Releases / 1 / X-462395cd24

65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_002

Type

Document, 194 pages

Agency

FBI

Date

N/A

Place

N/A

Released

Release 1, May 8, 2026

Open the original on war.gov

The government's description

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.

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Office M e m o r a n d u m
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FROM
Director, FBI - Attention, .Assistant
Director D. K. LADD
SAC, San Francisco
SUBJEC
frLTING DISCS
To
~-
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uNJ.
DATE:
A '
,
t 8, 1947
••
Reference is made to my letter to the Bureau dated July 28, 1947
entitled as above forwarding a. copy of a report f'urnished to me by Lieutenant
Colonel DONAU) SPRINGER, A-2, Fourth .Air Force, Hamilton Field, California, set­
ting forth the results of inquiries made by his office concerning the reported
&ightings of flying discs.
-c~
, ~
As ot further interest to the Bureau in this regard, theii(..~ e,,,
v--v:
mitted herewith ghotos~atic copies of three letters dated August 4, 19
entitled "Investigation of FlyiDg Discs," furnished to ma by Major WILLIA){ R.
GRAHAH, Deputy AC of S, A-2, A.rJq Air Forces, Hamilton Field, California, who is
acting in the absence of Lieutenant Colonel SPRINGER, enclosillg copies of reports
of additional reported sightings of flying discs by persons in Oregon and Arizona,
together with the results of their investigations in that regard.
It is noted that these investigations were conducted prior to the
time Bureau instructions were issued that our own Bureau would conduct inquiries
into the reported sightings of flying discs.
~1~
Copies of these reports a.re being forwarded to
ortl
and
Phoenix Offices for the completion of their files in connection with this subject.
BMKaemb
Enclosures - 3
oc Portland (with enclosures - 3)
Phoenix (with enclosures - 3)
0
5 5 OCT 6

•

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~'{{ANOARO f"OAM NO. 6-4

Office Me orandum • UNITED
•

TO

nm.ECTOR,

'

DATE:

August 13, 194'/

SAC' NEi'fARK
SUBJECT:

!"LYING DISC H.EPOR'.IED AT

HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY

AUGUST J, 1947 - 1USCELLA.NEOUS
Reference is made to tne teletYPe from the Newark Division
to tne Bureau dated August 4, 194'7 stating tnat a ''Flying Disc" had
been repor ted to n~ ~een seen at HacKens;st!New Jersey on August J
6
last by one CHARLES~ELIA,
JR. and ',VILLIAJ..~UEX.
CHARI.E0 CASELIA, JH., 287 Euclid Avenue, Hackensack, upon
interview by Special Agent AR'IHUR F. WILLIAMS of this Division, stated
that on Au~st J he had been standing with WILLIAM 'IRUEX, a soldier
stationed at Fort Dix, obser ving a 11ham11 radio rig atop a two-story
house on Simons Avenue, Hackensack. It was approximatel y 7:45 p . m. ,
and tney were in this vicinity for t he purpose of meeting 'IRUEX1 s
girlir ieno, one JOYCE Mc FA!t.IAND.
'IRUEX commented to CASELIA that a chil d had apparently
lost its balloon. <.;ASELLA looked and about a block or a hal1' block
away noticed a rouna, black object moving from south to north and
east of the stop wnere he and 'IRUEX were standing. CASELIA noticed
tnat it was moving too fast to be an ordinary balloon, but he could
not discern wnether it was globular in form or a disc. He said it
was about thirty to forty inches in diameter moving north in a hori­
zontal plane about two hundred yards aoove the top of the nill at
Sumnu.t Avenue and Simons Avenue . I~ proceeded at a steady ra~e,
ellll.tted rio rays, and was moving fast enougn to reqUl.I'e tnem to turn
tneir heads steadily in order to follow· it . 'IRUEX 1 s girlfriend came
out about fifteen seconds after they first sighted it. They pointed
it out to her , and she said that it looked like a bird on tne horizon
so small. It faded out of sight shortly thereafter. CASELIA said
that a line drawn along its apparent course of f .ligb.t would go from
the vicinity of Bentlix, New Jersey to a point west of Westwood, New
Jersey.
CASE.LIA also said tna~ a man on tne porch across tne street
also noticed it and pointea it out to tne women. CASELIA said that
this man seemed excited but did nothing about it.
CASELLA. said tna~ he was positive it was no optical illusion.
He was not facing into tne sun and saw tne object clearly. He also
said tnat ne would have thought no~ning of it except ror the speed at
which it was traveling.
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Ultter to Bureau

August 13, 1947

Miss JOYCE Mc FARIAND, 476 Simons Avenue, upon interview
by Special Agent WILLIAMS , stated th.at the event in question occurred

at about 7 : 30 on tne evening of Sunday, August 3. She said thai::. she
was in the house when CASELIA or '.IRUEX ca.Lled to her . She went out
immediately, and they pointed out the object in question. She saw
it just before it disappeared over tne horizon, but she declared that
it was in view from that time for appro:x:i.mately one minute . She said
it was round and silver- blue in color and appeared to be revolving.
She said that she did not recall making any comment that. it nught have
been a bird and herself had no idea of wnat it coUJ.d be . In view of
tne distance from which she noticed it, she said tnat it could not
have been more than six inches in diameter but would have been mucn
larger iI. she had been near to it. Miss :Mc FAH.IAND said that sne had
never seen anything like it berore.
She said that across tne street the BOOTHS, mother and
daughter, were the only people sitting on tne porcn and she, herself,
did not notice anyone pointing toward tne ooject in question. The
only other person around, to her knowledge, was GLORIA '.IRUEX, sister
of WILLI.AM '.IRUEX, wno remained in tne house and did not see the ooject
at all.
Mrs . WINFIELD S. BOOTH, 459 Simons Avenue, stated that she
was on tne porch on tne evening in question with her mother but did
not notice any unusual object in the sky nor had any man been present
tnere to point out the object in question.
The follovdng information was received from 'IRUEX through
interview by Special Agent T. H01'lARD WALDRON:
Private WILLIAM .A. '.IRUEX, RA 12282003, Company G, 2nd Bat­
talion, 47tn Infantry Regiment, 9th Division, Fort Dix, New Jersey,
adVised he was born ~pr1112, 1930 at Jersey Cit.y, New Jersey and
completed eight and one nalf' years of school. He enlisted in tne
United States Army on May 29, 194?. His mother is Mrs . CEA.CE FI~LDS
of 88 Wales Avenue, River Ectge, Bergen County, New Jersey. 'IRU~X
stated thai::. on Sunday, August 3, 1947, at 8: 00 p.m., he was standing
outside tne home or his girlfriend, Miss JOYCE llc FAH.IAND, 4·18 Simons
Avenue, Hac1censack, New Jersey, accompanied by CHARLES CASELIA of 287
Euclid Avenue, Hackensack, New Jersey, who is his sister 1 s fiance .
He said tnat he and CASELIA vrere looking at the radio antenna on a
home near the 47~ Simons Avenue address wnen they noticed an object

-2 -

-

Letter to Bureau

August 13, 194'/

..

about two to three feet in aiameter moving rapidly about two hundred
yards off tne ground. TRUEX said he tnought at first it was a child's
balloon, but when he noticed tnere was no wind and tne object had no
strings to it, ne decided it was sometning else. He stated tne object
was moving in a steady, straight patn, going nortn, and he said there
was no exhaust or indication of any motive power ror the object.
'lRUEX said they observed tne obje ct for fifteen or twenty seconds. He
could not give a description 01· tne object's color or tne materiai. it
was composed of but said it looked more like a large, flat child's cup
tnan anything else he could think or, as the object was oval on the
top and came to a point on tne bottom side . '.IRUEX said tna~ CASELLA.
stated 11Maybe j,t's a flying saucer 11 • He said he nad never seen any­
thing move through the air quite like this object, and he had no idea
where it came from.
'lRUEX sta~ea tha~ neither ne nor CASEIJA had had anytning to
drink, and there was sufficient light for tnem to observe tne object
very clear1y.
Th.e 11Fly1ng Disc11 was reported try CASELIA to Sergeant JAMES
PERONE of tne Hackensack Police Department. Sergeant PERONE advised
tne writer tnat his Department had taken no further action nor had
they received reports of the object in question from any other source.
It may be noted that no other Police Department in ~ne v:i.cmivy has
brought to tne attention oi this Division any information regarding
t his matter.

