl -thllt -20 151G hnd dopartod JICCHO'RD FIRU) e.t 0211 PS! tc.;r IL\.mL!O! PIELD, iCalifornS.e. . fhe woo.tnor • ol"tod aa CFR. A .full t)OO -.da vbibiltt.y •x~pUonally • od.. • pilot •• l1llDe waa C.&.t>T. ,. C. lllVIDSOl'a the pl1uw ca.rrled threo ($) additionfll por on■• !ha Saae Qi,el"a.tione Ott1oor encl llaa• PIO .-r• notU'1 4. Thie detac nt began orsanlaing • ground party or baae pol"aonn~l to eupplo nt t.hat 'h4t1ng ronwd by the EtsO Chiet ot Poli oe. .At OoOO PS! intor.ution • ~ec iT•d troa Ill.SO by APS that groun4 fog in tho Y&lloye at th• aoen• of tl10 orath n• pro"' Dti~ uound p&l"ty fNa 1ooat1n the plane . .Since ~o co=mm.cation had b•on recalYOd trom 8•25 lSlG, it wa• aaawc.d that i~ c tht plcno reported •• ora hod . AllS C-'-7 n.1 pre-tlichted. to 'lranapo1·1I the Arn:, ground p0rty to REL-SO but a obeok 01' the field condl ion• there 4 me4 lt c4'rioablo to u a e 11•~ airorart. or th• two C-45e available. on longing to AFS • unaor•1ced at er a night tli{thts th othor, belonc• inr; 'to MC&. •• :re dled •••n though o ro11pond hl• otricer ot hnt ort•n• h&tion • riot p1••••nt to author he the fU.&ht. F'o~ at K LSO pr•••n1.ed t • -off until 0100 PST. The gound ~y. led by CI\Pi'. • I,. Ll!'IRELL und CA?~. T. B. FOR6BEn~. conaiotod or au ~n 1nc1ud1n& a dic,al technician e.nd a photographer . At 0600 PST" tho UO Chlcr of Poli o :not1f1 d PS t a p 110n or or tho crci1h d rplano • a in hi• ott1oe nd d oont ncod CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlym., be11et' thil\ ' tbo GR&h aa thc.t or tho unreported 2B. Tiie ••• ~r#. 8 t. c. L. TAPP', ·or "'· l.AWTOJg, S&T?L.i. na 11~1Zlj\ll"OQ. but Nport 4 that th ~ew oh1 t, r/., gt,. •• D. rmms. was o.t a tm houoe nc r the eo•n• o!' 'ho ara•h and wa11 ir jnr•4• 8gt. TAFF ~hen 1•4 an o;abul ·new to ct• . -1 wi:10 auba•~u•ntly ~ukon to• lo~ 1 hoaplt 1. At oe10 ~r t.n attecp, 11 4• :'\o iiel•phono Q.• 'S JIAl-nLTO?i Plm.D bu\ no ananr ■ reoeiYOclJ hc:rire\'Cr• it waa known tha.t HAUILTO?f APS ••• ••ar o!' t.ha inoident an4 would notl.fy Sq . D. At 0700 PST Ct.pt. LlTfifBW. departed 1n a C-46 tor lilll.SO. t.t 0746 PST ~ 'WI\• ontaoted by ph~no ellii C1Yon tl.oah roporti . At 0905 PSf OA?!' Ll'l''me."Lt phonod an<i infenad th11i; he hn4 placed CAP'lAlR FO!lS &RG in oharge of Arq por1ou~ 1 p rocffdtn r, tc the •oane ot the ora,h . Co M. l aoa~ch waa· neoo8sary a o1Till•n• in the area know tho xao~ 1 tion of tho craah nd h•d report.ec.l tin.din~ on• ( 1) bo~ in t.h~ ll'l'♦ ol- •• CAPl'. LITTRELL prepared \o fly ttt'• 1'AFF o.nd MA'l'IffilYS to COHOHD FJ&LL tor d1o l att ntiou. arrh1ng a 03,5 PST. The 11urvhn,r-e et.ntud th t ~ thc-.1 bolioY- cl 1tbor ,ho l)Hot nor oo--p1lot. h.aa p re.ohutod f'roo tho plo.uc. 'l'ht! o :taco of: 'th 1nc1dont • flt tMo tiC".o deto1•mlnt1d to be a r1N in tho l rt u:q;tn • CJ.Pt L!ffiU";J.t 8 inforr.od by Sgt;. fl.FF that h belie~ oln1si!'iocl doctm nts hnd bean abocrd tho planc, 1 C~f '.FORSlWRO a 1natructod t-o telko n OOH&U")' pro0t/.ut1onn . An Mbu.ltinc t the pl ne a1: 'CCHO D FhLD onrry1ns h two 11urviT'1r8 and took: thc:n to tho hoGpltal. Int rrotrt-tion Tavonled t~t tho l 1't •~ciuo hnd o u;ht fir 1u tho power • ction and rlCl:llo Wl~ Gpro to tho rll&ht dock AlJnodt 1ci:::ed• 1atoly.. The or-., oh1ot, llAT.tlffiJS1 aa1et cl TAf!'F 11l e.tto.ching h1u ohaat pool; d ~/Jt'F abundonc:,4 tho plano tan cst1=t d nlt1tudo or lO 000 rt (eii• tot 1• 4oubto4 but la not conaidored11ZOooa1 r11y rol~vimtj. TI ,S holped tho pilot nd oo-p11ot ttaoh their chaot cka (nll por• aomiol hnd '.»oo\'i nr111r; th• blll'ndsa) and •• bo lort -th pk.no ,me • r• th•~ th• CO"':S)iloti • p paril'\8 to :follow. Trut pilot hM1 •tartod o leave &."'If!, to th beet r•oollectio» ot • 1'llfils . • pci.rtl lly -.to.n4iDG na holcU.ng thD c nt:tol ~h ol vt1. t hi left rid. W.i'iiti:7• S •t•t•tl.ttnta rin 1 t t}; t propor 03r ~ncy ~rooed~res hnd been porror:lo4 out that ho ~l e bat n- °"'lopcd the ~ntir• lei'\ a1do l!:!Oet i diately. TAPf at t 4 \ t , beoauao ()t th full moon nd goo4 1rl•S.bl11ty• he so. UA'f'l!El'JS J avo tho ;,l~• Md as bl to follow th plane to tile round ana thQt ho anv no ono ol•• lb il out. Tho •hip • uv lop d in f'lamao and m. boc1nninc to f 11 a rt botor hittins th ·round w'nor 1t exploded ond burud about on.o (1) ail• trm wt.are )us• TAPP, leGed.. U t ill o. tn,o. end not l:r.owin~ how to r leaae his paraohut or ho ~\llck-detaor.abl• kinct. out himaolt looH troa tho t tio•a Y.ith hie pouet mire. Be kick d end ~trugglcd end eventua lly ju d ~o th• gro~nd, ~ooeiYin5 jolt oD i~aot b~t 8 unAble to gu••• how t r ho ha4 !'c.llen. l!o thon tollowd a oow tb tor ~n e tin\ed twv (2) ell • to a !'a.m h0\!1 • arr1v1~ rter TJIBWS . ~ anwh11 ; a • T.EIE\7& ol• r.-d th• plan~ ho t\arnad nd tho plane 1triko tho round, e,:plod.e nd burn. Juart be.fore or just at 'tbc 1m or 1tipac\ .be a . ~n obj11of; -.l'iro thromt olo r or tho r,l no but did tot know whoth&r 1t ma ,p<1rc1J1l or r rt at th~ pl•n•• ?4AfE :\iB alao 11~ in a tree, anct att~r rr 1ug h1:selt ~ hi r- oaa, foll to 'tho uoiu.14 w .. •r• he ~Jur d hl ck. lost conoolou neae and on rocoveri nz ni. to tho burning planu, bout t'l.t'by
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Source text · mention onlye<3Q;NFJ.DENTIAL. Ubj Ota Final l i&11tor. Rep,..· " 4 Au5u1t 19'7 ,. (60) yard• •••Y• ' l&1t • wero ga1ng orr ams ll• tbo\l,,.h11 bee, 'to lcaw the aoo~. :&• hea rd • etr4"ll:l nearby nd t'ol l011Vd 1t uplill ho oer.w to a hou 10 and rou94>4 tl1 00011pant• • oon !APF' arrivod o.ti tho "' hou1c and . being un• • l11j\lrod , n• irl••n tuto 1iO'lfll• Thon ti led an a'.'llb1.1lar.ce 'to et.reot tran ■porla• Uoza or UAflillfiS to • ho:,;ii al. ~ MY1~1lo • a1v1 linn• -ro ohcd tho aoeno of' he om.sh whoro ~hoy found one body. A, 0930 PGT, b c:e•••G• trom i D lnrorra.od thet top ••orot ~t•rtcl • 1~ the ~AflgQtora ltlt and to requeat GN..-flding Ct£1o•r llCCEORD :PttLD to expedite 11 ••nilable lnt'omot1o n to Co adi?lJ? Ottioor tiAUIL'l'O :FIELD. riwbil• • Q~'t l'llUIB RO om! :four (4 ) onU&i: d n departec!l EUlO t 0930 PST !'o r •o•n• ot the OP eh. hoy W.N t "'Qor tod. by th fASIUJlGf-0 STATE: POt,lC ho lln•• th• e i,t loe!lt1 on o~ the p lnr. (46009' • 1220,s• ). 'rho groUDd ~ .-ty de-tsmlned upou arri nl a th\'J oc M, th t ti.,o (2) bcdiej) were in the nNckAge. lndioation1 led -to tho bcU. t tliot th'.) <io-a)1lot o o.t"lr en ho l•tt t plnne o.n in1tant 4 batore 1cptlot . n1- p1lo~ •s 1n• WON i'ound in the w.r CDt!:O• Pre• Uminaey nnatigtl tbn b)• OAPT PvBSIIERG diaolo• d tho pl n I l rt :wing about on mm4r d nt,• fiTO {128) yard • ~ro tho wldi:,ly • tt .,. ct portr • tions tlt' the :i)lC:: • Tho loft w1n , 1 to.ct nil hod pp£~ nUy torn of-£ ju t outbOW"d of tho loft ngino !'oro 1i'?lp ot. '71\e fon,.urd :portion ' ~ ot thfi 'Wini; .wb ltcd but the reu two thir!So 1nd1oat that it ho.d • :ripl)6'1 loo e l"'0 tbe i':"~ et1o~ of \?\c rir. • l'h win l dint adr,e a ur. god. 1'h1t fl.g•tio t1nd lrU:d1n 11r,!';te rll unhYokon . 1'h lto~mi UI &Gd but the tlap 800~1on was CTU~b d. lo~dtug to th• boliet that 1.ho willt: 1-truclc 1. All ..~ion. From theae lndtoot1ono 1~ 1• b lieTed th• w1n rippod 'h!o the a1.rplane juet a.rter t!.AnDm8 ab donod the place . fh• rc,aultlng r:pin 11hu• prew:ite4 th re:r: 1n1ng er bor ■ tro bailing O\lt lt.boup tihct co •pilot rnsy h Yo <m ln the bfl1>che A ~-- chilian• 1"0r• in tho •re& when CAP1' POF.S13SRO JT1Ted ~d he took pr•oautio~a ~o pr.-v.nt th= rroQ di •tur b1Dg ho wt'Oebeo• A'II :116'1 PS'l' CAPT µTTREt.L f'le• <lAP1' lUCf • H. c .• to KELSO. An twbulan oo at petchcd fi'Olll CCtroRD FIEU> . t th at !Et.SO, ric) ,... led. t.G th• 10•1:2• or the ere ah by tbe S'lAT POilIC ' . Th• bod1•• ...,.. rooo~red and tx-ane- parted ln the ai!bu lanc• i.o CLO. 0 FIELD. CAPT Llf!ll Lt roturnod \o mono U FIELD where oqping eQ\dp nt •• ~repared to be d~op d. to the ound rty . CAPT LITTRELL,. do a auooeHful drop at dt.lak by aigh\1Dt; on a al l ,r1re . 1'he erouad J"1;y' ..t up camp a\ th• wreolta acene to o.ot e.a cuua and to invteti t f1rth• T" tho tollow1n day. thy re r l1ev c1 or roaponaibllity ot 11 reoonrod documonta by• CIC agon~ who h d MriY d a out 1800 PO!. b . 2 Aus 4.1. ..he uow,d arty: ro:ia1no4 at th• eGQno or th ora1h nd1~~ rr101 1 eaour1n n ct hO 1.no1dent. o Aorl l aotiTity. •• 3 Au 47 . cnon.o Ptnu:> 0pe rotion11 Otf'1c•r depano4 t 1000 PSI' to 1n•••t1gato tlw aoo1C:S.n"1 nd t,o relieve CAP? fOtlSBKRa, who rot\U"Decl t 1600 PS'l'. lno1<1An"II oloeoa . CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlybjeo, Final Uiae1on Rcpor~ a . b . c. OROUJID ACTIVIff (1) ,oul r:nn hour• by Mij Per101lll l 1n tiold (2) Total a:.nn hourc by 0 her Arey Poraonr..ol (eatl t ) (S) 'i"ot!ll n our 'b,Y civlli n poroonnol (o (4) to. ct r.J.1 a dTlv n by Ji.r-y Vchielee AERIAL ACl'IVlfi (1) Total No. of 8QZ''ll1ou ·.rlom1 (3) rotel hours tlcnm by An:;y a1r or«l~t LOCAL l'UllCUASE3 (1) none 12 ~00 ) l~O soo 6 \ • • Coopar tion ·r•o 1-v d from to and xoellent . • on • HOBER? Jf. W1 ONIIBILIER Ce.pt in , Air Corp ....,,1~n<llnfl or:t1cor 4 CONFIDENI'lAL
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Source text · mention only• e&NPIBIIINTl::Ml iUAnrEP.:J Fmmffl Atn PO CE otl'leo c:,., :. • ttant Ch1 t or t.att , -2 - --··- ··-- J 1..c..ll,11"!'$l'IC8 ....... ....... ................._. 11.C • ...el 4_. l1to"11o. --··--·················............... .......... ···---·------..... ··-··· Tin.E tnvcati t,icn ot Plyiun viso CoNTRoLLINc oFF1cE !:::~r .. ,~~~·~ ·······-·~n~......~~~!..::1~1c1 Fu.E No• ...~ •la03• I ·······-··········- - ··-· PEmoo COVERED .... ..al .. J\tly .turou .h ·' . ...~at. l&.\T _ CAsE CLASSIFICATION •••••• ~~~!~!!~~ ···························--- . DATE ... . ..!~..~~~...~!....................... . STATUS OF CASE ---·········· P.ndl1\(L ....... .......... _ ......... ... _ ........ . ,REASON FOR INVESTIGATIO N: l 1w•1;l • ..1o!l lnlt1at.d &1- the request or Air DotenH .iQ~ • r ~•Nooo 1\1" .;q "-• 4t0 '1 Jul 4?• tll• DUt. 611>• eubjt lnftstigatlOQ . ot 'lylng 11100 . YNOPSISt On 251 July 41, 'f!r. Arnold • Adaticm dlto.- or ~ Idaho U7 & at;ecma , tel • ~ phono4 Lt. rown requ •tlnc he ro1.1.u•n to .&CO"OA aa\lao ~nold ooll•Te4 he bacl eom veey -.t.tol into tlon oa th tl.vin4 41ao . Lt. Offl'l and Capt . Da-r14aon int rvlewd • •r. wod 1.. C_rts::an and a A. Dehl , elonz wtth Capt . Smi~h ot tho tJn1to4 Air Wnoa . ar.4 • AJ"'DOl • at ~hrop !!otel ln ;&:aoo • ashluet,on , on tho nt&ht ~f ~1 J~y li&7 . the ry or thoil" 1n\or-rogat10Tl Ud .tindlnr,■ a ral•te4 :,Or neler, Pu'bllo lni9o?'Dl1iin orti r , Chord Field • 'by r . rnold and cp1:. m.th . jor e.nd•r retold iihd reault• or~ 1nY0111.1.pt1on to thi• oft1oer ~ hle notoa . • • Dahl an4 • Crl r• cc t\TUilabl• tor lnterrin dl11 thio otft P s ln tbt\t area . •lthou!;)a noey oL'tort o 4- to oontaot theta . Furthor 1nvettlc;nt1on or -tbia pnrtiic,.ll.e.r- lnc1den\ •• loi"t With • ~• wdden~ t . Dt. 'If.co • aah1n on. tt • apparent trtD. n9n:, ?"te.r cUp-'1n&• • l•phou llc to tlilc of'tlcor . M4 ccml'GrMtton• with jor ana.r . hnt Unit d H corre1poWSG%lt• or the a~ ft e, a 1nat1'1.U3ntal lTl 11:0oplt\,G thla OCff •liTO . ru, ot:tlcer Md jor t auder , cltho\lnh qtt0ted cany '1.mea 1u tho p.-oes,. 414 not 41•ou•• thl• 1;ter with th prou dut"lnt tho pcr1oc1 ot l!d. • report . 'lbo anon,n:ou• ey1ter,1 ull•r ln com ooald poa ■tbly be • DISTRIBUTION COPIES I, ···- ·····-··----·- - - --- . . .............. . I• ADO 1 ···················-· -·-·--- 1 ···············-------- 1 ..1, r. . nc1aoo 1 4ii!' ·a 1 ·o a·······--·· · --.--···· ·· AUG 30 1947 w . D .,P.M.O.Form.No.110 eeNfJIBIIN91At•l A pril 1944 (Tblo lona ..,.,....i,., W. D~ 0 . C. S. Fann N<>- 19, wldob will - thia rerioioD)bo ued upoa receipt ol
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Source text · mention only• • Cl•Rl R; port C8MFIBD~TIAL c the •tt rnoon of 11 oly t7• • An.a~ion Mt fl or the J4t.bo te83l1' t•1-flhc:mt1~ Lt; Olffl • C ......- r.... a .-t. Co a &d• quar~v• Vaurt • and otatea 1n . , that rut• ol • t th bad v:d inY-e•ttca . tlytn dlao oxplod a ta.. ot"tl • l• 012 W&G req • cl au4 tlnano.4 by • i . A. Pal \ll"O ro•• · 0 ldt•• 1tte Che A • . •nu.mt,. ant • • if.\oloau.N 1 and taoloaur 1Gnatve to tno • • J, 1n ha ot t.hcl • 1tor er a le a t'On.ior I" Fora. o1't1ee-r en4 riean . the ot In.cl.own :2 ot ! ro · · e4 o eoook tho o o e,01 ottlM ,,. onawor • l "1:.D to tt htoaio oU. tt n • e. at Chord hld .rln atternooc o~ 31 c.ansc,a o~ their lfo~ to c1vi11an clo hint ln th alronft O.M• OU r tlo:o u 'to tdl,Y th y doaire . 'tN~rtntllw to Ta • they ro o. ~ db ~• OOIZt tu~ • ltr rr '? M 47• wbJ t lnvo• 1cm rc;o Sar-br • ~tm~o l rnol • t- ~t di • • to th' • • nten1 • • Cz-ltt:an, ,~ • hot•l .oom tn the m tel . r • o• ot • Al'ft01 ~ wn ,ct thl• otr.o i • 14 nate4 o obtatnoo l<tenttoal ctUNd in lt2~0S1aff8 re u~,-uel'US t IA.. 4 nc tr.'t rN . , t • hn'F)' oaz- ln th rou e t :t not 1 :t tu r ny co= nt n- tan a. U. ........=-:r1ae■ 1'12 t IS lat ry • ~14 C ~ tb o 11 lor ndor ea to tut oubdit&i:iee or t'.®· la f!l1"I' tlon 'by t.t r01m &nd. Oo.:1t IraYl4tom ~ton :21 4? • Dt.hl wee proc e t.ng south of 'J' J•lann. ln • CJ:tl~ •s boat . Pl'V't fl)~»"" dL•c• out ot 'th ol.ouda • lrel elow1, Ol'Olnl4 t bay• 4N,ppi .. to An on lfl'Atl or 600 t, ot. t'hc 1•o• a,J)pearo4 .-oun cot◄ FlBEHTIAL W. D. , P.M.G. Form No. 11 0
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Source text · mention onlyCI-R1 ~eport GONF19ENTIAL• nattcu a t aut no ltmOJ"tube . t,y 1 to be 4lf1P!" f, os• '1111b 4pcm1 • ;r 1e out.er ~ ot tl porthole• ncor r uaon or po.rthOlc • . o 41••• 1IIVN fiilenti and ..-poi e ot p_ropulelon. dlCOI 4 "• an rnt.r' of ho 01•0• a ppearoa tQ nr t:Ni0Clttl 8 on• 1otm-ed ln lnclawn & w .7 cm h1 • . effJ.lly £ ~ boat. t ..~ 1 Oab.\'• ®C• • ira ~ iu.:,;::1..-.,.ror ot' ,3or «mar• bola· ltl&l'l • o~ 1 bu or on G 11 • mt Ciho nr. lotloly ~a• m.~d 1 t root 0 OU Clll4 tho "e• t?\o ~ • • op t lf . • naentod. opp :t171, htt thlc 1=at • i l'tat ta tor AOO tbs c:.'bln r-ooi". so ~t' l ot -t!ii.lnt ®4 tad ■ ,C.~ • 1 ~a to k~UU"O • • • shc»ro • •u-ol £or VCU"loue alMd it;o check •hlt • ato17 • pr mmt.o4 to L'b l a uppc 4 f!o baftl lM14ont . a r~ 4\sc C&!:!tl tho onec 1Nfl0i1alV haorl • oS. t 1 er 1i. k r 14 to iele up l he tfi>r n ar:.l;e11, ,M1£1?" r..m, lt 1 po8 ~I" • :rororo oo ?no I. fd.cbt bfw CO ClOl"<.!&8 t " r tty er C'hl.c o. &4 u tu• or !?<loz- Bt 61 uml7/J. m-o,m mwrc. fl' tor ans With a eb1ffl.llt• ..,..,- ., m-ano at Pi> Q.E.11-r;u bcu.r on G Au.gus ? • t£ti1o ottlum\ , !.0 o~ or Jar dflr 6 lU"l'.!.DY. IJ1don'b ~ . fa~ F, Q. rcau or l~at1&at1«l • eot~FIDE ►~TlatcL W.D.,P.N.G, Form No, 11 0
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL\ .. . oor;.1.lt.o, •1\her • vahl or . • Crl ,. bout; acm:;;a am on U ~•~ ,1. thff'e~oFo-11 1;h1• ~t'loer 414 no~ t o«ffer~lc 'Wl h dtrcotly . Mm•~ ,,O?.;, A rooora obeck telo the .. ttla lol t1oo, r. I,. for noor- 1iman a on fl'F • Crl«!lin l:C!-0 ruDv,t'-1-ro. i'h• t-b 'Od!oote4 en ohar •4 mt t uo.Ul•mt• ot i 'bho u of M- 1ona1 p~l"'t$ • :rt ooold %l<>t i l . l,. ho •ubjc,o lll q'Qt>o~cm. 6nd . l"Cllel •• • Cri~ Gd lffllt•to tb,. kr bl• ot ~ 11Ct. e.ud ld •~- tatn l t. l.l et tt-.et e • l!WlDarO • , cb1no:i • Pflcaey •r. ttvt 1cm., t ~~tn~Hm lhticm hc1~lc 11m . I 8~ah toi- aom1~ian ac' .1 a ry ... o •• ~l•pbcme i oto II Hdrtt• bcne. .._.,.u ..u '11SZ, oltto tuc1dtJrN y 1. ln Ylew of ho 1;o t:a by • Crlaam ., " eon l4eratlon van oJto 1r ee .......- ... oton nd f'l,-s.n,; st~ :u, 1 en 1md.8 tr 1 1'lre f IJJ01J t 1. ~M~. iv tr e.u •1~. e. to 1•P- tr vc o _ ~. le to 7• ~a, ~l~tll'l ~-~ • e. Flna1 ••lou •no1u- e,;ouo C6rn eo• C:O ►•FIDENTIAl w. o., P.M.G. For m No. 110
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Source text · mention onlyVENTURE PRESS 3OS STUDIOBUILDING 17IBSHERMAN AVENUE EVANSTON,ILLINOIS July22,1947 Mr. Kenneth Arnold, Boise,Idaho Buta7114 Dear Mr.Arnold: Quite obviously you have beon ribbed so muoh you'd like to forget the flying saucers--but I'd sure like to have your personal story.your photo,pio of your plane,ete,as I askea betore.And you won't he made to look silly, because there's more to this than the rewspapers and the *experts" have made of it. get around quite a bit,and if you can maka a trip to Taconc, Washington at all feasible,I'd be willing to pay expenses plus a aice amount to nake it worth your while. I'awant you to see Mr.Harold A. Dahl,P.O.Box 154. Fern Hill Station, Tacoma, and Mr.Fred L. Crisman, ownor of the Tacoma Harbor Patrol,Inc.Dahl, and two other seamen,on a patrol near Murry Island,off Taooma, saw six discs,one in trouble,witnessed an explcsion, saw falling stuff whioh smashed their wheelhouse and soarchlighit and lcnded on the beach. They sont me samples whioh Chicago U has failed to analyze. I want a pioture of the beach and the stuff that landed there (about twenty tons,they said).And I want on the up and up.You eould do thst.I hope you will.If agreeable, please write and perhaps we can telk business. I think you'd like to prove this thing too! Anyway,I still vant that article! Sincerely yours, Aabilre RAPalmer
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Source text · mention onlyUNION ONTIDDNTIAL WUA41PD B0ISE1DAJULY 291947255P LT FRANK M BROWN,A-2（RPT A-2） OFFICE4THAIRFORCE HAMILTON FIELD CALIF VENTURE PRESS 305 STUDI0 BLDG 1718 SHERMAN AVEEVANSTONILLRA PALMER.SENT ARNOLD $2OO TO GO TO TACOMA TO INVESTIGATE FLYING UNION DISC REPORT THERE.SUGGEST THIS OUT OF LINE FOR PRESENT PUBLIC INTEREST IN STORY AND BELIEVE·AS I SUGGESTED ON YOUR VISIT HERE VENTURE PRESS SHOULD BE CHECKED DAVEJOHNSON WESTER NOINN 3051718$200 308P
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Source text · mention only-ta)NFIDENTI! .-l , e V 1,, ('? ii
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Source text · mention only• • ,... I
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL Pancl#y
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Source text · mention onlyYOATIDENTTAD FYYASICTTNA
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAI # EONFIDENTI
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDEN ±'.LA J
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Source text · mention onlywas - f Office _Memo \ .,,.,um • UNITED S1n. ... ..__ ;.ovERNMENT TO FROM SUBJECT: . METAL FRAGMENTS O SERVED AT WEST RUDGE, NE11 HAMPSHIRE, JULY 7, 1947 SECURITY MA.Tr.ER (X 7-29-47 Referenoe is made to Bost on teletype to tho Bureau datod July 18, 1947. Dean John M. Bunker, the original inf'or111ant, baa advi:sed that a speotographio examination has boen oomplotod of tho metal partioles referred to. Thay were determined to be of ordinary oast iron whioh bad boen aubjeoted to a very high degree of heat. The heat caused aoales to be formed on the oaet iron whioh were originally thought to bo of some metallic alloy. The soientist examining the partioloa oonoluded that if they had oome through the air from any great altitude in as small pieoea aa they were found th.en most of the heat would have been taken from them by the time they reao~ed the ground and fires 'WOUld not havo resulted. It ia noted they landed approximately 700 feet from a railroad traok e.nd inquiriea were oonduoted by MI'!' to determine whether or not the partioles oould havo been originally a pa.rt of a liuer in a smoke staok or some other part of the steam engine. Theee inquiries resulted in positive information -that the particles did not oome from a train or looomoti ve. Measurements of the four pieoes examined revealed that they had most likely been originally all part of one hollow oylinder, eight inohes in diameter and three sixteenth• of a.n inoh in thioknesa. It felt that ono piooo falling from a great height would haw still retained a good part of its heat and probably 11ould have mashed when 1t hit the ground. A aoiontiat, whom Doan Bunker did not identify by name, recalled that oast iron oylindors of similar measurements had been used in New Mexioo on roaearoh work on a guided missile projeot. However, this unidentified scientist not so oonoludo to the exoluaion or all other possibilities. OONP I Ni'T, '" is intere l ting to note that the examination at MIT was a.otually oonduoted b) (7)(0) who furnished the Boston Office with an informal report similar~ in all major details to that supp lied by Dean Bunker above. The man at MIT ,. are gathering through friends all additional pieoes of the origin&l oylin ~ available. These will be turned over to the Boston Office . No further examination is being oonduotad by MIT and no effort is ·being ma.de t reoonatruot tho original cylinder. - \t 1) Unlesa advised to the contrary by August 15• 1947 the destroy these specimon,. In tho interim they will be transmitted to the Bureau on speoifio Bureau instruotiona. ~~~ COPIE S DQq~'ll OYE D --<1<.c:P , F 27 0 NOV ld Wb4 EX·64 ~ ~i ~ <t1P 3l 55C j 'Ml-1 • ~ oston Offioe will I
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Source text · mention only(b) (7)(0 )
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Source text · mention only• t It is noted that the original Boston teletype refleoted that this inquiry was being treated aa •19cret" matter at MIT. (b) (7)(D) has advised that the comparatively Blll&ll number of research sci entists at LJ:T during the summer are a l l oognizant of the incident and the results of the researoh. However, no publicity has been given and it ia not anticipated that any will res\llt. '!he Bureau's interest is not .known to the scientists at MIT. There ha1 been no speculation that a guided missilo originating in a foreign land landed in New Hampshire. As indicated above, unloas tho Bureau requests spoo i fioally further investigative aotion. this oase is being olosed in the Boston O£tioe. BSG:md 100-20698
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Source text · mention only.. i . ~ • L 1✓ ~ ~ {l C-,· E 8-15-47 5-45 PM VGW ~' FBI URGENT ~ FLYING DISCS. ON INSTANT DATE A. c.>-,;RIE OF TWIN FALLS, IDAHo}J ~ INFORMED LOCAL NEWSPAPER THAT COMMUNITY THAT AT ONE PM ON WEDN~DAY LAST, AUGUST THIRTEEN, HE AND TWO SONS BILLIE, AGE TEN, KEITH, ~X AGE EIGHT, SAW AN OBJECT NINE MILES NORTHWEST OF TWIN FALLS, RE SEMBLING FLYING DISC. URIE STATED THIS OBJECT WAS PROCEEDING UXX DOWN SALMON RIVER AT TERRIFIC SPEED ESTIMATED BY HIM AT ONE THOUSAND MILES PER HOUR. URIE AND SONS DESCRIBED OBJECT TO NEWSPAPERS AS TWENTY FEET LONG, TEN FEET WIDE AND TEN FEET THICK, LIGHT SKY BLUE IN COLOR AND ALSO OBSERVED FLAMES EMANATING FROM SIDES OF OBJECT. AT TIME URIE AND SONS SA~J OBJECT THEY ALL HEARD LOUD SWISH WHEN OBJECT DISAPPEARED FRIM SIGHT. CURRENT EFFORTS BEING MADE TO INTER- VIEW URIE AND SONS PURSUANT TO BUREAU BULLETIN FORTY TWO, SUB DIVISION B, DATED JULY THIRTY NINETEEN FORTY SEVEN. BUREAU Wi dL E P ROMPTLY✓ f AND BANISTER I/ I END Y- /vr PLS ACK AND HOLD ~ /t { ' ~ * IJ 7-4 8 PM OK FBI WA BW
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Source text · mention only. \
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Source text · mention only--- STANOAP~tF,OfiM NO. 64 • ' GOVERNMENT·ojjce M e1) • dum • UNITED ~ . < . ... TO - The Director DATE: August llH'/:~;~ FROM Mr. D. M. Ladd i:r: o~le. • er. ..,::r. N1 o s i.:r. Rosen SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS \J: ~~;;::n__--:._=_--==--= ;;: ~~·~•a___ g: ~::;~~n·-_-_- _-_-_-In connection with your request to be advised as to the facts concerning newspaper reports of flying discs in the Portland area and the t;:: ~~rn:.,~_ reported conference of army officials in Portland concerning flying discs , [;~•i1e=:~'"--=----_-_-_- 11lthe Portland Office has advised that Leaveritt G. Richards , a~tion __!:_r_.!_~___ editor of the "Oregonian , '1 has stated that Captain Willia"'ll. L~vidson and Lieutenant Frank i ~~wn. of the Fourth AAF Headquarters , San Francisco , were in Portland on J~-27, 1947 . \Toile in Portland they interviewed Dick ~ l ~nkin, an experienced pilot, who had reported that he observed , on June 11, 1 a· fonnation of ten flyin g discs over Bakersfield , California . Richards added / / that Davidson and Brown had also interviewed the following four ~xperienced •pilots who vrere among the first , t~ report seeing discs , K~:met~rnold , b1l.sinessman from Bo2f.e, Idaho ; Captain E. J .1\'omith, a co- pilot; Ral~tevens, United Airl ines and Dav~Johnson, aviation editor, Idaho 11Statesman . 11 In order to determine the purpose of t ~ese interviews Richards contacted Major General Twining of Wright Field , Ohio , and frQ~ him gained the impression that the A.AF instituted this investigation to wash out the disc reports since they a re definitely not of AAF origin. On Friday , August 1, the plane in which AAF investigators, Captain Davidson and Lieutenant Brovm, were flying, crashed at Kelso , Washingto n and both were lci.lled. The wreckage was screened by AA:F Intell igence from McChord Field . The 11Tacoma News Tribune 11 and through them t'.le United Press put out a story that the plane vias carrying parts of a disc which had struck a boat owned by Harold Dahl and ?'red Chrisman . It has also been inferred that this plane was sabota ged to prevent these disc parts from being examined. STATUS Investigation by the Bureau has reflected th.d.t this plane was definitely not carrying parts of a disc and t 11ere appears to be no substantiation of a sabotage charge. For your further information t here is attached a blind memorandum setting forth in more detai l the results of the investigation surrounding the above plane crash . No further inquiry is being made in this matter. ACTION Air Force Intelligence has been advised of the results of our investi - gation . f :&'!:.,IRECORDED ~ I ___-. & ' 0 f,. =- _LI/, F INDE XEI> .RGF:mjp IfCOPIES DESTROYED .27 0 NOV 18 1~o4 ;t~ EX-81 ~
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Source text · mention only..,... . •... \,,- August 14, 1947 FLYING DISCS The 11Tacoma News Tribune" and through them the United Press put out a story that an anny plane which was allegedly carrying parts of a disc which had struck a boat owned by Harold Dahl and Fred Chrisman had crashed on August 1, 1947, killing two Air Force Intelligence officers who were interviewing persons who were alleged to have seen flying discs . Harold A. Dahl and Fred Chrisman, when interviewed by Bureau Agents , advised in a signed statement on August 7, 1947, that in the early part of June , 1947, they picked up some strange rock formations from a gravel pit on Hauri Island, Washington . They sent a cigar box of these formations to one Ray Palmer, editor of the Venture magazine in Evanston , Illinois and also editor of the Fantasy magazine in Chicago, Illinois . According to them they requested Pal'!ler to make only a chemical analysis of the rock formations . Palmer then wrote asking for additional samples stating he had been unable to analyze the material . Dahl and Chrisman rem~rked that a few days after the flying disc stories appeared during the latter part of June1 Pa.lmer contacted them by telephone saying he would pay for an exclusive story if the materials they had sent him were fragments of a flying disc . Dahl said he wrote Palmer a letter in which he represented the material as being a part of a flying disc , and both Dahl and Chrisman admitted that this statement was entirely false. Dahl and Chrisman then received a call from one Kenneth Arnold of Poise , Idaho who requested them to meet him at the Winthrop Hotel in Tacoma on July 31, 1947. According to them Arnold called in ar:ny intelligence officers from Hamilton Field, California and one Captain Emil H. Smith of United Airlines of Seattle , Washington to attend this meeting. Dahl and Chrisman maintained they told the intelli gence officers Captain Davidson , Lieutenant Brown, Kenneth Arnold and Emil H. Smith exactly how they got the rock format i ons and that they had no connection with any flyin g discs . Dahl and Chrisman stated that they then furnished some of the rock formation to the intelligence officers as samples . Captain Davidson and Lieutenant Brown left Tacoma, Washineton in a B-25 to return to Hamilton Field, California about 2: 30 A.M. August 1, 1947, and were killed when t heir plane crashed at Kelso , Washington , after the l eft engine burqed out an exhaust stack which in turn caught the left wing on fire which caused it to break off. The crew chief and each officer parachuted to safety . Ernie Vogel, an Associated Press wire.man at Tacoma advised that two or three days after the flying disc story started he contacted Dahl to check the story COPIES DESTROYED 270 NOV 18 1964
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Source text · mention only• ' • . r .· ,, that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer had received from the Fire Chief at Harbor, Washington, to the effect that Dahl had some flying disc fragments. At this time Dahl admitted to Vogel that the entire story was f alse . Relative to Arnold , Dahl and Chrisman stated that he was paid by Ray Palmer of the Fantasy magazine and possibl f the Boise 'statesman' to come to Tacoma and obtain a story from t hem regarding the flyin g disc fragments. On July 31 and August l , a total of five anonymous calls were received by a Tacoma Times reporter and the United Press Wireman at Tacoma giving information regarding t he meeting at the Winthrop Hotel over the disc fragments and statin g that the B-25 had been shot down or sabota ged which killed Captain Davids on and Lieutenant Brown, inferring that t his was done because the intelligence officers were carrying disc fragments in their plane . Dahl and Chrisman stated that thes e calls could only have come from themselves , Arnold or Smith, wi10, they stated , had a friend on the Chicago Times and was possibly sellin g the stor y to the Chicago Times through this friend . Dahl and Chrisman denied ma:o.ng these calls. Smith , upon interview, stated that reporter Iantz of the Tacoma Times and Morello of the United Press office in Tacoma had informed him that Arnold had several anonymous calls and from the accuracy of the information transmitted Smith believes they wer e made by either Dahl or Chrisman . - 2 -
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Source text · mention onlydamage r Pl,I;IER of ~ Chicaeo , . ~ - t3j a DAHL in his room A COPIES IJ;•r-;rrr O ri-; D 270 ,. Dlelaeral i!illtreau ~f fnuestiga t \ .. lltnitecl ftates ilepartm.ent of Ilustir.e 407 U. S. Court House ~eattle 4, iashington August 18, 1947 0 DIRECTOR, FBI 0 ID;: FLYT ',. r-~;10.S SIGPT3D BY FRED CRISMAN and HAROID A. DAHL, TACO ...il' ••\SHINGTON SU - X Dear Sir: The following , in~ral , are the facts }'~garding the flying disc story that started by F:l vRI S'. ~ •r and 1-LROID A.-f.U1rnL which subsequently resulted in news stories~ the acoma TLnes , the ~oise Stateaman and th~hicaeo Times that a B- 25 carrying Army Intelligence officers was shot down 'or sabotaged over Kelso ~ ,ashington on August 1, 1947 because it was carry ing so~e flying disc fragments . The original story , as related by FRED CPIS!WJ and .l:L\ROLD_ DAHL, was to the effect that DAHL, while patrolling in his boat near .:.:aury d land, ,ashington , sighted six flying discs , one of which fluttered to the ~ earth and disintegrated , showering his boat with fragments ,,nich caused some the boat and killed his dog . H.,ROID D • .HL wrote a letter to RAY A. •ff- Davis Company which publishes fantastic adventure magazines in sen· g him f:r;pgments of the flying disk and relating the above story . ..,AL.:.!ER requested---1:rans - Radio ~.rews in C1 .icago to verify the story as related by H.~ROID DAHL and FRZD CPIS:.W~legraphed RAY i .1,L'..IER confirming DAHL I s story . RAY PAU.::ER then engaged im!f\TE . r'NOID,, .Boise , Idaho , who was the firs t to report sighting the flying di sc and w om Ri,Y P,-.Il'.ER had previously made a contract for story regarding the flying disc , to come to Tacoma and check the story as -"1_. related by FRED CRIS:UN and HAROID DAHL. -- KEI-J::ETH .\t,NOLD came to Tacona , ..ashington July 30, 1947 and arranged for a meeting the following day, July 31, with FRED C"'.IS!.:Ai.' and H.\ROID 502, ,iinthrop Hotel, Tacomq,, :15.shington . KE:!NEJH' .•ttNOID also called to attend the meeting Captain ~~v;r ): S'ITTH, United Airlines Pilot who had also reported seeing flying disc fragments , and Army Intelligence to attend F.Ef10H.D-mD , ~~~ E{•54 nu>:XED NOV 181!fo•, I