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Mr. Ladd
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Mr. Ntrhol~ ..••• -··
AUG n 947
Mr. Rosen .........••
Mr. Tran·.... •·····
Mr. 111,ian ..........
TELETYPE
FBI DETROIT
5- 08 PM EST
8- 5- 4 7
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UNSUBS , RAYMOND EDWA,Y"' LAN.0", MRS . LAURJ"LANE , INFORr!ATNTS , Fl..Y~- Dl_SC , MI SC .
I NFO RECE I VED FROM DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, MI DLANB-,
-~--
MI CH I GAN , THAT ON JULY TEN LAST RAYMOND Ent.JARD LANE AN EMPLOYEE
OF DOW AND SUBSIDIARY SINCE ABOUT NINETEEN TWENTY TWO, BROi~ SO!'~E
MATERIAL TO THEIR PHYSICS LABORATORY STATING THAT ABOUT FIVE
t'ftf
FEE TEEN;✓?
PM J ULY NINE LAST HE AND WIFE , LAURA LANE , WERE WALKING I N A FIELD
...(
OWNED BY DOt~ AND ABOUT A HUNDRED FEET AWAY HEARD A PUFF NOISE , TURNED
:-. AND SAW A BALL OF WHITE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BUSHEL BAKET BURNING ABOUT
A FOOT OFF THE GROUND .
THE FIRE DIED OUT I MMEDIATELY AND LANE LATE t
SCOOPED UP A THREE I NCH AREA OF FUSED SAND I NTO A CAN AND TOOK THI S TO
THE PHYSICS LAB .
l
BOTttieettP-LA I NANTS I NTERVIEWED .
RAYMOND Tl±lfNG SUB-
STANTIALLY SAME STORY BUT WI FE RELUCTANT TO TALK AND VERY I NDEFIN I TE
ON WHAT HAPPENED .
THERE ARE MAKRED DI SCREPANCIES I N THEIR STORY .
DOW AUTHOR ITIES CONSIDERED STORY FANTASTI C BUT HAVE EXAMINED MATERIAL
AND STATE CONTENTS TO BE ORDINARY SAND , NOT RADIO ACTIVE , BUT GIVING
OFF AMMON I A GAS , A SMALL SILVER NUGGE1)RECORD:
ALMOT
~
~Xf_JT- FOR S ~
~~5 ,AND Wl{Ic{f°~ s OFY
MI SED IN I T NOT RADIO ACTIVE , MELTED vn ~
AMMONIA ODOR , AND LITTLE DROPLETS OF SILVER ttE1.IJ;i,:D 1-J~
ND AND SOME
OTHER GRAYISH COLOR I N MATERIA L WHICH I S RADIO ACT!
LEVEL OF
RAD I O ACT IVITY EXTREMELY LOW AND
r
,
EMPLOYEE \~MER
.
LOYED BY GOVERN-
~~ MET AT LOS ALAMOS, PROJECT
STATES FUSED SAND -~AS SOME CHARACTERISIC
, .
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..
PAGE TWO
OF LOS ALAMOS SAND BUT NOT BELIEVED TO BE THE SAME .
RAYMOND
LAND KNOWN TO HAVE IN HIS POSSESSION SMALL QUANTITY OF LUMINOUS
PAINT , RADIO ACTIVE , TO BE AN AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER , TO HAVE LIMI TED
KNOWLEDGE OF CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS FROr EMPLOYMENT AT DOW .
LAND
DESCRIBED AS VERY PECULIAR , SURtLY , ANTAGON I STIC TO PLANT PROTECTION
OFFICERS , I NTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND ELECTRICITY .
LANE IS WHITE ,
BORN MAY SEVEN , NINETEEN NAUGHT TWO , AT fREESO IL, MICH I GAN , FIVE
FEET NINE AND ONE HALF, ONE HUNDRED FORTY FIVE POUNDS , DARK BROWN
HA I R, PARTLY BALD, SERVED US ARMY NINETEEN EIGHTEEN TO NINETEEN
TWENTY THREE , CONVICTED NINETEEN TWENTY FOUR MIDLAND COUNTY ,
MICHIGAN , FOR BURGLARY , SERVING SIXTY DAY SENTENCE .
NEITHER PARTY
ADMITS STORY IS A PRANK , BUT LANE HAS MENTIONED FLYING DISCS AND ROCKET~
ON INTERVI EW LANE WAS RELUCTANT TO DI SCUSS MATTER AND NEITHER HE NOR
HIS WIFE ARE ABLE TO LOCATE THE EXACT LOCATION WHERE MATERIAL WAS
FOUND .
ARMY AI R FORCES I NTELLIGENCE AT SE LFRIDGE FIELD, MICHIGAN ,
HAVE BEEN ADV I SED .
-
SUTEL IF BUREAU DESIRES MATERIAL FORWARDED TO FBI
LABORATORY FOR EXAMI NATI ON .
0- CONNOR
CORRECTI ON LINE ONE WORD FOUR SHOULD RAXXX READ
END
6 -1 6 PM
0
OK FBI WASH DC WJ R ,~--~... :Lnoorntonr
/N ~r:Y
~~--~ ·-·
LANE

STANl>ARD FORM NO. 114
•
/ 6}pce Memorandum •• UNITED STA!S GOVERNMENT
TO
Mr. Ladd
FROM
J, P. C o , n o ~
lfflKNOWN SOBJEC?:",S;
Ra,mond Edvar~e,
(/ Mrs. Laura ume - Informants;
SUBJECT :
FLYING DISC
MISCELLANEOUS
/
There is attached a memorandum setting forth the pertinent
information receiTed b7 the Detroit Office troll.R81]110nd Edvard Lane and
Mrs. Laura Lane relat1Te to "t~ing discs."
RECOMMENDATION:
It ie recommended that this :aater1al be personally d.el1Tered b7
the Liaison Section to the appropriate contact 1n the War Department.

:

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August

a, 1947

FLYmG 'DISCS

Ini'o:nnation was received fl-om the n>w Chemical Company, lfidlona,
Michigan, that on July 10, 194?, one ~m:md »3:ward Lane, an ~loyce of'.
Dow Chem.cal Company since about 1922., brouetit some mater~ to theu­
J'hy:sics laboratory. He stated that about 5 :15 p . m. , July 9, he and h1.s
wife, Leura, were l'ralking in a !ield. when they heard a pll.ff noise about
one hundred feet e:vrgy. ThEU turned and saw n ball of -white about the size
of a b.lshel basket blming appr(>ximate'.cy a foot ott of the fll'OU.lld. The fire

died out immediately and 'later Lane scooped up a three inch areu of l\iaod
eand into a can tor examination at -their labora1:,<>u.

Upan irtterv:Lew t,y FBI Aeents, ~ n d told subetantio;Lly the sam.a

story, blt lira. Lane was reluctant to talk and rveey indefin1te o.bou.t what

hnppcned.

There were marked discrepancies in thoir stories.

Lbw authorities oonsidered the .story- tantastic but have exailltned
the mateial and state contents ares ordinary ~and, not radio active, rut
,gt'Ving orr amm:>nia caoJ a StlalJ. silver nugget nlir.ost pure excep1;, for sand
m.xcd in it, not radio active; molted or fused eand "ffllioh gives off ru:imonia
odor and little droplets of silver melted in sand and soI!le gr~sh color
caterial which is radio active .
The level of radio activity 1n this znaterinl
is ext.rei:iely· low. An emplczy-ee of Dow, formerly employ,ed by the Oovern.men.t at
Los Alanxls Project, stated tho fused B£Uld luus some characteristics of Los Alnnx:,s
sand but he does not believe it 1o the same.
Raym:,nd Lane ia lmom to have in his possesSion a ~ quantity of
luJiilnouo pa1nt, radio active, to be an llr.lateur photographer and to have a
limited knowledge of chem!.ctry and ,Ph;;lfaics, He io described na very peculiar,
aurl~•, antagonistic to plant protection o.rticars and interested 'ill photography
and olectric1ty. Lane ie rrhito, wns b::>ni ~ 7, 1902, at Freesoil, W.ohigan.
11
He is 5 ' 9½ , weighs 145 pounds, has dark brown he.:l.r:, porlly bald, served in
the U,6 . Ar.:qr trow 1918 to 1923. He was arrested for hlrglary in :Midland County,
W.chigan, in 1924, for which ho served a sixty day sentence.
0
""

Noithc:r Rnyllt)nd Lane nor hts wife w.l.11 admit their story is a prank.
ver , neither ai.·e able to point out tho exact location of thts incidsit,

The -ArJSU Airforce Intelligence at Solf'ridge Field, Ui.ohigan, has been
ed and the material has been turned over to them.
RGF :mae

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fEQU iilUAU OF fllV£STlilAtfON
U, 8, OUAITMEKT Of WSTICE
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CDMMUNtCATIONS SEGTION
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FROM CGO
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8-8-47
800 PM
(}~7~ ~ :.~.:' .
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• U R G E N T "
rLYING DISC SIGHTED BY MRS. ROBE~
ITTLE, SECUR I TY MAIER- ..x.
•
CHICAGO HERALD AMERICAN TODAY REP.ORTED THAT LITTLE Of SIX THREE TWO
SEVEN HARPER AVENUE CHICAGO REPORTED SEEING A DISC THREE THIRTY AM
TODAY SAILING ABOVE LAKE MICHIGAN OFF JACKSON PARK BEACH.
UNAVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW TODAY.
LITTLE
FATHER IN LAW JOSEPH REINER,
SIX THREE TWO SEVEN HARPER AVENUE, ADVISED LITTLE SIGHTED DISC OVER
A MONTH AGO AND SHE IS EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.
CONTEMPLATED.
, ,
MC SWAIN
DRRlll:lllN
END ACK
7
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NO FURTHER INQUIRY .
• 'l

Office Me
UNITED S
~\t
D. M. LAll!J ~
PROM
E.G. F i ~
SUBJECT:
Fl.YING SAliCERS
DATE:
?/';1/47
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Colonel Carl Golbranson of the Intelligence Divisjon of the 1ar
~: ;~,~ Department advised Special Agent S. w. Reynolds of the Liaison Section that : : ~-:•~=-=
1ole. Ro~:,
the :.ar Department has received
telegram, dated , ew Yor , New York, uly 5, lltss
Ill'. ;;oa •-==
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.IL!SS Gan<ly- -
FOP. FUR:J.HER DETAILS CONCE:!JNING FLYING DISKS SUGGEST Il.~IA1E
CONTACT OF MR . RICHARD F ~~SHAVER LILY LAKE ILLINOIS WHO MAY HAVE
TI@ORTANT Il!FORW>. TIC~1 CONCE:R.. ING '!HEIR ORIGilJ. 11
11
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Colonel Golbranson furnished
Reynolds with a copy of the memorandum
entitled "Report on Flying Saucers, dated July
1947, addressed to Corru:ianding
General, 32d A.AF Baso Unit, Bolling Field, l,ashington, D, c., from Joh~/4Schindler,
Jr., a copy of which is attached to this me:rorandum. 'lhe attached memorandum sets
forth information and statistics regarding two reportings of incidents of flying
disks . '!here is also attached hereto a map of the Illinois River area which -was
furnished to Ur. Reynolds by Colonel Golbranson. Colonel Golbranson stated that
according to this map the incidents reported in the attached memorandum are in the
general vicinity of Lily Lake, which was given as the address of Mr . Richard F.
Shaver in the anonyJ:1ous telegram received by the War Deparilnent.
L r r
.
?
,
Colonel Golbranson advised that in view of the fact that the observation
of the flying saucers was made.on July 7th and the date of the unsigned telegram
is.. July 5th, together with the proximity of Lily Lake to the points where the
~
objects were observed, he desired the Bureau conduct some investigation of Shaver l
to det~rmine whether or not he has any information pertaining to the origin of the
flying saucers .
•
Mr. Reynolds advised Colonel Golbranson that his request would be made
known to you and the results of any investigation would be brought to his attention . ✓
RECO:M:~~A TION:
It is recommended that the field be directed to make inquiries regarding
Shaver and, if deemed advisable, interview him regarding any information that ne
has relative to flying disks." 'Ihe results of any investigation should be forwarded'
to the Liaison Section. for delivery to the Intelligence Division of the war Depart"'
ment.
Attachments
S.'ffi:AJB
nrf>'ID?Wm
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,..
•
ll
August ~, 1947
SAC, Chicago
/
Di rector, FBI
_6y
FLIIN~ mscs
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f
The War Department has furnished this lhreau 'ffi th
, telegram dated July 5 at New York, N~ Yorks
>/:
"P'OR FURTHER DE.TAILS CONCERNING FLYING DISKS SIJGGES?
llWEDIATE CONrACT OF t.m. RICHARD F. SHAVER LILY LAKE
IDINOIS WHO 1!AY HAVE Il!PORTAl:r INFORMATION COIJCERN­
nlG THEIR ORIGIN. "
The War D3partment has 1\i:mished a meUX>randum entitled "Report on
Flying Saucers", dated July '7 , 1947, addressed to Commanding General, J2d AAF
Base Unit, Bolling Field, Uashington , D. C. , from John D. Schindler, Jr. , two
copies of which a.re attached. The \1ar Department has stated that the incidents
refer.red to in the attached memorandum are in the general vicinity of Li~ Lake,
which was gtven as the address of Ric hard F . Shaver 1n the above telegram.
It is, therefore, desired that the Chicago Field Di vision conduct
appropriate inquiries regarding Shaver, and in the event such inquiries do
not reveal information indicating 'that he should not be interviewed, he
should be interrogated for any infomntion he might have relative to flying
discs. It :is desi'red that this matter be handled as soon as possible and
the Blreau promptly advised.
J)
J!hclosur~
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Mr. Pennington
wr. Quinn Ta."1111-r.le . Room
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Ill Rs Oandy
1 19 7 P.

•
STAN.OARD FORM NO. 64
Offii ,Memoranuum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
•
TO
FBI
FROM
WDGS, US BRANCH
SUBJECT:
RICHARD F. SHAVER
){
V
/I
DA.TE:
16 July 47
1. Attached hereto:
a. Copy of unsigned t~legram received by HQ. AAF 9 July 1947,in which
it is indicated that Richard F h ~~ Lilly Lake, Illinois may have in­
formation concerning the origin of tlie ,flying saucers".
b. Copy of a report on flying saucers which were observed by four
witnesses while in flight in two airplanes over southern Wisconsin.
c. Map with indications es to pro:xillli.ty of the locations where the
flying saucers were reported to have been seen in relation to Lily Lahl,Ill .
that the time
2. In view of the fact/the observation of the flying saucers was llll!lde
corresponds closely with the date of the unsigned telegram, and considering
the proximity of Lily Lake to the points where the objects were observed,
it is requested that Mr ShaveRbe investig~t3d to determine whether or not
he has information pertaining to the origin of Flying Saucers.
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NL PD
NEWYCRK NY JUL 5
MAJOR PA~
YNOR
AAF HQTS WASHDC
FOR FURTHER DETAII.S CONCERNillG FLYING DISKS SUGGEST
IMMEDIATE CONTACT OF MR. RICHARD F SHAVER LILY LAKE
ILLINOIS WHO MAY HAVE mMPORTANT INFORMATION CCNCPlillING
THEIR ORIGilJ
UNSIGNED
651P.
CLOS~

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SJ:

•

Cammand.1~ Geaeral
32d AA1 :Baae Unit
Bollug Jt1eld.
Wuhi~n, D• .o.

1. J-olloving
••t11Uos regardin.; r&Porta b)" tour
w1-tne•aH while ill flight in two a1rplane1.
2. Wu.\her ~tu. T1a1bUit,' e:mept1onalq good. Soat­
\ered alt.awmlua 6ooo teet~

3• ftnt repor"talilile 1145 hour■ OS!. Alt. of oueff91"9
800 fM' &NW U.. grcnra4. .Altil:a.u et...,_. ltooo !'ett Kli.e
Olta~periM - fibt •lgb.tecl o.,_. 1.-aNcGJMntC. W1aoliuta• .

F.l.1pt vu o'ba....._ tr.a ..._ or S.almtJMIIII le mldlon. V1■oona1a.

--...,..n..,.

flda tll&llt ooftl'ecl
(25) 1111• 1111'11'.._ (15) aeooJMla,
-1.oJl 1a a apee4 fd ■ix lh-. •4 (iooo) all• ~ how-.

4. S... l ' ~ a flllll 1430 Jao'lll'II ce. A.1.•ttade ot o'baU'Te1'9
t1'Sr17-ttw lmll4r.a t .., (.3500) -.~ 41.ttnu ot ameer tva~tlft
!ma4N4 fNI (2,00). Ollaer,a\loa perle4. Okenen at llaa\ tr.7,
WiaoonaSa, fll&)lt euerwd hell Alcl•, Vl■oonala t. MMno, Wuoonallk
1'h11 fii&bt oo'ftnCl tWllt,'-tw (22) 1111• la"'-• (20 aeoonaa, lid.GIi
1■ a •11,11 ~ thr• '--8114 a1ae Jatrel a1XV ()96o) au.. :per lunar~

5• nl&bt -....nva1 nut •ba~loa-aano• c1..c.a.ed. TerUoaJ.l»'
~ • • ~ altooaal• olouu, etoppecl at to-a tillCNHIIA (4ooo)

feet and u----4 hutantal poelUon 11114 pl"Ooeeded la llorlson,a1 tU&k'
trom a bortzeaW po■ltloa f•r tilt. . (15) a400i'de oo"NZ'ing hentJtift (25) all• and ap1n ■lopped a1l4 41-,pearea. a eocan.t obeenaUoaa
ObaerTed. in horizontal tllpt 1n a. JlartsoaW att1'11A• for a period ot
h•'7 (20) ■eoonla o o ~ twa'7-1w· (22) .Uee-. _. the tt.. the
pilot had raoftl bl■ 08IMl"a froa U.. glne oollpanllmt ot h1• plane,
Uae 1auoer Uaappea.recl aDl1 acah reappear-. appron-.,e17 •• (10) 1111•
tanher a l ~ 1\■ OOUl"N after ah (6) aeoonu M!rt-i« lta tiaal ell►
&ppeal'a,1Mse.

6. l)a.i firat tvo oh•"nn were• iu\rulor and a ■tuat, ha"fiDc
Jaal ,aka ott troll Jllldaora .l.trpon. ~ ■oocm4 ho ob■enwa, cme
¥J1c ~•,. a. J. • ~ • Wlq la.p:plT OttlNr 11114 a paweager.

-- '3

I/- -

f;NCI.OSURE JoJin &. fttwll .... , h.