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Source text · mention only1947 '• August 19, 1947 this meeting . KENlffi:TH ARNOLD, Captain EMIL J . .S:ITTH, FRED CRI~~, Hi ;'OID DAHL, Captain DAv.:::DSON and Lieutenant BROHN of Army A- 2 Intelligence from Hamilton Field , Califo r nia , all met in ARNOLD 1 s room at various times during the afternoon and evening of July 31, 1947 and discussed the flying di sc stor y as related by CRIS!JAN and DAHL. The Army Inte lligence Officers , Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN, left about 2 :00 A. ~,. the morning of August 1, 1947 to return to Hamilton Field, California for Air For ce Day in a B-25 and were carrying some of the reported disc fragments . The left engine on the B- 25 burned an exhaust stack which in turn caught the left vdng afire , the wing subsequently breaking off and tearing off the tail. The B- 25 crashed , killing Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BRO IN. However, the Crew Chief and a hitch - hiker parachuted to safety . Intelligence Officers at ~cChorcl Field , Washington advised there was no indication of any sabotage . The pl ane crashed at Kelso , .,ashington approximately 2: 50 A. H. August 1, 1947. Five anonymous calls were received by a reporter , Tacoma Times, and the United Press ,;ire.man, Tacoma, between 11 :30 A. '.!., July 31, and 5:30 P. 1f. , August 2, 1947. The first call was to a Tacoma Times r eporter approximately 11:30 A. 11., July 31, in which the caller stated that there was a meeting taking place at that time in room 502 of the ','linthrop Hotel concerning the disc fragments found on Maury Island . The second call war received between ll:00 A. '!. and 12 :00 noon, August 1, 1947 by the Tacoma Times reporter in which the caller advised that at that moment a big meeting was taking place in ARNOLD' s room nwnber 502, ~,inthrop Hotel; that the B- 25 which crashed was carrying disc fragments and that UcChord Field officials had stated it was shot down or sabotaged . The third call was received Friday, August 1, 1947 at 5:.30 P. M. by the United Press nireman , Tacoma, in which the caller stated that the B- 25 which crashed at n.elso , -.1ashington was carrying flying disc fragment s and that the dead officers were Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROvlN, A- 2 Intelligence Officers at Hamilton Field , California . This call was prior to the release of the dead officers ' na~es by Army authorities and the caller indicated that when the names were released, it would verify the infol:mation he was furnishing was correct ., The fourth phone call was received at approximately 6:45 P. ''. , Friday, August 1 by the United Press ·rireman in which call the caller stated the B- 25 was definite}rshot down and that if he contacted Army Intelligence officers , they would not deny it. The fifth phone call was received by the United Press 'ireman , Tacoma, at 5:30 P. ~:. August 2, 1947 at Vlhich time the c,n}ler stated the B-25 was shot down from the air with a 20 m.m. cannon; that the 1 hrine plane found recently on :•t . Rainier had also been shot down and that Captain SHITH woul d be taken to ~iright Field Tuesday morning. ~!hen the Army authorities released the names of the dead Intelligence officers which verified the information as given by the anonymous caller , the Tacoma TL~es printed this story on August 2, 1947 and carried several articles thereafter inferring that the B- 25 had been shot down or sabotaged because of the fact that it was carrying disc fragments . DAHL and CRIS!i.AN have admitted that the material which they sent to RJ..Y PAUfER had no connection vd.th any flying discs and have given a signed statement to that effect which are being - 2 -
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Source text · mention only1 4 August 19, 1947 forwarded herein . DAHL and CRI~AN deny, however, that they actually started the flying disc story and their actual part in the story . United Airl ines pilot, EMIL J . S,':TH, states that DAHL and CP.ISHAN on July 31, 1947, both related their original flying disc fragment story . Infonnation gathered would indicate that the anonymous phone calls were possibly made by FRED CRI$WI in order to build up the flying disc story to the point where they could make a profitable sale of the story to RAY PAI1:ER, Chicago, Illinois . No facts have been developed which would definitely prove that CRIS!.!AN made these calls . However, from all facts and infonnation gathered , it appears he is probably the most likely to have made the anonymous calls . The detailed interviews of the persons contac ted in regard to this flying disc story are being set out below. The following investigation was conducted by Special Agent DAVID A. MacCULLOCH at Tacoma, T:ashington on August 6, 7, 1947: ER.~EL , Associated Press 1ireman , Tacoma, .ashingto n, advised that in the early part of June, 1947 he was requested by the Seatt le ,-~---w.ot::Lcci±c:....,..Jiu:nu:t..e.elJ.i.e.encer to check on a story which he was informed had been obtained from the Fire Chief at Harper , 71ashington . The story was supposed to have originated with FRED CRLS1AN. Mr. VOGEL stated that the story was to the effect that DAHL, while patrolling in his boat near Maury Island, saw five or six flying discs , one of which fluttered toward the ground and finally disintegrated . Fragments of the disc were reported to have showered down on the boat of HAROLD DAHL, causing some damage and killing his dog. 'fr . VOGEL stated that he went to the home of HAROI.D "f}AffL on 3903 North Gove, Tacoma, ,:ashington to check with him on this flying disc story. He stated that as best he could recall, this was just a few days after the first flying disc stories had appeared in the paper and was on a Sunday evening . He believed it was the early part of June. He stated that DAHL took him in the kitchen and proceeded to talk about this flying disc story in low muffled tones. He stated that DAHL acted rather suspicious and that shortly his wife came into the kitchen and was in a considerable rage, telling DAHL to admit that the entire story was a plain fantasy which he had dreamed up. He stated that after his wife told DAHL to admit the entire story was false, that DAHL then admitted that there was nothing whatever to the story and it was an entire hoax. VOGEL stated that in view of the enraged condition of DAHL's wife , he immediately left and reported to the{ieattle Post Intelligencer that the entire story was a hoax and that they should not print it in any way, He further stated that he advised the Seattle Post Intelligencer that DAHL was a mental case and that nothing which he had reported should be carried as far as a news story . Mr. VOGSL stated that since that time he had received repeated requests from the Boise Statesman requesting information as to the flying disc stories reportedly originating with FRED C1llSMAN and HAROID DAHL. VOGEL stated that he had never , in his experience, had such pressure brought upon him to release a news story and that he repeatedly advised the Boise 3tatesman that the story of seeing the flying discs by DAHL and CRist,AN was a complete fabri- - 3 -
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Source text · mention onlya. August 19, 1947 cation and should be in no way, carried as a news story and refused to furnish any infonnation regarding these reports . He further stated that he advised the Boise .Statesman shortly before, or at the time KENli"ETH ;L"qNOLD left Boise to come to Tacoma to check on the flying disc stories with DAHL and CRIS!~N, that ARNOLD should not come as the entire story was a hoax . The following information was obtained from PAU~TZ , 4513 South 7th, Tacoma, ·'Tashington, Proctor 8416, a ~porter for the Tacoma Times: It .ia.s the Tacoma Times paper which first 4 ssued a story on August 2 ~nd subsequent stories intimating that the B-25 which crashed at Kelso, '7ashington on the early morning of ~ugust 1, had been sabotaged or shot down because of the fact that it carried flying disc fragments . L.UITZ stated that on Thursday, July 31, at approximately 11:30 A. r . he received an anonymous phone call in which the caller stated that iG'"ff'ETH ARNOLD and Army Intelligence officers were meeting in room 502 of the Finthrop Hotel to check on the flying disc story from which fragments were obtained on Maury Island . LANT'l stated he turned around to speak to his editor and ,·,hen he picked yj:Y'the phone again the line was dead. He stated that the caller asked for BUW":}1crnJR.TIE, a reporter on the Tacoma Times who was out at the time of the call . He stated that BURT .rJc~lliRTIE called ARN0ID at room 502 in the ,,inthrop Hotel and Vias advised by ARN0ID that he could furnish no infonnation as he was there on a Government mission. LANTZ stated that on Friday, August 1, between 11:00 A. 11. and noon, he received another phone call for BURT Mc '1JRTIE in which the anonymous caller stated that he might have some info:nnation for him. LlliTZ asked the caller if he was not the same party that had called the previous date and he said yes . The caller then related that at that moment there was a big meeting in progress in ARNOLD ' s room, 502, in the ,rinthrop Hotel; that the B- 25 which crashed that morning in Kelso was carrying flying disc fragments from California and that llcChord Field officials had stated the plane was sabotared or shot down. The caller then hung up after making some statement to the effect that he was a switchboard operator . LWTZ stated that he v1ent to the ,finthrop Hotel on Friday about noon and found that there was no male operator on duty . He stated he then went to room 502 and ARN0ID answered the door and that Captain IlUL J . SMITH, United Airlines pilot, was on the phone. Li\NTZ stated that he heard ...JITH make a statement to the effect that the infonnation must be very strictly confidential. He stated that there were one or two others in the room besides S"'ITH and ARNOLD, but that he could not identify them. He stated that ARN0ID told him he could maRe no statement and that he had attempted to check the story with various people on ~aury Island with negative results . He stated that about 3:30 P. l'. , Friday, he wrote a story regarding the mysterious informant and called ARNOLD at his hotel room, stating that he had written~hi story and that ARNOID had better check it. He stated that he talked to .:CRRELLO, the United Press a'ireman, Tacoma, who advised that the story soun ed fantastic . LANTZ stated that about 5:30 P. M. , Friday, August 1, an anonymous caller called TED 1 iORRELLO, the - 4 -
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Source text · mention onlyAugust 19, 1947 United Press .1ireman, stating that Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BRO::N were the Intelligence officers that were killed in the crash of the B- 25 and that civilians and the sheriff had been kept away from the wreckage vn.th the Anny guarding it. He stated the anonymous caller then said that the names had not been released yet by the Anny and that this would verify his statements . PAUL LANTZ stated that the follovn.ng morning, Saturday , August 2, the Anny verified that the officers killed were Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BRO,l'N and two days later verified that they were Army Intelligence officers . IJI.NTZ stated that the anonymous caller again later contacted TED ~fORRELLO, calling him by that name, and at this time stated he did not call the Tacoma News Tribune or the Associated Press and denied calling PAUL LANI'Z or BURT Mct!URTIE. In this call the anonymous caller stated that, 11Don•t think I'm doing this for you. 11 He then asked if the story had been put on the wire and when HORRELLO said yes, the caller stated , m·.e want this to get back to New Jersey . 11 The caller further stated that the B-25 was shot down by a 20 m.m. cannon and that the marine plane which was recentl_y found wrecked on the side of !{t. Rainier , having been missing for several months, had also been shot down. The caller stated to '~ORRSLLO th::it he should get in touch with a flyer named HORGAN with United Airlines who, he stated, was with Captain Sll.ITH when they were shot at over Montana. The caller then stated, 111 111 see you Tuesday . I 1m going to San Francisco. 11 LAJTCE stated that he had checked with Captain :c::IL Sl.:ITH of United Airlines who denied knowing any pilot by the name of ''ORG.',N; denied ever having flown over l'ontana . LANTZ stated that l:ORR1ILO received another anonymous call in which the caller stated that STITH would be sent to "'Tright Field on Tuesday and that Saturday one of the men who found fragments of the flying disc was to be flovm to Alaska . LA"JTZ stated that in view of the fact that the information as to the Intelligence officers on the B-25 had been as furnished by the anonymous caller , had subsequentl_y been verified by the Army, the story was released that the B- 25 was carrying disc fragments returning to Hamilton Field, California and furnishing the inference that the plane had been sabotaged or shot down. LANTZ stated that about 8:00 P. H. on Sunday, August 3, he contacted Captain E'IL S!:.,..TH at his home, 3027 ..est Laurelhurst Drive , Seattle at which time S:ilTH stated he had not given any story out to the Post Intelligencer at Seattle; stated that he had gotten a telegram to call a number in Boise and when he called and found out it was the Boise statesman, he had hung up. He stated that the Boise 3tatesman then contacted him, at which time he admitted he had seen the disc fragments, but that he did not take any of them. This time ~ITTH infonned LANTZ that he had been with Uajor GEORGE S .. NDERS, Public Relations Officer from 1.!cChord Field , all afternoon until about 3:45 P. M. S?.IITH informed L.~~!TZ that he had told the Army authorities every thing that he and ARNOID knew about the flying disc fragments story from the time that l\EN~".ETH ARNOID left Boise , Idaho and he had left Seattle, Washington . This time 9.!ITH admitted that there were some of the supposed disc fragments in ARNOID I s room at the ,linthrop Hotel and that CRISMAN and DAHL had been in the room Thursday afternoon . On l!onday PAUL LANTZ stated that he called HAROID DAHL who advised that if this were not used in the paper , he and FRED - 5 -
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Source text · mention only... ' August 19, 1947 CRISlJ.AN would see him after lunch . LANTZ stated that about noon DAHL and CRISMAN contacted him at which time DAHL stated that he and his son had been exploring a gravel pit on Maury Island and found some strange rock fonnations . He stated they picked up some of these samples and that FR.ID CRISMAN later saw them and they went back over to Uaury Island at which time additiona l samples were obtained and that CiUSI'.WI sent these to a friend of his at the University of Chicago to have analyzed . They stated that they received a report and that apparently this frien.d had asked a newpaperman to find out where the rock formations were obtained . CP.IS1tAN and DAHL told LANTZ that sometime after the first flying disc story had appeared , they received a tele gram from Trans- Ocean Press from Chicago wanting infomation on the flying disc fragments . FRED CRISMAN stated that they had at no ti~e indisat~the rock formations were a part of a flying disc and that Captain ]2.1J:~TH and KENNETH P.RNOLD were not interested in the rock fonnat ions and they denied giving them to SMITH and ARNOW. TED H0RRELL0, a United Press \fi reman, Tacoma, •..ashington furnished substantially the same information that was obtained from PAUL LANTZ, the Tacoma Times reporter , regarding the anonymous phone calls which he had received . He stated further that the first call he received was on Friday , August 1, at around 5:30 P. ~. At this time the call er stated that the B- 25 which crashed at Kelso, ·;ashington was carrying disc fragments and that the two officers killed were Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BRO"N, officers with Ar-my A~2 Intelligence at Hamilton Field and that the fragments were top secret material . He stated the caller indicated that when the Army released the names of the dead officers it would verify that the information he was furnishing was correct . 1:0RRELLO stated that the second call he received at approximately 6:45 P. M. Friday , August 1 at whicq time the caller stated that the S- 25 was definitely shot down and that if he contacted Anny Intelligence A- 2, the man in charge would not deny it. M0RRELLO stated he thought the man said to con tact Colonel GUYS, but it was found out it was Colonel GR.EDG who was in charge of Anny Intelligence A- 2. The caller further stated that the Sheriff ' s Office had been kept away from the crash and that no civilians had been allowed near the plane . !rORRELLO stated the third call he received at 5:30 P. H., August 2, and that this time the caller stated that one of the men who had been conferring with Captain 'I~TH and ~r~JEI'H .PJ:OID was taken to Alaska that day . The caller further stated that the B- 25 was shot down from the air with a 20 m.m. cannon; that the l!arine plane found recently on !!t . Rainier had also been shot down; that Captain ~~ITH would be taken to ''right Field Tuesday morning and that a United Airlines pilot by the name of HORGAN flew with Captain Sl:ITH when they were shot at over Montana. The caller stated he was ieaving for San Francisco encl would be back Tuend'y . PAUL LANI'Z and TED ''ORRELLO both stated that they had made very little effort to question the anonymous caller to obtain his identity as they felt it was useless and that if tney started questioning him he would -6-
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Source text · mention only-• August 19, 1947 refuse to furnish any furthe r infonnation . On August 5, 1947 Special Aeent DAVID A. ~acCULLOCH was contacted in the resident agency office , Tacoma, ,/ashington by _RSI) CRISMAN. At this time CRISI:AN asked if the .3eattle Office was investigation the crash of the B- 25 and he was infonned that no investigation was being conducted by the Seattle Office . CRI~L\N at this time related in a rambling story that he had picked up some strange rock formations v. '1ich he had forwarded to a f riend of his in the University of Chicago to have analyzed and that later , in some manner unknown to him, these rock formations had been reported as being frag ments of a flying disc . On .'\.ugust 7, 1947 FRZD CRIS.MN and H.' ROID DAHL were inter viewed at the Tacoma resident agency office . Both DAHL and CRISJAN at first denied any knowledge of how the rock fonnations which they had picked up to have alalyzed became connected with the flying disc stories . Both denied making any statement to anyone that these rock formations were portions of a disc fragment . It v;as apparent from the start of the interview that DAHL and CRIS'JAN were not telling their complete and true connection with the flying disc story . They refused to give any definite infonnation as to what they said or had done which caused them to become involved in a flying disc story , but gave evasive answers and repeatedly stated that they had nothing to do with it and were at a loss to understand ho~ they became connected with the flying disc story . After considerable questioning , they stated that in the early part of Jun¥they sent to R PAU:ER of t~ Ziff -Davis Publishing Company which published t~Fantasy magazine in Chicago and the Venture magazine in Evanston , Illinois , some rock fonnations' v,hich they had found on ~Jaury Island . They stated they sent these fonnations , asking PAI.LlER to have them analyzed . They stated that later PAIUER wrote and asked for more samples , advising he had failed to analyze the samples . CRIS:1AN and DAHL stated they have never sent any additional samples and that the next they heard regarding the rock formations which they had sent PAillER was when he called HAROLD DAHL and asked if the rock formations could have come from a flying disc . DAHL stated he made some remark that they possibly could have come from a flying disc and that he immediately sat down and wrote a letter to PAlliER, which was in the latter part of June in v1hich he stated the material could have been portions of a flying disc . DAHL claimed that he thought he told PAll!ER over the phone something about being in his boat vihen he obtained these rock formations, but stated he could not recall what he had written to PAI.MER and claimed that he passed the whole thing off as a joke . CRI~:AN and DAHL were questioned at length in an attempt to obtain specific inforraation as to exactly what each one had done with regard t o the rock forma tions . However, each stated that the only thing they had done was tell RAY PAI11ER the formations could have come from a flying disc in vie~ of the fact it appeared 11that ' s what he wanted them to say" . No definite infonnation could be obtained from either DAHL or CRIS:AN as to what each specifically had done to start the f l ying disc story . The signed state:nent which was obtained from CRIS!IAN and
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Source text · mention only·" August 19, 1947 DAHL and in which they admitted the rock formations had no connect i on with any flying discs is being forwarded to the Bureau herewith . The statement contains no infonnation of value and therefore is not being set forth herein . Regarding the meeting which was held in the 'Winthrop Hotel on Thursday , July 31, CRISL'.AN and DAHL stated that they both met KENNETH ARNOLD there about 1:00 P. :J. They stated that they all left ARNOLD I s room about 3:00 P. M. and that CRISMAN took A:lliOID to Berry ' s Airport at Tacoma and ARNOLD flew his plane to Seattle where he picked up Captain E1!IL S'ITTH. CRIS MAN stated that he picked up ARNOID and SMITH at Berry ' s Airport about 5:00 P. M. and that HAROLD DAHL came to JRNOID' s room about 7:00 P. 1!. CRIEMAN stated that he and S'!ITH left about 8 :30 P. :'. when he drove S:!ITH to Seattle to get his car and thL>t DAHL went home at this time . CRIS!!AN stated they returned about 11 :30 P. U. at which time the Army Intelligence offi cers were in ARNOID ' s room and that CRISMAN left about midnight. He stated that he returned to ARNOID1 s room Friday afternoon for approximately one- half hour from 2 :30 to 3:00 P. t~., at which time ARNOLD and SHITH were still there and neither seemed to be able to reca l l if DAHL was in \RNOID 1 s room on Friday , August 1. The best that could be obtained from CRIS!Wr and DAHL as to what took place in ARNOLI' ' s room was to the effect that most of the talk was about flying, that no one seemed very interested in the rock fonnations and that they had no connection as far as they knew vd.th any flying disc . CRIS~~AN Stated that KZNNEI'H AfNOLD wanted to obtain pictures of the olace where the rock formations ~ere obtained and that the Ann.y Intelligence officers did not appear to be interested in any manner whatever . HAROID DAHL operates the Commercial Lumber Company at 235 Millwater Avenue, Tacoma, ifashington and FRED CFIS!:AN has recently been _,; working with him buying timber . They have also been associated with tJ)e~ r bor Patrol Association at Ta.coma, ,lashington which furnishes patrol and police pro tection to parts of the harbor area which are not patrolled by Tacoma police or Sheriff ' s officers . FRED CRIS'...iAN re sides at 125 iloodl and, Tacoma, ·.:ashington , Ann.y serial number 0- 758-951 . During the war he was a pilot and it is believed presently holds a Reserve Officer ' s conrnission as a Captain . Regarding the B- 25 which crashed, killing Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BBC\'JN of the 4th Aire Forces , Captain ROBERT G. BJORNI NG, A- 2 Officer , l!c Chord Field , advised that this investigation of the crash reflected an exhaust stack had burned out on the left engine which in turn caught the left wing afire and that when the left wing broke off, it also broke off the tail . The plane at the time of the crash was carrying Captain DAVIDSON, Lieutenant BRm,'N, the hitch - hiker and a man as Crew Chief to take care of the ai rplane . The Crew Chief and the hitch - hiker parachuted to safety , but Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BR<J.JN were killed . He stated that their invest i gation reflected no indication of any sabotage whatever , A check of the records of the ..inthrop Hotel at Tacoma, ..ashington revealed that KENNETH ARNOW, giving his address as Route #1, l'ount view Drive , Boise , Idaho rented room 502 from July 30 at 7:43 P. M. until - 7 -
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Source text · mention onlyAugust 19, 1947 August 3. A record of t~'t)hone calls made from room 502 during this period was made by Hiss S~JGBERG . This record reveals that KENNEI'H ARNOID on July 31 called PA~ at AN- 5200, Evanston , I l linois , coll ect . On the same date called Lieutenant BRO~'N at 5800 Hamilton Field, Cali fornia, collect • .ARNOW also called 0109- J in Boise , I daho on July 31. On August 1 ARNOID called LON- 4936, Portland ; PALMER at Dearborn 5200, Chicago; and SJITH called RODDY at Dearborn 2323 at Chicago . Both Chicago call~ were collect . The remainder of the calls appear to be personal calls and are not being set out . A record of the phone calls made are being retained as an exhibit i n the Seattle Office . The following informatio n was obtained by Special Agent PIERRE H. LEVEC in interview on August 12, 1947 with Captain FlrIL J . SMITH, 3027 Hest Laurehurst Drive , United Airlines pilot : I t should be noted that Captain SMITH has pr eviously received publicity for having supposedly seen flying discs or similar objects on July 4, last while on a routine United Air lines flight out of Boise , Idaho in company with his co- pilot &'.I.Pf'rjSTEV?J1S, concerning this incident . Captain a'.:ITH states that they took off from Boise , Idaho at 8:12 P. M. and headed Northwest at 300 deg~ees and while still climbing at 8, 000 feet , co- pilot STEVEMS called his attention to some objects in the sky ahead of them about ten degre es left which neither one could identify . &ITH states that he called a CAA radio operator at Ontario , Oregon and reques - 1 ted him to step outside his radio shack and see if he could see any of these objects overhead . The CAA radio operator replied in the negative . Captain ~.!ITH states that he first met K'E!mETH ARNOLD on July 5 in the offices of the Seattle Post Intelligencer where both were being interviewed concerning their sighting of flying discs . S::I'IH states that he next met AFJTOLD about three weeks ago in Boise , Idaho at which time he, .TiITH, was on another fligh t through Boise , Idaho and had a ten mip~t,e lay-over there . On this occasion _!:1:!'1~ was in company of Captain 1 ·1:LLI~r ~-D.\VIDSON and Lieutenant FRANK ~~o.m , Army Intelligence officers , and a reporter JOHNSON of the Boise Statesman . S:~ITH1 s next contact with ARNOLD was on Thursday , July 31, last when he received a telephone call from APJ-TOLD calling from Tacoma in the early afternoon at which time he asked S.:ITH to come over to Tacoma and join him as he ,,as investigating a flying disc story for 11 someone back East" and some fragments v,ere involved which SHITH might be inter estec1 in seeing . After some discussion :1.:IT:-I agreed to join ARNOLD in Tacoma and AR!JOLD told SMITH he would fly over and pick him up at Boeing Airport at 4 :00 P. !-1. SHITH met ·.RNOLD at Boeing Field at about 4:00 P. !.l:. and they flew to Berry ' s .tdrport at Tacoma, fashington where they were met by FRED C~IStf,.AN. The three of tha~ proceeded in CRIS'~ 1 s car to the /inthrop Hotel where ARNOID was occupying room 502. AhNOLD ordered something to eat and during this time either ARNOID or CRIS:.'..'\N called a HAROID D.1\HL and invited him up to the room. By this time S:~ITH states he had learned from ARUOLD that CRISMAN and DAHL were the parti cipants in the latest flying disc story and SHITH states that he had no previous acquaintance with either of these men before meeting them in Tacoma on this date . ,fuile in the Hotel Room .'Rt:OLD sbov,ed S:ITTH a letter which he had received from RAYMOND L.ViER of the Venture Press of Chicago requesting that ARNOID investigate - 8 -
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Source text · mention onlyAugust 19, 1947 the CPISZ.!AN- DAHL story in Tacoma. A'lliOID informed S:ITH at this time that after receiving this letter he had called PAL2::R by telephone in Chicago as a result of which call PALMER had forwarded him ~200.00 expense money for covering the story . Shortly thereafter , at about 7 :YJ P. 1'. HAROLD n~HL arrived at the Hotel room and the discuss i oh began among the four men present as to what DAHL and CRISllAN had seen on Maury Isla nd. DAHL professed relu c tance to tell the story , claiming that several unfortunate incidents had occurred subsequent to his seeing the flying discs and he believed the entire incident had brought him bad luck. In this connection he stated that four or five days subsequent to his sighting the flying discs , a man called at his home and had a conversation with him the course of which DAHL was warned to forget all about everything he had seen on or near kaury Island . In addition to that , DAHL stated that his sixteen year old son had run away from home following the incident and had been picked up by the police somewhere in Montana. After some further discussio n DAHL finally agreed to tell hi s story of the flying disc incident in front of SUITH after eliciting a promise from SttITH that he would not discuss the matter for at least two weeks. It should be noted that DAHL had previously told his story to A:'..NOLD and GRISHAN. At this point DPJ!L related the incident which has already been described and which he alleged had taken place on or about June 23 or 24. ~'hile relating the incident DAHL mentioned that he had taken pictures of t he fl,ying disc vhich he had seen but that the printed films were marred with ,vhite spots . ;hen DAHL had concluded his story, CRimiAN related that he had gone the fo l lowing day to 'faury Island to verify what DAHL had told him concerning the fragments and had at this time picked up several fragments and taken them with him. At this time CRISMAN related that he also saw one of the flying discs hovering over the Isl:and but that it had disappeared into a cloud . ,ben DAHL and GP.IS.IAN had finished telling their story ARNOLD told the group that he had earlie r in that evening called Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROfl~, Army Intelligence officers and that they vrere on their way to the Hotel room. At this point DAHL protested that he did not wish to tell his story before anyone else and he was advised by ~ITH that if such was the case why didn ' t he just leave and not be there when they arrived . CRISUAN, DAHL and :::UITH then left the room and went downstairs . DAHL departed alone . CRIS'!'!AN drove SllITH back to Boeing Field near Seattle where &.'ITH desired to pick up his own personal car, which he did . They then returned to the Hotel where they found Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BRO.IN in room 502 with KZNNETH ',P.NOID. .ARNOLD met them at the door and seemed excited, explaining to S!~ITH that Captain DAVIDSON had just drawn a reproduction of a freak disc which had supposedly been seen by a woman in Arizona and that this drawing was an exact reproduction of the flying disc which he, ARNOLD, had seen several weeks before, nearing lft . Rainier . SBTH states that shor tly after this c:.n~rAN seemed very anxious to tell his and DIBL1 s story to the Anny offi cers . Before this was done, however, s..aTII· had a discussion with Lieutenant BROdN, infonning him that they had promised DAHL not to release the story for t,,o weeks and that if CRIS!lAN were allowed to tell the story at this time, Bno·m and DAVIDSON must agree not to release the story for one month. Following this agreement , CPISUAN related D.JfL I s and "tis story of the flying discs over !fa.ury - 9 -