MAJ• AJ:r Ool'jlll, AAY-QAP J. lalaoa Ottie•

(308)
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Date of magnetic information, : 947
C9nsu!I Civil Aeron•
Notices for changes o,c
data on this chart after -
•dministraUon
nronautical
12, 1946
80
so
,00
uo
"°
100
,so
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Compiled at Washington. D. C. by the u ..5. Coast & Geodetic Survey under
authority of the Secretary of Commerce for civil aviation and by direction of the
""lmanding General. Army Air Forces, for the Aeronaut,c~I Chart Service,
MARCK, 1945
R;Jvised MAY. 1946
BASE
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NOTE:
Danville □
Chrisman
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90"(Joins359)
91°
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T seal
''°
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It is requested that persons usin11 this chart indicate correction• ond
additions which coi;ne to thelr<attention and notify
"HIE DIRECTOR, U.S. COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY, WASKINGTON 25. D.C."
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300
3'0
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330
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360
370
380
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ILLINOIS
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UNITED STATES
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01 t" authorized d, l!!r,
GLACIER
C/.INAL
Authorized agents for th sale of aerona'utical chart have boon appointed at certain airports throughout
the United States for the distribution uf aeronautical charts. A fo1t of these agents, with the dates of latest
prints of charts, will be printed from time to time in the Weekly Notice to Airmen. This information may also
be obtained from . the Director; U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.
D. l
~
LARG! RIVER & STREAMS
ARTS 'l'T'l.Y
WASH&. INTERMITTENT STREAMS
SU
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A discount o U-1/3 from full published prices is allowed on aeroniiutica! and auxiliary charts amoun ing
to $10 gross when made in one shipment to one address. Charts are not returnable.
I
CONTOUR,•
-
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APP'ROXlMJI.TE CONTOURS
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BLUFF. CLIFF OR ESCARPMENT
tRef: AAF Reg. 65-82. dated 26 Apr., 1944)
I. Aeronautical charts, maps and publications distributed by Aeronautical Chart Service are indexed or Ii• t d in the
current edition of the AAF "Catalog of Aeronautical Charts and Related Publicalions." Misc«llaneo\l1' maps and chart not
appearing in the Catalog will be procured and furnilihed by Aeronautical Chart Senicc through gpecial order. whfm 8llfficiPntl~
identified in rcqufaitions as to name or nu·mber, scale, projection, and publisher if known.
2. Iwquisitioning.
a. Outside Continental United States:
CL-LTlTRAL FEATURES
t
LARGE CITY
I
eou:-.ioARY. S.t:\1
cny
(I) AAF activities are to submit reqlllsitions to the supply facility designated by the Theater
Commander for msintenance and distribution of aeronautical charts and maps.
0
0
,0
,0
0
llO
,0
,0
20
so
so
40
,0
so
Ktlomettrs'
...
Nautical Miles
,0
BO Motes
b. Within Continental United States: Requisitions from AAF activities within Continental United States are to
be submitted to appropriate Regional Store as shoWil on AeronautiC1>i Chart Supply System geographic diagram in AAF
Aeronautics\ Chart Catalog. Except when emanating from an Air Force, Wing, or Command Headquo.rters. requisitions are
to bear the signature or approval by indorsement of the Base or Station Operations Officer. Quantities 6f charts and maps
requested are to be sur.h as to assure the maintenance of a 30-day ~\1pply at all times but not to exceed a 60-dny supply.
J. Obsolete Charts.
a. Aeronautical :hart rendered obsolete-for-ail by a,re rised 'ldition, ,;..hen not prac1it:"uble to cor ·ect for c nf :mity
with new edition, are to be salvaged if feasible or else destroyed. D;ijposjtion by II Iv g or de~t Hction 1 to be m :J in
11ccordance with provision
380·5.
r
Rl\lLROAO
BOIJ.NDARY, PARK OR RESERVATION
-+- -+- - t - -+-
TOWN OR VILLAGE
(2) Theater supply fa"ciliiies are to submit requisitions for replenishment of stocks of aero­
nautical charts and maps through channels to Headquarters AAF, Aeronautical Chart
Service, Washington. D. C.
Seale 1:1.000,000 or 1 inch=] 5.8 mjles
OR INTERNATIONAL
RAILROAD
H•tULT[PI
RAILROAD
IABANOONrn,
TRACKS)
DAM &- DAM WITH .OCK
TUNNEL
O OR•
PROMINENT LANDMARK
<W•Tf< HP,ANATO--,
•
HIGHEST ELEVATION ON CHART
RAILROAD OVERPASS
SOTE)
MINE OR QUARRY
L OKOUl
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·owER
LOA T G ARD STATLON
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SPOT =LEVATION
'
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BRIDGE
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Mr. Tolaou
L IUll(AU OF INY
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IGATIOls' •
M,r, C::lavw
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Mr l..udd
A,r. R 1947
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l\lr, Nie-hots ...•..•
!\fr. Rosp
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Mr. 1'r~y
T~
Mr. littan .
Mr. Onntea
lllr, Hulto ....
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Mr,
,/
7
FBI SEATTLE
8-6-47
7-13 PM PST
KLS
Mr.
w~z;:~:-,··.
Mr.
_53...~DIRECTOR FBI
URGENT
, SA
FLYING D_!§CS, s. M. - X. RETEL PORTLAND TO DIRECTOR
tff\v ~ ~vv,
AND SEATTLE AUGUST FIVE LAST.
WN., ADVISE THAT IN THEIR
I NTELLIGENCE OFFICERS MCCORD FIELD,
d OPINION AND FROM THEIR INVESTIGATION
THERE IS NO QUESTION OF THE CRASH OF THE B- TWENTYFIVE AT KELSO, WN.
I
C APPROXIMATELY TWO FIFTY A. M. , AUGUST ONE LAST HAVING BEEN CAUSED
BY ANY SABOTAGE.
THEY STATE THEIR INVESTIGATION INDICATES THE LEFT
.
ENGINE BURNED OUT AN EXHAUST STACK WHICH CAUSED THE WING TO BURN AND
BREAK OFF.
THE LEFT WING AS IT
BROKE OFF TORE OFF THE TAIL AND
THE PLANE CRASHED INTO THE GROUND KILLING CAPT. DAVIDSON AND LT. BROWN
INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS OF THE FOURTH AIR FORCE WHO WERE RETURNING FROM
~
THE CREW CHIEF AND
A HITCHHIKER PARACHUTED TO SAFETY FROM THE PLANE.
ONLY FOUR MEMBERS
MCCORD FIELD, WN., TO HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFIORNIA.
WERE ABOARD THE PLANE, DAVIDSON AND BROWN BEING PILOT AND CO- PILOT
AND HAD NO CHANCE TO ESCAPE WHEN THE WING BROKE OFF.
LT. COL. DONALD
L. SPRINGER, A- TIIO AW"';!:&~bJJ.;,~Fi THE FOURTH AIR FORfq
HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA, ADVISED-T ~AP'TAIN DA1.t;1DSSfN AND ~ROWN
WERE SENT FROM HAMILTON FIELD TO INT~EW ltAROLD A lf:: OAHL AND FRED
.......
--GRl_SMAN AT TACOMA, WN., REGARDING THEIR REPORT OF SEEIIING SOME FLYING
DISCS OVER MAURY ISLAND, WN., AND THAT THEY Q~INED ;OME OF THE DISC
~
FRAGMENTS.
CRISMAN AND DAHL ARE PARTNERS IN A LUMBIER BUSINEi!IS AT
L} 2,_ COPIE~ r...,c-TROYED
WAHINGTON.
270 NOV 18' 1964

It
PAGE TWO
CAPTAIN DAVIDSON AND LT. BROWN ON THURSDAY, JULY b
THIRTYFIRST
LAST INTERVIEWED DAHL, CRISMAN, KENNET~NOLD, FROM BOISE, IDAHO,
.
WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THAT REPORTED SEENING FLYING DISCS AND EMIL
H. -SMITH, UNITED AIRLINES P.LOT FROM SEAT'fll).U, WN., WHO ALSO REPORTED
--
SEEING FLYING DISCS.
THIS INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE AT THE •am WINTHROP
HOTEL ON THE AFTERNOON OF JULY
THIRTYFIRST LAST. CAPTAIN
DAVIDSON AND LT. BROWN WERE RETURNING TO HAMILTON FIELD FOR AIRFORCE
DAY AND HAD WITH THEM SOME OF THE DISC FRAGMENTS AS REPORTED BY DAHL
AND CRISMAN•
IL
WIREMAN TE
REPORTER PA~NTZ OF TACOMA TIMES, AND UNITED PRESS
ELLO OF TACOMA, RECEIVED ANONYMOUS PHONE CALLS JULY
THIRTYFIRST AND AUGUST FIRST LAST REGARDING THE MEETING AT THE WINTHROP
HOTEL OJIER THE DISCS FRAGMENTS AND THAT THE B- TWENTYFIVE WHICH
CRASHED THE MORNING OF 11112 AUGUST ONE WAS -
SABOTAGED OR SHOT DOWN•
INFORMATION AS YET NOT VERIFIED INDICATED THE ENTIRE STORY STARTED BY
DAHL AND CRISMAN POSSIBLY TO PROMOTE SALE OF SLAG FOUND IN A GRAVEL
PIT ON MAURY ISLAND, WN.
NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE AS YET AS TO THE
IDENTITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO MADE THE ANONYMOUS PHONE CALL TO THE
TACOMA TIMES AND THE UNITED PRESS,
VIEWED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
DAHL AND CRISMAN WILL BE INTER­
INVESTIGATION CONTINUING.
WILCOX
END
11-33 PM OK FBI WA GH
2---

t:1
cc - 150
~- FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTI GAT". .
I TED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JU~ E
. ------
t,
\
August 14, 1947
TO :
COMMUNICATIONS SECTION .
SAC, Seattle
Transmit the f ol lowing mes sage t o :
----
URGENT
...,_
REURTEL !UGUST TWELVE. IT IS HO•r~.D FRCJI INTERROGATI ON OF 1lU'hllITH,
H clL,
SYITH GLADIS THAT DURING '!HE CONFERENCE ON JULY THIRTY ONE THAT~L
Vt A
q~
ANUN:HRIS!.i!N Af PARENTLY REPEATED THEI R FALSE $T'.)RY AB0l11' THE l!ATERIAL
BEING FRAGMENTS OF A FLYING DISC AND ONLY ON SATURDAY NIGHT AUGUST
SECOHD DID DAHL AWIT THAT THE STORY WAS A HOAX. IF SOCH IS THE CASE
IT WOULD APPFAR EITHER S\!ITH ~
\
:OLD ll.ADE THE ANONIKOUS PHONE CALLS
SINCE THEY TlOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION AT THAT TDlE THAT THE
i!ATERIAL FURNISHED TO CAPTAIN DAVIDSON AND LIEUTENANT BROWN WAS ACTUALLY
PARTS OF A FLilNO DISC.
IT WOULD ALSO APFEAR 'L'H.AT DAHL AND CHRISMAN
DID nar ID!IT THE HOAX TO THE ARMY I!rfELUGENCE OFFICERS BECAUSE IF Ti◄EY
HlD DONE SO THE OFFICERS PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THE ALLEGED FRA<PlENrS
WITH TKru ON THEIR FATAL FLICHT.
THI S IJATTER SHOULD Bi CLEARED UP UFON
liEHlTERVIE.W WITH DAHL AND CHRISllAN.
WHEN TlllS POINT CLlRIFIED NO FURTHER
[NVFSTIGATION NECESSARY.
HOOVER
"
BEQOBJ)Jill1
•