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Source text · mention onlyAugust 19, 1947 Island to BRC;'?T and DAUIDSON. Following this recitation, Lieutenant BR071N, in ans,,er to a query from '::''!TB, said that he and Captain !),'.VIDS0flT were of the opinion that there might be some truth in the current flying disc stories , but that their immediate superiors (presumably A- 2 at Hamilton Field) did not agree with them. BRCt..'N and DAVIDSON then held a brief discussion as to whether they should return that same night to Hamilton Field and they decided that they would. All five of the men then went down to the lobby where BRO.,N detached himself from the group and entered a phone booth to call for a car from :~cChord Field . SMITH also left the group and met BRO\'IN outside the phone booth llhere they held a short discussion relative to the credibility of CRIS ~~N and DAHLI s story . B::10 IN indicated to Sl!ITH that he should attemt to find out if the story was on the level and that BRO.m 1r1ould call him the following day regarding this matter . The group then proceeded to the front of the Hotel at which time CRISI.f.AN brought his car to the front of the Hotel and took from his trunk a box of the alleged flying disc fra~ents picked up on 1-:aury Island . He offered them to BROi'N and DAVIDSON and when the Army car arrived from 1.::cChord Field the box of fragments was placed in the car vlith the officers . CFis:.i.AN departed alone and 1JUiCLD and ~~ITH went in search of something to eat and later returned to the Hotel for the night . On Friday morning, August 1, 1947, ARr0ID received a call from GRISHAN informing him that a B- 25 had crashed during the night and it was believed to be the same plane which BR0i-iN and DAVIDSON were flying . Following this call CRISUAN and DAHL came to the Hotel room and from the room CPI:1.fAfJ again called McChord Field in an attempt to get infonnation about the crash. S!!ITH took the phone from CRISMAN and spoke to a Colonel GR.EX;G, identifying himself and asking if the B- 25 which crashed was the only one which had taken off from HcChord Field the previous night . GR.EriG told him that it was. Follow ing this call ...JcNOI.D called RAY-LIO.ND PAD!ER in Chicago and informed him of the previous night ' s conversations and the fact that D.1-l.VIDSON and BRO.IN were believed to have been killed . PAL..!ER told ARNOID to discontinue his investigation of the incident and that he, PAll~R, was no longer interested . SMITH then took the phone from ARNOLD and asked PAll.:ER if he could shed any light on the situation . S~ITH was unable to sa.y what PAll1ER1 s reply to CRISl,!AN was. Fol lowing these telephone discussions a:ITH says that he called :.1AURICE .Ji;JPJDY whom he identifies as a personal friend of his and an aviation editor or"the Chicago Times. ~ITH states that he had prefiously made an agreement with RODDY in Chicago that should he ever run across any flying disc stories which showed promise of news value , that he would contact RODDY and this call was a result of that agreement . Shortly afterward , Colonel GRF.GG called him from McCrord Field stating that Hamilton Field had requested that ARN0ID, S:~ITH, CRI SMAN and DAHL submit their addresses to Hamilto n Field for convenience of any Army investigation of the incident which may be forthcomine . After this call the four men went to a restaurant for lunch . During the course of this meal s:.:ITH excused himself from the table and attempted to call SAC BOBBITT of the Port- land Field Office , Federal Bureau of Investigation with ,vhom he claims acquain tance . BOBBITT, however, was unavailable and S>:ITTH was unable to complete the - 10 -
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Source text · mention only. August 19, 1947 call . After returning to the Hotel room, a Tacoma Times reporter called attempting to gain information , but they did not give him any. Later , a ~r. ~'OPJBILO of the United Press called and ~~ITH spoke to him on the telephone but refused to give out any infonnation . s:rITH further relates that while the four men were in the room at this t~~e , an envelope was shoved under the door and that he retrieved it from the floor . s.J:ITH states that the appearance of this envelope seemed to startle CPIS?.!AN considerably and tbat in fact , CRIS:UiN turned white as a sheet until s:;ITH read the note unsigned ,,hich was a commu nication to the Hotel advising that a strike of Hotel employees was eminent and ~ that guests should not expect room and telephone service much longer . Shortly after this incident DAHL and CRI~U~N left the Hotel room after promising to take f.fu'JCLD and S''ITH to !!aury Island the following morning, (Saturday) . ARNOW and SiITTII then went out for dinner and on their return , ruITH found a note in the box requesting him to call a certain telephone number. Pe did this from the Lotel room and was answered by LANTZ, Tacoma Times reporter who requested SMITH to go out and call him from a !)ay station . SUI'rH compl ained and was. informed by L:'1.NTZ that two anonymous telephone calls had been received by him that a discussion regarding flying discs had been taking place in room 502 at the ,finthrop Hotel which involved ~nny Intelligence officers . From the information which LANTZ had received , s::ITI-i was convinced that the anonymous caller must have been present at the discussion also , as L.i\NT~ was seemingly in possession of pertinent remarks which had been made in the room. S!.ITTH states that he did not give L.NTZ any further information and that in conclu sion of the call , he returned to the Hotel room and he and ARNOID retired for the night . On Saturday morning, august 2, 1947 ~IITH redeived a tele phone call from ~• .UFICE RODDY in Chicago, but l,as unable to give him any further infonnation . en 'ITH advised him, ho,·1ever, that he would call him back at 2:30 that afternoon . DAHL then called from a coffee shop nearby and ARr'OID and S!.:ITH joined DA!'L, CRI.51.!AN and an unknovm man in the Coffee Shop for breakfast . The unknown person was discussing some lumber business with DAHL and left after breakfast . On leaving the coffee shop, S:lITH asked D;J-IL about the negatives of the photographs wrich he claimed to have taken of the flying discs . DAHL said the negatives were in the glove compartment of his car, but a search of the instant elove compartment was fruitless . The four then pro ceeded in CRIS:.!AN1 s car to the dock where they were to embark for Haury Island . The boat , however, could not be started and the trip was postponed until later in the day . "hile at the dock, however, s:lITH asked to be shown the damage to the boat which had allegedly occurred when the fragments showered dovm on :.ra.ury Island . CRIS1:Af'! pointed out what may have been repairs to the windshield and lights on the boat , but S!.!ITH was not personally sat isfied that these repairs were made as a result of any such incident . C1Is.>:AN and DAHL then drove APr,rom and ~IITH back to the Hotel at approximately 10:45 A. U. and CRISiiAN told them he would call them later on and that they would go to !!aury Island . On return ing to the Hotel , S:lITH called LA'JTZ at the Tacoma Times as a result of llhich call he and ARNOLD met L\NTZ at th.e Coffee Shop across the street from the - 11 -
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Source text · mention onlyAugust 19, 1947 /inthrop Hotel . S:'ITH stated that the purpose of this meeting was to try to find out something more about the anonymous phone calls which LNTZ had told him about . He and ARNOID still refused to give out any further information regarding the Thursday evening conference to Lil:TZ and were infonned by LANTZ that the Tacoma Times was afraid of being scooped on the story and was going to print something on that day . ~·tTH and AR~TOJ.D then returned to the Hotel and shortly thereafter received a phone call from CRIS!fAN but the call was cut off by the switchboard operator since it was not an ekergency call . SJITH and ARNOID t hen returned to the Hote l lobby where they found a telegram from DAHL asking them to call him at either Broadway or Proctor 7733, g!ITH is not s ure of the exchange . ~TH called t~is number, but DAHL was not there . si,rrTH states that he went then to the •·:estern Union Telegraph Office and dispatched a collect telegram to '1-.URICE RODDY at the Chicago Times -which contained a brief resume of the incidents which had occurred and which requested RODDY to wire s:rrTH a telephone number where RODDY could be reached after 6:00 P. !! . Si.ITTH states that he has never received an answer to that wire . Following this , ~:ITH states that he and ARNOID that he and ARNOLD were sitting in the lobby of the Olympic Hotel when IJ.!ITZ entered and gave them each a copy of the latest edition of the Tacoma Ti~es which contained a story hinting at sabotage in the crash of the Anny B- 25 which killed Captain DAVIDSON and Ll.eutenant BRQ;;N. S:"ITH stated that he and APJ-10LD continued to occupy seats in the Hotel lobby most of the afternoon inasmuch as they were unable to receive calls in the Hotel room due to the Hotel employees• stri~e . He relates that he received a call in the late afternoon from L..NTZ advising him to call LU:TZ that evening at 8 :30 as L.4.!,ITZ ha.d further information regarding the anonymous calls . s.:ITH also received a telegram requesting that he call Boise 6000 which he did and found that it was JOHNSON. of the Boise Statesman . He refused to eive JOHNSON any further information at this time. However, sho r tly thereafter , JOHNSON called from Boise and advised S:JITR that the Anny had released a story through Brigadier Genera l SHRAM revealing the confidential assignment \'rhich BRO lJ and DAVIDSON had been engaged on. In view of this release, JOHNSON requested S:!ITH to answer one question for him which was, 11 .1ere they carrying any alleged disc fragments on the plane? 11 and S? ITH answered, "Yes , they were . " Following this S'~TH caJ led Li.UITZ as per his earlier request and was infonned that MORR.ELLO of the Unit ed Press had received another anonymous phone call at ,1hich time 11the voice 11 said that the Army B- 25 carrying Captain D.tiVIDSON and Lieutenant BRO:~ had been shot down with 20 m.m. shells and that the . ~arine plane found on '!t . Ra'.inier had also been shot down with 20 m.m. shells . · The voice went on to state that S!.rITH would be called back to T ,right Field on Tuesday . :hen !~vRRELLO asked why he was giving out this information the caller replied that it was not for the benei'it of the newspapers , but that he was interested in seeing that the information got back to New Jersey . The voice also infonned PORREU.O at this time that one of the two persons who had been talking to ARNOLD and S'illTH had now left for Alaska . As a result of t'.is latter bit of information S~ITH decided to find out if CRI SMAN or D.nHL had left town . He located DAHL at the Sunset Theatre and D1\HL came to the Hotel and met £.8:TH and ARNOLD. They v1ere unable to locate CRISMAN by phone and DAHL left saying that he would try to find out where CFIS!.1AN was and that he would call them tomorrow (Sunday) and that they vwuld go out to Maury Island at that time . After DAHL left , - 12 -
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Source text · mention only' ' '. . August 19, 1947 S..!ITH and ARNOID went to the Tacoma Times Office where a reporter met them and took them to '!ORRELLO in the United Press Office . There they read the latest press releases and had a discussion with ~ORR.ELLO regarding the anony mous phone calls . In the course of this discussion 1iORRELI..O mentioned the name of ~fajor GEORGE 3ANDERS, Public Relations Officer at !.~cChord Field. as being one of the officers interested in the investigation . Following this discussion with VORRELLO, at which time S'.ITH states they still refused to divulge any further information , ~ ITH and ARNOID returned to the Hotel for the night . On Sunday morning, August 3, 1947, DAHL aupeared at the Hotel room and told them that he had received a letter from CRISMAN which said in effect, 11Take care of my business . 1 111 be out of town for three or four days . 11 DAHL had a letter with him but he did not show it to S..ITH or ARlJOLD. The three men then drove to DAHL1 s secretary ' s house in South Tacoma and picked her up and the four of them then went to breakfast on the South Tacana highway. ,'lhile the four of them then went to breakfast SMITH excused himself and called 'fo.jor SANDERS at u!cChord Field and arranged an appointment to meet him at the Hotel lobb y at 11:00 A. ~. They then took DAHL 1s secretary to her home where DAHL picked up a typewriter and then drove Si.ITH and ARNOLD back to the Hotel. They asked him if he was going to take them to l~aury Island that day and he replied that he was not . He further stated that he was sick of the entire business and that if he was ever contacted by the Army or the authorities he was going to deny ever having seen anything and claim to be 11the biggest liar that ever lived" . Shortly after returni ng to the Hotel , S!.Tl'H met Hajo r SANDERS in the lobby and they went in S: CTTH I s car to a coffee shop in South Tacoma ,,here s:.iITH proceeded to tell !!ajor S..-.!TI)ERS the entire story of the incidents which had occurred in Tacoma regarding the CRISl.:AN and DAHL story since Thursday afternoon . Following this, S!HTH took :fajor SA.'IDERS back to the Hotel and intro duced him to ARITOID and suggested to .~RNOI.D that he also tell Major SAI'!JERS the entire story of what had occurred . ARNOID did so. 'fajor SANDERS after looking at the fragJnents ,:hich were still in the room suggested that they drive out to the Smelter near Tacoma as he believed the slag at the Smelter would bear a distinct resemblance to these fra&nents . The three nen then drove to the ::melter and t'1e slag was noted to be definitely si j lar to the fragments ,1ri cl-J. CRISMAN and DAHL had left in the Hotel room. They then r~turned to the Hotel room and :!ajar SANDERS left them. After packing their bags , S''ITH took JdJJOID to Berry I s Airport where his plane was parked and then S:ITTH drove himself back to Seattle . About an hour after his arrival in Seattle , which was approximately 7:30 F'. 1'. , LANTZ of the Tacoma Times appeared at S::IT'T's home with the newspaper containing the \ssoc iated Press story which had originated in Boise , Idaho in the .ooise Statesman and which was written by JOHNSON following .::, ITH' s admission to him that fragments had been carried by Lieutenant BRC, ,1T and Captain DAVIDJON on the fatal B- 25 flight . o"TTH at this time continued to refuse to give any statements for the Press and told L.~.TZ that he had placed - 13 -
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Source text · mention only~ ... August 19, 1947 all of his infor.nation in the hands of the Army. $'£.ITH stated that a couple of days later he called .iajo r S~NDERd at ,.,.cChord Field and asked him if there was any recent information concerning the incident. a!ITH states that •.fajor SMTOERS infonned him that CRISJA}T had not yet been contacted, but that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was "setting a trap for him". S'ITH further advises that on Friday, August 8, 1947, he appeared before Lawyer JOHN NOLAN at the County-City Building , Seattle and made a deposition of the facts relating to the incidents in Tacoma from 'l'hursday afternoon , July 31, last until Sunday morning, August 3, last . A copy of this deposition is now in possession of the writer and is being forwarded herewith to the Bureau . It should be noted that this deposition is in no way as complete as the statement taken by the writer above and any setting out of this deposition in this communication would be superfluous . Copies of this communication are being sent to the Butte , Portland, San Francisco and Chicago Offices for their infonnation only . Unless advised by the Bureau to the contrary, instant investigation is considered closed by this office . For the infonnation of the Bureau, Captain R. G. BJORNING, Intelligence Officer , ~1cChord Field, Ft . Lewis, .,ashington advised at the weekly O.P.I.- S. I .D.-F.B.I . Intelligence conference that the Public Relati ons Officer at McChord Field had received a telephone call from an individual at Army Air Forces Headquarters at ,;ashington, D. C. , during wh.ich call the Public Relations Officer was requested to obtain a signed statement from DAHL and CRIS?'iAN which could be published and thus publicly close the matter . Captain BJCRNING further related that he had no additiona l information in this matter and that he did not handle it. Very truly yours, ,. £et~~ Special ~~~~f~ harge ENCLOSURES DAM;PHL:11:EK 100-18945 CC - Butte Portland San Francisco Chicago - 14 -
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Source text · mention onlysu\.t~ ¢0\JO' ( )/~ ;~ :' \ • ( I l ,
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Source text · mention only~cf' dJ)t:4 &...I - August ti, l<:14? I:uffi<,L:) A. D.ri.HL and FRED C.rlL..........i... mal~e the follor;rn g f'oluntary st teront to ~J-1. L.-1.VID .,•• •..AC m.. LLtel. of the Feder 3.l Bureau 01· I nves tigation . I c t he eii~' r ar t <.." J une l ~"'i' \ e 1icked up some strange rock f or;1iations fro . a gravel pit on lli8ury I sland , 11ashington . ,1e sent a box (cigar ) of these fragments to RAY PAili.lER of Venture kagazine st Evanston I llinois to have it ana l yzed . Later P.AIMER wrote and asked for aduitional samples stating that he had failed to have them analyzed . Around the later purt of June a few days aft er the first disc stories star t ed ~AIMER cont acted us by phone . He told us not to tell the news papers a:iout the f r agments and he would pay for an exclusive story if the fragments could be from a f l ying disc . One of us tol d hi r the fragr.ients could have been from a flying disc. Just after our phone conversat i on HAROLD DAHL wrote a l etter to RAY PALMER setting out some notes et c. regarding the fragments and indi cating t hey coul d have come from flying discs . The next thing we heard was about the fir st of July when v1e got a Trans Ocean Press telegram from Chicago asking lmll:t abou t these flying disc gragment s . We tol d them t o gor get t he entire mat ter. The next we heard of these fragments was when we were called by KENNETH ARNOLD to meet wt.th him in the Wint hr op Hotel on llluly 31 , 194? We t ol d hin exactly how v;e had found the f r aements and had forwarded t hem to FA.llll!R to be a nalyzed . The above is the entire and true story as regards our connection with the flying disc st orie e etc . ·w riginated over the ore samples whi ch we sent to be analyzed . 1/~ If~~~~ r.4.£ ~~ifr~?
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Source text · mention onlySTATE OF ASHlNG'l'ON ) ~ ssCOUNTY OF JU?G J.E. SMITH, being firs~ duly sworn, on oath, deposes aiid says: Thi·s ls a narrative statement as to what took place 1A Tacoma i'rom Thursday, July 31 until Sunday, August J . Thursday I received a telephone call trom Tacoma trom a Ke.nn.eth Arnold . The gist ot this conversation was that he thought it wou1d be a good idea tor me to come to Tacom14 and listen to the story of t.wo 11e.n. whose names were Fred Crismon and Harold Dahl . This Ke.nneth Arnold I had met two times previous - o~oe on Juiy 5 a t the ottl c e ot the P . I . in Seattl.e tor a very brief time and the second time in Boise , Idaho Y&en I was passing through on one ot my trips . In this conversation with Arnold on tb.e phone , I made the s t atement that it v1ould be impossible tor me to go over to Tacoma due to 11J3 going out to Salt Lake City the next morning . He said that he would tly over trom Tacoma and pick me up at Boeing Field. I agreed to this proposition trom Arnold . At 4 o•olock I met Arnold at the Boei.ng Field and we tlew back and landed at Barry•s Airport . e were picked up at the airport by lrred Crismon, who drove the two ot us into the inthrop Hotel . e went up to Room 502 -- Crismon,. Arnold and myself' . !'red Crismon put a telepbo_ne call into Harold Dah.l and asked him would be come up to the room. A half hour later Harold Dahl made his appearanoe. At tb.is t .ime there were tour men in the room - Crismon, Dahl, Arnold, and myselt . Ur. Arnold asked Mr. Dahl to relate his story as to hat took place on June 24. Ur. Dahl was very hesitant about telling the story to me. Arnold and llr. Crismon were already aware ot the statements that Dahl had made previous. Mr. Dahl made the statement to me tha t it any statements he ~ould make rela tive to h1.s story. it I oold keep it confident1a1 for two weeks, that he felt definitely that I ~ould want to forget the whole thl.ng . I made the statement to Mr. Dahl that as tar as I was concerned. I woold keep any statements he made to me oonfldential tor at least two weeks . Here is Dahl ' s story: On June 24 (this date to be checked later) he was ln a boat owned by Fred Crismon, who owns the Harbor Patrol in Tacoma . They - - Ltr. Dahl, a Kr . Knight , and Hr. Dahl's son age 16, were cruising around Maury Island looking for logs that had broken away trom booms . They were tairly close to shore of Maury Island when they saw four or five obj ects 1n the sky a t an altitude ot approximately 1500 feet . He said tb.ese objects were
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Source text · mention onlyPage #2 100 feet 1n diameter , circular in shape , a.Ad it appeared that there was a hoJ..e in the center ot each as he could see the sky through this hole . He al.so mentioned that on the inside ot the circle or the hole , ~t portholes were visible . Their speed was negligible as tne1 appeared to hover over a give11. spot . One ot these objects appeared to be in trouble . Another object came over and appeared to make contact . Attar making this oon tact tor approximately two minu~es , it rose to its original position . At this time the obj eot that appeared to be in trouble seemed to throw a lot ot debris from one ot the portholes . Those objects then disappeared trom view. Some or this debris that landed broke 1.o. the wheelhouse of the boat , the spotlight, and th.o kl:axo.o. . Yh.ilo this dobris t:a:; 1'nll1ng • '03- boy nd :Jr.. Knight got ott the boat and h!d under some logs . This debris that tell killed our dog and a sea gull . I asked Ur . Dahl what was done with the dog. He ma.de the statement they threw the dog into the water . This story was told to !Ir. Crismon. who the next day went out to this Island to check on this story . He verified the taot ot the damage to the boat . also to the fact that there appeared to be quite a tev, pieces ot ai.ther rock or metal on the shore . Ur. Crismon also stated that while he was over there investigating on Maury Island , b.e also saw a disk . This disk was of the same sha,Pe and contour as the objects explained by Mr. Dahl . At this point Kr. Arnold clarified for me as to the reasons he as 1.11vest1gat1.ng this story . Jlr. Arnold stated that he reoo!ved a lett er from a Ur. Raymond Palm.er . supposedly editor or the Venture Press , Bvanston; Illinois . The gist of this letter was that Ur. Palmer received a l.etter from Mr. Dahl and J!r . Crismon,_ also a package ot these tragments that iere tound on Maury Island . Kr. Pal.mer also made the state:nent 1n the letter that the Chicago University tailed to ana.J..yze these tragcients and that. would Ur. Arnold please investigate the story . lb.". Arnold was sent a /estern Union check tor $200 .00 to take care of any expense that he might incur while making this investigation_. Mr. Arnold had made a telephone call to Hamilton ?ield to contact a Captain Davidson and a Lieutenant Brown. who were with A-2 Intelligence at Harnflt on 71eld , asking them would they make a trip to Tacol,'0.8. to also listen to this story of Dahl and Crismon . When Mr. Arnold acquainted me with the fact that he had made this phone oall in front ot Mr. Dahl, llr. Dahl made the statement that he would not tell this story to anybody in Army Intelligence . I mo.de the stat ement to llr. Dahl that it he felt this way. that he should not be ln the room when these two Intelligence offioors arrived. Mr. Dahl thought this was an excellent idea .
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Source text · mention onlyPage #3 11r. Dahl, Ur. Crismon , and myself lett the hotel room to go downstairs as Kr . Crismon wanted to get some metal. th.at ms in the baok ot his car that be had picked up on llaury Island , to bring back to the hotel room. Mr.. Harold Dahl departed . At this time I mde tho statement to llr. Crismon that I sb.ould like to pick up my oar in Seattle . llr. Crismon drove me to Boel,Qg Field• Seat tle . Att er l eaving me at Boeing J'iel d, he drove baok to Tacoma and I drove my onn car back to Tacoma. After I bad put my oar in. tb.e garago at Tacoma, I went up to the lnthrop Hotel and i.n the room at that time was Mr. Arnold , Jlr . Crlsmo.o., and Captain Davidson trO!!J. ArI1J3 Intelligence. Lieutenant Brown was downataue - - , getting sandwiches and coftee . hen Lieut . Brown came back the stories were again related and Lieut . Bron made a statement that all the facts or theso stories ould be hold in strictest colU"idence until released by llr . Dahl . Atter Mr. Crinmon had told all the facts , relating not only his own story but that at Mr. Dahl , he asked tor the opinio n of both oftioers as to what they t.hought . Lieut . Brown made the statement that he would like to obtain some ot these fragme..o.ts to take back to Hamilton field . At this time capt . Davidson and Lieut . Brown were debatl.ag the thought as to whether to stay over night in Tacoma or leave for Hamilton ~ield immediat ely, as the B-25 they were nying was supposed to be at Hamilton Field the next day for the Air Show. The five ot us then lett the hotel room and went down to the hot el l.obb,- where Mr. Brown made a telephone cal.l to JJcChoi--d P'leld asking them to aoo.d a driver to pick up Capt . Davidson and himselt . Lieut. . Brown came up to me and made the statement that he and capt . Davidson wero going baok to Hamil ton Field and that he would get in tQuoh with me tomorrow and if a.ttor I had seen the tragm.ants on Yaury Island-. U I th.ought 1n my QWn mind that this was authentic , they would lmmecllate-1y leave llWllilto.n l1'1old an.d return . I was to hold th1s statement by Lieut . Br0\1n ln the s trictest ot oontidenoe from the other group ot three (Dahl , Crismon , and Arnold) . e then we.nt down to the street where Mr. Crismon drove his car up in ~ron.t and took out a box ot fragmon~s an.d gave this box to · Davidson and Brown.. hile waiting for the driver from UcChord Field , Lieu t. Brown and I discussed Paol~ic operatlo.na and t hings not pertaining to this misoio.n . Capt . Davidson and Lieut . Brown departed at approxilnately 12:45 A.U. J.tr. Arnold an.d I went back to our hotel room atter having a midnight snack .
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Source text · mention onlyPage #4 P'.r1day the l ·st: At approximately 8 o ' c1ock 1n t..he morning, Mr. Crismon oalled up our hotel room and acquainted us with the tact that the B- 2.5 had crashed. Also that he had called MoChord 1'1eld and from intormation he received also verified the taot that the t wo men in the ship were Cs.pt. Davidson and Lieut . Brown, plus a f1lght engineer and a hitch-hi ker . This left both Mr. Arnold and myself ln a very bad sta(;e of concern. Approximate- · ly an hour later Mr. Crismon and Mr. Dahl made their appearanoe in the hotel rocn. I still wasn't sure t hnt this was the same B-2 5 that the two Intelligence ottioers had left in last night. Yr. Crismon then again called McChord Field and talked to a Colonel Gregg. and the tact was verified again tha ~ the two pilots were Davidson and Brown. Atter an hour or so Yr. Crismon and Ur • . Dahl le!'t the hotel room. with a plan in mind ot the tour of us meeting the next morning (Saturday) tor breaktast and going out to Maury Island . That evening (Friday) there was a message tor me to call this part1oular tel-ephone number that as on the message . I called this .number and was asked by the party to please call thEm from a pa,ystatlon,. This party was a Mr. Lantz , a reporter on the Tacoma Tim.es. He told me, "I most certainl1 am doing myself out of a good story but I thought you ought to know that somebody has been oalllng this paper and giving us a bloa-b1•blow description ot all that bas taken ·place 1n your roan since you arrived . " To verily this , 11.r. Lantz repeated back to me discussions that I felt had only been taking place 1n our .room. Mr. Lantz also made the statement that there was a leak eit her tram the switchboard operator or our room had been tapped. I asked Ur. Lantz why he was tipping us otf with this infonnation . He made the statement that he dld.Jl't mind doing this if in return that any l.ntonnation that I may let out woul.d be given to him .. Atter this conversation with Mr. Lantz I went back to our room and told Ur. Arnold , mat took plac~ on the telepho•e • Saturday morning: Mr. Arnold and I met Mr. Dahl and Fred Crismon tor breaJd'ast. e then drove out to the boat to go to the island . The boat as unserviceable at the time so we went baok to the hotel. Ur. Crismon said that he would call later on in the day and let us know when the boat would be repaired . That was the last time I saw Ur. Crismon. Approximately 11 o'clock Saturday morning Mr. Crismon phoned me and made the statement it would be impossible for him to keep this appointment with me. le were cut off by the switchboard opera t or as this \las classified as not an Emergency oall . The reason we were cut ott was due to a strl~e in all the Tacoma hotels .
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Source text · mention onlyPage 1/5 llr. Lantz called up and said it I would call him. at 8:30 that evening, he would have some additional inform ation for me. I called Mr. Lantz at 8:JO that evening . lle told me that this anonsmous caller bad again called a Mr. Marlllo of the United Press and said that one ot the parties tha t Mr. Arnqld and I had 0-ome down to see \?as tlown to Alaska. Al.so he nade the state ment Mr. Smith would be called to tlrlght ,1eld Tuesday. Th!a anonymous ealler made the statement to Mr . ?Jarlllo that this B-25 was sb.ot down. Ur . Uarlllo asked this person calling wha.t h1s interest as. This anonymous caller made a stf:}tement - "Don't think I am doing it tor the newspapers. All I am intere sted ln ·ls seeing that ;~ls j.ntormatlon gets back to New ~ersey." Attar I tinished the conversation with »r. Lantz , I went over to the United Press and talked with Mr. )(arillo and .bad him read baok to me the conversations that he had had 1th this anonyc:ous caller . But no opinions at this time were voiced either by me or Mr. Marilla . Bunday morn!Jlg I called a I.Jajor Sa.a.der ot 8-2 MeChord Pield and asked him to meet me at the inthrop Hotel at 11 o•clock. I met this Ce.jor Sander at 11 o'clock and we drove to a small cottee shop on the Tacoma Highway where this complete story was related to him by me. \le then drove back to the lnthrop Hotel where f.!ajor Sander was introduced to Mr. Arnold by me 0.Jld again listened to Mr. Arnold's story . Mr. Arnold and I departed trom the Winthrop Hotel Sunday afternoon at approximately 4:30. This is to certify that the toregoing statement was taken before me, a notary public; that prior to making said statement, the witness as tiret sworn to tell tlle ;;hole trut h and nothing but 1 the truth; that the statement ,as then reduced to writing and signed by m~ on the __ day or August , 1947. IN ITNESS 11iEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and official seal the day and year last above written . Notary Public In and for the state or aahington, residing at Seattle • •
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Source text · mention only...
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Source text · mention onlyAffidavit of EUIL J . SMITH Re: FLYING DISCS SIGHTED BY FRED CR:::::bMAN and HAqOID A. DAHL, Tacoma, '·ashington SM - X f
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Source text · mention onlySigned vtatemert of Fred L. Crism and Harol . . Dahl Re : FLYITG DISS SIGHTED BY FRED CRIS AN and ROLD . "J~HL Tacoma, ashing ton Sll - X
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Source text · mention only.. STAN04'RD. FORM NO. 04'"-~ ..... -J -,. l • ' - - I► •Office. M emorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ·• cl DATE:TO ~ - Director. FBI - AIR KAIL FROM • SAC, San Fo cisco SUBJECT: PORl'S OF FLYING DISCS There are being tranamitted herewith to the Bureau photostatic oopies of three reports received from Lieutenant Colonel DON.AI.,0,-M>RINGER, A-2, Fourth _Air Foroe, Hamilton Field, California, involving reported aightings ot flying ~ disoe. ~ ,# The Los Angeles Offioe is being furnished with a photostatio copy ot the report ot Lieutenant Colonel SPRINGER dated August 18, 1947 concerning the 'l/ investigation conducted at the Muroo Flight Test Base, Jluroo, California. The Butte Office ia being furnished with a photostatic copy ot the report of Lieutenant Colonel SPRINGER dated August 20, 1947 which sets forth a letter received from Mr. R. J4"'1tADDEN, Division Pl&.¢ Engineer, Paoif'io Telephone and Telegraph Company, Helena, Montana. Thia office ia maintaining contact with Lieutenant Colonel SPRINGER and will furnish the Bu"au with a subsequent report from him concerning the ob servations ot Mr. RAY A.,.ewlTZER, Sacramento, California• who has reported certain observations wbiob he believes may involve a flying disc at Plaoen-ille, California, on August 14, 1947. HMKaEMB Enolo•ur•• - 3 co Los Angeles (with enolosUN) Butte (with enclosure) fb:) _ f 3J'Jf- l 'lJ ~ ~ August 26, 1947 nea. ---· ·-·
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENIIAL CI-R1 ADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE DECLASSIFIED Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff,A-2 Intelligence Authority: Hamilton Field,California NND90986 TrLe Investigation of Flying Dise.INvEsTIGAroN MADE AT Mroc AAF, Muroc,Calif. CONTROLLINC OFFICE Air Defense Command, Mitchel Field. FILE No.. 1208-1 PERIOD COVERED 8July1947 CASE CLASSIFICATION Incident DATE 18 August 1947 Pending STATUS OF CASE REASON FOR INVESTIGATION: Investigation initiated at request of Air Defense Command reference 1tr Hg ADc, dtd 7 Jul 47,file D333.5 ID,subj: Investigation of Flying Diso. SYNOPSIS: On 8 July 1947,approximately l000 hours,two incidents ocourred in the vicinity of Muroe Flight Test Base. No further investigation of these incidents is being considered by this headguarters. DISTRIBUTION COPIES APPROVED: AAF 2 ADC 6th Army DONALD L.SPRINGER, L.Col.,GSe AG of S,A-2 FBI,S.F. EDERAL BUREAU UY INVESIIGATIO U.S.D STICE File 4AF AUG211947 SAN FRANCISC W.D.,P.M.G.FormNo.110 1April1944 CONIDENTIALROUTED TO (This form predeW.D.0.C.S.Form No.19.whh
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Source text · mention only. ..- - . . •' ~fr;~~--,'?•.' .. :~'X( i1c·'"-'I. "' .,,, ,,, •• : ; ' . -, ""' '' . .,• ' •'. ;.; .,'· •r· . .-·-·!it,!;,;,.,~,,.~ ·,.. •.• ,, ., .' Ef ·:--•. ~·,],•.· ·, '•"'·· C ,_... ; ,__•..,;,!,. -· _-;,'r - ' i .. ; ,. _; 'I.. ·' ~,,. ~' ,• ' . ,_.· . ;.. ~· 1-...; ~v • J;.·t '•~ .:.f, -~ ··2--~ . . . • " ~:,;.fr
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Source text · mention onlySTATS OF CALIFORNIA)
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Source text · mention onlyDENIIAI COPY AEEIDAVIT STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF KERN The following is a statement given by T/Sgt. Joseph Kuvolo, 4144th. AAFBU,Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc, California, statoment given on 14 July 1947,to lst Lt J.0.Mellenry, Bi1leting Officer. This is my owm writton statomont of what I saw on July 8,1947. I am NCO in charge of the Billeting Offico, this Field,and First Lieutenant Joseph C.leHenry, is Billeting Orficer In Charge two （2) flying disc or seucer shaped silvar colored objeots,flying in a northwestern direction at speed approximately 350 or 400 miles per hour and at an altitude of about 75oo or Boo0 feot.I could not hear a motor roar liko one of our planes end it could not have boen a balloon. Iam of good health end sound mind and this was no hallucination. This statement has beon given freely and voluntarily without eny threats or promisos under duross.This stetement consists of one （1) pege,and is tho truth to the best of my kmowledge and belief.I have initlaled all corrections doemed necessary. joseph ruvolo S/SGT JOSEPH RUVOLO WITNESS: thomas a mcmillan THOMASA.MC MILLAN CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL AEEIDAVIT STATEOFCALIFORNIA COUNTY OF KERN The following is a statement given by lst. Lt. Joseph CMcHenry Billeting Officer,Muroe Army Air Field, Muroe,California, statement given on ll July 1947,to Mr.Thomas A.MeMillan,CIC S/A.this Station The following statement concerning the aetual observance of what has it will be noted that the above mentioned observance was made by me per- sonally while enjoying complete health in mind and body. On Tuesday 8 July 1947,at approxinately nine-thirty A..（09:30) I was in conversation with Dorsonnel in the Post Exchange Office. My part of this conversation was as follows: "Someone will have to show me one of these Dise before I will believe it." Upon leaving the Post Exchange, I went directly to my Office and be- fore entering heard one of our local aireraft in the traffio pattern. Looking up,as I always do I observed the aircraft,and looked slightly to the left,whereupon I observed two （2) silver objects of either a spherical or disc-like shape,moving about three hundred （3oo)miles an hour,or perhaps less,at approximately eight thousand (8000) feet,heading at about three hundred twenty degrees （320o) due north. When I first observed these objeots I called s/Sgt. Gerald E. Nauman, T/Sgt. Joseph Ruvolo and Miss Jannette Marie Scotte who immediately cane to where I was standing.I pointed in the direction of the objects and Whereupon,all the three （3) with sundry comments stated,They are flying Disc.To further verify my observance I asked them to tell me in what direction the objects were traveling,without indicating their direction myself, &nd again, all three (3) in a consistent nature stated thet the objects were moving toward Mojave,California. I had time to look away several times and renew my vision of the objects to make sure that there were not any results of eye strain, or in any nature an optical illusion. The objects in question were not repeat, were not air- craft,the objects could not have beon woather balloons released from this station,since they were traveling egainst the prevailing wind, and since the speed at which they were traveling end the horizontal direotion in which CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyNFIDENTIAL COPY After the observance of these phenomenon and hoping that I might have time to enlist further witnesses,I immedietely ran into the dispensary to get personnel who are Medical officers to verify,for my owm curiosity,the of the dispensary,Mrs. A. c. kaum, who is a registored nurse, and about sovon （7) other personnel were with me,the objects, had by that time,dis- appearod, duo to tho speed with which they were traveling. Upon further investigation,two （2)of us at the same time sighted another objeet ofa silvar spherical or disc-like nature at approximately eight thousand （8ooo) feet,traveling in ciroles over tho North-end.I called the objects to the by.All of us saw the objeet,with the excoption of two （2) out of seven （7） personnel. All of us looked ewey from the object sovoral times to make sure there wns no oye strein or from permitting tho object to becone an optical illusion. Fron my actual observance the object circled in too tight a circle end too severe a plane to be any aircraft that I kmow of.It could not have beon any type of bird because of the reflection that was created when the objeot reached certain altitudes. The object could not have bean a local weather balloon for it is very impossible that a weather balloon would stey at the above mentioned object. I am familiar with the results of too constant vision of the sun or any bright object and amaware that optical illusions are possible and probable. I wish to make this statenent that the above mentioned observance was thet of actual subject mattor. This statemont has been given freely and volunterily without any threats or promi sos undor duress.This statement consists of two （2) pages, end is the truth to the best of my kmowledge and belief.I have initialed all corrections deomed necessary. joseph c. mc henry IST LT JOSEPH C.MC HENRY AC WITNESS: thomas a.me millan THOMAS A.MOMILLAN CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyONFIDENTIAI COPY AEEIDAVII STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF KERN The following is a statement given by Mejor J. C,mi se,Test Pilot,luroc Army Air Field, Huroc, California, statement given to r. Thomas A.leMillan, CIC Agent,This station,on 13 August l947. On 7 July 1947,at approximately 10:10,while running up the XP-84 on the ground I noticed everyone was looking up into the air. Off to the north about 10,000 to 12,0o0 feel altitude,was an objoct that I assumed at first to be a weather balloon, but after looling at it for a while I noticad that it wes oscillating in e forwurd whirling movement without losing altitude.It was traveling about 2oo to 225 MPH,and heading from west to east. The object was yellowish white in color end I would estimate that it was a sphere about 5 to I0 feet in diameter. I did not have time to chase it in a P-80. This statamont wos given freely and voluntarily without any threats or promises under duress. This statement consiats of one （l) pege,and is the truth to the best of my knowledge and belief. j.o.wise MAJOR J.C.WISE,AC WITNESS: thomas a.mc millan THOLASA.NCMTNLAN CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyFIDENTIAL COPY AFFIDAVIT STATE OP CALIFORNIA COUITY OF KERN) The following ia a statenent givon by Captein John Paul Strapp, Flight Test,Muroe Army Air Field, uroc, California, statement given to Mr. Thomas A. MeMillan, CIc Agent, this Station,on 12 August 1947. At 1l:50 hours,8 July 1947,while the undersigned was sitting in an observation truek located in Area # 3, Rogora Dry Lake,for the purpose of observing a P-82 ejection seat experiment,the following unfemiliarity was observed. The undersigned was gazing upwerd towerd a formetion of two (2） P-82's end an A-26 airoraft flying at 2o,o00 feet,preparing to cerry out a seat ejeotion experimont,when I obsorved a roundod objoct， whito aluminum in color,which at first resembled a parachute csnopy. The first impression was that a premeture ejection of the seat snd dummy hed occurred.This body was ejected at a determined height lower than 20,0o0 feet,and was felling et threo (3) times the rate observed for the parachute which was ejected thirty minutes later.As it fell ward Mount Wilson.The speed,horizontel motion could not be determined, but nppeared slower then the maximum velocity 50-B0 aircraft. As this object descended through a low enough lavel to permit obaervation of its lateral silhouette, it presented e distinct ovular outline,with two (2)projections on the upper surfece which might have been thiok fins or nobs. These crossed each other at intervals, suggest- ing either retetion or oscillation of slow type. o smoke flamoa,propollar arks,engine noise,or other clasuable （?） or visible means of propulsion were noted. The color was silvery,re- senbling aluminum painted febric,and did not appear as donse as a parachute canopy. When the object droppod to a laval such that comes into line of vision of the rountein tops,it wns lost to the vislon of the observer. It is estimnted that tha object wes in line of vision about 90 seconds.Of the five （5) people sitting in tho observation truck,four (4)obsorvcd this objeet end made remarks about it. These people include: Mr.Lonz -Civilien,Wright Field,Dayton,Chio (other names not given) The following is ny owm personal opinions about this objeot: 1.I think it was a men-mnde object, as evidonced distaintly by the outline and functional appearance. IDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyCOPY 2.It's size wes not far from 25 feet with e psrechute cenopy 3.The path follcued by this objeet appeared as though it might have been dropped from a rreat-height. Saeing this was not a hallucination or other fancies ofa sense. This statoment wes piven freely and voluntarily without any threats or promises under duress.his stetement consists of tvo (2) peges, end all corrections deemed necassary. john paul strepp CAPTAIN JOHN PAUL STRAPP,AC WITNESS: thomas a. mc millan NNUIE OH V SYNOHJ CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlySONIIDENTIAL COFY AEEIDAVIT STATE OP CALIFORNIA COUNTY OR KERH The rollowing is a statement given on 14 July 1947, by Jannette ariocott, Secratary to lst Lt J. C. McHenry, illeting Officer, Muroe Army Air Pield,luroc,California. I am fully aware of my Civil end Constitutional Rights,and under- stand prior to maling this atatement. On Tuesday morning 8 July 1947,at approximately 10:00,while typing some cards, and taking care of my routine work,Lieutonant Mellenry called me,along with T/Sgt. Joseph Ruvolo and s/Sgt. Gerald =.Nauman, to the front ofB.o.Q."A Bldg.Pointing up in a direction directly abova ne he asked us to explsin whet we saw.There woro two,silver colored disc like 6bjects flying toward Mojave, California,one directly back of the other,et a speed of about 3o0 to 400 miles por hour,having an altitude of approximately 8ooo feet.I listened carofully for a few minutes, and heard no drone, such as should be heard from any airoraft. spot,I was able to distinguish the samo objeets agsin. Having assured mysolf thet there was no eye-strain,I wes convinced these objeets were flying.Nor could they have been birds of any nature, due to the de- finite reflection from the sun rays. I heve been on this dase,considering an absence of six months, About three or four minutes, after these flying objects had nearly disappeared,I glanced nround and sighted another flying objeot, sinilar to the above montioned objeots. This flying objeot was silver colored and was in the shaps of a disc.Unlike the first two this object was flying in e tight circla,neither losing nor gaining altitude,at not have been a weether balloon,and because of the tight circle it could not have boon any type aircraft. This statement was given freoly and voluntarily without threats or promises under duress.This statoment consists of one （1） page, and is the truth to the best of my knowledge end belief.I have initialed all correetions deemed necessary. I am of sound mind and body, and swear that this statement is true and correct. S/s jannetto marie scott Jannette Warie Scott WITNESSES: s/s thomas a.me millan CONFIDENIIAL THOHAS A.MC MILLAN
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL COPy AEEIDAVIT STATE OP CALIFORNIA) COUNTY OF KERN The following isa statement given by S/Sgt. Gerald rauman, 4144th AAFBu,Muroc Army Air Field,Muroc,California, statement given on 14 July 1947,to lst Lt.J.C.MeHenry,Billeting 0fficer. On the eight of July 1947 at ten oclock （10:00) in the morning Iobserved personally two (2) flying disc,flying in a north west direction at an estimated altitude of seven or eight thousand feet, traveling at approximately three or four hundred miles per hour. Just a few minutes before this I was in the Billeting Office and First Lieutenant Joseph C.Mellenry,called me and two (2) others out- side.He then asked us what we saw.I sew two (2） objects with my own eyes,and I am now snd was then in perfeot physical condition.I have 20-20 vision and I am positive these two (2)objects could not have been Aireraft,weather balloons or birds.Due to the altitude in which they were flying,they gave off a definite reflection from the rays of the sun. In eddition to these two (2) disc I saw another objeet a few minutes later at the same altitude doing certain maneuvers such as flying in a tight circle. The two disc had already disappeared.This object to my kmowledge of aircraft could not have been an airplane because of the very tight maneuver it was undergoing.I have been flying in and heve been around all types of aircraft since l943 and never in my life have I u u e e statement. This statement has been given freely and voluntarily without any threats or promises under duress.This statement consists of one （l) initialed all corrections deemed necessary. s/s t.c.robinson WITNESS: thomas a.mc millan CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyCGNFIDENTIAL UNIDENTIPIED OBJECT 4AF-1208-I 20 August 1947 MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFRICER IN CHARGE: 1.On 20 August i947,this agent and Special Agent Hubbard interviewed Mr. Ray A, Switser, Insuranco Adjustor, at his home, 3431 David Way, Sacramento, Califormia, and he atated in substanceOn the afternoon of 14 August 1947,he wae driving hia automobile from Placer- ville,California,on the Cedar Ravine Road.r. Switser's wife waa in the front seat of the automobile and Mrs. Switzer's mothor and the two Switzer children were in the back seat of the car.At about l6oo hours they were at a point approximately five miles southweat from Pleoerville soarahing for a rocket ship （Pso) he saw an object,four to six feot in length,ten to fourtoen inohes wide,and of a metal oolor,bright like highly polished chromlum. In relation to the travel of the automobile the object was first seen at lo3o,and when the object reached a point at approximately l2o0,it was engulfed in a puff of dark grey smoks about ten feet in diameter.The object was traveling at a terrifio rate of speed and seemed to be in a very shallow dive. Wnen the puff of smoke seen to have fallen from the smoke. The point where the objeet was en- gulfed in the smoke wea about eight hundred yards distant (in front of) Switzer with no possibility of the objeot being hidden from viow by vege- tation or terrain. The objeot appeared rectangular in ahape except for o m appeared.The object was not very high in relation to the terrain and seemed to be following the contour of a canyon. 2.In a separate intervlew Mre. Switzer concurred in the information obtained from llr. Switzer with the following exceptions: The smoke trail was no ohange in the color.Mrs. Switzer estimated the objeot to be about five feet long and'about a foot wido with the top surface being slightly curved. The objeet appeared to be some larger in front than in the rear. AGENT's NOTES: At the time this objoct wns soen, the sun was to the Switzer's back, the sly was clear and tho objeet gave off a very bright refleotion. Mr. Switzer has been conneeted with the field of insurance investigation for the process of moving to a ranch near Plaoerville,.Celif.,and his new,address will be Box 43, Aukum, Eldorado County, Calif.:Arfatgemonts have been mkde to meet Mr.Switzer at l400,26 Aug 47 at Raffel#Hotel,Placerville,Celir. where the object disappeared. Bryden E.Moon,Special Agent,4AF CIC AN FR.NCISO AUILUTU
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE Offiee of the Ansistant Chief of Staff,A-2 Intelligonce Hamilton Field,California 4AFDA 20 August 1947 333.5/1208-1 SUBJECT: Flying Diae. TO: Special Agent in Charge, FBI,U. S.Dept. of Justice, Federal Office Building,Room 422, San Franeisco,Calif, l.The attaehed lettar ws received by this orfice from r R. J.Meddon, Diviaion Plant Bngineer, Pacifie Telephone and Telegraph Company,on 15 August l947. 2. No further lnvostigetion will be mede of thia roported inci- dent by this headquarterse va LONALD L. SPRIHOER 1Inel: Lt.Colonel,Gsc As indiented. ACof S,A=2 AAR-2cys ADC-1 6th Ary-1ey PBI-1ey EDERAL8 U.S.DE AUG211947 SAN FRANCISCO ROUTED1O CONFIDEN
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL COPY 427 W.3d Avenue Spobane,Washington August 8,1947 litary Intelligenee Dvislon,U.s.A. MoChord Tield,Hashington Centlemont Following the reading ofen sooount of the vlalt of r.Kenneth Armold, Boise,Ideho, as publlshed in the Spokesman Review under date of Auguat 7,l947,the underaigned considored the enolosed aecount of an observetion of a rlying saucer would be of fnterest to you. stion es yet. Yours truly. R.J.Maddon R.J.ADDEN Division Plant mgr. The Pao. Tol.& Tel.Co. FEDERALBUREAUCINVESHIGAIIU U.S.DE LSIICE AUG211947 SAN FRANCISC ROUTEDTO CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL Ropert on a #Flying Saueer As or.about 12o6 p., July 29,1947,a sedan,driven by Steve Herrmann and orrying .(hob）ndden in the front soat and Kelmerrenn in the rear aeat,wa proceoding northwesterly elong the road leadlng from Canyon Ferry to York,both in lontsne #ome 2s adles .. of Helenn. Whon at e point #pproximetely milo .of Canyon Ferry.(ae shom on Forest Serviee ap to bo in the EEt of B ef Beo.1o mo Rlw)Karl lately slowed dovm and gradually brought the sedan to a stop, he and Bob mearwhile ecenning the sky in the direetion pointed by Kerl in en effort to soe the rlying saucer,but without sueoess. Apprexieately ten seeonds elapsed betweon the time Karl roported seeing first thought it a meteor) and travelling northeasterly. and the bringing, of the oer to a stop. Ao the enr came to a stop, Steve, Farl #nd Bob, simultaneously, Baw the rollowing: Dreotly ehead,(n.w）2 to 3 miles distant and #pprozimately Soo0 t. above the ground,e bright dise hoveriag and Pluttering in the eir.Descend- purlod of about five seoonds thon, while at the top of sn ascent,the dlao# the elear air within a distenes of 2o0 ft. hat is to say It did not psas beyond en obstruetion to further visibility but nelted lnto thin air as if because ef tremendous spoed The diae was, from the Tlowpolnt of the observera,apperontly ft. in dtemoter,oiroular and of no grest thleknessspproxiantely S or 4 inchas The sky was blue th sonttered oall slouds, the sun wns ahining eovored with hlghly polished nlekel. After the “dlae.disappeered from view,the sedan ond ita oecupanta It ia to be reaombered thst the dimensions as stated above were es they appeared to the cbservors #omo 2 or S miles Prom the #diso and tho trus dimenslons aust be considersbly grester. //..dn, R.J.MADDEE, Division Plaat Engr. The Pao.Tol.& Tel.Co. CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention only•, ~ ~~~ ~ M NO.~ • • ~ -Office Memorandum • uNITEn sTATEs GovERNMENT TO : DIRECTOR DATE: 9-15- 4 7 //,.~ K-1- r.I"~ FROM : SAC San Francisco1> ' SUBJECT: REPORTS olir.n n G DISCS Reference is made to my letter dated August 26 , 1947. Enclosed is a copy of a letter dated September 9, 1947 from Lt . Colonel DONALD L. SPRE:-GER, of A2, with a memorandum prepared by BRYDEN E. MOON, 4th Air Force CIC on AU§Ust 20 , 1947 and August 26, 1947. The memorandum contains information regarding obs ervations of RAY A. SWITZER of Sacrame nto , California. Also enclosed is a letter dated Septe mber 10, 1947 from Colonel SPRl uGER with attac ".ment dated September 9 , 1947 • For the i nformation of the Bureau, KEllNETH ARNOLD of Boise, Idaho , who has been repeatedl y interviewed in this mat t er by A2, has expressed his intention to A2, of selling for publ ication his detailed account of hi s investigation of flying discs . 62- 2938 DWK. REOOBDED 3 CT2 1947
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Source text · mention onlySONFIDENTIAL HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR EORCE Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff,A-2 Intellirence Hanilton Field,California 4APDA 9Septembor 1947 333.5/1208-1 SUBJEcT:Investigation of Plying Di sc. TO: Special Agent in Charge, FaI,U.S Department of hstice. Room 422,Federel Office Building,oan Francisco,California. Attached MoIc for your informntion. rial SPRIN Inel: Lt.Colonel corps MOIO,Hoon,dtd 20 Aug 47. Doputy-Ao of FEDERASUREA Or SEP121947 ROUTED TO BRNIA FILE CONPIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT 4AF-1208-I 20 August 1947 MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE: 1. On 20 August 1947,thia agent and Spacial Agent Hubbard interviewed Mr. Ray A. Switzer,Insurance Adjustor,at his home, 345l David way Sacramento, California,and he stated in substance:On the afternoon of l4 August 1947he was driving his automobile from Plecer- ville,California,on the Cedar lavine Road.Mr.Switzer's wife was in the front seat of the automobile and Mrs. Switzer's mother and the two Switzer cnildren were in the back seat of the car. At about l60o hours they were at a point npproximately rive miles southwest froa Placorville when Switzer saw a wnite smoke trail out of the corner of his eye. In searching for a rocket shin (pso）he saw an objeet,four to aix feet in tho object was first seen at lo30,and when the object reached a about ten feet in diameter. The object was traveling at a terrifie rate of speed and seemad to be in a very shallow dive.when the puff of smoke gulfed In the smoke was about eight hundred yards distant (in front of) Switzer with no possibility of the objeat being hidden from viaw by vege= tation or terrain.The object appeared rectangular in shape except for very slightly curved. ur. Switzer turned to tall his wife about the object and found her with her mouth open in an effort to say something and with her hand in a pointing geature toward whare the objeot had dis= seemed to be-following the contour of a canyon. 2.In a separate interview rs. Switzer concurred in the informetion obteined fron Mr. Switzer with the following exceptions:The smoke trail and the puff that engulfed the object apneared dark gray in color and there was no change in the color.irs. Switzer estimated the object to be about curved.The object appeared to be some larger in front than in the rear. Mr. Switzer hes been connected with the field of insurance investigation for the process of moving to a rench neer Placorville,Calife,ena his new address will be Box 43, Aulum, Eldorado County, Calif. Arrangoments have been made to meet Mr. Switzer at 1400,26 Aug 47 at Raffels Hotel, Placerville,Calif. where the objeet,dlaappeared. Bryden B.Moon,Speoial Agent,4AF CIC CO HIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention only4AP-1208-I AGENrts NoTEs:Forester Young will communioate with the AC of S,A-2, lleadquurters Fourth Air Porce, Hamilton Field, Celifornia,if any information regerding wreccage of an aircraft is located in the area in question. Young was not informed of tne mission and was led to believe that the mission wss an effort to locate possible eireraft wreckage in the&re8. Bryden .Moon,Special Agont, 4AP CIc ATL
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDLNTIAL UNIDEHTIFIED OBJECT 4AF-1208-I 3On 26 August 47, s/A Hhbbard and this agont contaoted Mr. Ray Switzer,Insurance Adjustor at the kaffels Hotel,Placerville,Celifornie After travaling Cedar Ravine road to a point nine niles southesst of Plecorvillo,kmowm as Juok's Bar,Switzer deoided thet the placo from hnd observed the objeot to be on the rldge just north of Webber Creok where tha rond broaks over the sunmit. This point is two miles from the Raffele Hotol,Plaaerville,California, on the Cedar Hsvine Roed.As an obsorver from en #utomobile n sweeping view throurh 4oo of tho canyon and the horizon on the nouth side of Webbar Creek.Thia point of observa- tion lies 38 42' 45 North Latitude and 12o° 47' 15 West Longitude. The elevation at this point ls 2,ooo feet above sea level. The horizon from this point in the south is formed by a series of mountain pesks whioh lie gonerally through 38o 39' 45 and whioh are on the aouth side of Squaw Follow Creek,a distance of four miles, end renging in elevation from what part of the field of view he had sean the object and indioated thnt it could have boen as far as the horizon. Any object, or partlolee of sn objoet, thet Switzer saw, if on the ground on the field of vlew,would be canyons end revines. AGsNr's OTeS: This agont bolleves thnt Swltzer could have seon an aluminum surfaced conventionsl type airoraft whioh, due to the distanoe at vhioh he observed it, distingulshing reaturos wore not seon because of the bright refleotion and the short perlod of observation. The eircraft would have been coming from the left as Switzer turned to the left, thereby giving the effeot of a much greater spaed than the objeot wae really travoling.Zhis #gont has no explanation es to tho snoke trail observod by Bwitzer. If roconneisance Bgont auggests that a smnll typo siroraft aimilar to an L-5,bo ueed in low level right between the hours of llo0 to lsoo.Switzer was very cooper- ative and expendod much of his cwn time in an effort to ba of as muah servlce Fourth Air Force, Familton Field,Celifornis,in the event of nny raport of airoraft wreclcnge in the ares On 26 Aug 47, check with Ranger Dixon, State Forest Service, Camino,Celifornie, #nd George B, Young, Forester, Federal Forest Service, Placerville,Celifornie, provided the following informatlon: Thera hes been no forest firas or reported airoraft orashes in the area ln question within the last month. Bryden B.Hoon,Speclel Agent,4AP CIc CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyCONFIDENTIAL HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE orfice of the Assistant Ghiof of Staff,A-2 Intolligence Hamilton Field,California 4APDA 10 Soptember 1947 333.5/1208-I sUBJECr.Investigation of Flying Diao. TO: Special Agont in Charge, FBI,U. s. Dapartment of Justico, Room 422,Federal Office Building, Snn Frsncisco,California Attached MoIc for your informetion. FOR THE AC OFS,A-2: DONALD L.SPRIAGER 1Inel: Lt.Colonel,/Air Coros MOIC,Hubberd,dtd 9 Sep 47. Deputy AC s,A-2 EDERA U.D SEP121947 AN ORNIA ROUTED TO FILE CONFIDENTIAL
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Source text · mention onlyLAF-1208-1 Incident 9Saptember 1947 MSMORANDUFOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE: Hr.Ward L.Stewart,12l2 Milyia Street,Borkaley,California, was 1nterviewed 8 Septeber l9a7 at his place of emploeat,the Hearst ining Builiing,Univarsity of California,concerning flylng objects he reported LlSth AAF BU (RT).Mr. Stewart stated in substance that he was a lst Lt Captain Ryherd called r. Stewart's attentlon to an unidentified Plying object that was following a P-Bo aircraft at a terrific rate of speed, r.Stewart eatirated the P-go to be flying at approximately 250 miles per hour on a preliminary approach to landing at Haailton Fleld,In r Stewartlsestimation the objeot he saw following tha P-BO maintained a speed of three to four tines that of the aircraft.A moment later a seeond object appeared and flew a course desoribed as sonethfng similar to a fighter aircraft!s manauvers when acconpanying heavier ships,or a left to riht movemont,over the objeot firat sightad.lr.Stewart stated estima ted the tiae to be aproximately 15 secords,the course approxinately feet.Mr.Stewart descrl bed the objects as being milky white in color, and unlike any conventional type aircraft he had ever seen. When questionad this nature. AGuNT'S NoTES:Mr.Stewart ls a forner offieer of the U.S.AAF and a B-29 pilot of considerable experience.r. Steaart doe3 not convey the im- objects, nor has he any apparent desire for publicity.r. Stawart is in LESLIE S. HUBARD,S/A,CIC ADC AF CO7
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Source text · mention onlyi FBI BUTTE /4cTOR, FBI t ,>5-50 PM8-15-47 VGW URGENT OFLYING DISCS. ON INSTANT l.lM£•nxx DATE, COMMISSIONER AND EX SHERIFF, TWIN FALLS, IDAHO, AND BROWN, IDAHO STATE WAREHOUSE INSPECTOR, SAME COMMUNITY, ADVISED THAT ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST THIRTEEN LAST, AT APPROXIMATELY NINE THIRTY AM WHILE FISHING IN RIVER APPROXIMATELY FORTY MILES SOUTHWEST OF TWIN FALLS, IDAHO, IN ISOLATED COUNTRY, THEY SAW TWO OBJECTS FLYING THROUGH AIR AT GREAT HEIGHT, WHICH kl!ftttrtXXX APPEARED TO BE DISCS, AND AT SAME TIME HEARD ROAR SIMILAR TO NOISE CREATED BY MOTOR TRUCK. INFORMANTS ADVISED OBJECTS MOVING VERY RAPIDLY THAT THEY EACH APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY SIX FEET IN DIAMETER. OBJECTS QUICKLY DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT AND HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE• NO FURTHER DESC~ THESE OBJECTS PRESENTLY AVAILABLE . FURTHER INVESTIGATION .iCONDUCTED BY THIS DIVISION PURSUANT TO BUREAU BULLETIN Jt(l~TY TWO, SUB DIVISION B, DATED JULY THIRTY NINETEEN !~~~~~N. BUR}AU WILL BE PROMPTLY INFORMED CF ALL PERTINENT DEV'E~f~ , , / BANISTE r<Jo l , ~ (; 'J - LJ :r;- 0 END ~1 ~ 1 ; • 1 7 v...i ~ I ..~'o HOLD PLS 7•54 PM OK FBI WA BW AL W~AWKINS,