-,
•
•
l!rs. Arthur Dou.ala11e Anderson
16 1edbury Roa.d
Sp~ven, Ch.eotor, Pennaylv.:4nia
I
Clfl/q([,
0
ot!i'l:l Oear ra • .Anderson:
fX-34
• This 1'111 acknowledeo recoipt or ~ oi.1r lot.tor dated
July 9, 1947.
.
.
.Utor care1"ul reviw ot tho content.a or t.bis lot~r
it
a ascertained th t t..'le info~ tion contalnod t.hGrein .wciitd
probabl,- be or int.erost to the War Oltp..rt11ent, t.heretore,"'.J ~ o
take.'1 tt,e llbert.y or :tumishln;:: t.' lia inroma~l on t.o that a:enc.Y•
Your i nterest in l11"it1:n_z as ~ OU did is ind.God
----~::-:::'i~
S1ncarelnof
t~ y
,
{/ \ I
\.,-, I ~uMCATIONs.;.sECTI0N
I
M A \L ED
9
~ 194k!~M,
WVC:mjpf'!\
p~~rY
John d{:ar !ioo-vor
Director
~~
...v
\
,
}:;/
~
f(f
1
)
I • J O ltlVES GATIO/
! c - ~~<!.@li 1~''Jrl,.l'~•YJf!/I ( here is no identi!ifiable information in the Bureq.u
- ::zl!-,;iJ'_ 'l:'J ~~ files concerning the writer of this letter. )
This letter referred to "flying aauce s."·

og9L WOOe

NQMLOHS SISK eas grip Te st Nie

“geg9 Opay Téxfosuma
OoTa ay saupéad PAILVELSININGY
AQBeou SITTIN SSIN
pANESOL Y 7 ySnooy SSTN
694, ACTMBIT SSTH
TOs 9218: Wai
og9ou Sutumog ‘IN|
OFtL peazuog ‘ay
T2TL ueuysneg “IW
6£94 suosieg ‘IW
6294 SuoT * 4H
6S94 oq4eH *4K

LY6T L! eyed

AYOLVHORVT s
* yonthe 40 Nvauna Ivawaga

Bgy-T men

ND-6

SECURITY DIVISION - FBI
INTERNAL SECURI TY SECTION

STRICKLAND
DeFORD
SUPERVISORS
__Mr. Ackerman
_Mr. Baumgardner
__Mr. Blakesley
__Mr. Bly
_Mr. Brown
_Mr . Casper
__Mr . Collier
__Mr. Costello
__Mr. Donohue
__Mr. Fletcher
_Mr . Harvey
__Mr . Hayden
_MI SS _________
__ROOM_ _ _ __ _ _ __
__Mrs. Dorset, 1736
_Mrs. Walch, 1736
__Miss Arnold, 1742
__Miss Niedjelski, 1649
__Typists, 1641
__correct
__Redate

,

f7

Howe
__Mr. Jennings
_Mr . Jones
__Mr. McAndrews
__Mr . Meehan
__Mr . Milnes
_Mr . Power s
_Mr. Ranstad
__Mr. Smith
__Mr. Turner
_Mr. Whitson
_Mr. Winterrowd
--.Mr .
_ _Mr.

__.RECORDS SECTION
__Send file
__Bring file up- to-date
__Flace on Record
__Fl ace on Record and
Return
__Indicate index reference
_...Please call me
__Please see me
---Note and return

'

Q@

,

_..

-R"OOM-..-'/-~¢w:;;:a&.._ _ _

COUNTY

IRRITANT
lrom our Mail lox
EE::E::::r::::: - - =······-···-+i±±ei
ulling for Decoders
a~11mo1e About nine at night
July -Ith I recei,ed the follow­
Ing shortwa,e me,,:,age in code,
origin unknown. I kept listening,
onct ahoul an hour later the mes­
sage wa~ repeated letter for letter.
I can't figure out what It means,
but lWl'e It ls;
DITEH 1-"0 NUHMA SOESNENN
TWON I.ATWA !.IOTCIA WRA
Rl'SPIDCXIT DREOR LASOR
STEYMS SO STEN YLI-WG
si.ro.s llAN WLIL EST UP
WI.Olm DREOR NERUO TIR­
M.\NAS TEAL HIST ARYE.
-Radio Ham.
011

(Nt-ilher ran we. but we hope lt'a
legal.

Ed.)

patt m wl ·ch other
igl1t do well to copy,
·d l1crc in pictures.
tra's president, J)r.
costuming by J11aki11g
anikin doll. I lei col­
:spccial interest in the
.ly-assorted " ·n a~ \J
y studied and hi\tori1 but fa~hionjhlc 1.idy
tanding, giving p.iins­
s c01fforc was !>hO\\ n
ho,,·n below, doon't
·arranged to the ~t) le

.;-:q 21, l
ECORDED
~,;; -
7
;- _; F,tJ~- &?IY
.~~. A. o. Snrbhnis
66 ·otro Dnne Al"ettuo
fticks-villo, Long Iclnnd,
/'
'ar, York
Dcnr Ura. Sarba."li.s,
I wish to a.c~·noulodge receipt of your lotter and anclotl:iro dated
July 10, 1947.
I have i.notructed tho Special A03nt in ~ e of our .cm York OJ"tice
t.o havo a Spocinl A.cent oall. t:Pon you tor- tho purponc of' obtaininc 1\J~bor
infornation in camcct.ion v!.th :tb!s r-.attor.
?oar intcreat. in calling tbis info:rcntion to r!f1 att ti on io inaood
npprecintad.
Sincerely- youro,
John
Roovor
Director
cc - Novr York (With ~ • There is no idcntii'iablo j.n.fomation in the
.files ·or't~e B.ircau concerning the m-it er of this letter. Tho
docoding of the oeasage on the nC1f8Pa,cr c~lp;;ing w,s r2fcrrcd
to the Laborator-.r, who subsequ8Iltly advised that the writer's
decodinc; was substantially correct. Thero is beinG set forth
bol0':7 tho ro:ru.l.ts or tho Laboratory's decoclinc:
"TIRED OF 1-.tUW.ll NOJ:SErSE l":01-Pr AUA!T ATOl:.ITC
l'lAR DISRUFTI m ORDER SOLAR SYSTEM 5':) s:NT
FLYII:G DISl'S AlID iTILL SCT UP WORLD ORDER
trnmn ~RTIA'l'S UTE Tll1S YEA~.
<'"'1
~-
~
e.....

STANDARD F'ORM NO. 6C

•

•

Office Memoran~um • '·uNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO

;m . E . A . TAJa: V

FROM

lfR • D . J.f . LADD

DA.TB: August 15,

1947
llr. Tolson
111'. E.A. ~

:: g~:~n -

llr . Ladd=-~-_-_-_
llr. Ntchois
wr ; Rosen - ­
llr . Tracy- ­
Mr. carso-n - llr. Egan=-_ -_ -__
Mr . Ournea
llr . Harbo - llr . IIOhr_-r.,-,,.-=--- _

SUBJECT:

The Director advised on Aunust 14 , 1947, that
:Tele.
: ~rr:~,!:the Los Angeles papers ~ere carrying headlines indicating
Room
llr. Nease - ­
that Soviet espionage afents had be~ ~ instructed to
Mtss H o ~
lltss()andy determine ·i;he Jacts relative to th e-j'lyin g disc§_ .
The
article carried a ifashington date line and indicated
tnat ded espionage agents rad be~n ordered to solve the
question o/ the /lying discs, the Russians being OJ ·the
opinion that this might be some nez J form OJ Cefense prefected
by -the American Military .
The ar"ticle J urth.er recalled that
during ·1,ne recern i ar pieces oj' tin J oil had been dropped
in ·the air /or tre purpose OJ off setting the value o.f radar
being used b~ the enemy Jorces an, that these aluminum discs
might be a new develo,rnent along ·this line .
:i.'he Director
ir,quired as to IJ!hettter the Bureau had any such information .
1

I informed him the& I had never heard of any
information indicating t~at Soviet espionage agents had been
ins-i;ructed to obtai,n such in/orma·iion .
A check witr the officiaJ.s at G- 2 , OllI and at the) oJ ~J 'I
Air Corps lntell igence u)as made and i t ·as J'ound -chat they
t~t.f \
had no information relative to such a sto r y .
YIn accordance with 1,he Director ' s inst r uctions , I
advised !'r . lvichols char; in the event any inc.tuiries A!T"e
made concerning such~ sr;ory , 1,hat the story should be
flatly denied in so J'ar as the FBI i as concerned .

~
,,,_

---

DliL : i'A

RECORDED

,&i!.:, M_;-!i_!,f.­
.:f::,

D

3 2 AUG 19 194 7

I

STANOAM> POftM NO. &l
'
Office Memorandum '~ UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
FROM
:5{
DATE: August 18,
D. M.
TO
:
194?
E . G.
SUBJECT:
Reference is made to your telephonic conversation with the
Director on Wednesday of last week, at which time the Director advised
that Los Angeles papers carried under a \,ashington date line an article
indicating the Soviet esaonage agents in the Unite~ States are under
instruction to solve the flying discs. Such instruct~ons were believed
to be based on the assumpt-ton tnat tne flying discs were a secret weapon
of the Anny or Navy. 'Ihe article attributed the source of its information
to a Federal investigative agency.
Pursuant to your instructions, liaison representatives have contacted
the Headquarters of 1!:i.litary Intell igence, the Headquarters of the Air Forces
Intelligence, Office of Naval Intelligence and CIG. All agencies denied any
knowledge of the flying discs, as well as any knowledge of the basis for this
article.
EGF:OME
RECORDED
30CT 2
EX-29

TO
Mr. D. M. Ladd a f t -
FROM
Ur . J . P. Coyne~
SUBJECT:
1 LTING DISCS
DATE:
Ther e are attached two copies of a blind memorandum setting
forth the facts r elative to the reported air crash of two AAF officers
investigating flying disc complaints .
ffi:CC,...:MENDATION
It is recommended that a copy of this memorandum be
by the Ll.aison Section t o the Air Force Intelligence.
Attachment
RGF: mjp

BUREAU

DATE :

8-23•47

c, PORTLAND
SUBJECT: 4

I.,YINQ DISCS
SECURrrY MATI'ER - X

The following investigation was conducted at Canyonville and
Myrtle Creek, Oregon on August 12, 1947.
RAY VIRG~TFIELD , Route 1, Box 195, Roseburg, Oregon, operator
of the Tri City Airport, Myrtle Creek, Oregon, advised that on 8-6-47 at
approximately 6115 PM while instructing a student in a take off at the airport,
he noticed an object east of Myrtle Creek which appeared to be from 5,000 to
8,000 feet in the air. The sky was completely clear and vis ibility was
excellent. He stated that the object glistened and appeared to be of aluminium
sheeting. Upon noti cing it he had immediately taken over the controls of the
plane which at that time was at 400 feet, and proceeded East in an attempt to
further observe the object. He advised that the object appeared to be
climbing and traveling East at a high rate of speed which he estimated on a
computer in his plane as 1,000 miles per hour. He believed the object to be
spherical in shape and recalled noticing a darker object to the right the first
time he saw it. He observed no vapor trails nor did he hear any noise from the
object. After s~arching the area for approximately 10 minutes HATFIEID and
his student NOBLEl'ELLISON returned to the airport and made another landing and
take off. In practically the same position at 400 feet altitude, both ELLISON
and HATFIELD saw the object in approximately the same position as seen before.
He estimated the sphere to be 30 feet in diameter and stated when they first
observed it it appeared to be so near he could fly right to it. However, the
object sighted the second time disappeared in the same manner as the first had.
It is noted that HATFIELD served as a Lieutenant JG in the U. S. Naval
Air Corps for about 3½ years, flying constantly on the Atlantic submarine patrol.
He is a reputable citizen in Douglas County and is reported to be a quali fied
pilot.
Mr. NOBLE ELLISON, Myrtle Creek, Oregon, verified the above information
as furnished by HATFIELD, stating that the first object sighted had been
called to his attention when HATFIELD took over the controls of the plane at
about 400 feet following his take off, but that they had both sighted the
object on the second take off at the same time. ELLISON described the object
as a "silver ball or balloon" which he believed to be 8 miles east of Myrtle
Creek, traveling East, and climbing very fast until it disappeared in approximately
45 seconds. ELLISON estimated the sphere as being 50 feet in diameter and
stated in his opinion the second obj ect appeared to climb straight up.

3SEP "✓✓
~OPIES DESTROJ ! :

270

NOV 181964

"'

, lt-jf

RECORDEJ) 0 J- _
J:}XED

-

•

'

He advised that he did not observe any evidence of motion such as
vapot or trails, etc. and could hear no noise over the noise of hie
own ship .
Investigation in the vicinity of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, has
failed to reveal any other person sighting the objects reported by
HATFmLD and ELLISON. No further investigation is being conducted.

PJMaMB

62-1531

._ '·F~ERAL BUREAU OF INVEST I .

ION

_________><
__>________ 1947

_ _ The Director
_
Mr . Tolson
___Mr. Ladd
__Mr. Rosen
_Mr. Clegg
_Mr. Glavin
__Mr. Nichols
_Mr.
__Mr.

Coyne
Fletcher
Mr. Laughlin
__Mr. McCabe
__Mr. Mohr
_ _ Mr. Nease
_ _Mr. Pennington
_ _Mr. Quinn Tamm
_ _ Mr. Tyler

__Records Section
_ _ Stamp and mail
__Prepare tickler
_

_ Call file

and return

__Miss Gandy
__Miss Gray
_Miss Lyon
_Miss. Artley

' '.A. Tamm
:fJdwa• 5734

•
,,,.
>
!
..
FBI BUTTE
8 -20-47
vb!RECTOR
URGENT
FLYING DISCS .
3-22 PM
LB
BETWEEN NINE TH I RTY A~I NE FORTY FIVE PM LAST NIGHT,
AUGUST NIMETEENTH, MR . AND MRS . H. H. HEDSTROM , THIRD AVENUE NORTH,
TWIN FALLS, IDAHO, WHILE SITTING ON THE FRONT PORCH WITH MRS . HENRY
/2HULTZ, OBSERVED AN OBJECT RESEMBLING A FLYING SAUCER TRAVELING VERY
RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE NORTHEAST SECTION OF THIS CITY .
ABOUT
TEN MINUTES LATER, ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS SAW TEN SIMILAR OBJECTS
PROCEEDING RAPIDLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION IN THE FORM OF A TRIANGLE.
AS THIS GROUP OF OBJECTS WAS ABOUT TO DISAPPEAR IN THE OVERCAST SKY,
THREE OF THE OBJECTS ON THE LEFT FLANK PEELED OFF AND PROCEEDED IN A
J
NORTHERLY DI RECTION .
THE REMAINING OBJECTS IN THE TRIANGULAR FORMATION
APPEARED TO CLOSE RANKS AND CONTINUE IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION .
~EE TO FIVE MI NUTES LATER THESE INDIV~LS\ SAW 1ANOTHER MIUPHIC GROUP
\ ii'THREE OBJECTS PROCEEDING IN ~.'3\!)l'ff ~~&'):- AGAIN I ~ THE SHAPE
i ~RIANGLE. THREE TO FIVE MINUTES LATER !ToFORMANTS OBSERVED ANOTH~
~
%
GROUP CONSISTING Ot• FROM FIVE TO SIX OBJECTS, AGAIN IN TRIANGULR
~\.~FORMATION, PROCEEDING RAPI DLY IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECrfJN.
A FEW
MINUTES LATER A LARGE GROUP OF OBJECTS ESTIMATED AT Bi\kEN THIRTY FIVE
AND FIFTY FLEW OVER THE CITY: IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION, AGAIN IN
~
0c~ ~
' J.._~.v
.L
Jc /

•
•
PAGE TWO
TR I ANGULAR FORMATI ON .
BETWEEN TWENTY AND TWENTY FIVE MI NUTES AFTER
THE LAST GROUP WAS OBSERVED, SI MI LAR OBJECTS WERE NOTED COMING BACK
OVER THE CITY VERY RAPIOLY AND PROCEED I NG I N A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTI ON .
AT THI S TI ME I NFORMANTS STATED THE OBJECTS APPEARED I N GROUPS OF THREE ,
FIVE AND SEVEN .
AT THIS PO I NT MRS. HEDSTROM CALLED DETECTIVE RICHARD
FRAZ I ER OF THE TWI N FALLS PD , A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, WHO ACCOMPANI ED BY
M. E. ROUNDTREE AND RICHARD SCOTT , ALSO MEMBERS OF THE TWI N FALLS PD,
PROCEEDED TO THE HEDSTROM HOME WHERE THEY OBSERVED A GROUP OF TWELVE
OBJECTS FLYI NG I N FORMATI ON OVER THE CITY I N A SOUTHWESTERLY DI RECTI ON .
INFORMANTS , ALL REPUTABLE CI TI ZENS THIS COMMUNITY, UNABLE TO EST I MATE
-
HEI GHT OF OBJECTS OR SPEED, BUT CLAI MED THEY RESEMBLED ILLl.JNJNATED
n YI NG SAUCERS .
THESE I ND IVI DUALS WERE OF THE OPINI ON THAT THE OBJECTS
OBSERVED WERE NOT THE LANDING LI GHTS OF AI RPLANES NOR SH~I NG STARS .
NONE OF THESE OBJECTS WERE SEEN TO COME TO EARTH NEAR TWI N FALLS AND
NONE APPEARED TO BE FLYI NG I N AN ARC .
NONE OF THESE OBSERVERS HEARD
ANY SOUND AS THE .._ ABOVE OBJECTS PASSED OVER THE CI TY.
I NVESTI GATI ON
CONTI NUING I N LI NE WI TH BUREAU I NSTRUCTI ONS CONTAI NED BUREAU BULLETI N
NO . FORTY TWO , PARAGRAPH B, DATED JULY THIRTY LAST .
I N EVENT BUREAU
IN POSSESS I ON OF ANY I NFORMATI ON CONCERN I NG EXPERI MENTAL ACTIVITI ES ON

I
PAGE THREE
PART OF ARMY AI R FORCES WHICH MAY EXPLAI N THESE PHENOMENA , ADVICE WOULD
BE GREATLY APPREC I ATED .
IT I S BELI EVED CONT I NUED APPEARANCE OF SUCH
OBJECTS WI THOUT OFFICI AL EXPLANAT I ON MAY RESULT I N HYSTER I A OR PANIC
\\I
TW IN FALLS, I DAHO.
BAN ISTER
ACK AND HOLD PLS
5-31 PM OK FBI WASH DC WJR
I

f{ l.; CEl\'EO T~LETY?E Ulfff
Js11:::
..
..
J. ,l..; - ~.
\· a·~
·, i.\~03'3S 11Mli3lNi
: \'t\d9't £ \il d::,

• ,,
a.
FLYIIiG DISCS.
•
.
~ 25, 1947- UBOD!
•
SAC BUTT!:
RXTDBIU IIQUIRDS AT AJIII AIR l'ORCIS D'BAL ftft •o RIS!GCB
OB UPDDCDTS VERI llIJIO COIDU(;ml) ~y AD II TD ncDITt OY !VII .,AI:LS, IDAJIO
OJI ell .A.'800'1' ADa08T lliitm.
D '1'D JnDT YOUR SOURCl8 ll TD ARMY, IAff OR
AIR :nmcES DJ>ICAB OfBIBWial MJfISI BUDAU PB<IIPl'LY.
RECORDEP
(pi - /, ~ ,, / ✓1
iJ
JlOOYD
BQl':fi
f.X-30
194 Ji/rsDESTROYED
270
N0V181964