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Source text · mention onlySTANDARD FOAM NO. 114 •....,. ,• -, I UNITED ~ J. ..... ~ _Office Men"C/r ~,tdum • GOVER NMENT TO : DIRECTOR, FBI DATE: August 28, WeM : SAC, SAN FRANCISCO 0 ~~ . ~CT: REPORTS OF FLYING DISCS ATTENTION: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR D. M. LADD On August 27, 1947, Lt. Colonel DONALD SPRINGER, A-2, Fourth Air Force, Hamilton Field, California, advised that the Area Intelligence Require ments Division Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2 Headquarters, re quested that one WILLIA»-fmOADS of Phoenix, Arizona, be completely :inter- viewed in connection with a report that he had seen on July 7, 1947, what he believed were flying discs . RHOADS is supposed to have taken several pic tures of the discs with a 620 Box Camera. A previous report of this reported sighting of flying discs was forwarded the Bureau on August 8, 1947. Colonel SPRINGER has advised that GEORGE F. FUGATE, Jr., an intelligence agent of A-2 stationed at Long Bach, Cal ifornia, would arrive in Phoenix, Arizona, on or about September 2, 91947, and would be instructed to contact the Phoenix Field Division Office. In accordance with Bureau Bulle tin No. 42, Series 1947, it is felt that an agent from the Phoenix Field Division should interview WILLIAM RHOADS at 4333 North 14th Street, Phoenix, if RHOADS has not already been interviewed. Colonel SPRINGER indicated that Mr. FUGATE should, if possible, sit in on this interview . A copy of the report from A-2 dated August 4, 1947, along with three ~ photographic prints of the pictures allegedly taken by Mr. RHOADS, is being enclosed for the Phoenix Field Division . WWR/jo 62-2938 2 cc Phoenix (Encl.) (AMSD) pOORDED h 1 _{3.£/i_ __II() & :;- BAifiliAIL SPECIAL DELIVERY n 3 1- l5 sro ~ £r-s6 - 3
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Source text · mention only.I ~MDARD FORM NO. G4 I ~ Office Men~~,•o;,,,dum • UNITED • GOVERNMENT 65- 477 Dir ector, FBI : August 27. 1947 SAC, Butte ) F~TG DISCS SIGHTF"1 BY . FPB ERISJWJ' A1\Tr &\F0LTI "i,..,.__ l}ABL, TAC0V , ''."AS>fDTGTCltJ ·· · ~ SECURITY ,~ATTER - X Re Seattle teJsAugust 7, 1947 . and Pugust 12, 1947 , in the above captioned matter. K:ENNET"'lNiP"r,TOL'\ Route 1 , "ountain View Drive , Boise, Ida.ho, was inter viewed at the B~is;)esident Agency , Boise, I daho , by SA J0SEPF E. JETTE on August 19 . 1947. Hr . AR~0LD advised that he received a lette r from RAYHCTJl) A. PALMER, Editor , Venture Press , Evanston , Illinois, dated June 26, 1947, in which Mr . PAU':!:R advised thet he was interested in publishing an article in his magazine concerning the flying discs seen by J{r . AP'~T0Ln near ~'ount Rainie r on June 24 , 1947 , which letter is being enclosed to the Bureau . vr . AF~0LD stated that he did not give nruch thourht to PALMER' s letter until PALHER wrote him again and informed him that FRET" ' iRISHA.'tlT and HAR0L"' A • ..,AHL of Tacoma , Washington , had sent him fragments of a flying disc and that he would like hiro (ARN0Ln) to go to Tacoma , Washington, and contact CHRISMAN and DAHL to find out if there was any truth in A their story about the disc fragments . He ste.ted that he did not answer pAI,i~ r s ~ letter, but inquired of seve r al friends for thei r opinion in the matter , and C that they all tol d him if PALMER desi r ed to pay his expenses to go to Tacoma , i=, Washington, and look into this matter, that they did not see where he had anything r-< to lose. He informed that he gave a talk at the Boise Ad Club on July 25 , 1947, < about the flying discs he had seen, and also of the request contained in PALMER's t5 letter to go to T~coma to investigate additional information regarding the findh iing of d;i.sc fragments by CHRISMAN and DARL. 3...)C'-' ~ • ~AR!rnLn advised that following his talk , he was approached by a person ) ~ who said he lmew both CHRISJ~~ and DAHL and that they were very reliable individuals . He stated that after thinking it ovor , he called PAI,MEP by telephone and at which time he informed PALMER that he would contact CflRIS~W1 and DAHL and investigate the matter regarding the disc fragments , if P~L'flER would send him ~200 . 00 expense money . He also advised that he received l200 .00 expense money from PALHER via Western Union the next mor ning . He informed that he left for Te.come., Washington , vie. his personal plane on July 30 , 1947 . Upon arriving at Pendleton , Oregon , he told his story to E~CH . CM- lns_pector from Portland, Oregon, who advised him to go e head with his.J-nve~tfifat~on . ~1 I). f _ Jf/ .. '"" • '·~ f/. - -=--- L:.::.. ;r , He stated that he l anded at Barry s Airport 3li coma ::!Fd o ~ ine a:_a room at the Winthrop Hote l. He informed that he then ca e 3Q-rr.SEi:P :t4li~-Pi]one to make arrangements to talk to him regar dinr the ~~c 1r ~ ts . He advised that ~lHL insisted on coming to the hotel room innneai" e l j . --v~''r/e.rriving at Wr. AR 0LD' s hotel room, lAHL stated that he wanted to forget a~q_uj; th~ discs as too many things had been happening to him , and advised J(r . ARl'0L1 -"~'r-~\f n home and forget about the discs. lfr. AFJ'0LT stated that he informed JAHL that he wanted~o tain allo COPIES n•--.r;-,,r,-c-"~TED A 1 2 7 0 NOV 18 H,1:i4 ""'-.6,t / ,'\: ~{} ~ .,r ~ en "
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Source text · mention onlyIIA'lft#JL fftU#t4n• F. 8. I. ri cpr_ OF ,11.1s - , JtECEIVf:Or-4-., J ·p 27 I 33 P" '· INTERNAL SECUR!1 F. B. I. ••, ;·pT' r F ,,, · . / •· " '- , ("' ~ "' ·~ • -
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Source text · mention only., • • August 27, 1947Director , FBI Re: Flying Discs - Tacoma, Vin. of the information available regarding the disc fragments and that he understood that DAEL had told the press about the disc fragments, stating there was nothin g to the story and -thet it was a phoney. DA:iL immediately replied that his story was not false or phoney , but that what he had seen and what had happened to him was so unusua l and fantastic that he wanted to for get about the disc fragments . DAHL then agreed to tell Ur. ARNOLD the foll~Hing story , providing his name and t he Harbor Patrols woul d be left outs DAEL stated that his dog had been kil l ed and his boy hurt and that the wheel mount on his harbor patrol boat had been struck by disc fragments , and that about twenty ton of this material had fallen on the beach at ~uri Island , and into the bay, and that a day after this incident, a man about forty years of age had contacted hi m and told him, 11 1 know what you saw at ltauri Island and I'm tellin g you in a nice way to for get about it and keep your mouth shut . 11 nAHL stated that he had obtained a larre number of the fragments and had taken them home , but that F~CKJ. fAN , his superior officer, had told him to send the fragments to RAYMO~D PALMF:R at Chica go; that PALr"ER woul d analyze the specimens f ree of char ge. 1).AHL continued statin g that on the afternoon of June 21, 1947, he was on patrol with his boy , dog , and two seamen near a cove on the east side of Yauri Island . He stated that" he looked up through the windshield of the boat and at a height of about 1, 000 feet , he saw six round circular grey objects that looked like l ar ge inner tubes slightly squashed . These objects appeared to be about 100 feet ac ross and in t he center was a hole about twenty -five feet . f',AHL said he assumed they were some type of a balloon . The objec t in the center was lower than the rest of the other objects, and the other objects were circlin g around it. The object in the center seemed to be descendin g while the others followed . As the objects descended he saw port holes around the inside of the object and what appea r ed to be windows . He stated that t he object in the center descended to about 500 feet, and that suddenly one of the circlin g objects came down and touched the object in the center and remained in this position for a few minutes , while the other objects continue d to circl e above . The object which had descended and touched the object in the center and which was lower, then rose and took its pl ace with the other objects . }11 of the objects then started to rise and what appeare d to be news papers came out of the center of the object in the middle of the circlin g object . Then the sky seemed to rain lava, the lava comin g from the object in the center and DAHL headed the boat for shore . He state d that the lava comin g from the object in the center appeare d to be a white metal, and as it fell into t he water, clouds of steam rose from the water . He state d that some of t he lava l ande d on the beach , He also stated that his dog was killed and a l so a sea gull in addition to his boy bein g hurt by the fallin g lava. Mr. ftB~ OLD continued statin g that rARL had said that he had taken pictures of the object and that i f Mr . AW1 0LD wanted them , he could have the ne r:ativ es . A. U, took '!r . Am OLD to t he home of his secretary t hat evenin g and showed him some of t he disc fragments he had picked up , which were smooth on one side e.nd rou srh on the other, accor din~ to l ir . AP"" OLf • - 2-
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Source text · mention only• • .,. August 27, 1947Director , FBI Re : Flying Discs - Tacoma, Wn . Mr . AR OLD stated he received a telephone call from the press upon returnin g to his hotel room, and that the press wanted to know about the flying disc fragments , and he told them that he was not talking until he had proved it. He stated he did not know how the press ever knew he wes in Tacoma. or had seen DAHL. Mr .· ARNOLU informed that at 9:30 A.M. the next morning , July 31, 1947, ~AHL and CHRIS}~\N appeared at his hotel room and nAHL again asked him to uo home and forget about the discs, that his story was not false , but that he had had enou gh trouble . DAHL said that his boy had been missed one morning a~d had been found at Lust, lfontana , waiting on tables in a cafe; that he did not know how he had got there and that too many things were happening . ~fr . AR\OLD stated that when l)Afil, and CHRIS,IAN came to his hotel room, they had an armful of fragments , and that CHRISWAN had then informed about how he had seen an object rese mbling those seen by DAHL. CHRISMA""1 stated he had talren the patrol boat on July 23 , 1947 , and had gone to ¥8.uri Island and had found the beach littered with lava . CERIS'~N stated he had looked up and had seen a bal loon - like object with port holes and windows , which had disappeared into a large cloud. ARNOLD stated that he asked DAHL again to see the pictures of the objects ; that llAHL had again agreed to show them to him . Mr. AR''OLfl informed that he had then asked ,Am, and CHRISt•AN if it would be all right for him to call a friend , Captain SMITH, who had also seen some flying discs and let him s~e the fragments and hear ur . DAHL' s story . rAHL dissented, however , CHRISMAN readily agreed . He also stated that he had placed a call to Lieutenant BR0""1 ard Captain DAVI~SON , Army intelligence officers at Hamilton Fie l d, and had asked them to come to his hotel , as they had previously instructed him to report to them any thing of an unusual nature or of interest regardin~ the flying discs . He stated he flew to Seattle and got Captain Sl'ITH, and that Lieutenant ffP011N and Captain DAVIDSON had come to his room about 4:00 P.M. -~r. A.-q' OLD advised that he he.d asked Lieutenant BRO'lffl just what he had found out regarding the discs • and Lieutenant BRO,IN had confidentially informed him that they had obtained a picture of a disc , which appeared to be authentic, which picture was taken by a man in Phoenix , Arizona. The picture , according to Lieutenant BRO.~. was of a circular object with a hole in the center, and of another object that looked like a flying wing . He stated that when Lieutenant BRO:,'ft-T told him this that he immediately thought of the object seen by DAHL. He stated that after hearing DAHL' s story• Lieutenant Bl?0':1 ar d Captain DAVIflSON' s attitude had changed immediate l y, and that they appeared disinterested . It was then suggested that they all go to Ma.uri Island and look for the disc fragments. Lieutenant BRO,'(N and Captain DAVIDSON stated that they had to return to Hamil ton Field immediately . Mr . ARNOLD stated that Lieutenant BR011N and Captain AVIDSON were very careful to gathe r up all of the fragments which had been brought to the r oom by DAHL and CHRIS':Af-1 . - 3 - r
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Source text · mention only• • 'lirector , FBI August 27, 1947 Re : Flying Dis cs - Ta.coma, w•n. He stated tha.t the next morning he received a cal l from CHRIS:~N, who told him that Lieutenant BR011"" and Captain nAurnsor had been kil led in a B- 25 crash . He stated he does not know how C'tfl'-?IS~1,AP knew who had been in the olene befo r e anyone else . He also stated that during the above conference numer ous telephone calls were received from the press , wanting to know about the conference . He stated that someone kept tipping the press off as to what was going on and what was being said daily verbat i m. He informed that PArL LAND and MORELLO, United Press men at Tacoma, appeared to know all that took place during the confe r ence , and even kr:t.ew of the ere.sh of the B- 25 and those aboard , before the Army released this information . lKr . ARNOLD informed that when he received news of the crash , that he and Captain SYITH fully expected to be contacted by Ar my Intel l igence , as they were the l ast people with Lieutenant BROrr' a-d Captain DAVI!'S0t1 , however , they were never contacted . He further stated that he and Captain SMITH wer,t down to the United Press to see wh~t the survivors of the era.sh had informed about the crash and that l'0BELL0 had told them that the myste r ious informant who had been callin g had tol d him that the B- 25 had not crashed , but had beens hot dpwn, also that MORELLO' s Army informant he.d said that an observer at Ielso , ~1ashington , had seen the plane throw out a landin g flare after the two survivors had jumped from the plane , and that the plane had gone into a steep dive and dove into a hillside , and further that one engine had been on fire , but that the fire appa r atus , protectin g the engine , had failed to function . Hr . AFi0LP stated that DA 1L then came to see hi m ard Captain S!HTH and told them to ~o home a nd for get about the discs , that such things as the B- 25 crash had been happening to him all along . Mr . o\.lffl0LD stated that he then called l'r . PAUKER e.t Chicago and to l d him that the deal was off a:rid that if he wanted his ,J200 . 00 back , he could have it; ths.t two men had been killed and he was f etting frightened of the whole thing- . He stated that PALl...V:R informed hi m that it was all ri ;i-ht with him to keep the i200 . oo, however , he would send him an additional check for the trouble he had put to . Mr. ARN0Lr advised that previous to this telephone cal l , Captain si•ITH had called hi s friend , M0~~I~ R0DrY, of the Chica.go Times and had tol d him that he did not have any faith in Army ~ntelli gence and for RODDY to conduct an investi gation on PALMER and get to the bottom of this disc fantasy . ~r . ARNOLD also adv i sed that previous to the two above telephone calls , he had asked the pr ess to investigate PALJ~R, as Army Intelligence had informed him th!t they could not f i nd PALMER and knew nothin g concerning him, and appeared not to be interested in PALfER , who seemed to know more a.bout the flying discs than anyone e l se . ' 'r . ARNOLD stated that he personally thinks that PALMEP 's business is a blind for somethin g· else and th~t DAIL and CiffiIS1~·· will do anything that P4.LllER asks him to and will not talk unless PJL'f8R tells him to . Mr . AR"0LD state d that he still wanted to ret to the bottom of the disc fra~ment story so he and Captain S~!ITF had decided to ,·o to 'l.'.a.uri Island on Sunday , Aurnst 3, - 4-
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Source text · mention only• • • '\ August 27, 1947n:lrector , FBI Re : Flying Discs - Tacoma, "n . 1947 , however , when Cr ISMA.N was approached in this regard, and they had gone to the boat house v-.here CHRIS !Al kPot his boat, CHRISMAN could not seem to make the boat run, nr-d after m4kitg some excuses that he hnd to rettrn to his office, had stated that he woula return in a.bout an hour, and by thet time his mechanic should have tre boat repaired and they could all proceed to Wsuri Island . r . 'QNOL informed that CHRIS' never returned, end thrt they were unable to locate CHRISllA at any of the telephone numbers he had ~iven them. They located inAEL in a movie, accord'ng to AR 'OLD, and that DAHL, after making so~e efforts to locate C~IS , ,~d informed them the.t CHRIS' h~~ le't town for a few days . He furt ,er inforned that about this time the oress contacted them and told them an inform~nt had called and told them +hRt 1~' ~son his way to Alaska ir an Army pl ane . r . ~ OLD advised tt- 11 t Captain S T"' had informed him th<J.t he had ~~de an appointment with lajor ANDERS at McCord Field and intended to tel l ~jor SANDJmS the complete stor: . Q.iring the afternoon, Capta·n SITH and ajor SANDERS came to the hotel roo~ , eccording to AF OLD, and some of the frs nents the.t DA 1L had brought to r . J. ~OLD' s roor.i, followin5 the conference , vere shown to llaior SAND3RS. Upon vievrinl" +he f r agments , l"',jor S.U -p5 , accord ing to ·r . AR OL~, st,o,ted that tr.ey were roting but slag fro~ the coppAr ~il l , however , before A. jor SAP :t'PS left, he t1thPred up every fragment in the room, accorr i ,., to 'r. "L , and took them with hi.., . ·r . AR OLD stated that he then left for Boise, Idaho . r . ARNOL produced a lette r dAted August 5, 1947 , from PALMER in which PAL!:ER attempts to encourage r . A~ OL to continue his irives•ig tion into the flyinl discs . This letter is lllso beirg enclose l to the .burnau. r . ARNOLD also rave SA JETTE a oopy of the article sent to r . PAL,~::P and to the Comrrw.nd1nl"'. General, ••ri ht .l.'"iel , :1,;ayto , Ohio , re •11 r ling his sighting of the ~ine discs near ~owt Painier on June 24 , 1947 . This article is also being enc l ose I to the Bureau . . ARt1OLD advised that he is vitally interested in this matter and knows that the r e nn1st be somethin~ to the flying discsstory He st~ted that he wil l do everything in his pov;er +o help tre Bureau in this matter. ·e also advised that he has no conr.ectio:1 wh1>tsoever vlth the :!oise StatesmPn . He stated that the Boise Statesman has never p-id him for any information he has given them . He i nfonned that he sincerely believes that the Boise Stites'"' n is attemptin@, as ha is , to get to the bottom o~ tle flying discs story . 1T . AM'OLD stated thqt he has told the above story to Army Intelli ence a d 11\jor SA1 DERS ar. to no one else , w 1th the exception of SA JET~., . DAVE JOIDSOO, Boise Statesman , loise , Idaho , advised.that the Boise Statesman has never paid r . AR OLD for any news item he has given them, and has neve r approached him in this ,nanner . lie stated that the Boise Statesman is riot attempting to push t.~e flying discs story , but Ill':?rely attempting to - 5-
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Source text · mention only•. • • . ' . - Director, FBI August 27, 1947 Re: Flying Discs - Tacoma, \,:!" . get to the bottom of the flying discs story as they sincerely believe there is someone who knows the story of the discs and that they actually exist , and that the Army, when approached for information, merely state that they know nothing concerning them . JOfil'S0' 1 also informed that Lieutenant BRO"l,1' and Captain •AVIDSON had contacted him on July 20, 1947 , at Boise , Ldsho , regard ing the discs and that is how he met them . Unless advised th the contrary , no additional investigation is being conducted in this matter , and it is being considered as Referred Upon Completion to the Seattle Office . • JEJ:FPMc Encs . (RE~ISTERED) AIR 'f~IL SPECIAL DELIVERY cc - ~eattle / .,.
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Source text · mention only• •
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Source text · mention only.., FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVEST IGATION UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFIClAL BUSINESS It.. Encs. to Bureau Re: Flying Discs Butte file 65-477
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Source text · mention only.....--..... T.--:::::::.1((_~ -- ENTURE PRESS ._, 3 □ 5 STUD! □ BUILDING 171B SHERMAN AVENUE EVANSTON, ILLIN □ IS \ =---- Mr. Kenneth Arnold, AllIt I c_, Boiee, Idaho ------'
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Source text · mention onlyVENTURE PRESS 305 S TUDIO BUILDING 1718 S H ERMAN AVENU E E VANS TON, ILLINOI B Au&1t 5. 1947 !Ar. Kenneth Arnold. Box 387, Boise~ Idaho Dear Mr . .\rnold: It seems that Mr. Maurice Roddy of the Chicago Times got the atory from Mr. Sir.1th, because he oslled me, told me he was running it. I knew only 'What you'd told me over the phone. Now, it seems the newspapers a.re pestering th~ very devil out of all ycu fellows. cr1sma.n wired me for inst1uotions. and I told him to cay nothing tb the newspapers, because he'll look silly if the army explains th1~ as •meteors~ or something like that. I don't blame you for being alarmed, but I trust you've had no trouble i n your flying since then. Let's get that straight- there 's no horrible plot 1n#olved . It's probably true that the t\llO m<,n killed were just aaoidents. It could be true th..'1.t it wo.s not an aooident , but I don •t think there was any connect ion with the disks. or anything of that nature , nor is the material from Murray Island to blame. Certainlt I don 't think you'd suffer from completing your report on your mission, and send in0 me iour affidavit. Also, you'll have some money coming for that, and no sense to tossing the.t out of the window. It i s unfortunate that the thing seemed so big you had to call in army intell 1genoe, but 1 t lit 11 take them a long tiJae -co proceed to the point (I've reaohed 1nthis disk mystotY• You see , you aren't the first to see them. They've been known for nearly forty years, and I have amplo pr~of of that. But jOur experienoe was the first real break toward a solution . I 'd hate to have you drop t he matter when al 1 reaa1ning to do is to file your report with me. Crisman is willing to contri bute his share. I hope you ~111 too . This tl ing 1.1ust not be hushed up and fo r gotten. It's muoh too important t<'.> the people of Amerioa, if not the 110rld. Antl no censorship of the matter is logal. You needn 't fee.r that angle. You certainly did a bang-up job of investignt1ont also you wrote one of the best article a about your aune 24 experience I 've ever seen. Piease do the same on t his last business. Yuu On it to those two men 1rho were killed. I 'd also like to know what developed on those pictures you took of those ndacks", or whatever they were.
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Source text · mention onlyI • In short. I'd like to have you continue to aeep in oontaot with me, and relay to me anyth1r.g furt!l'! r you learn. In turn, I'll give you the whole story , 'Which I 'm just about ready to break (not in the newspa:;ers). And ir it was as dangerous as _you seem to suspec t , I 'o afraid I ' d have been a oorpsa long agoJ But . and this is all you need remember. those disks ar o not red oorp usoles in 1our eyec~11 1 and they are not something we can forget about nth an ostrich in the sand attitude. ie•ve got to solve them , publio hysteria or no. AR for that hysteria~ if laughing is hysteria. that ' s all the ~ysteria I've noticed : By all means, I want to thank you f or the Y.c rk you •ve done. You know :1ow- business , and you handled it like a major . But I'm hoping /OU do the easy part now and get that report on paper. A oheok for your June 24 artiole is going out to you. Sincerely yours, R. A. Palmer -
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Source text · mention only62- 111688
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Source text · mention onlyVENTURE PRESS 305 STUDIO BUILDING 171 B SHERM AN AVENUE E VANSTON, ILL INO I S June 26. 1947 Mr. Kenneth Arnold, Boise, Ide.ho Dear Mr. Arnold: I have just read an aocount in the Chicago Tribune oonoerning an aerial train composed or at least 9 units shaped like a pie-plate and silvery in color, traveling at 1200 m.p.h. near Mount Ranier, as witnessed by you while flying in the vicinity. This is quite important to me, because I have in my possessjon numerous independent confirmations of what you saw. although none in as great detail as your account. I am interested in publishing an article in our magazine, written from a personal aooount by yourself, and accompanied by pix of yourself. plane, and rough sketches by yourself, of what you saw. If you oare to do this for me, I am prepared to pay our usual rates of 2¢ perword, plus $5.00 for each photograph you can provide, or for each sketch which can be used by our art staff to illustrate the article. Included in this material, we'd like a short biographical sketch of yourself as •author background• material. The article anuld appear under your by-line. If you are not interested, I w,uld at least appreciate a letter from you, confinning the newspaper story. Very truly yours,{~ A. Palmer The Venture Press In your reply, please use airmail.
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Source text · mention only! ~ born I!n.reb 29, 191$. S.n il,,,."'>boxo., :5..nm3oot.'.l. ta.tbcr ' D ltl!'le uao ~'Pd • Arnoldi my ootbor ' s I:L:lidon n:u:-.o .o Bc1•t...li,~ • al"{l'Jn. I tr.1S c. rooidsnt of tli.mtosot:l until I ms Gix yoai·s old :r.ben ey: f'onily ----.a to .ucoboy, nttun., fJhoro t!loy bo20 ..to:idod . tw- c,.~amrc.t..1l01-, Rolmta ..c. tirnold also bmX)st:.o d in ibey, &nt.tul.:!., nnd boo nc ,qui.to ~nt , in poUti.c:a. circl-e3 cl.onz; th W:rton • SO.."mtor . I to credo school and hi.ch school at Llinot, Jorth lb .:ota.. I 0'1Tb3rcd .. coutinz at t-.-rolvo year..; or a.._. and achiovc.d tho r.:mk of z].o scout before I T1li.O fo-.irtoon. t\Y fo .:!Or scout oxc tivo tr.lS B. H. Prescott, nm a ro3tonu cot.cinsionor ror tho Boy ..,oouto in :ns .., City, Itan~as. intoro tod in nthlotic::; end uns oloctca all- tatc end in 1932 tmd 193.3 in the suite of li01-tl1 ~ta. I entered the U. ~. O~c t.r1al.d in fmicJ <livirliJ in 1932; I \T.l5 Rod CroGn Id.fo 'ltJ1ner duri.n t.bo ycJ!U"3 of 1932, ' 33 and '34. I toutht iGtii~ divine --t 'GCOUt e nps mx1 tbo tnmicip.µ. pool i.n t1:in::>t, ..01·th lhkob . I u.,nt to tho Univoruity oi' imxmotn., mwr. I mm; Mld did £a.ncy di.vin'1 uncbr I.oils Thorpo, l3nd ol o plcyod .footb::lll undor Bor-.ai.o Biemnn , but upon .ontorinJ collo._. I t.n:1 llJUblc to eo tir.i a i'ootb!lll cn.raor bocauso of on iJljurcd knee . ~ hit;h school !'ootlxlll ~ch • Olonn L. Jarrett , 'Oho is n:r.r tho 1lo"'d foott ru.l co ch of the Un.tvor~ty 0£ orth Dcltoto.. I h:l.d litt.1.a or no fin:lnco!l, cy ti.on in iurthoi:'inu cy oduc1tion 1n coll.OJ) \1!la 1..hrOu.:;h ey c.tbletic!l . tis e boy in Lanot, I.ortb Il:w-..ot- , I did e e,.'OOd do:Jl ot do.,. sled r c'" 1':i.rot th oy do.., in 19.30 in tho Lion ' s Club lb.... ::rt,y. ntdna In 1938 I r.an~ ---orl~ l_fM' ~~ .Littloton, Col orc'.?.do, n c:i..'11.lfoot.uror or ~ c ~ ~~ "'If• In 1939 I u.:w n..,do di~tri ct o.:nn~r for th,, ovor c. p~ of tho 3tcrn at.ates , .ond in 191':l
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Source text · mention only•at,;0 2 - :13 Life d:l.ta on ~ nnDtll ld ~ :l :t o... em Fire • I h:i.vo n wrkinz oo indcoondc t, £iro co l sinco, and a: fumdlo, di tx·ibute, oll end install. all typos or au f.'ichtint equipoont in ths rur.il. "'aD over fivo "'tern stat.en . £lyine ~rlenca sto.rtod ti'" n boy in I took £i~ t £1.yinr; lo on l Ii. Vane , :;]0 on~ £rom Ore.at w.o, tbntaltl . DJ.o t.o :tl o • e}1 co3t o.t that ti!:O, I Ul']jble to continue cy ~ and ·a not fey of aw r;re t con o:zu;enco until 1943. I 'lT.:: eivon rry pP.ot certificate by • lb ch, o. senior CAA inspector of o.i."tlond, Oreeon, and i'or e lnSt throe ~s ";'/ omied 0-;;r1 nirp1.aho covorin"" entire rritoey H.h s 1'1y.S.?1£: £rot: forty to on hull- drod hours por amth ince . Due t.o t.hc f ct airplaJX? ent:i.roly in ey rk, in J;umary or this yoar I pure nm C:ul.nir e.i.rplanc, ti'hic io on nS.rpln.ne desiG11Cd for bidt altitu. 't3k ££s e:rd shOrt 1'04~ field us~ • In too type or~ I do, it tokes t. il. of pr ctieo o.nd judiJlCnt to bo nblc to 1 in t PW ea;; nd t out m. nout injur1n Yo1,W eirpla.no; U\O ~ • 0.?'0 Vu%'/ al itude ia 1rin'¥ hi.en in so::ia of the fields and pl.ac :I d:l , I hn.vc landDd in 823 eot1 .,turas :in raountain ~~·' 9 ond in o,,-cr a tho otllld v a ati.t ts.re has b an cy ~ :to t asb..."'l).
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Source text · mention only'i'he foll.er.ii;: .., tory of mi: t I obsor.rod ovor t.bo C ac::.do bOUntains , mpon:;iblo a: it. ow,~ , io pooitivol::, t.rug . I It3VOr iwkcd mr ted aey n:>w11.oty tor ju3t nccid...~tly beinu in the right f1p0t at the ri~t. t:Lt10 to ob...Ol'11'0 \iii t I did . I raportod sO!lOtb1113 th t I knon any lot :ud bn.ve ronort.od . I rum•-t -t.!link rt in OJV ~ cy obscrv: tion ms clne to ~ aonsitivit,.y of cya oicht or jud:,µmt th:m • Jo> nJ. for any pilot • • On Juno 24th, fuesdey, 19li7, I h=:d finiohOd er:, • rk for tho Centrnl. ··r oornco at Cheh.il.io, aa!lington, and t dbout tt:o o ' clock I 00k ot£ i'ro!il Challall , ,, hin.,.:tton, cirport tilth th3 intention of' ~inz to Yokl.tn, bin,cton . 113' trip nao deJeyod i"or o.n hour to o~h f'or n larce r.iarim -tr:.YlSport that ou~scdly ,.ant do..n ne:ir or oroim:l tho oout.lroest Cide o£ Ct. Bainior in tho state of m.onin,;tDn. (ibis tranaport Ins been di - eovorod o.t -:1:,he t.ir!o of tbio urit.ine--Jvly 29, 19h7. ) I fl.cr.7 Mroctly to, ::?.rd • Raimor :artcr roo.chiJm 11 t.itudo of o.bOut 9 , 500 foot, ffllich io We pproxiroto olOVQ.tion of tho bieh pla.tob.u i".ro ffilieh • Rtinie.r: ri o:J. I h!ld. oodc ono aa:)Op of thio hi.eh plnteau i.o the nos~, 8:lrebinz all or thO v rious riQ.!!On for this- ~..no e..lu.p end nm1 to :lt dm7a mid r.car tho ~ sido or tho eapyon Jihor.c A :ahtord, ~u-ton, 16 loe::ited . Un=-..bl to ace o.eyth:i 3 th t locmcd like tho 16.:.t.. obip, I tndo a 360 JrOO turn to t rlcht and abovo th3 llttlo ci y of tli.nor.:U.., a•--•- - 11\1 ~ to d llt. Iloinier. I cl:i.tlbcd b ck up to an altit;11cle of o.pprox1mtoly 9, 200 foot . 'ibe nir oo D!JOOtb tho.t dcy that it a. roal pl sure~ mid, 23 mo t ~t~ ~t ~ tl~ y 01•3 ~z o.t a r,tor altitude, I ~u~.in t.11!direct.ion of Ynkinn ,
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Source text · mention only.J 2 waition end o~ly oot in plano ob~ the o y ruld the 'tet•rnin . 'lh-..nm ~ o. DC-4 ,to the 1~ to tho roar or na approx:il:a:tQJ.¥ f'lftcon oUos dismnt , end I should 3Ude , t lh,000 foot el.ovation . i'ha ilry 01i4 cir uere cs cleru: ns ccystol . '! had not no.m mro t'bo.n tw-o or t.hroo ttl.rnltco on q;- cooroo a. bri(;bt i'lnoh ra~le ctod on l thoucllt ! ws too c"looo to one <>t.hor airer: r • I looked avery plc.co in o :, end couldn ' t find Tihoro tl. rafigction ht.d co;:o until I 1oolrod Hai or mcro .I ob -rvod ~ ot nine ~culil'U" looli:inc oircr.Ji't £J.y:i.nz !rob north to :outh o.t B .rox:lcatc)y 9,500 foot olcv tion and oinz, °'-1ooinclY, in n dofinite direction or urout 170 do.:;roos north t.o oouth . o.ssunod tl)ey rore jot ~ . Ulyho':I, I discovered . tho ronection bad ccr.....o frO , no t.TA:> 01· throe of th83 evc1-;. ferr seconds wuld dip or c~ their cour. e sli(;h.tly,, just cnoudl, for th:> GUn t o atrikG thod c.t en an~c that rotl.octod ibrlehtlj' on cy lune . G Qbj ct, boinu.qui Ct . , I lm.-· una lo .for ro. e:mcw to ~ out t.h...~r h...."'1)0 or ir for. :tion. V~ry hor~y t.llQY' J'P!'Oachcd , it. ~or, td I ,obsorvoi! t· 3ir O\.ttlino ~t the sn:r., qui.to p)rS~ . 1 t~t 1t ..,;,S very pocillo.r trot I couldn ' t find tboo.r W1s wt n:riuocd thcy' 1C'DrO typo of jot plc.no . l :,.o tomi od to cloc· tbc1r ~ , ao I lnd ~ finite po1Jltc_!, :t. &inier ilnd t . &:::5- could clock by end tho o.i.r objcctb and doter. tMir ppi'Oxicato o npa and aizo t ti.L"lOot. fifty nUos. I ~dititi ct:cy tbat ey 6.1?0P cocond liand on •cl.De:t, 'U'ai.c lo lo~tod on cy inst-...,.,..,...·:t p:ll'lOl , re3d ono an too first Obj~~'d 'iM~ora~~.,·~•thorn ~ oJ: • .Ro:i.nior. Im~ o~t7i'~ ~rest on I bad nowr fora obsorrJ'od ~~ oo cl.ooo to the DOtllltnin topo, flli-1.ne directly I
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Source text · mention only! oo crvo c3alil or the 0 south to couthoaot-O.Cr. :n 1:.110 .hoe' s b=1c • of munt.3.in r,.-mzo. I F;O"j],.d ost.1.rnto tbt.lir olcva.tion cmild htlv -wr-100. a thousnnd £eot one ,-:,;y or nm r up or do.m, but t,hey' r.oN pretty ch on tho hoi1.zon to cc mlich n::ruld indicn.to the tmro nD!lI' tho snne el~ t!on 'n10Y flcu liko u:uw t · I ! :vc ob d eeose to £.q in o. r ...thor dio.eobt\l ehair. - liko 1100 if t?ley ~ linlroc.1 toeot.hor . i'boy cOQ.:Xld to hold a definite d:i:1-ection but r ....ther m-renoo in and out or thO hi Ul.1n petiko . i'hofr ~ at the did . . ~ CilUS~ I~-t!nt our~ and cir forcos bad pl.nr..o bat u.::nt ·very taot . il3t ke t botb.Otinc e I tchod O.ip nnd £1.a.bh in tho oun rlijit along thG1r path ~ M feet tmt :t oouldn 1t 1:o out any t.-ill on cure t.Mt cm:;- pilot could jw)t.~ ro tlmn o. ocond loo'' nt sue o. planO . Iob::crved qui.to !>lm.nl3, end I ~tinate <liotanco fro::th , cil03 . I kner1 they "', ovon on ... clenr a~ 03 tt ~ .,t i'\.to:icmy. In tact, I c - pired o. zmw ~ tenor or cottline; tool I bad in qy pockot mth thre - hold inu it up on the and ho1dj.;ng it~ on the DC-4 tlut I could ob crvo at. quite n dictrulee to qy loft. - mid they c...o::.ed A":,.Qllor t.l12n t.hO 4; bt1t I Dbbtild judto t.hoir ~'U0"'1ld l VO boon as m.do as t.hO furth'31'0!lt en:,.ncs on c::ich oi or tl.13 fu!l3li.lG of tho 00-4 . I obsorl8d tho objects, tho nore u. ot I c:::o, cs I c.ccnstoood ~13.nr '01th tb tho eround or at bizbor cl.tifudo • mxr. -covored ridev :in ~ • Rainier tho :Lr. p:iso..nu t.110 south cre:rt of tbio ridZo tho l..l.'lt obj ~ ontoririz 110rthern ere t or 'tho ri . 3: as ~ t O~ c~ ~ icw.nr ri~, I t'1CaO'tlrE)d 1t mid round it to )~~Y ~cl.l.o~ )p l could ni:e:cy assu.ne 'that t..110 c1uin 0£ t.hoso omcor-like objocUJ 1"0 a.t least fivo oil.cs l.On3.