I
,,.
•
1•
q , . , _..,.... HO. 64
Office Memoranc!um • UNITED s TATEs G OVERNMENT
TO
D. M.
FRO M
E. G.
1
O FLYING DI cs
SUBJECT:
August 22, 194?.
DATE :
Reference is made the teletype from the tte Field Division
dated August ZJ, 1947, in the above captioned matter.
~-'
Mr.
&le ,
In accor dance with your request, th1.s matter ,ras chocked 'lllth
:
Army Air Forces . Lieutenant Colonel George D. Garrett, Jr . , advised
Special Agent F. P. Orif!ee that extensive inquiries ,rltb'-.<;he Anny Air ~Forces r evealed tha t no research or experiments wore being conducted by
the ..F in the vicinit.r of '.l\7in Falls, Idaho on or about .. ugust 19, 1947.
r,olonel Garrett stated that he had no infonnation which would throw any
light on the matter reported in the teletype •
~G
ACTION
•
It is suggested this memorandum be routed to,, the Internal security
Section to the attention of Supervisor Fletcher .
HECORDEO
" ,
'-l
u-
0...-
t -- -ti' -
EX-30
~(
-
-
~
-

cc - 160
~DERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGAT- i •
__,f ED STATES DEPARTMENT OF J USTICE
Li...
___
AUJu.>r!'
TO :
.3(,:-1Y47
URGWT
COMMUNICATIONS SECTION.
Transmit the following message to:
SACS SAJ; FRA CISCO MT"D PHOENIX
REPORT OF amm DISCS ._JB SANF !!E1JO AUGUST 1\'JElfTY EIGHT LAST CONCBRunn
I+
IN'l'rnVIfl7 WITH ~ E S , PHOJ:mX, ARIZONA.
SAl F JJlVISE A- NO AIR
FmCE f OT N!CliSSARY FOR FUGATE TO PROCEED '.1'0 :PHOFNll, THAT BURF.AU WILL WJJDLE
DJl' 'RVIFll IF Dl!SIRED, llJT JOINT INVFSTIGATION lroT DEE!.iF'1) IJECESSAP.Y.
IF FUGATE
PROCEID5 PltlFlITX IN SPITE -OF ABJVE, ADVISE Hill lOU ARE tm AUTHORIZED TO cot.~
DUCT JO!fiT n VES'!'IGATION AND IiOT POSSIBLE FOR FUGATE TO SIT Ilt ON INTmvm;;
It
l'1ITH ~ES .
aoovm
J( )/1
0►
lit.-!
RE
I
QED
h {, [r-;,·~F7..1XED
'vf•&(
I I iJ
'
- IJ#/1 210
fWt.dAL Blll!EAU OF 11.VEST,aAllOf ~/ /:1;
•S, DEPAffTllf£tlT Of JUST CE:
CDMMUHICATfONS SECTION
-

. ;10 l
Lil~
aHOITAUIT1liMMOO
rid ss z 67 d3~
: OT
o:
~et'
...., ...,...,,,..
U;:i d3:l3li
I VO~
~·
• '3J3T
1
'
_
0 \' ~
p.IV Tift.Ia

STANoA.Ao FORM NO. 64

•

,

.

•

Office Memoran~um • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
DATE: September

Director

5, 1947

SAC, Portland
SUBJE CT:

Orr.YING DISCS
SECURITY MATTER - X

. ~eference is made to my teletype dated August 15, 1947 advising that
a Mr. J ~ T of Agate Beach, Oregon had reported on August 7, 1947 that he
sighted what he believed to be a disc. Mr. JOHN BARTL, instead of BARI'LErI', now
r esiding in Newport, Or egon was interviewed by Special Agent ROBERT J . PETI'YJOHN.
Mr. BAR1'L stated that on August 7, 1947 he was residing at Agate B~ach, Oregon and
that his house was very near the ocean beach; that at about 12:30 A. M. he was
awakened by his son coming in and that while awake he noticed a bright glow of
light across the sky out over the ocean. He stated that he immediately thought of
flying discs and thought this might be one of the discs.
Mr. BARrL went on to say that he had no idea as to the shape or size of
this object but that it appeared to be about five miles out over the ocean and
that he was able to see it for about 15 t o 30 seconds. He further stated that
due to the darkness he could tell nothing about the speed of this object but thought
it was traveling a great deal faster than any airplane he had ever seen.
He
infonned that this glow of light was somewhat similar to 1'l'he Northern Light 11 which
sometimes appears in the sky but of course not nearly as large and that it appeared
to be going up and down, that is fluctuating in altitude as it traveled along. He
stated it disappeared in the west, either falling into the ocean or disappearing
over the hor izon. He could give no other information concerning this object of
light reported by him as possibly being a flying disc. Mr. BARI'L has an Agate and
Myrtlewood shop in Newport.

µ

RJP/es

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6
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417 Eao~ ~iooenaon St~eet
Florence, Alabat"lG
Dear lJrb . Vtllia11UJ:
Tour lettor oj AUgUDt 18, l947., iwo bau,"l
89-X3
rDcetuod, and I an noat qpprcciattuc o.f tho thouuht­
.fulnaa whtch pronptea y¢u ~o cot'l.'lun,catc ~tth mB.
For your injor'QQ.tion, no rsoard Ma been oj/crcd bV
,...._,.any u.
~ '!f.lytn
s. Goucr11ment Agency for the loca'tion o/
aaucero." I regret that I am unable 'to bs
of aoa atc:mce in thlo tnatanca.
1
1incerely youro,
John Edgar Hoover
Dtr.ector
J
I

~

•

.

~•~ UNITED ~
To

'):

F ~:

Director, FBI

TES GOVERN MENT
DATE :

Au.gust 20., 1947

SAC, Spr:ingfield

suJ;;; /FL'YillG DISC
Reference is made to Bureau Bulletin Mo. 42., Series 1947., dated
July 30, 1947 re the above .
For the Bureau' s :information a .Mrs . ~ANDERSON of Saybrook,
Illinois reported to this office the finding of a flying disc
in her front yard at 6 :00 A. M. on July 26, 1947.
It appears from investigation conducted by an Agent of this
of fice that the stability of JUNE ANIEBSON is questionable. H<Yr·r­
ever the alleged f ~ g disc was obtained and it is apparently
the concoction of some of the juveniles in the area. It is an
old wooden pl.atter, which has assembled on it a silver plate, a
spark plug, a timer., and sone ol d bt-ass tub:ing. Photographs
were taken of the sane and there are six views enclosed herewith.
No doubt this was someone's idea of

a prank.

The disc is present'.cy- being ret ained by the Springfield Office and
will be :retained pending receipt of Bureau advice relative to its

destruction. The thought :in retaining it was that perhaps the
Bureau might desire to have it transmitted to Washington for any
novel value it might hav~.

JBP:hg
62-0- 1445
Eno. (6)

fj{ 56

Enclosure - To Bureau
Photographs of ''Flying Disc" found

at S~hrook, Ill. 7-26-47
SI File 6a-0-1445

ee "Flying Dise"
8Lg¢ Found Saybrook, Ill. 7-26-47

384g "Flying Disc"
Found Saybrook, Ill, 7-26-47

“Flying Disc™
Found Saybrook, Ill. 7-26-47

"Flying Disc"
Found Saybrook, Ill. 7-26-47

"Flying Dise't
Found Saybrook, Tll., 7-26-47

,.
t
SAC, Springfield
.
September 5, 1947
Director, FBI
FLTINO DISC
1/
RECORDED
~ )jS
t-4'
With reference to your letter, dated August 20, 1947, it is desired
that you contact the appropriate Ar,q otfici&le and 1n the event the;r are not
interested in receiving thie alleged fiying disc, it ma7 be destro,-ed.
RGF:LH
COMMUNICATIONS SECTION
MAILED
10
* SEP 6 - 1947 P.M.
D~L BUREAU Of 111vESTl6ATIOII
Fu. s. OEPARTMENT ot ,us11c~

.
iltllAL BUREAU Of INVESTIGATION
V, 8, DEPART~Etff OF JUSTICE
\ l
.
/
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COMMUNICATl~~S~fECTION
SEP ~947
TELETYPE
•
t-rr.:
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ngtun
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D
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FBI PORTLAND
~ECTOR
3-42 PM PST
9- 4-47
'Illmm.. .
KAM
URGENT
RP FLYING DISCS .
'A MRS. RAYMON~UI, OSWEGO, OREGON, REPORTED TO HAVE
SEEN-TWELVE TO FIFTEEN ROUND SILVER OBJECTS AT A HIGH ALTITUDE AT
TWELVE FIFTEEN PM, SEPT. THIRD, FORTYSEVEN, ABOVE OSWEGO, OREGON, WHILE
UATCHI~G A LOCAL PLANE FLYING OVERHEAD .
BOBBITT
WILL BE INTERV IEW~D .
,90
END
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7- 45 PM OK FBI WAH
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Office Memorandum • uNrTEn sTATEs GOVERNMENT
TO

~ -l'OM

DIRECTOR

DATE:

9-13-47

SAC, PORTLAND
(.

SUBJECT:

FLYING DISCS
SECURITY MATTER - X

Reference is .made to my teletype dated 9-4-47 , advising that
Mrs. HAYMO~UIS , Oswego, Oregon, was reported to have seen a number
of discs on 9-3-47 above Oswego .
Mrs . DUPUIS was interviewed and described the object which she
has observed as followa a
While entertaining her 7 year old son and 10 year old neighbor
child on her lawn, at about noon , Mrs . DUPUIS and the children noticed
approximately t,,o dozen round silver objects high in the sky . Mrs . DUPUIS
stated she believed these objects to have been platter shaped rather than
spherical and to have been considerably larger than an airplane of the cub
type which was flying in a different portion of the sky at the same time.
She advised that these objects appear ed to her t o be at a great distance
and constructed of some white metallic mater ial.