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Source text · mention onlyl could quite ce:ur....to:cy- o no t,bb·r po; 0y dim to tbo £act. t thoro r.oro novcJ'al ihioi pe ra tb.:l.t. , ro n livtl.o this i" of tl o C:J 11 aa hi 1• pc3ko on ttio ot r do of t."ioir ~t..~ . As l!iSt unit of this ro~ tion PO,'J od too rorthorn-:JOst hiah 6IlO'u--COvorod crest of lit. M.o:.!s, I 1oo!md at cy O'JOOP oeeond h.ond mid it Ghoued t!ut. they had 'trovolled :t :I rilct1t h...."'VC be:m OOOi.ili! ro1'lections or oven a :.lCC• ~d.e I kno.r to be h oJ.uto]J fa.lso , conds . n at tho t:ir.o t-!ti.o t.ir.une d not up ct ca no I felt ..... __ nt. nfter I lanclod thoro '10"Jl.r bo o ,o ox lo.rntion of tf113t l. rr;r. as I ob5crvod o objvets not ohl3 t.hi-ou,:h t.ho c).nos of ey ~ bn turned s:w ~ei~ ere I could open cw :r.i.nckm mia ob orve ti ui.tru.a co:ipl.ew),y unobstructed viccr . thoueb tm D.II1.tten s liL."O a very Dhol"t tico ;i1, in ffio air in tro n:inuto tico pil.Ot can ob orvo crc3t ~ t.~n...s nd ~ -Udn bis Oieht, or vioion prQbn.bly a:. oo fitey or 1xt:, t.iooD. I continU.od GO~h for tho :tiri:r."O pl.r:no or a.not r £il'tocn '<>r t..--:.mty r..:imttco and ,1'£lllo ~ •!lJ for this :t I Ind junt o~ L.-opt t,"Oi: i o arto:rthrou_j;\ r. di turbod., I COtilil even l'ollo.1 bY t ir 1'1.n.shos tt7o nnd 0 hili or thr.a6 tu.nUto - • r. o£ vinion cl.tbouj1, by the or £01-m. Of courso, nn tho D'Un roll otod fro 0110 or bit> or throe or thc=e um.ts, thW a: o.ro to bo COC!I)loteJ.y l"'OUr.d; ~c.1.t., .l clrarr.lJ;le to t.he oos't ot r:r:, nbili~y, rmten I includlll~, tlfl to thO hape I obs"1Wd bo:io oe ~~odv J cov-.JrO<l. rtd.:;c, ao 11 ...• Rainier .
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Source text · mention onlyn thc:.o objccto 'rl'8I"8 ny1ng app.~tely str.J.i :1t mid levol, they "DOr;J just o. bla.c:: thin lino ond t wfliPilOd ~ Only' t to ir size . Th!l!lo objecto n:n~ hold:{nz en a1"'!0at co tarlt elcva.t&m; t.hoy did not ooon to be eoin.1 11,l> or tb bo -•'"-'•C do•m, h a ul.d oo tho c;i o of :mckot:J or ~ocy ahdlla . I o:J conviI::cad in r:ry omi ci.nd thn.t tnoy mre so::o type of airpl,3%10, even tixfu.r,b thoy did not canto uith .... oan.;r aopccw 'Oi the co1wO!ltioJ;WJ.. ~ of ~ tl'-.:lt I I:nm7. I tm.-ou~t tho nitod -.1til.ton., .h..-ivo bc..."1 nix or evon other accounts T.rltten by SO?lO of tho e o):> Ol"'l -> that I c:m have o :.o thinn tl t I did; pzrtieular~, d!.l~cr:tptioro of "".:.ho tb:roo O:Jtcrn Air Linc:J 1~ or Ceder City, Utcll, tho pilc,t frO!l 'Cklaliona City, l0CO'.::OtiVO rc:tnoer in Ill.itloia, • Jolm Corlett 0 United Press corrospond..nnt of Boice, I<bl¥), D:lvo Johnson, ~ cdiwr o.t tbo Boi. o Do.iljr to.to ::::m, Contain lil1. h-Oo-:Ulot o~ ty rron of Um.tad. A.tr Linea, nnd Cnptain Ch::rl.c F. Gcbinn end Jack llo.rvoy of United Air I.d.nro both 0£ d only l..aot ni.Cht, July 2 , 1947, r..Me thoir o~crv: ti.on on United Air ld.ro 1'll. 1t 10S '10stbound out or Bo • It ia ey c,pini.on th1t clesenpti0Il3 JCO".lld mt be voey accurate taken ~ tlJe ground u.~s t, D-ucor-1.il.--e di 'ro wr,~ at (l'tli'.-tc a c,-eat m-lr)lt .nd tho:ro in a i:x>ooibili ty trot all of, b) poo,Plo ffllO o ...rvod pqcU:Uar objects could hwo ocn I did; but• it t10 ild been ~ d.Uficult. t ~ to o 01'\TO tlle -;o ;!'or re th.1.n four or fivo ooconda, w.d there io 338 the po:mibil.ity or t • sp}mric a>ioturb .nnd du.3t 00.'.lr thb ~ttllich c:,-Jld distort ono'a vioion tihilo air obsorvorn I \10ti.l.d jµd,.,.no to oo very nccu.roto . Ih:vcin po:;so oion let ro 1:ro all ovor 'the United -,t,:itoa and ~ froil p,,,;,~ .,,,, 'M;~r ~ ~ 11..."VO boon obsGNad rei~ othor portiol'~ lO 1~ .:. ~ ~tfdon, Ber.~, and
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Source text · mention onlyC:li£omia . I l70Uld i :ve 0,von cl.: 't ~b1n.:; th:lt d:J;, w h:rm bud n c. lOro m.th o. telephoto l0n.J anil fro m o. I 5.1.l rover be 'ff.lt.ltout one-- bat, to contmuo !\lrtbcr m.th ey otory. I lnndod at Y~, ns:dn~ ton, airport I do3cribcd "1 t I lt.ld ooon to cy very I>Od fr:i.Olld, Al Boxter dlo :l.ri tha Gorroml ~ ~--or or Cont.rcl. Af.rci~ Cro~. lI.c lio ~ Jl'}.ticntl:y and TI:W vory courtoo ~ but. in c jokltie <li.&i' t li.'3\7 ' • • -rr ' I did r.p't tcly O::!.Otlro tho d:Lot.:'.r. ,.. v rocn tlta~ vzt> ..-' . .mns until I l.m'Mk t Pcnfiloton., Oro~n tlnt oo;::o d:q ro I told a mt r of tt1.ot i'ricncb of GOO.ff or l.au 1i bt..~ aa~Dted they •ch:t ba V,lidctl ~sn o... or c oth:lne 0 mu. In fc.ct, • ""'7lcrrw.. roroor Ar::i:/ pil.9ts inforcod 0G tlot they~ bocn brlofcd bo:foro Coin,c into 00!:lbat ovor:;o~ ~t they moit ace objects of sim:iJl"r eh pe c...~ <bSi ns ! <roscrib 6. nnd o.ssured ~or o,1nr:; cr.....,7. I quct.o Solley' Robi n, n rem r Ar~ Air Forco p;Uot ~ is oper. ~ du tinj opcr: ts.om nt Pondleton, Oro ~n « ..t you o'boorvod, .I o tJilX) or jot or rocl.-et pi: pellecl hip tmt 1.., 1n the proco30 of' bine tc tcd by our eovorn::-"'ll1i or even it could pg :::ibly bo by oo.JC f'orci,er1- eo-:~ 11 • ;{)}. 10W, t.bo ra .::: that I · rod' ob~ tllo a u ...... --.:d ~ rapi~ a."ld before tho llisb,t r.:,.o over I roco vine tolopliono cruJ.G fro: ell , to date I h w not rcOOivod one tolop 10 ea.ll 01.. one let of co£~ or d!Dbclicf . T110 only dioooliof thot I mo.r I look nt tldD ~lo brdod.l c.s not o tbin3 .1\m1\Y. have ~ it 011t to be . '.i'o J'.10 it i it._;hty oori.O'UD and Cinco I ovi.clcntly did cb38rvo SOwOthine t.ru.>r:t at le t . Jo. Doo treat eo1"1'.:0r or to /,ndro.s on tbo e ln~ ~ --~ ." t.h.t. 1.t &>cs not md.st . 1:Non thoueh I oponl.y lJ:::tod aJlmiGstieaUon 'tty tho
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Source text · mention only7 roI .to aui;.ncntici y oi' tot7or to ~vv0~ .."- m~~".u.,..,' I ~01"0!.t. ti -·-ti.on . I till1 Invallleonc ~ m rozx>rted tho n:5.tod OCQ!l;" n~ mtion bun~, tbey very fi.r ., :~ . ,. I ul.d to int.hia it cd, it is j t tbo t of: tmrld . I oCJ.l.1c.roirplc.no, ~ iD fl throe l.o:ld h1p ~t io dooJ.t,lO(l end !.Cl'lUfactur.ld 11.cxtl~""X!l,y: fo ko oftar tor cortUi :t of ~.
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Source text · mention onlyJuzy 29, l9'i . . .. , ~ , .~ (; I I •,, , I~ 180 ::r. 305 1718 no~;:-;-:.i'i. ~ al.DO tch 0£ tod totpthor thpl10to~n!i::J tori.al. you l1£ hi tor • • touro v r •-·"- ~ op::~ I .. -__;;;,,,~::d ~.:/*(?~
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Source text · mention only• Date of delivery _____;J.._r:___:~_(____~ - ---- • 1~ -J ---- 111-12421 Fonn3811 Bev. I~ RETURN RECEIPT Recdoed from the Postmaster the Registered or l mured Article, the, original number of which appears on the face of this Card.
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Source text · mention onlyREGISTERED A RTICLE ,0 't =«• "" S t -C7',,._:l'EIW-TTf'O • PRIVATEUSl!YOAVOIDPAY,.ElfTOHO,;TAGE.$.llll,tpO» 1rU7 tee "JO eparunen NS . <(; OFFICIAL BUSINESS ~ ~ r.. "' .Jll l l • 5" PM / ,9,7 . 4 L ,.,,= ILi..-· •• I .:Z yo ......... BOISE,INSURED PARCEL IDAHO.
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Source text · mention only''t 1f FBI SEATTLE 8- 14- 47 5-18 PM . /2 ~ ~RECTOR FBI ROUTINE /.!., F~t!J,,,,,,_,I- BlllJCEARMS TR ONG , , M, A, -'filCHOLS • FLYI!!§_ DIS CS INTERNAL SECUR\T)'-~ NEWSPAPER SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER CARRIED ARTICLE ON AUGUST ~ --7, TWELVE OF REPORT OF FLYING DISCS SEEN BY ONE BRUCE ARMSTRONG OF BOEING AIRCRAFT COMPANY, AND M. A. NICHOLS, ONE ONE TWO FIVE, SOUTH WEST ONE HUNDRED AND SECOND STREET, SEATTLE. INVESTIGATION OF ' "\ ► SIGHTING BY ARMSTRONG REVEALS OBJECT TO HAVE BEEN PIECE OF l#ICBURN~ , PAPER WHICH HAD BEEN SEEN BY CONTROL TOWER AT BOEING FIELD. IN- /) VESTIGATION 0& SIGHTING BY M. A. NICHOLS INDICATE~ OBJECT WAS (/ A WEATHER BALLON . LETTER TO FOLLOW . \ ~!{3_i_/. I/-_,, - I ✓ T~ lB"' WILCOX . / .U,Vl1.i.KE]J 31 SEP ~/ A AND H PLS i) 4- \)S t..I;; 5- • ' 9-19 PM OK FBI WASH DC GAR ' f.X..8;; •
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Source text · mention only'JG I1J 8 20 p;, '47
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Source text · mention onlyPORTLAND LV!JIRECTOR ('' FLYING AGATE OF T9 BE ONLY Mr. T Ison Mr.EA. f f Mr. Oleg; .,y Jr. I~ Mr r.t• "<I I G; gto FBI 8-1 5 - 47 -1 -46 Pt1 ; E~T■ mm FBI (r{]ifG-. ·-, DISCS - SECURITY MATTErt DASH X. A MR \l.Ar JOHN~TLETT , w U BEACH , NEAR OCEAN LAK[ , Ol<EC-01~ HAS REPORTED THAT THE EVEQ-'Jt'iG 6 AUGUST SEVEN , AT ELEVEt-., THIRTY Pf~ HE SIGHTED WHAT HE BELIEVED .J ,v~ ... .,, ~ A DISC BRIGHT IN COLOR WHICH HE WAS ABJE TO qn~~E,FOR / A SHORT TIME BECAUSE OF I~~c~R~~. - {w~RVIEHED .IB~/~.m 10 L:: -r.xED /\ 0~ BOBBITT EX,4, 9: .:: c;r;· ,,,,, .:{ff- "'1:f!D~ - ) n,,✓ n_)., h I ~ J 1-1,:.. HOLD PLS J:; \ff( (Vt ( I ,(),. .....~V 5- 50 P~ OK FBI UASH DC L Q ' "
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Source text · mention only... •• ·q •~ nf:\tr1\• ~ I ~.!,,.._ • r •u"~.:J - ,. . " •,.l/lJn:,3a '1~NH3.LNt •• i, Hd or t Ll ,t 031t13J3>J
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Source text · mention onlyEND PAGE ONE T • I EX-4l t I n t Mr Q,1 mm Mr. I'< .. DST tt.utJIAL IIUHl:.AIJ Of fitvt&llliATll\ o..--__,~~ U, S. OEl"ARTMEIU Of JUSTltE COMMUHICATI~ ECTIOI AUG ~ 11 TELETYPE WASHINGTON 17 FROM PHILADELPHIA ~RECTOR FBI URGENT l l /_i i)1 I -n_ YING OBJECT REPORTED OVER PHIL A . AUGUST SIX , NINETEEN FOP.TY- SEVEN. SABOTAGE . THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ON AUGUST SEVEN, NINETEEN FORTY SEVEN CARRIED ITEM CONCERNING FLYING OBJECTS OBSERVED OVER PHl.U,. ON EVENING OF AUGUST SIX, FORTY SEVEN . PEOPLE REPORTED AS f' OBSERVING SUCH INTERVIEWED BY PHILA. OFFICE, AND SUBSTANTIALLY FURNISHED FOLLOW ING INFORMATION . AT TEN FORTY FIVE, AUGUST SIX, NINETEEN FORTY SEVEN, A BLUISH WHITE FLAMING OBJECT WAS OBSERVED AT A HEIGHT OF ONE ffietfS"~ THOUSAND FEET OR MORE OVER PHILADELPH~ }. PROCEEDING FROM A NORTHEASTERLY TO A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION . THIS OBJECT LEFT A TRAIL OF SNOKE ~~~ilff'L;STED FOR ABfJ.1~1'1 4 ;J TWO SECONDS AND W HISSING OR BUZZING SaffiD @~S~ AUDIBU: : 1tEJ:.P! .:.f.'.Jil;., 7 ~ IJ \ • - .lt1~ ~ J( SIGHT OF SUCH OBJECT . PEOPLE OBSERVING THE SA11E ti!fMEl) ~JSIBLE AND RELIABLE, AND INCLUDE A Yl'-lm=:s; FORMER ARMY AIR COP.PS ~ HE Wfr':> DOES NOT BELIEVE ABOVE MENTIONED OBJECT PROPELLED PLANE SINCE THE ACCOMPANYING SOUND UAS nor AS LOUD AS THAT MADE BY JET PROPELLED PLANES . HE ESTIMATED ABOVE OBJECT TRAVELED AT A RATE OF
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Source text · mention onlyRECEIVED-TA• i . FBI U.S. DEPT. uF jUG 11 ::: '\ ' ' .. ... • '
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Source text · mention only•• ' I PAGE TIJO ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED TO FIVE HUNDRED MILES PER HOUR . INQUIRIES BEING MADE BY ARMY AND NAVY INTELLIGENCE FORCES, PHILA . ON THE REQUEST OF THE PHILA . OFFICE TO DETERMINE IF EITHER ARMY OR NAVY ARE DOING ANY EXPERIMENTAL WORK ON NEW TYPES OF PLANES IN VICINITY OF PHILA. THEY WILL ADVISE PHILA . OFFICE IN NEXT SEVERAL DAYS . LETT-ER OF DETAILS WILL FOLLOW . BOARDMAN HOLD PLS •
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Source text · mention only• • •• .. ' j ' -EL.:iYPE UI IT REC:\\'t;O 1 - ~UG 7 9 35 Pli\ 't\7 . oEP1• o• JUS1\C E.r.S.t . LJ1 "' ..c.. -..,J ,.
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Source text · mention onlyA STANDARD FORM NO. $4 ~ .,. ~ •.Office Memurandum. • UNITED STl\.1..1.:,..., _.- OVERNMENT• 65-480 TO : ('J )°:f/1:otor FBI DATE: August 20, 1947 FROM ~ SAC Butte 0~ SUB/jJ: FLTING DISCS '1-~ ,;L Refer tel~type to the Bureau dated August 16. 1947~ / - ~ Enclosed please find the newspaper account carr i ed by the Twin Falls. {', .~aho "Times Nen" on August is. toget her with a sheet of paper on whicll • c. ~ attempted to sketch his impressions of the instrument which he claims to - have seen. . Concerning URIE•s sketches, it nay be noted that be beliewd the rolled outer edge which he attempted to create in his drawil'.lg to have been about a toot through. URIE lik»wise believed that the tubing or exhaust flame which be and his sons claim to have seen was about a toot through and extended at least to the ba.ok end of the device. The flame did not appear to taper ott nor to widen out toward the back. BI~Y and ~IE stated that they could see a knot on the side ot the device tran which the !'lanes were shooting, and that they could see day light between the exhaust flame and the side of the device. The flames did not leave a.ny smoke or odor• A The URIE boys thought that the "side view" sketch should show that k:J the device was more sharply angled from bottan to top, while URIE himself C thought that it was more streamlined and curved. URIE said that the instru- f ment came to a pointed or rounded top. .-Bt:"f,ERP , ~ In his notations• URIE mistakenly said tmt he had seen it on Thurs day. During interview, he stated that it a ctually had been on Wednesday, August 13, 1947, when he and his sons saw the oontrivanoe about 1:00 P. Me ... URIE explai:md that he had sent h is boys to the river to get some rope f'ran his boat. When he thought they were overdue, he v.oent outside histJ! tool shed to look for them. Be noticed them about 300 f'eet away looking in \ the sky and he glanced up to see what he called the flying disc. He said he __. could only see it f'or a JDOJD9nt before it disappe ared behind a hill which . . £' obscured his view. ...,~~.,;.,' URIE further stated that the contrivance was about seventy-five f'eet in the air• URIE r ides in the depths ot the Snake River Canyon. which is about .four hundred et deep and twelve hundred .teet across at that place. ~ According to his ace t, the contrivance was about three hundred feet below the rim of the oan and,, he saw it against the steep walls ot the canyon on the tar side. -e ~its color as sq blue and stated that he doubted if it could be e a t the sky. He likewise said that it was purely by COPIES 1q~oe,...,:t~ ,, I did not spin like a ~ .k,i..lJ.l!,.l> . ) Cl:/ 't. 127 0 ~v; l 1s; ~1~ lliD~ ~-::~ ~f-'f { ·?- 1 ? !/,I M SEP ). ,j 154), ✓ /!) 6Q 1 ~ i I / ~ C/ ,i,{X be ;:,
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Source text · mention only... .' 0 • T .. - ♦ ' !.♦ . t.
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Source text · mention only... BT 66-480 As the machine went by the URIE place. the trees over which it almost directly passed (Korman Poplars) did not just bend with the wind as if' a plane had gone by• but• in URIE•s worda• "11plD1 around on top as it they were in a vacuum.." KEI'l'H URIE• eight yea.rs of age. said he first saw the machine coming dc.Ml the canyon. heading from east to 11est and following the contours of the ground. BILLY• age ten. saw it almost imnediately. Both watched it .fly out of' sight behind a tree in a matter of' momenta• They said they then ran to their Father and learned that he too had seen the machine• URIE seemed completely sincere about the inoiden-t. He said his wife and daughter ware in the house at the time and had not seen the macbi.D&. He questioned his brother• who also live• in the canyon. but his brother bad been eating at the time and had seen nothing. URIE and his two boys maintained that they had never before seen one ot -the discs. URIE. when interviewed• ap peared to be a sober. m.dqle-E\ged man. JOHJrlmc)sNAU. the "Times Newa" reporter who originally .t'urnished Special Agents with information about the incident• likewise stated that URIE appeared cmpletely sincere about the machine. ,....., ,, Ho f'urther attempt -was made to locate L. w. HAWKINS, inasmuch as J. H. BROWN• who was with HAWKINS at the tilll3• was intervi8?i8de BROffll's ~ was withheld trc:m the newspaper because HAWKINS and BROWN -were fishing at Sal• m.on dam while BROWN was supposed to have been workit1g in Twin Falls. BROWN said simply that be and HAWKINS could bear a roar. They looked up and could see two instr\lDBnta flying at a great height. which BROWN mentioned might have been between four thousand and six thousand feet. However. he said he had no idea how large the devioes ware and consequently• they ma.y have been several miles away. He said tlat he and HAWKINS were satisfied they had seen aouething and they were very doubtful that they had seen two planes. RJGaFo•s Eno. (2)
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Source text · mention onlyENCLOSURE ENCLOSURE •
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Source text · mention onlyNewspaper Serving TWIN FALLS, IDAHO, FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1947 Heads Up, Follis! The Discs Are Flying A [' » ii ~ ~ ❖' ajf.... .... ( •. ~:.;~t ~-- ¥."';;:,, ~ ~ t .~.. < ,~ " . JIIIC'ila. ., - This Is an arti st's con ception of the flying disc t hat A. C. Urie saw Isides, a nd could well be t h e inspiration for something new in women's sweeping- t hrough Sna ke river canyon six miles west of Blue Lakes hats, such as a "flylnr saucer" creation . (Drawing by Vic Goer tzen- ranch. It seemed to be powered by jets emitting a fiery glow o n both staff engraving) "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' "' If. Flying Saucer Reported Flashing DoWil Canyon At 1,000 Miles Per ·Hour; Two Others Are Seen By JOHN BROSNAN Just as Magic Valley and the nation were starting to let go o! lampposts after reeling under a. welter of flying saucer reports, two more Twin Falls county men re vived speculation on the mystery with vivid descriptions of discs they saw. ~ From A. C. Urie, who operates I.he Auger Falls Trout farm six miles west o! Blue Lakes ranch in • • ke river canyon, came perhaps ~ most detailed account of one of the fast-flying objects the nation has yet produced. The flying saucer Urie saw was skimming along through Snake river canyon at a height of about 75 feet at 1 p. m. Wednesday. At 9:30 a. m. the same day, L. W. Hawk ins, Twin Fa11s county commis sioner and former county sheriff from Filer, also saw two circular objects soaring along at a great height near Salmon dam 40 miles southwest of Twin Falls. Here is Urle's eye-witness de- scription of the flying discs seen by him and his son, Keith, 8, and Billy, 10: "I obtained a close-up view o! the flying saucer as It passed by the trout farm at l p. m. Aug. 13 going down Snake river canyon at a height of about 75 feet from the canyon floor. I would estimate the speed at about 1,000 miles per hour." Urie explained that the incident occurred while the two boys were com.Ing across the river from the north side in a boat. He had be- come concerned about what was de laying them, and had walked down toward the river to see tl they were all right. "I had a side view at a distance o! abo'.lt 300 feet and almost on a level with the thing," Urie con tinued. "Two of my boys, Keith and Billy, were below me and they also saw it at about a 45-degree angle. They both got a bottom and a side view, and we were a11 look ing at It from the south side of the
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Source text · mention onlyTIME S-NEWS, TWIN F ALLS, IDAHO rs. ert for two e to at done at utworms. past two done con fields in •is>l1 >\S 25 . ~ - • ., Iields. , • age Is done to the pods, he explained , as the insects burrow into a pod at night, eat into the seeds, drop to the ground the next day, and enter another pod the nPxt nigh t. He recommend ed use of five per cent DDT dust at the rate of 20 pounds per acre , and said the first appllcation should be on now. Next speaker was W. D. Hay of the PMA federal-state seed labora tory at Sacramento, Calif. He dis cussed the movement of bean seed in interstate commerce, how the seed should be labeled, how to name different varie ties, a nd the validity of name assignments . Carl Blackburn, of the Idaho Crop Improvement association, discussed the general organization of that group and spoke of its measures for seed certification. The delegates then a.djourned to Clear Lakes resort for a fish fry. The Hospital Twin Falls News in Brief To Visit Here Marri age License AureHa stark , Portland, Ore., is Kenne th Mira cle and Esta Jayarriving here soon to visit Mr. and Pearson, both of Twin Falls, received Mrs. Phil A. Snow. a marriage license Thursday at the courthouse.1Birth s + A daughter was born Thursday to Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Wageman, Filer , at the Twin Fl!-lls county general hospital materni ty home. Return From College Mr. and Mrs. Robert Van Engelen and Fred Van Engelen have re turned from Moscow where they at tended the summer session of the University of Idaho. BREV Miss Povey Visits Kathleen Povey, former Spanish instructor at Twln Falls hlgh school, Is visiting here this week. She now teaches Spanish in a high school a t South Pasadena, Calif. Auto Recovered Clifford J . Roth, 529 Fifth avenue north, reported the theft of his automobile from near the Legion hall to Twin Falls pol!ce at 5:42 p. m. Thursday and 18 minutes later reported he had recovered the ve- hlcle . Visits Schuberts __ Agnes Schubert, Monterey • Park, Rector Returns • The Rev. E. Leslie Rolls, rec tor of the Eplscopal Church of the Ascen slon, and Mrs. Rolls returned Thursday from Tacoma , Wash. , where they spent their vacation. Retur n to Kansas City E. L. Hoffman and his son, Eugene, with Lucille Gahr, has re turned to Kansas City after visiting Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Hogue. Mrs. Hogue Is his mother. On Trip to East Mrs. John Hawes and her nephew, Pat Boland, have gone to Boston and New York City on a two-week's vacation to visit relatives. Visiting Sister I Mrs. Robert Swanson, Denver, Colo., if vlsltln~ her sist er, Mrs . Kenn=," Kail. Mrs. Swanson is a !o~r:1' r resident of Rupert. i,1;1, Permit Al,,)licatlon for a permit to build a 1 2 by 20-foot private garage of Calif., ic, ,li,lti.ig her broth er and · .:-..i:.m;, cvuo~l'l.wtlo11 " "" filed Frldt<Y sister -in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Mel in the office of the city clerk by Schubert , this month. Miss Schu- bert, former art instructor at Twin Falls high school, now teaches in California. Attend Funeral Out-of-town persons who attend ed the Donald Spencer funeral in clude Mrs. George Robbins, Ingl e wood, Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Adams, Mr . and Mrs . Erni e Vldun, Wayne and Dorothy Adams, and Mrs. Norma Lou Veneman, all Po catello; Mrs . Sarah Adams, Mrs. Will Severe, Mr. and Mrs . Lyman Adams, Mr. and Mrs. Orvil Adams, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Adams, Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth Adams, all Oak ley; Mrs. Judson Tolman, Logan, Utah, and Mrs. Alice Miller, Salt Lake City. William Munger, 38, Passes Here Willia m H . Munger, 38,305 Locust street north, died at 11 a. m. Friday Lola M. Vazquez, 350 Elm street, who estimated the cost at $400. Moose to Meet Members of the fellowship degree of the Moose lodge will meet at 12:30 p. m. Sunday at the Moose hall, officials announced Friday. Refreshments will be served by Women of the Moose. Harry Piper, 71, Claimed by Death BUHL, Aug. 16-Harry Sylvester Piper, 71, Buhl plumber since 1926, died at 9:20 p, m. Thursday at the Twin Falls county general hos pital from complications following an emergency operation. Mr. Piper was born June 6, 1875, In Emporia, Kans., and came to Idaho in 1926. He Is survived by his wife, Mrs. Nettle Clussman Piper; three daughters, Mrs. Harry Kinter, Buhl; Mrs. James F. Percha!, Twin Falls Four Parleys Set on Cassia School Pia ffrom Pace c:>ne) Sublett ; 14, Almo; 24, Hazel; Blidt!e . ;;n, ;5puugdaie; 31, View, 32, Moulton. The above distric ts would be corporated into one district w •): Ia would elect five trustees . Tru~, . J a distric ts would be divided tht•s: District 1, all of Burley school dis- a tric t west of Overland and the Bur! ley-Oak ley highway; district 2, all of Burley school district east of Overland and the Burley-Oakley highway; district 3, present districts of Declo, Albion, Springdale and View; district 4, Oakley, Basin , Moulton ; and district 5, Heglar, Malta, Elba, Sublett, Almo, Bridge and all present unorganized terri tory. ' Funeral Held for Inf ant at Wendell WENDELL, Aug. service.!/ were held 15 - Graveside Thursday eve ning for Marian Kay Ems, Wendell. The infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Ems died at birth Thursday morning. She is survived by her parents; a 1>rothe!', Kenn eth Ray, !!:? month ~, and a sister, Janet LaRae, 5. Bw·ial in the Wendell cemetery was under the direction of the Frazier mor tuary. Jenkins May Try Run Tests Friday WENDOVER, utah , Aug. 15 (/PJ Ab Jenkins , holder of most of the world's land speed records for dis tances of 50 miles or more, may be gin late tomorrow test runs in prep aration .for his newest record as sault. Bud Winfield of Los Angeles, de signer of the low-slung Mobil spe cial that Jenkins will drive, pro nounced the car "ready to go." The runs will be made on an 11 ½ mile circular track on the Bonne ville salt flats, 120 mil es west ofi Salt Lake City. Jenkins, former Sait Lake City mayor, hoped to make his official runs early next wee~ • •
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Source text · mention onlyFEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ., OFFICIAL BUSINESS ENCLOSURE TO BUREAU Butte File 65-480
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Source text · mention only'Saucer' Seen ~lying Down Snak.e Gorge (From Pa,:o Ono) river facing toward the north. The boys saw it coming about ha!! a. mile up the canyon, and we all lost sight of it in less than a mile." While the impression was still vivid in their minds, the three got together and made rough sketches of what they had seen. These, in turn, were the basis for the artist's conception of the strange affair by Vic Goertzen of Twin Falls for the Times-News. "It was all one color-sort of a light sky blue with a red, tubular ~fiery ~low a.t the side of the top or ' hood," Urie continued. ··'.1he canyon floor is rough at hat '1)articular point, and it rode up and down over the hills and hol lov.s at a speed indicating some typi:. of control faster than the reflexes of man. It Is my opinion that it is guided by instruments and must be powered by atomic energy, as it made very little noise-just a s-w-i-s-h as It passed by." Urie described. the size as about 20 feet long by 10 feet high and 10 feet wide, giving lt an oblong shape. It might be described as look ing like an inverted pie-plate or broad-brimmed straw hat that had been compressed from two sides. Pressed for his candid opinion of just what it was, Urie said that he was convinced that there was some thing to this flying saucer situation. "I know a number of the people who have also seen them and I know that they're not just imagining something or trying to get their names in the paper," Urie com mented. "I do know that it scared the boys and made me feel pretty uneasy," he added. Tracing down a rumor that County Commissioner Hawkins had seen an unusual object in the air on the same day as Urie's experience, the Times-News called him at his Filer home. "Yes, I did," he replied without hesitation. "I'll have to admit I've been skeptical all along until I saw it with my own eyes. I can't say what It was, but I can say there's something in the air." Hawkins related that while at Salmon dam Wednesday morning, a sound resembling the echo of a motor caused him to look upward, and there he saw two circular ob jects that reflected light. They were traveling at a great speed and hlgh,;,r than most airplanes, accord 'ng t.o Hawkins. Aslde from this, he declined to add d'etails, except Lo say, ''There's something in the air." His general description, however, corresponded closely to those of hundreds of persons who reported seeing flying saucers after Kenneth Arnold, Boise businessman, had touched off the deluge by telling of coming upon nine disc-like objects whlle he was flying in his private plane in Washington. Thereafter, the nation became in creasingly flying saucer conscious, creating a state of mind that made It possible for four 'teen age Twin Falls boys to cause a mild sensa tion when they built a model flying disc and tossed into a. local yard July 10. This was subseuently re vealed as a. hoax, following investi gation by the anny and FBI. Thereafter the saucer reports tapered off Into a few scattered in cidents until the question was re vived by this week's occurrences. Speculation has ranged from mention that the discs could be army or naVY guided missile experi ments, or that they could be similar experiments by some foreign coun try, to "something out of this world." Whatever, they are, a lot of people have seen "something."
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Source text · mention only,. OUT OUR WAY SIDE GLANCES C09lt. 1946 BY lil!A S!RVICI, I "If you quit driving to wor save enough money to buy Ju the yard I" CARNIVAL - ·'
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Source text · mention onlyUNITED S GOVERNMENT DATB: August. 20, 1947 AuthOfity: SUllJBCT : NND 90986
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Source text · mention onlyOC.APN/KDS,cp 24 July 1947#3724 - I l.fEM.OR}.NDUM TO THE SECURITY OFFICER, OCJ.MA, TINKER FIELD. SUBJECT: BYRON B. SAVAGE, Field Engineer, Radio Corporation of America, Dal l as, Texas . Residence: 416 N. W. 29th Street, Oklahoma City , Oklahoma.) RE: Flyind Disc . On 23 July 1947 , BYRON B. SAVAGE was interviewed at his residence, 416 N. Vi. 29th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, relating to his alleged viewing of a flying disc over the vicinity of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma . Subject, whose age is 38 , advised he is married and has one child, wd is presently the holder of a ·Private Pilot's License, No. 39101 (Single Engine , Land) . Subject averred he has extensively studied electron ics , sound engineering and aeronau'ti cs , and }tis present occupation , which is Field Engineer for Radio Corporation of J.merica, offices of which are located in Dallas, Texas, is that of instal l ing theater sound equipment. SAVAGE stated that between the days 17 May to 21 May 1947, just after dusk, he observed an object which he believed to be a small aircraft in the south. SAVAGE advised that the sun had just 6one down and the moon had not arisen on the horizon. SAVAGE related that he and his wife had just departed their residence and had started to enter their car in the driveway at 416 N. w. 29th Street, Oklahoma City . He judged the time to be between 8s30 p.m. i;.nd 9:00 p.m., and the lights from the city of Oklahoma City appeared to be shining on this object when he first saw it. He judged the object to be about 160° in the south when he first saw it, and as it moved toward him he remarked to his wife that "a big white plane was coming over." SAVAGE stated that when this object was at a 45° angle from him, he realized it was not a conven~ional type aircraft, and it appeared elliptical at first end as it moved closer it appeared perfectly round and wes flat. S/.VAGE advised the object, which appeared to him as a disc, had no appearance of being spherical and had a ratio of diameter to the thickness of approxi• mately 10 to 1, appearing thicker in the center , but this could not be positi~ely ascertained . SAVAGE judged the object to be at an altitude of between 10,000 and 18,000 feet, and it left no trailing effects. SAVAGE related that it appeared to be in bulk as big es the bulk of six B- 29s et an altitude of approximately the same height. SAVAGE advised that the object was in his vision approximately 15 to 20 seconds and travelled at a speed which he judged to be approximately three times tha t of jet- propelled aircraft .
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Source text · mention only\ a. ~ ~ Memo: to the Security Officer , OC-.Al!A, File 3724 -I. SAVAGE stated that there were no protrusions on this object and as it went by he listened for a sound of noise, etid at one time thou~ht he dis tinguished a swishin~ sound like the rushing of air . This swishing sound occurred a few seconds after this object had passed him. SAVAGE aV-erred this sound was not very loud and did not last very long, and it is very possible that the sound could have been his ima&ination or expectation, as he was not sure of the sound . SPVAGE related that he called his wife to see this object but it had disappeared before she could focus her eyes on it. Subjeot stated that the objeot appeared to diminish in size and speed as it movffirffl:1 • and it we.s moving in a direction of 350° to the north . Subj ect7stated that the object appeared to be frosty white in color at all times . SAVAGE advised that he has held a pilot's certificate since 1934 and has been flying since 1929. He advised that he v:oulcl be :!;lad to answer any further inquiries and will cooperate in every way possiole . SAVAGE stated he was sure this object was not a meteor and in his opinion it must be radically built end powered, probably atomic . J K.AUd.P.N D. SIMON c.r . u.s . Army
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Source text · mention onlyCOPY \ Incident 41.F 1208 I 16 July 1947 MEMORANDW FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE, 1. On 12 July 1947, Mr . Kenneth Arnold, Box 387, Boise, Ide.ho, was interviewed in regard to the report by Mr. Arnold that he saw 9 strange objects flying over the Cascede Mountain Range of Washington State on July 25th. Mr. Arnold voluntarily agreed to give the interviewer a written report of exactly what be had seen on the above mentioned date. The written report of Mr• .Arnold is attached to this report as Exhibit A. AGENT'S NOTES: Mr. P.rnold is a ma.n of 32 years of age, being married aid the father of two children. He is well thought of in the community in which he lives, being very much the family man end from all appearances a very good provider for his family. Mr. ~rnold has recently purchased a home on the outskirts of Boise. recently purchased a $5.000 airplane in which to conduct his business to the extent of which is explained in the attached exhibit. It is the personal opinion of the interviewer that Mr. ~rnold actually saw what he stated that he saw. It is difficult to believe that a man of' Mr. Arnold's characte r and apparent integrity would stete that he saw objects and write up a report to the extent that h~ did if he did not see them. To go further, if Mr. Arnold can write a report of the character that he did while not having seen the objects that he claimed he saw, it is the opinion of the interviewer that Mr. Arno l d is in the wrong business, that he should be writing Buok Rogers fiction. Mr . Arnold is very outspoken and somewhat bitter in his opinions of the leaders of the U.S. Army }~r Forces and the Federal Bureau of Investigati~n for not having made an investigation of this matte r sooner . To put all of the statements made by Mr. Arnold in this report would make it a voluminous volune. However, after having checked an aeronautical map of the area over which Mr. Arnold claims that he saw the objects it_wes determined that all statements made by Mr. Arnold in regard to the distances involved, speed of the objects, course of the objects and size of the objects, could very possibly be facts. The distances mentioned by Mr. Arnold in his report are within a short distance of th~ actual distances on aeronautical charts of this area . although Mr . ~rnold has never consulted aeronautioal charts of the type the Army uses. Mr. Jrnold stated that this business had suffered greatly since his report on July 25 due to the fact that at every stop on his business routes, large crowds of people were waiting to question him as to just what he had seen. Mr. Arnold stated further that if' he, et any time in the future, sew anything in the $ky, to quote Mr. P.rnold directly, .,if I saw a ten story building FRANl< M. BROWN, S/A, CIC 4th AF
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Source text · mention onlyl Incident 4AF 1208 I flying throu~h the atr I would never ea7 a word about itn. due to the fact that he has been ridiculed by the press to such en extent that he is practically a moron in the eyes of the majority of the population of the United States. Incl: Exhibit "A" FRi'.NK M. BRO~N, S/A. CIC 4th AF
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Source text · mention only• COPY SOME LIFE DAT.A ON KENNETH PRNOLD I was bor n March 29 • 1915 in Subeka. Minnesote. . ~y father ' s name vras Edward Erb Arnold; my mother t s maiden name was Bertha E. Barden. I was a resident of Minnesota until· I was six years old when my family moved to Scobey. Montana . where they home• steaded . My grandfather , Role.nd C. Arnol d also homestead ed in Scobey . Montana , and became quite prominent in political circles al ong with Burton K. Viheel er , the famous Montana senator . I went to grade school and high school at Minot , North Dakota . I ente r ed scouting at twelve years of age and achieved the rank of Eagle scout before I was fourtee n. My former scout executive was H. H. Prescott , now a reg i onal commissioner for the Boy Scouts in Kansas City , Kansas . >s a boy, l was inte r ested in athletics and was sel ected as an all - state end in 1932 and 1933 in the state of Worth Dakota . I entered the U. S. Olympic trials in fancy diving in 1932 ; I was a Red Cross Life Saving Examiner during the years of 1932 , ' 33 and 1 34. I taught swimmin~ and diving at scout camps and the municipal pool in Minot, North Dakota . I went to the University of Minnesota , where I swam and did fancy diving under Neil s Thorpe, and also played footbal l under Berni e Bierman, but upon entering college I was unable to continue my footba l l care er because of an injured knee . My high school foot bal l coach was Glenn L. Jarrett , who is now the head footba ll coach of the University of North Dakota. I had little or no finances, and my ambition in furthering my education in college
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Source text · mention only... ·.,---p· . 2 . age was through my athletics. As a boy in Minot, North Dakota, I did a good deal of dog sled racing, placing first with my. dog in 1930 in the Lions Club Dog Derby. In 1938 I went to work for Red Comet, Inc. of Littleton, Colorado , a manufacturer of automatic fire fighting apparatus. In 1939 I was made district manager for them over a part or the western states , and in 1940 I established my ovm fire control supply known as the Greet Western Fire Control Supply. I have been working as an independent fire control engineer since , and I handle , distribute, sell and install all types of auto matic and manual fire fighting equipment in the rural areas over five western states . My flying experience started as a boy in Minot , North Dakota , where I took my first flying 1 es son .from Earl T. Vance, who was originally from Great Falls, Montana . Due to the high cost et that time , I was unab l e to continue my flying and did not fly of any great consequence until 1943. I wss given my pilot certificate by Ed Leach. a senior CAA inspector of Portland, Oregon , and for the last three years have owned my o;,m airplane ooverin; my entire territory with same and flying from forty to one hundred hours per month since. Due to the fact tha t I use an airplane entirely in my work , in January of this year I purchased a new Callair airp lane, which is an airpl ane designed for hi6h altitude take-offs end short rough field usage. In the type of flying I do , it takes a great deal of - NliiD:mNTI A"-'
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Source text · mention onlycow Page 3- Some Life Data on Kenneth Arno l d pr actice and jud1911ent to be able to land in most any cow pastu. r e and get out without injuring your airplane ; the runways are v13ry limited and the altitude is very high in some of the fie l ds and places I h~ve to go in my work . To date , I have landed in 8~2 cow pastu r es in mountain meadows. and in over a thou sand hours a fla.t tire has been my greetest mis hap.
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Source text · mention only• \ I DISCS . INTERNAL SCURITY-X. FBI SEATTLE 8-14 - 47 5-21 PM /4RECTOR FBI URGENT L. R. BRUMMETT. SID'l}ECKER. ~ FLYING AUGUST FOURTEEN INllflffHXK NINETEEN FORTYSEVEN SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER PUBLISHED ARTICLE TO EFFECT THAT L. ~UMMETT, BOX TWO FIVE FOUR RED MOND, WASH, AND SIDNEY DECKER BOX TWO NINE SI X REDMOND, WASHINGTON HAD SIGHTED TWO DI SCS AT APPROXIMATELY NINE AM AUGUST THIRTEEN NINETEEN FORTYSEVEN . UPON INTERVIEW DECKER STATED THAT TWO VERY BRIGHT OJECTS '\ TRAVELING AT AN EXTREME RATE OF SPEED WERE NOTICED BY HIM AS H~WAS STANDING NEAR THE REDMOND POST OFFICE . DECKER DESCRIBED THE OBJECTS AS HAVING NO WINGS, NO TAIL, AND BOTH ENDS WERE TAPERED . DECKER ADDED THAT THE OBJECTS RESEMBLED A BELLY TANK AND THAT THEY WERE NOISELESS . THE OBJECTS WERE VERY BRIGHT AND TRAVELING IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION OVER REDMOND, WASHINGTON, ONE A BIT BEHIND AND A LITTLE ABOVE THE ◊,HER MAINTAINING EQUAL RA TES OF SPEED FOR APPROXIMATELY EIGHT SECONDS A1'rv-/ WHICH TIME THEY DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. DECKER ADDED THAT THEY WERE HIGHER THAN A PLANE GENERALLY TRAVELS. BRUMMETT ADVISED THAT HE NOTICED THE OBJECTS AND CALLED DECKERS ATTENTION TO THEM AND ALSO POINTED THEM OUT TO A MRS MAMIE ENGLISH . BRUMMETT STATED THAT HE SAW THO OBJECTS FLYING AT A FORTYFIVE DEGREE ANGLE NORTHEASTERLY OVER REDMOND t~ /Ir} ,V T.iIO'H00([8 I ..Y - L - ~ /f \ ~~ F ..J~ E71 ~~ . .,34 SEP~ 1941
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Source text · mention only:P 27 419 PM '11 '! INTERNAL SECURl'l v f'°.B.\. - -.:; r OF 111 r - ~tCt \\Jt=.'' ·~ \ 'l 9 31. ""'. ,\, t.t\\\~\. scc,ut\\"'. t, ~.\.r .. . • ,.' .. ' •
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Source text · mention onlyHE AS HE • PAGE TWO TRAVELING AT LEAST THREE TIMES FASTER THAN A PLAN . BRUMMETT ADDED THAT WATCHED THE OBJECTS FROM FI VE TO EIGHT SECONDS AT WHI CH TIME THEY DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT. ACCORDING TO BRUMMETT THE OBJECTS WERE DESCRIBED BEING NOISELESS, HAVI NG NO WINGS OR TAIL , LIGHTER THAN ALUMINUM, TAPERED AT BOTH ENDS AND ONE STAYED A LITTLE BEHIND AND A BIT ABOVE THE OTHER AND BOTH MAINTAI ND EQUAL RATES OF SPEED. FROM BRUMMETTS OBSERVATIO WAS UNABLE TO DECI DE WHETHER THE OBJECTS WERE FLAT OR ROUND. MRS MAMI~ LISH STATED THAT WHEN BRUMMETT CALLED HER ATENTION TO THE OBJECTS SHE TOOK A PASSI NG GLANCE AT THE SKY AND COULD OFFER NO DESCRI PTI ON OTHER THAN THEY LOOKED LIKE TWO SI LVER BALLS TRAVELING AT A FAST RATE OF SPEED . WILCOX END SHOLD PLS 9- 28 PM OK FBI WASH DC GAR
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Source text · mention onlys:r-;,»:>FORM-:NO, 64 • . .y .0-fkce Memorandum . UNITED s. GOVERNMENT 1 !'JJ" ., ' / ~ TO Direct or , FBI DATE : September 20, 1947 ~ ~ ~ OM : (jJSAC, Chicago SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS RIC~RD P. S !½A.VER - Informant Reference is made to your letter dated august 11, 1947 in the above captioned matter . Sheriff FRED Bl\U, t:cHenry County, ,loodstock , Illinois , advi sed that he had received no reports of f]ying dis cs in the communit y of Lily Lake, Illinois . He further stated that he had no record or knowledge of RICHARD F. SHAVER of Lily Lake . Deputy Sheriff FR.Af1K KELIER, Li~ Iake, Illinois , advised that he was per sonally acquainted with RICf!A..~VERJ whom he described as a successful Nwrite r of mystery stories . He said he had no information to the effect that SHAVER was mentally unsound and he believed him to be a substantial citizen. 0::: :l!'s . R. UurnES, Lily lake Realty Company, advised she had sol d property to ST11\VER on two occasions and was well acquainted with SI-Itt.VER and his wife . She knew of no der ogatory informatio n c oncerning him. RICHARD SHARPTTHA~ was inte r viewed at Lily lake > Illinois and advised that he was the featured wr iter of mystery s t ories f Q.J:..!f1tmazing 11 magazine , which magazine is edited by .EAYJ .mf:r.I'1iJJ...l!.~ of t ~ f -'Davis .Publishing Company, Chicago , Illinois . SP.AVER at the outset stated that P.1:>.L,JER had told him thy FBI would contact him r egar dine flying discs . 1..,_ -.. ~ , $¥.AVER indicated that the telegram received by the i1ar Depa.rt~ent , r eferred to in r eferenced letter , was probably sent by one of his readers, unknovm to him. I~ said that he ,rrote mystery stories based on his firm convi ction that under the earth are var ious caverns formerly inhabited by a super race , who have since fled to other plane t s . This region of caverns he c alls Lemuria . ~ stated he believes there is valuab l e machine ry and othe r r es ources i n thes e cave r ns . He therefore explained flying discs , which he calls "space ships ", as the mode of travel of the Ieourians coming f rom other plane t s to reclaim the valuable nachinery . &.{A.VER indicated that his theories had aroused a wide following among readers of 11Amazing11 magazine . / , . SHA iER exhibited an article from an edition of the 11 Chicago Times" for sunta:"F /"ugust B, 1947. The article stated that on June 24, 1947, on Murray Island , off the .Tashington Coast , there had occurred a mysterious explosion which was believed to have been caused by a guided missile or rocket . It furthe fi~ t ed that t he date of the explosion vras the same date on which one l\l.,'Nirn'.Cf~HOLD, /tJ a private pilot , siehted the first flying disc at Boise , Idahq . 1 'y ~ / - 0 (\.~\ l' - ~ 1V~1,!~ oO~~ JEi'SfP 24 ,qt. ~~1) , Of _/flSQ ¾A·IO~ ~~ ' t .COPIES DESTROYED 2 7' O NOV 18 1964 {
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Source text · mention onlyI . ~ 1!. \ .J l '\ .t\. ~ , i\-Uf\J3S 1'1N~3l" ~ . ~..\ 9S V ~I d
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Source text · mention only• • ... Director , FBI Re : FLYING DISCS September 20, 1947 The article went on to state that it was believed at the time that there was some correlation between the flying dis c and the kurray Island explosion , and that RAYl'OND PAU:'.ER, Chicago magazine editor , had employed APJfOLD to investi gate and 11cover 11 the 1!urray Island explosion . The artic l e went on to state that on August 1, 1947, at Tacoma, Washington , there was a conference among officials of the Army and Navy, who discussed the possible relation between the i;urray Island explosion and the appearance of flying discs . ARNOLD was supposed to have been in attendance at this conference . At the conference, authorities br ought samples of a lava oxide metal, allegedly taken from the scene of the ~urray Island expl osion . 'lhe article stated that following the conference , two pilots left by plane for Hamilton F'ield, California , carr ying samples of the lava oxide metal . The article further reported that the plane crashed near Hamilton Field, California , and it w·as conjectured that the plane had exploded by reason of the combustion of the lava oxide metal it carried . From the above ne,vspaper article , it should be noted that RAYLOND PAIJ.lER., SHAVEF 1s employer , was from the start 11exploiting 11 the appearance of the flying dis cs , possibly to enhance the appeal of SHA.VER's stories . It is possible , therefore, that the entire flying disc theory was conceived by PAI.MER and SHAVE't . OAG: lab 100-18999 - 2 -
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Source text · mention only• ) • _........ .o~Ro FORM NO. 64 • - . ... · Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT t ; . - I /k • ' ;JTo D:!rector, FBI ~ SA.C, Anchorage ('D ,.., c.. e.r: SUBJECT: },'lying Disks Reference is made to Bureau Bulletin No. 41. dated July 30, 1947. This is to advise that two arIJ\1 officers rep arted to the Office of the Director of Intelligence , headquarters Alaskan Departnent, at 1''ort Richardson, Alaska, that they had witnessed an object passing through the air at a tremendous rate of speed which could not be judged as to miles per hour . The first office r stated that his attention was attracted to this airborne object, and he in turn pointed it out to the second of ficer. The object appeared to be shaped like a sphere and did not give the inpress i on of being saucer-like or co~arable to a disk . The first, officer stated that i t would be impossible to g:i,ve minute details con cerning the object, but that it appeared to be approximate l y two or three feet in diameter and did not l eave any vapor trail in the sky . ,-- ~z- - * Both officers atteapted to determine the approximate altit ude of the object, and from a weather group stationed nearby it was de termined that cloud .formations at the time the object was sighted were ~ "scattered above 10,000 .feet. 11 The object was noted to be traveling belc:M' the cloud formation . The first officer stated that in his opin i on the object ap peared to be metallic and was silver in color, nuch like the color of many airp l anes . • The second officer stated substantia l ly tbe same facts and also pointed out that the object renained within his vision for ap proxi.nately 15 to 20 seconds. When sighted, the object was traveling due south at a speed considerab l y in excess of any plane . The second officer stated that the object appeared to him to be approximately 10 µ feet in diameter and compared it to half the size of a full moon on an ordinary night . The seco~ officer based the altitude at approximately the same as the first officer except for the fact that due to the size be believed the object to be, he estimated the altitude to be only approximately 3,000 or 4,000 feet . The object appeared broadside to the second officer, and no evidence of a spinning motion or reflection was noted . As to the color, the secoxt~ pointed out that it appeared to be a dull retal finish .9 ~ -. . (J ._/:~~ff"1:,r.tnooo ti -i j "If - /Ir • VI ~ Wi 11t OPIES DESTROYED r/ ~ .11/ \ 7 0 NOV 18 1964 {.gO • '·''\;f
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Source text · mention only• • ' ,L ., ·a .j ~H:Jl1J3S WNH3J.N ; .,,J 8tJ I 92 d
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Source text · mention only• • . . ,. Letter to Director, FBI 9-17-47 Re: Flying Disks In concl usion, the seccnd officer pointed out that one of the rene.rkable features of this object was that it was definitely traveling against the wind. The exact date of the sighting of this object was not fur nished this office, and inasmch as it occurred previous l y to the re ceipt of Bureau instructions in this matter, no further investigation is being corxiucted by this office unless specifically requested to do so by the Bureau . 100-1403 HLM:GWH
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Source text · mention onlyD STANDARD•FORM NO. 64 • •-. Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVER ~ T Director, FBI ' DATE : September~47I' SAC, Philadelphia SUBJECT: FLYING OBJECT REPORTED OVER PHILADELPHIA AUGUST 6, 1947 cD ~ SABOTAGE q) 1-? Remytel August 7 last. /✓i·A/n ,<(_;:;1.A. e , §.?f> Miss ELEANOR"NADDLE, 2114 Hobart Street, Philadelphia, who is employed by the GEORGE rt.GREENlfALD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 1524 Chestnut Street, Phila- delphia, advised as follows: ~• fr""" &iir •• R?:i- Between 10:30 and 10:~-P~• on August 6, 1947, she was sitting on the steps of her home with CECELl¥FINE. She was facing north and observed a large white object traveling a~ a very fast rate of speed to the-.south. There -was a buzzing sound, not too loud but plainly audible, just after this object passed through the air . This white object left in its traj.__r a-. thin streak of smoke, which was grayish in color. ~ Miss CECELIA FINE, 5617 Arlington Street, Philadelphia, who is em- Ir Iployed by the PRESSMAN & GUTMAN COMPANY, INC., Room 1140, P.S.F.S. Building, Philadelphia, stated she -was sitting on the steps of Miss NADDLE's home on \ the evening of August 6, 1947, around 10:45 p.m. engaging in conversation with Miss NADDLE, when Miss NADDLE al:ruptly stopped in the· middle of her con versation and appeared to be frightened. Miss FINE at that time was sitting in a position in which she was facing south. She did not see any object in the sky after noting Miss NADDLE's change of expression, but she did hear a slight buzzing sound. JOHN SNYDER, 1440 Vankirk Street, Philadelphia, an insurance agent, who was a former pilot of B-24' s in the Army Air Corps, advised as follows: He was sitting on the steps of his home around 10:45 p.m. on August 6, 1947, with his wife; and his neighbors, the KELLY family, were sitting on their steps next door to the residence of SNYDER. All of the above parties were facing east. SNYDER noticed at this ~ime an object, emitting a bluish white flame, passing quickly through the air. The object was traveling from northeast to southwest. Using his experience in the Army Air Corps as a guide, SNYDER estimated the above object was between 1000 and 3000 feet in the air and traveling at a rate of between 400 to 506 miles an hour . This object d1a , not lose elevation as it passed through the air and left either smoke or a condensation trail in its former path, which sted for about two seconds . A hissing sound accompanied the pas1~ng ·s object . This sound was moder- "'> ate and not nearly as loud as th~~ a ompanyi.ng the passage of a rocke~t ship . • -f'. V • ./ 1/ .., y 1 n:oonDEI.l' i2.2.-.-: b,;,c::i / / ~- ..,..., (}; t ' /fL 1 & , -1" u v ~ ' If lN' OPms n rn~R( WT';D ff-Xi!r • \ \ ? 270 NOV 18 l!,b4 ,t
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Source text · mention only• Director, FBI September 18, 1947 JOHN J. KELLY, 1442 Vankirk Street, who is a retired police officer of the Philadelphia Police Department, advised as follows: Around 10:45 p.m. on August 6, 194?, he and his wife were sitting on the steps o~ their home, when KELLY noticed an object, resembling to him a giant firecracker, pass quickly through the air. KELLY heard no noise, but the object had completely passed from view in a southern direction within a split second. It left a fiery trail for about 100 feet. August 6, 1947, was a clear night, and no storm was brewing. KELLY was sure the object he saw was no falling star, and he noted the above object did not seem to be falling but maintained the same altitude. The wives of SNYDER and KELLY verified the accounts of their husbands as to the above-mentioned object. '\ It is to be noted that the SNYDERS and the KELLYS live in Northe~t ,, Philadelphia near Oxford Circle, which is about ten miles removed from the residence of Miss NADDLE. Ml.ss NA.DDLE's residence is located in the western part of Philadelphia. The Misses NADDLE and FINE are not known to the above mentioned KELLIS and SNYDERS. rt is further noted the observation of Miss NADDLE, the KELLYS, and the SNYDERS roughly correspond . All of the above persons seem reliable and not the type to seek publicity or to spread rumors. Miss NADDLE and JO~LLX .called the "Inquirer", Philadelphia news paper, and inquired if it could offer any eJq)lanation as to what they had seen. A representative of that paper had advised Miss NADDLE and KELLY that the object they saw may have been some product of an oil refinery or chemical company in their neighborhood. Both the Offices of Naval Intelligence and Army Intelligence in Phila delphia were requested by the Philadelphia Office to ascertain if either the Army or the Navy was doing any experimental work on new types of planes or equipment, in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Such was done wi.th negative re sults. The Office of Naval Intelligence indicated that an explosion had oc curred at the CHARLES LENNIG CHEMICAL COMPANY on August 6, 194?. S. A. GIMBEL, Safety Department of the CHARLES LENNIG CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC., 5000 Richmond Street, Philadelphia, advised.as follows: The above company is a manufacturer and distributor of chemicals. A fire had occurred on a dump of the company on August 6, 194?, but was quickly gotten under control. Such fire was confined to the company's prem ises and could not have been observed from outside the plant. The CHARLES .. - 2 -
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Source text · mention only• ' Di.rector, FBI September 18, 194? LENNIG COMP.ANY is about t~o and one-half miles southeast from Oxford Circle. The account of the fire does not seem to fit into the general pattern of the above-mentioned flying obj~ct, for itis noted that the flying object was allegedly traveling from a position northeast of Oxford Circle to a south westerly direction in Philadelphia. GIMBEL pointed out that, to the best of his knowledge, there are no oil refineries and chemical companies located around Oxford Circle or north of such, but that all of the companies of this type are several miles south of Oxford Circle. All logical investigation having been conducted, no further action will be taken on the instant matter unless advised to the contrary by the Bureau. FFB/ctg 98-1?62 - 3 -
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Source text · mention onlyJA 0 RECORDED ~ol sor,__ It. A- i~ • Cl &J!?. - : . Ol avln .a-. Ladd -- • Nichols- - • Rosen -. T.-acv-- El:an:;;:::==Gurne~ arbo -- • i.:ohr;:;..::;~= • ?enrln, '·" " • Qu1mt 7arJn Tolo. Rooa: - • .. SeptembGI' 27, 1947 l!ajor Gezs.eral George c. MoDonald leaiatant Chief ilr statt - 2 The Pentagm ilaabin~~ D • c. { ~ -- /ear General JloDo The Federal Bureau of Inftst1ga.t1on baa been requeated by your oitice to aes1at in the 1nveatigat1on ot reportod. aipt- inga of tl.ying di■oa. - U, attention baa been called to 1Datruot1on• disseminated by the Air Foroea rel&tiw to tbia a.tter. I have been ad"fiaed that these J.natructioJlS 1nclicat.e that the Air Foroea would inter Tin reaponeible obaervere •hi:le the FBI would inwstipte inoidenta or diaoa to\Dld on the ground, thereby relleri.Dg the Air Foroea or rumiing down inoidenta which 1n mn,y ca.sea turned out to be •uh oan covera. toilet aeat■ and whatnot." ID Yin ot the apparent underat:anlling by the 'Air Foroea or the poaition ot the Federal.Bureau ot Investigation in thia matter, I OAIUlOt pel"Jlit the J>8N<mnel and time ot this organisa tion to be 4iaa1pa:ted in this manner. I &m advising the Field D1Tia1cma ot the Fede?'&l Bureau ot Inveatigation to diaoontinue all 1nvoat1gative aotirlty regard- r~-,~ ing the reported aightinga of flying di1011, and am instructing them ·,.-- to reter all oampl&inta reoe1nd to the appropi-iaw Air Foro. • repreaentat1 ft in their area. t. Sincerely yours. J, 11c£er Ho Vt,,l /6 ✓ r !lr . t-:68!:!0 - !.!l ss Oan:I~
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Source text · mention onlyr STANDARD FORM NO, 84 • . ' • • -r ~ffi~e, Metnorandum . UN ITED STATES GOVER NMENT TO D. M. IA.DD <C> FLYING DI DATB: September 25, 1947 Ill'. Tolson FROM Ill'. E. J.. ~ Ill'. Cl egg~ Ill'. Glavi n~ :: ~ ~g-=01='. '---SUBJECT : wr. Rosen -- : : ~~~n ::: ~anne:=a==== t) , . . Harbo -- d by the Air Forces Intelligence to assist: r.~r~ the Air Forces in attempting to arrive at an explanation of the above rei.~~~.,r....== phenomena. The Air Forces indicated that the alleged sightings of flying l:'1••~m... • Ille s Gandy discs might have been made by i ndividuals of Commum.st sympathies for the ___-_-_-_- purpose of causing ma.ss hysteria in the United States over the fear of a secret Russian weapon. The Bureau agreed to assist in the investigation of the reported sightings , and the Field was advised in Bureau Bulletin No. 42, Series 1947, dated July 30 , 1947, that they should investigate each instance which was brought to their attention of the sighting of a flying disc in order to ascertain whether or not it was a bona fide sighting, an imaginary one, or a prank . The results of the inve stigation conducted by the Bureau Field Offices in this matter have failed to f reveal any indication of subversive indi viduals being involved in any of the 1) reported sightings. The Bureau has received a communication in the captioned matter from the Special Agent in Charge at San Francisco, dated September 19, 1947, which attached a "restricted" letter that was furnished confidentially to the SAC at San Franoisoo by Lieutenant Colonel Donald L. Springer, A-2, Ar-my Air Foroes, Hamilton Field, California, a copy of which is attached hereto. It is noted that the letter, which is dated September 3, 1947, is signed "By Command of Lieutenant General Stratemeyer 11 by Colonel R. H. Smith, Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence, Headquarters , Air Defense Command, Mitchel Field, New York, and is addressed to the Connnanding Generals of the various Air Forces . This letter is entitled "Cooperation of FBI with A.AF on Investigations of 'Flying Disc' Inci dents . " This letter states in substance that it was the original intent of the A.C/AS-2, Headquarters, Arrey A.ir Forces that whereas the ADC A.ir Foro es would interview responsible observers , the FBI would investigate incidents of so- called discs being found on the ground. Further, it indicates that the services of the FBI were enlisted in order to relieve the numbered A.ir Forces of the task of trackin g down all the many instances which turned out to be "ash can covers , ) toil et seats and whatnot . " vfV::_ RECOMMENDATIONs 0'\ ., It is reoonnn.ended that the Bureau protest vigorously to the Assistant - ~ Chief of .Air Staff - 2. It is also reoommenct'ed that the Buraau discontinue all activity in this field and that the Bureau Field Offices be advised to discon tinue all investigations and to refer all complaints received to the .A'ir Forces. ( A proposed Bulletin is attached for your approval. $J) t .:2, - (/ < l'fj/ / ::•nt. , ~ t\ \ I 9~1<-¥.CO; , ~/ ci" I/ - ,};.~~k v'\\1.1l 't- ~ t.. .;-·( A .'..ii?( 11 -i''il)l'- L-.- p ~
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Source text · mention only• .. ' . t - L/1,. NV ro o 9Z c11s :..
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Source text · mention only, . • - • ,,,, - ,,' . ,, • ._I ~· ' • -"I • -•• ~ ' ; .,,. .,,, ,.. C 0 p y HEADQUARTERS AIR DEFENSE COW.AND Mitchel li i eld, New York In reply refer to s D333.SEX 3 September 1947 SUBJECT, Cooperation of FBI with Ail' on Investigations of "Flying Diso" Ino ident s • TOr Commanding Genrals, First, Second, Fourth, Tenth, Eleventh and Fourteenth Air Forces ATTENTION r Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2 1. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has agreed to assist Air Force Intelligence personnel in the inves t!. gation of "flying disc" inoidents in order to quickly and effectively rule out what are pranks and to conoentrate on what appears to be a genuine inoident. 2. It was the original intent of the AC/AS-2, Headquarters, Army Air Foroes that whereas the ADC Air Foroes would intervi ew respon sible observers whose names would be furnished by AAF, the FBI would investigate incidents of so called "discs" being found on the ground. The services of the FBI were enlisted in order to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot. 3. It is requested that each A-2 informally coordinate and cooperate with the FBI, generally keeping the FBI informed of any proposed calls that intelli gence personnel will make on this subject. Very shortly, with the separation of the AAF' from the War Department, a firm polioy will be established to clarify the liaison arran gements between A-2•s and FBI Speoial Agents. Presently, it is considered inadvisable to promulgate a formal interim policy - only to have it replaced in a month or so by another. BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT ~ HERAL STRATEMEYERr /s/ R.H. SMITH R. H. SMITH Colonel, GSC Asst Chief of staff-In t ell.
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Source text · mention only• • Office Men.,v, vv,Jdum • UN ITED STATES GOVERN MENT TO DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 1947MR. IADD I ' ✓IJJ'L , llr. Tolso n FROM Ur. C.A. ~ E. G. FITCH ~ r ~(/IJ't- :: m~n - : : ~~:=01:;;::. === SUBJECT: INSTRUMENT FOUND ON FARM NEA.R 11r. Rosen -- DANFORTH., ILLINOIS C:J., k - /J ' . ~ :: Wj~n e/'1 ~ ~ ;PM:~:ar. -~-=:---- :: ~~=1~-w=n- Reference is made t o a memorandum t o Mr. Harbo from Mr . Baughman ~i.~uJ~~..-wr. Nease on the above-ca ptioned matter, dated September 3., 1947. The reference ~::~: ~::• memorandum indicates that the instrument has been examined by the Ia.boratoi,~r~~H--c±-..,... and the laboratory had contacted a. Mrs. Whedon of the A.rrrry- Engineers and she If I) k indicated that the instrument had been used by the air Forces on tests which /~~~ were classified as "Top Secret." Z-,>-' The memorandum indicates that Special Agents . w. Heynolds of the Liaison Section contacted the Intelligence Division of the Air Forces and was advised that Mrs. 'Whedon alluded that the instrument was used in "Operation Mogul." The instru ment was loaned to the Intelli gence Division of the Air Forces who in turn forwarded it to Wright Field. The report was received from Wright Field indicatin g the insti·ument had no connection wi~peration Mogul " or any other operation at Wright Field . It was clas sified as a ho'b: in view of the a pparent .discrepancy between informati on developed from Mrs . Whedon and ~nfonnation received from Intelli gence Division of the Air Forces that t he Bureau might wish to pursue thi s matt er f urther . Mr. Zinnners of the Technical !Aboratory advised Mr . Reynolds of the Liaison Section that Mrs. Whedon had told him that a Major Hopkins handled the Liai son in \'jlshin gton for the tests in which this instrument was u sed. Id.eutenant Colonel George Ge.rrett of the Intelli gence Division of the Air Forces advised Special Agent Reynolds that he contacted Major Hopkins . He advised t ha t Major Hopkins has had a great deal of experience in radio and a long technical lines . Major Hopkins advised Colonel Garrett that the instrument could not have been used in the "Operation Mogul. " Hopkins indicated that from the pictures and particl es r ecovered., it a ppeared to hi m t o be a part or portions of an old- type radio loud speaker. / In view of the informat i on received from Major Hopkins, Colone l Ge.:rr~ ' stated that he was at a loss as to how to explain the actions of Mrs . Whedon other than to say that she perhaps gave a false impression as to her knowledge of the 1'\ instrument and the "Operation Mogul . " Garrett pointed out that in view of the r eport received from Wright Field ., together with the statement made by Ma j or Hopkins., he felt that there was sufficient evidence that this instrum ent was not used in any ' Wat Bep~r-tmte~t classif i ed project and that in all probability it was j ust a hoax . flu~ Fo.-ce.. RECOMMENDATION: the Technical Ia.borat ory ·-
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Source text · mention only{ECEtvr , RECEI VED 0 NlrA ABORAror LIAISON SEt, f ION 8 : OFP i qi: HJST•r: c- lrr 8 I 02 AM '~7 I') fB! !.:PT. 01- ~u~; 11;-r •
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Source text · mention only.I ,, TSNAD-2B/AC/tk 25 August 1947 Authority: F.lying Saucer . NND90986 i'O: Co:mnanding General A?'i!tY' 11:r Forces 'fash1n,<:t1'n ~5, D, c. Afi'Ns AC/AW . Lt Cvl George OGJTOtt D 1 . The specil111nis of an alleged ltfl.ying Saucer• brought to thia CaammC,. b7 Co1onel. 'B. • cC07, which were o'titilried°o,' the FBI and gi:nu to Lt. Col Oarret.t , .were exa:m.ined to determine thei.r connection , 1:t' Brl1', 1llS. th tibe ea-called "n,-1.ng Saucen,e , or an, project at 1q .us:;, right Fi.eld. fbe speoiJilfllo were earerul.17 eD3lined ib7" both tecbnic1.o.na ot the Anal:yl,ie D1viaion (T-2} am Blectronics Sub-divisim (!• 3). Thi lat~r organization stated that these epecimens detiniteq bad no ccmnection whatsoever with the IIJlogul• project nor with~ other "oearch end deval.• opmont pro3ect. ot thiG Cor;pand , 2 . It. :u also ,the opinion ot this Command 'that tbaae specimeno ban, n1> connection With the so-called •PlT,1113 Saucer• or •1)1.ec•. These specimens , thel"'Gfore , are ca:ieidored as part ot a hou that oould be per petrated by most. m17011e seeking pnbl.ici ty er for any other reasom, . 3. The specimens man. in tbs attached photograph include trae ments ot an 1mdetermi.nable sbape made trca. plaster ot parie :0r sim1lar ceruic am1 containing soi:.e electrical resistance wire far meawrement or heating purposes . The condi ticn of the cerr.mic indicates that tbs resistance m..re was heated electricall;r at. one t.ime or another . i'h!se tragmsnta coold not be connected 1'1,th aD.Y A!£ project . The other articles at too top of the photograph reading trm left to right are 1d~tifas toUOWB: • ~ • ,a.P..~ > Ii a. An out.oded type of magnetic .speaker diapbraga • e>t almll inWI alloy , IL8I1U.facturec! bf The Nathaniel Baldrin CcmipaJ1Y ot Sslt tab City , !Jtab, which was .f'irst petented ~ 1, 191v. This article cannot be connected ntb mq AJ&C project .. b. The secO!ld md t.~n:1 articles .a.re bakelite coil .forms t ~ 'ECOR])EIJ
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Source text · mention only•• 4 t: • co,ur, sh. ro • s, ~jeot , ~118 Sauoen ► Wl'apped with~ thln enaaeled ocJ.!)er w:tn . The•• co111 indicaw t.hi.t thq· ware k1llf'ol]t ~• a\ OD1 tiu but nre orudeq r,wrap;,ed b7 one not taSl1ar Witb tha art ot I\IJdng a ooU. i'beN oolla also have no comieotian with an., Am project. . c. l'bl .tourtb artiole 1• a metallic baE 1ihich 1• the re,aa1na or aa e1-ctrcm1o ttlt.iar c::::adenaer made b7 tho Po~t anutacaring OOll'p&IV' ot -Nn lork, • r. fb1• ar-t1ola aleo bu no co:nnsot.1ai with ET ~ pro .1•a,. d. !bcl .tlf\h artioi. :la the remalna ot a tame ~tio ri131 that coul.4 not, be iden~d u Af1T par\ of fltf¥ dtrlce used at tb1• cornmN14. J.. fha 1nfonaat.1CD and attao-.1 photograph u7 be tranold t.ted to tlJe Pm to intom nric,uca apnc:le• Uu-ouahout. the Um.wd States as t.o ,ma\ aots.m to take in tbt eftllt other aiallai- speotmen. an tQmd . :PG? !I' CO m>Dn GEUERI.Lt H•• lloeo? 1 Incli 1 Colontl ,. Ail" Corpa 1 Photo a-;]/2XU n.piv c~Ocm.iral •P'J.11.ng Saucertt Int.ll.1gence {T-4) GOPlflDEPfflAL
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Source text · mention onlyENCLOSURE ENCLOSUUE
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Source text · mention only233130 '. J . t 1
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Source text · mention onlyOFFIC PHO CONFIDENTIAL WRIGHTFIELD OHIO O
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Source text · mention onlyI DATE: ., FORM NO. 114 • Memorandum • UNITED STATE S GOVER NMENT• Director, FBI SAC, Salt Lake City Cf) FLYING DISCS. Remytel tenth instant . On September 10, 1947 an ite~ relative to flyin~ saJcers appeared in \l.-- . ~e Salt La~e Tribune indica'ting~J two younr couples, Mr . and Mrs. GA}'LON 1' hfLDWELL and Mr . am.Mrs~ RICHA~ RSOM, Lo1<an, Ctah, who had been playing ~ bridp:e, reoorted that they saw three brief flip.hts of saucers, the first at 10:40 p.m. and two more before 11 : 10 p .m. the eve ~i ~ Septe ~ber 8, 1947. This news·article ~~ contained the narriesof KEITJr1fiJGHES, JO~.KSTON, and Mr. and Mrs. F~ruNELL of Logan who had likewise.made separate renorts of havin~ observed these flyinr discs . Mr. and Mrs. RICHARD ANDERSON, when interviewed by an Afl'ent of this office, advised that they, in company with Mr. and Mrs. GAYLON CALD'.'JELL, observed apn r oximatel~• a dozen objects f'lyin_g in p:roup formation at about two or three thousand feet i~ the air. They stated that they ~irst observsd these o~jects on Sentember 8, 1947 at 10:30 p. m. when their bridge game broke uo and both COlDles went out on the porch . The A~l'DERSONS believed these obiects to be similar i n size to nip-eons and stated that they seemed to be rather ·nhite and illuminated . T~ey infor~ed t hat the obiects could have been birds; however, they appeared to be ~ovin~ faster than birds as they circled the city in aryoroximatqly one to two minutes, and then disappeared in a northern directio. Mr. and Mrs . ANDERSON claimed to have observed no wing movement during the flight, and are unable to make up their minds as to exactly what they saw. Mr . A~JDERSON informed that Mr. and Mrs . CALDWELL are presently en route to an unknown city in Nebraska . Mr. KEITH HUGHES and JOAN CROOKSTON both advised that they ware unable to state how their names appeared in the newspaper as havin ,,. observed f l ying sa..ioers inasrnuch as neithe r had ever had the op_oortunity to view ~he~e- f.Vin objects, and the newspaper report was erroneous. ~~• ..J' Mra FRED THUNELL advised that she, her husband,and five other oeople Jhad observed flying ob jeots between 10:30 and 11:00 p .rn. on the evening of 1 September 8, 1947 . She stat~d that they saw five iioups , each containinr ~ thirt~r - five to sixty small objects, which we~e rather yellowish white in color ., and were circlin~ the city at a hi~h rate of soeed. Mrs. THUNELL stated that •~ these objects Nere several t • o~sand feet in the air and it was i~po ssible fo r /;~~, r the~ to determine the aze due to the distance. sneed and 9-oudy-z.~. ··t¥Jti()J/ ·n RECORDED INDEXED b.:l - ~ ~.._ / / _, O'\ ~ Mrs . THUNELLE.r, "3- that 1~1r~~r;h~~AAU HA~M • ~d MIW . H. P. --nND~~ . and Mrs. BES KS w re 1 ~int 'IGclobserve~e J fl~in~ ~:~c!:!;~~ qi;1,~ det•7n• whJ. th: •• ~¾ts :•ht -. 49;
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Source text · mention only•.. • Mr. and Mrs. NO~h Loran, Jtah , advised that they view ed flying objects travelTiii clockwise above the city at annrox imately l0: 30 p .m. the evening of Sente~ber 8, 1947 . They info r med that they first believed the objeots to be liP-hts of e.n airrylane . However, these objects seemed to chane:e in for.nati on and aooeared to be similar to a gr oup of moving stars . Mr. and Mrs. HALL believed these objects were traveling much faster than \birds. It was determined that Mr . and Mrs . H. P . Ai-mERSON and Mrs. BESSIE HFNDRICKS were not available for interview: Captain B. E. NAS')N, Military IntelliP-ence Division , Fort Do•..tglas, Salt Lake City , Utah, is beinr advised by letter of the res~lts of this investi P-ation . In view of the indefinite information fur nished relacive to this matter, no further investiP-ation is being conducted by this office . SMK:L~S AMSD
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Source text · mention only• • /421 TI 3d Avenue Spokane, fiashington Augus"t 8, 1947 Miliwry Intelligence Ill.vision, u.s.A. l!cChord Field, l'fo.shington Gentlemen: FollO?ring the reading of an account or the visit af Er . Kcn:roth Arnold, Boise, lcbho, as published in the Spo1'"..csman Revlon under date o:r Au'"'-ust 7, 1947, tho undel:3igned considered the enclosed accou.."lt of an obscrv:1tion or a 11flying saucor 11 would be or interest to you . Thi:J account has not been given to any neWSIXlper or oliher putlica tion us yet . Yours tru~, /s/ R. J . l.adden R. J . MADDEN Division Plant Mgr . The Pac . Tel . & Tel . Co.
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Source text · mention onlyt port on a nFl.y.i.n3 ucer n At. or rout 12:05 p.m., J~ 29, 1947, a sedan , driven b7 Stove Herrr:ann and carrying H. J . (Bob) awn 1n t.ho .rront aeat and Kllrl. lbr.D3nn in tt. rear seat ., s pr-ocoodinG nortJrueot.er ly along the road leoding £ rom Caeyon ~•eny to York., both in l!ontans. some 2.5 miles N.E. o! Helen:1- n at n point approximtc ~ 1 /4 mile U•• or Canyon Ferry , (as ohown on Foreot Service p to be 1n tm NE or llE~ or • 10 n011 Rm) Karl suddenly shouted Sec it J See itJ There 1s a :Oy1ng saucer I" Steve ~d- intoly sloned domi am dually broueht too sunan t.o a atop., he an:i Bob &anft bile scanning the sey in the d.1.rcction pointed by Korl 1n an ei'£art to soe tm 11flyine onucer 11 ., but m..thout Guccess . Approxmiately' ton seconds elapsed betl1cen the t 1m Xarl report.od aeoing the •sauceru., coI:11.ng over the horiton at high .apeod trom the southv:oot , (Knrl first thcraght 1t a meteor) and tra vel.11ng northeasterly , and the briJJeing of the car to a stop . As the car cane to a stop . :tove, Karl and Bob, m.multaneously, atm tho follo;1iQc : Direct~ ahead., (H.ii) 2 to 3 ell.es dismnt and approxi!:mto~ )(X)() .rt . above the grcr.md., a bright disc hovering and .nutter.1.ng in the air . Dcoccnd lnt; and rinin.,. through n vertical distance or fifty or a bWldrcd feet for a period of about five seconds then., while at the top of nn ascent , tho ri.:H.oc" suddenly moop:?d to the Northeast at treocndoua speed and di.sap red into too clear air m.thi.n a diotance of 200 i't . Th t 1B to eay it did not p:30D beyond an obstruction to 1'urtber v1Dibil1ty blt "c:elt.od into thin nir" iu:: :1.f bccall!le of tre;;xmdoua apeod . This disc as., from the vic"apo1nt or the observero , oppc.ron~ 3 ft. in d.ilu:13tor circulnr un:1 of 110 ercat thiclmoDS - approxiL:ote~ .) or 4 incbos • 1 The oey uas blue .ith scattered m:Dll clouda , the 6Uil 1rao ohinin{; bri.chtly nm the disc e).camed and ahir:::13rcd :1.n tho brlebt cru..'llicht oo it covered m.th highly p:>liehed niclml • After the "di.Ge" di&1. rcd.f ro:J Vien , the secbn and it occup:mto roceeded nortJmostcrly alone tho road , llUt c~ discern no evidcnco of the ~sence or the "disc" along or adjacent to that 'tb>rotare . It io to be rc:iemoored tmt too dimnotons as stated abov ro ac ',llf!Y appe3red to thO observan; OOl:lC 2 or 3 miles rrom the 1 'di0c 11 nd the true dimnm-ons ?:USt be cone:tdcrobly grcn.tor . /s/ R. J • Uldclon., R. J . l!ADDI:21, Divia1:on Pl.ant Ehgr . 7hc Pac . Tel . & Tel . Co .
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Source text · mention onlyt P_n s T , Ofl'F ICE B U REA U OF THE CHIEF I N SPECTOI DEPARTMENT OFFI C E OF I NSPECTORT. H. Barkow INSPECTO R Chioago 7, Illinoi s C ASE N O. 56114-F rof September 19, 1947 . LAKifitl sr. ILLINOIS: All eged violation of Section 2350, P. L. & R. , b~ es Aro Foundation , sal e of informa tion ooe flying disos . Federal Bureau of Investigation , Washington . D. C. Gent l emen: The subject involved in oase of above desoription is C. Vstevens , formerly of Lake For est , Il linois , who may al so have given a Chicago address at various times . Can you advise whether you have a r ecor d of t his man and if so , will you pl ease forward a copy of same to me . Sinc er ely yours , Post Offic e Inspector . RECOIDJm • lNDu.t)~-_J}_ :,J.j-j /_ ~ I · ll r 31 EP 21 °47 • lr--aa
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Source text · mention only~---k .. Office-Memorandum • uNrTEn sTAT Es GOVER N MENT .,, • TO DATE : Septem£;,~ 1J, 1947DIRECTOR, FBI PROM SAC, SEA.TTLE .. C: suaJEcr: Fun:: msc SIGh'TED 29, 194~=~;:'✓cANYON FERRY, BY ~ Rii~ul,,BTEVE - oo,A UW.ANN and R. J. . ~DDEN; SECURITY l!ATTER - X - Enclosed herewith for information of Bureau and Butte Di.vision are / copies of the following received Septel:lber 2, 1947, from H. R. Air Force , S-2, YcChord Field , Washington : PETERSON , 4t ~ ~:bg 100-18945 Enclosures cc: Butte f'T U!tter to Military Intelligence Division, USA, 1.!cChord Field, &sh. from R. J . l!ADDEN, 4Z"/ W 3rd Ave . Spokane, bash. dated 8/8/47, with enclosure of Madden I s ''Report on a 'Flying Saucer 1 • 11 lfo action being ta}fen by Seatt l e . - 2 (\
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Source text · mention onlyRECE/1/fo LIAISON::;[;, 11011 r:-p 18 2 19 P/1 '1/J J I- -, IS tC ..._ ...... • RECEIVED .P 18 ID 11 AM'1 lNTfRNAL SECURI: ' F. B. I. ~ - r t1F ,,. " ~ ~ Ree f,~ -- > P Zr/ 3 19 PN ' 1 frE RHAL SfCURi -r r. B. I. t" n ~ •
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Source text · mention only• . . · September 24, 19,7 Kr. T. li. Barkow Inepeotor Poet Office Department Ohioago 7, lllinoie Alleged violation ot beot1on 2360, P. L. • R., by de• Arc Poundat1onJ tale of information on flying dieoe. Reference 1• made to your letter dated September 19, 19,7, reque1ting intomation rege.rding one o. w. Stevena, your oaee #b6ll,-F. You are advlaed that an effeot1Te aearoh cannot be oonduoted through the file• of the Identification Divieion of the Federa l Bureau of Inve•tigation on the baaie of the name only. It you are able to fur nish the phyeioal deeorlption of Steven• or oth,r means of 1dentif1oation euoh aa a regiatry number, a eearoh will be oonduate~ 1n t.n effort to turniah you with the info~ation dee ired. I.. RHG:jb .. , Tolson E • A • ~ c1egg - Glav1-n-- : ~~;"'oI:;s=== :~~~~-== :~~:~a- :l:~o-== • PeMington__,,,,... Quinn T8111!l eNe~::n-== • Oan<ly COMMUNICATIONS SECTION MAILED 9 * SEP 2'-1 1947 P.M. FEDERAL BUREAU OF IN'f'..ESTIGATION U, S. 0£ ARlME.NT OF JLJSTlCE
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Source text · mention onlySept . , S"tANOARD FORM NO. 454 •Office Jylemorandum . UNITED s·...a ........ .., GOVERNMENT DATE:i°,J . TO : • DIRECTOR., FBI ~947 J \t)(:lROM : SAC, SEATTLE SUBJECT: OFJ:YING DIS~ .~orted by BRU~l~'l"RONG and M. A,ttrICHOLS, Seattle:...,. w;s~ton, August 12, 1947 SECURITY MATI'ER X· The newspaper , Seattle Post Intelligencer, carried an article in the morning issue of August 13 reporting the sighting of flying disks. The article appeared on the fifth page and ,'ias headed 11Blue Triangle LatestThing Seen I n Disks 11 • Under this caption there \vas a short writeup v·hich stated, in substance, that one BRUCE ARMSTRONG, an el ectronics technician , and a number of other en gineers at the Boeing Aircraft hed sighted a mysterious flying object about 2:20 p.m. on August 12. The newspaper report further stated that the object seemed to be fluttering like a leaf, and appeared to be a black or dark blue triangular substance. In this article also appeared another report of a disk supposedly sighted by one 'f. f. NICHOLS, 1125 S. ''/, 102nd Street, Seattle, and NICHOLS des crib~d it as a big ball reflecting light, giving it a purplish tinge. Interview v•ith BRUCE .ARMSTRONG on August 13 revealed that ARMSTRONG was standing in front of Section D of the Boeing Aircraft Plant with about ten other research engineers and h~d noticed a small black object flying about 200 feet high, going south over Boeing Field run•1ay. ARMSTRONG further stated, upon interview, that the object appeared triangular in shape and floated in the air like a leaf, and he estimated the speed t n be about fifteen miles per hour. ARMSTRONG could not accurate l y determine the distance between him end the obj~ but it is noted that Section Dis about half a mile from the opposite side of Boeing Fiel d where he supposedly had sighted it. ._ .,..,. ___ -o--~ t,,J .....:t•f4 .. 0 The follo wing other research engineers were also int erviewed regarding this object: ( 1,/Mr, JOHN H. STONER Mr , GEORGE H. STONER RECORDED Mr. BEN HAGER I Ir~ INDEXEDMr . LEROY PERKINS 1/J Mr, DAN HAGE {')_ /(j 11;1' The consensus of opinion of these men was th~t the objec l resembled a tilack iar in flight and looked more like a piece of tar paper than anyfiling. 1. l mle.rt the object reached the end of the runway in Boeing Field it climbed into the sky in a south westerly direction and disappeared . Mr. KEN GRPNT, op~~ the control tower for the Northwest Airlines was then contacted. Mr.. , ,d_-rr stated that he reviews all reports of objects seen in the vicinity of the end makes a log of such . Mr. GRANT reviewed his log but could not s nJ repord of such a'1 item, but upon contact with Yir. VAUGHN LOCK'"OOD, wh~~ duty at the tire the object was supposedly sighted, the follov,ing in.1.v~yion wa obtained: LOCK:100D stated that about 2 0 1 clock in the ~.l/, 0 '\ l \ \ OPIES DR~'!'ROYPD ~2.t _ ~ .27 0 NOV 18 no4
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Source text · mention only• DIRECTOR, FBI FLYING DISKS, Report of 8/26/47 afternoon there were several pieces of burnt paper which flew over the field, and he did recall a large piece of l:urnt paper which the wind had blown across the runway and down the south end of the field . LOCKVlOOD estimated that the paper v,as approximately three feet in length. Mr. GRANT stated that undoubtedly this was the object in question, and inasmuch as the control tower has a complete view of the area in which the engineers had sighted this object if anything fur ther was noted it would have appeared in the log . Mr . M. A. NICHOLS, 1119 S , W. 102nd Street, was then interviewed regard ing his report of a flying object . NI CHOLS stated that about 4 p. m. on August 12 he had sighted an object which he estimated to be about 35,000 feet in the air, which was f l ying over his home in a southwest direction. A neighbor, RAY STANLEY, also saw the object and STANLEY examined the same with a pair of binoculars. According to STAlJLEY the object looked like a ,-nite dock moving, ·cylindrical in shape, and reflected the light of the sun with a sort of purplish tinge . Other witnesses who had seen the object at this ti re were a Mr. and Mrs. GEORGE KROGSTADT, of 1113 S. w. 102nd Street, Seattle, and their version of the object corresponded with that of NICHOLS and STANLEY. Contact with Mr. THQi!AS B. GERMJ,IN, of the Seattle Weather Bureau Office at Boeing Field, revealed that weather balloons are released every six hours from his field coinrrencing at 1:30 a . m. The balloons, according to Mr. GERMAIN, are of a white gum color and reflect the light of the sun at a high altitude . .Al though Mr. G3RHAIN could not understan:i why a balloon could have been sighted at 4 p.m., he nevertheless was certain that, from the description of the object seen by these people, it must have been either one of his balloon s or one released fro m some other area in the vicinity. No further investigation is being conducted in this matter by this office. JJS:JG 62-
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Source text · mention only-:--- ! llttal Bur:au ol lnuestigation . Bnit.eh itate.G :il.epartm.ent nf .ih.utic..e 422 - Federal Office Building, Civic Center \ ),.J.S...,_.. San Francisco 2, California IN REPLY , PLEASE REFER TO September 19, 1947 P'lLE NO.--- --- r' L .JDireotor. FBI Attention: Assistant Director D. M. LADD 0RE s ,REPORTS OF FLYING DISCS ~ • Dear Sir:- ~ I am transmitting herewith copies of a '\-estricted" letter da September 3, 1947 1 which was furnished to me by Lieutenant Colonel DON L. SPRINGER, A-2, Army Air Forces, Hamilton Field, California~ which letter is designated to certain Commanding Generals in the Army Air Forces from Colonel R.H. SMITH, Assistant Chief of Staff - Intelligence, Headquarters Air Defense Command, Mitchel Field, New York, concerning "Cooperation of FBI with AAF on Investigations of 'Flying Disc• Incidents". It is my understanding from recent Bureau instructions that we are to assist the Air Force Intelligence personnel in the investigation of flying disc incidents. However, it will be noted from the attached letter that it is Army interpretation that it was their intent that the Bureau would investi- gate those incidents of the so-oal l ed "discs" being found on the ground and apparently not those which are observed only in flight. Further, the atten • tion of the Bureau is respectfully called to paragraph two of this letter and to the last sentence therein which states, "The services of tp.e .EB~ were enlisted in order to rel i eve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking d~ all the iiiiiiy urstances whioh turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot . " In the first place, the instructions issued by the ArJJiy Air Forces in this letter appear to limi t the type of investigations which the Bureau will be asked to handle and secondly it appears to me the wording of the last sentence in the second paragraph mentioned above is cloaked in entire l y uncalle~ .for language t ending to indicate the Bureau will be asked to con?uo~~ inve~t~gations only in those oases which are not important and which are //YU • - almost , in fact, ridiculous. ~ The thought has occurred to me the Bureau ~ight desire to discuss J this matter f'urther with the Army Air FQrces both as to the types of investi gations which we will conduct and also to object to the scurrilous wordage which, to say the least, is insulting to the Bureau in the last sentence of paragraph two . / 'J G L~ 4 J / .elilco~nEJn lt~:l:....l 'i~LI.~- /#{ (, I' I . ()Jv{uJf'., Al ,,I"\ "'l" F "' l,'v _.,Ind.~ b ~ t JI ~1 fx..BJ 9 OCT~ Y\ .) fJ\~~ ~ (}~ t1 \~1- ~ ~~, (!_; tltt, r 5 u uCl 22, 1J47 rv
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Source text · mention only' ! ..... ' .·. i ) .I. · - •. . ~ l ll .:HJ 'l <.'. ~ _ ·1 ·a ·.:1 11J.IM003S 1VNM3J.N1 ) , Hd 62 v p J.J• 03M333H ,., I .t
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Source text · mention onlyVery truly yours, gent in Charge t .. . ' Director, FBI 9/19/47 RE t REPORTS OF FLYING DISCS In the event the Bureau decides to discuss the matter further with the Army Air Forces, it is recommended that no indication whatsoever be given indicating this letter was referred to me by Lieutenant Colonel SPRINGER inasmuch as it would undoubtedly cause him serious embarrassment and would certainly cause the excellent personal relationship which exists between Lieutenant Colonel SPRINGER and this office to be endangered. Ha Me KimlSa~~r-1 S c 1 HMKimhr 62-2938
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Source text · mention only...-·- •' • C O P Y HEADQUARTERS AIR DEFENSE COMMAND !(itchel l<'ield, New York In reply refer tor D 333 .SEX 3 September 1947;' SUBJECTa Cooperation of FBI with AAF on Investigations of "Flying Disc" Incidents. TOs Commanding Genrals, First, Second, Fourth, Tenth, Eleventh and Fourteenth Air Forces ATTENTIONs Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2 l. The Federal Bureau or Investigation has agreed to assist Air Force Intelligence personnel in the investigation of "flying disc" incidents in order to quickly and effectively rule out what are pranks and to concentrate on what appears to be a g•nuine incident. 2. It was the original intent of the AC/AS-2, Headquarters, Army Air Forces that whereas the ADC Air Forces would interview respon sible observers whose names would be furnished by AAF, the FBI would inv•stigate incidents of so called "discs" being found on the ground. The services of the FBI were enlisted in order to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot. 3. It is requested that each A-2 informally coordinate and cooperate with the FBI, generally keeping the FBI informed of any proposed calls that intelligence personnel will make on this subject. Very shortly, with the separation of the AAF from the War Department, a firm policy will be established to clarify the liaison arrangements between A-2•s and FBI Special Agents. Presently, it is considered inadvisable to promulgate a formal interim policy•• only to have it replaced in a month or so by another. BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL ST:RATEMEYER s /s/ R.H. SMITH R. H. SMITH If Colone1, GSC Asst Chief of statf-Intell.
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Source text · mention onlyI ... (D)/ FLYING DISCS - -Effective 1i:r.medlatoly, the BureR.u hna discontinued its tnvesti go.tive ac tivities as outllned in Section B of Buroo.u Bulletin rto. 42, Series 1947, l dated July 30, 1947 . All futu.i.·e reports conne~ .. ed w1. th flying discs should bo referred to the Air Forces and no 1nvest11;:o:ti ve actio n shou ld be taken by Bureau Agents . } \ 41941'•
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Source text · mention only• • Office Nlemoranaum • uNrTEn sTATEs Gov hRNMENT TO Director• FBI DATE : September 27, 1947 ~~c. Butte SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS SIGHTED MAY 51 1947 1 BE'ffl'EEN EL!EllSBURG AND SEATTIE. WASHINGTON We.rd.en JOmt"HENRY. Montana State Prison, Door Lodgo, Montana., has advised the writer that while driving between Ellensburg and Seattle, Washing• ton, about 3:30 P.M., on May 61 1947, ha sighted a silver object streaking aoross the sky. This was also seen by MELBOURlTE J.t<lfILL. con-net chauff eur, and Yrs. HElffiY• This objeot wont into a nose dive and they thought it would crash. However, before reaching the earth it disintegrated, leaving a long pillar of 1 'gas" hanging in the sky. It was partioularly odd ·oecause this re mained in form and did not blOW' uwo.y. It was observed by these three people while they drove from twenty to thirty miles. )i ~ ..- ~ This smoky, gaseous pillar was a long ways ofr'imtt"Yema'i'n'ea:J.ligh 'v11i..,,/' in the air. Warden HERRY said that this silver object was traveling at an / !' exoassively high rate of speed and when it disintegrated it was atill a long ~y f rO!:l the earth. Warden HENRY said when he .first sa.w it he thought it was probably a jet propelled plane but that he ·couldn't tell except that its mo- tions were erratio. Ho said ha had not reported it tmtil he had noticod so mu.ch in the papers about these discs. Although thre~ people saw it, they de- cided tha.t they must be "seeing things"• The Seattle Office is requested to advise Mr. H. R. PETERSON, 4th Air Foroe, s-2, McChord Field, Washington. No further action is being ta.ken by the Butte Office due to the time elapsing between the sighting of this object ..an~1.~ report. - c~ WGB:LB cc - Seattlo I
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Source text · mention onlyOV.ER. MENT TO • I.ADD ~ DATE: October 9., ') ----4':;if~ SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS There are e.ttaohed hereto, photogra phs of various reports received hj· the Air Corps in connect ion with the above- captioned matter . -ni.,._ .,. z-1•'-""-c,-•,ev.• -~ -,1.1.a~J.a +_..,. ~...... , A:.,,.,+, C::_ _ PAvnnlrlQ- • the Liaison Section by Ueutenant Colonel x:. 1. Garrett of the Intellig ence Divi sion o~ the Air Force for completion of ~urea u files . RECO'~ZDATION: It is reo O!lm9nded that this memorandUJU be made avail a'b1e to Supervisor R. G. Fletch er of the Internal Security Section f'orhis Ol'Jllation.
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Source text · mention only-70 F472 11-23
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