~

Mrs . DUPUIS' attention was first drawn to the objects by an ex­
planation from one of the childr en to the effect that the airplane was sky­
writing. The objects were grouped in approximately an ar c about level with
the sun and to the l eft of the sun as viewed by Mrs. DUPUIS . They did not
change positions during the 3 or 4 minutes which she pbserved them but some
of the larger of the objects appear ed to rotate rapidly in the manner of a
wheel . One of the objects was separ ated by considerabl e distance from the
main group and while she was watching Mrs. DUPUIS states this object began
to fall and floated slowly downward until it \"18.S no longer visable because
of trees on the horizon.
Mrs. DUPUIS advised that she continued to observe the remaining
objects until her eyes began to be affected by the brightnes of the sky
whereupon she went into her house and is unabl e to state wh
became of the
group.
lt
Llfl< aMB

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62-1531

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73

PORMN0. 14

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TO
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SUBJECT:

•

Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Septeml::ler 8, 1947
J.IR.
.I!.
~
D•

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!ADD

DATB:

Mr. Tolson
Mr . E. A. 'ram
Mr. Clegg_ _
Mr . Glavin

E.G. Fitc~ a 2 - ­

===

YING DISCS

~

: : lti~~-01::::.

llr. Rosen - -

: : ~;~n
Reference is made to my memorarrlum to you in the above captioned :: ~-=•a-­
matter dated August 22, 1947, which irrlicates that Special Agent Griffee
r.~Ttigl;on
of the Liaison Section had contacted Lieutenant Colorel G. D. Garrett, Jr., ~i.~JggmTanm
of the Air Forces Intelligence at which tine Colonel Garrett advised that
t!'t./~~~
the A:nn.y Air Forces were coniucting no research or experin:e nts in the
~111•• 03.nd:r
vicinity of TWin lia.11s, Idaho, on or about August 19, 1947. Coloool Garret
~
at that tine indicated to Mr. Griffee that he would check '\Yith the Anny area · .
in order to ascertain whether or not they were conducting any eXp:3ri.1'00nts ·in
t.'lis vicinity at that time .

!:

Colonel Garrett has subsequently advised llr. Reynolds that he has
been advised by the A:rmy area that no such exp3rin2 nts oore being coniucted
in the area of T\ri.n lia.11s, Idaho, on or a bout August 19, 1947, which would
in any way throw any ligit on the matter reported in the teletyi;:e.
REC0MllENDATI0N
It is recomnenied this memorarrlum be
of the Internal Security Section.

'

SSEP 22194~

0.-30

...
.,,.
September 26, 1947
lJr . A. Courtney Parker
Superintendent of School•
South ~oyalton. Vermont
Dear Ur. Parker •
I wbh to aolmowledge reoeiy,t of your letter dated
Sentember 17, 1947. An Aient of our A l ~, l•w York, 01'1'ioe
will call upon you in the near !'uture for any additional in­
formation 1n your poaaeaaion.
Your courtesy and interest 1n bi'intin& this matter
to ay attention are indeed anpreoiated.
Sinoerely your••
f'
John Edpr. Hoover
Direc-tor
cc - Albany (separate cover lettor )
'RECORDED
llr. Tolson
llr.E,A.~
: : 8t:~n -
: : ~g•=ot.:::s===
llr. Rosen - ­
.,,. . T r a c y - -
J:'.:=:=•a-111'. H a r b o - : : ~~~·""1-ng=t:;,,on-==
llr. qu1nn Ta,an­
Tols, Room
Kr. Neaee - ­
lllsa Oandy
62-83894
RGF:cmw
15
,
rn
COMMUNICATIONS SECTION
MAILED
11
~FP Gt> 1947 P.M.
ESTISAT(o
FJUSTI
·~ ~~-----""""lb= --
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,..,,·
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..
SAC, Alban.,
September 25.1 1947
lllreotor, FBI
FU.'IJfJ DISCS
A. Coartney Pt.mer, Informant
Attached h.-eto are copies or an incoDd.ng commmication from A.
Courtney Parker, Superintendmt ot Schoal.a, Bouth Jlojalton, Verm:,nt, and
copies ot aclc:nowledgmcrt or same.
It ie requested that m Agmt of -raar Oi't.lce call on 11r. Pa.Iicer
to obtain any ad:11.tional information in his possession cancerriing fiying
discs.
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COMMUNICATIONS SECTION
*
11
St.P 2 o 1947 P.~.
MAILED
FE0E8Al 6U!fEJJJ OF lltVESTIGATION
U. S. DEP~KTMENT OF JIJSrlCE
·t}~
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STAT.E Oi V ERMO N , _ , '
CHELSEA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
N O RWICH
ORANGE. W I NDS O R· D IST R ICT
ROYALTON
A. COURTNEY PARKER, Superin1endcn1
SOUTH ROYALTON
September 17 , 1947
Fe•eral Bureau of Invest i gat i on
Washin gton , D. C.
Dear Sirs :
At 3 : 40 P . M. to - aay I observe• a so - call e• flying
saucer. Tnis occur re• wnile I was nalf way up Rix Leages
north of Lebanon, N. H. As I was intently watching tne
honey bees circling in a paten of sky after leaving my
bee box my attention was call ea to a floating object that
appearea to be as large as a tennis ball an• as wnite as
cotton batting . This object approache• rapialy an• noiselessly
from the East an• was followe• closely by another object
that appeare• in size an• shape like a saucer which maintaine•
a constant angle of inclination to tne bal l an• followe• it
at a constant aistance . Tne two objects maae an angle with
my eye of approximately five aegrees . Tney were in my vision
for more than a minute wnen I l ost them in tne glare of the
sun .
If' I natl seen this in tne night sky with my six incn
telescope I woul• nave tnougnt tnat tne planets Venus an•
Saturn naa su••enly gotten together an• were traveling
tne eartn .&J.-ff
l
3o7f--j/_5
.

OFFICE OF

DI RECTOR

FEDERAL BUREAU \)F
UNITED STAfES

INVESTIGATION

I

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Ladd_.r..✓--

September B, 1947

/

The attached was sent to
the Director by Walter
Winchell.
The notations appearing
thereon read:
"Ack & F.B.I."

Ni cbols
-Rosen
Mr. Tracy
Mr. Carson
Mr. Egan
Mr. Gurnea
Mr. Harbo
Mr. Hendon
Mr. Jones
Mr. Pennington_
Tele. Room_ _
Mr. Nease _ __
Miss Holmes _ _
Miss Gandy_ __

"Please excuse haste make airmail west."

Attachment
mt
.,O
6
Bureau fil
ail to reflect any
record on
s. Madeline Gwynne
Merchant , the writ
letter.
I
R

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/

~

RDEn
ED {;

1

SEP is 1947

//

c

r.
•alter ,incnell,
r, Postmaster ,
Loo Angeles , C,..J.if •
.l)e c:1.r 1, r .
u i ncr:e .11 :
'\.T /
'.s /
£hvo.cle&e~ Jetter deals with what are being
called " discs ."
You are not -co mention tne contents of this
letter over the air , nor to any ina.ividual otner tnan officials
of tu.e \,a,r .uep 't., .wemoers of the JBI , or an .American whose
patriotism ,,ollld rank wi tn your ovm, &.i..d wno might donate :t,10 , 000
or more for the purpose of my continuing tne col~ection of field
a.ata conce1·ning II d1.0c s , 11 while time may remain i.1 which to do so .
I haTe had respectful attention from the
follo,,ing perso...s•
(.,..,:; uo-tiheerrn,
fi6F
e;;;:gx:iG acco·u::t"' Qveu.)
Col . Herbert C. Gee , Comm . Officer ,
Lo s Alamos Atomic rroject ,
Lo s Ale.mos , N .1• •
:ti aj . Bia.ne,, Newourger , Securi 't:V Official ,
Lo s Alamos Atomic Project ,
Los Alamos , ..l .M .
r . 1illara. Zim!uer , . Lili tar:v Intelliger.ce,
.l:' .
i
o. .Jox 6ol ,
i:>anta re , N .K .
3
ENCLOSURE
'I

.! rancis .A inle;y ,

A5 ent- in- Chart;;e ,
ederal ~ureau OI Inv. cigation, (Pnone 1566)
•
San:ta J'e , N. 1v1 .
Gen. S . R. 'Brennault ,
ss',:; . to Lf . Gen. Nathan _.•. Twining ,
AAJ' Materiel Command ,
Washington , n.c.
1

Col . Zumwalt ,
Ass ' t to Colonel Bunker ,
Co!Ilill . 0:t'f .
Kirtland J'ield ,
Albuquerque , ~ .M.
Gen . Patrick Hurley, (~ormer Ambassador to China , )
1210 Shoreham Bld ' g . (.Also Santa J·e ,

1~ .:rri . )

Washingta;, , "J . C
And thr ough the courtesy o:t' Gen. Patrick Hurlev ,
a let~er from Sec . OI War Robert Patterson , ~ar Dep 't , ~ashington~
All were highlJ interested , appreciative , with the
general "trend o±' contacts being , " This is fine .

Go right ahead . "

My poin,:; in writing you is to raise some money to
~roceed with.

~o budgets seemed to allow for the unexpected , elusive

"discs . 11
Sen . Carl llatch, D- N.~ ., U. S . Senate , ~ashington , D. C.
nas been contacted by mail Ior an appropriatio~ , but even ii this
onl;v requires one more week , it may be too late .
You may contact any oI the above listed persons to
veriI'y m~, contacts (excuse repetition word contact) during the past
:tour months . In other words, I began reporting directl,, to
Dr . N0 rris ..tiraa.bury, bcientific Head of Los Alamos, and Colonel Gee ,
et al , some time ago tn8 t tnis t;v_i:)e aerial II disc u was a realit"lr •

•
This mate~ial
1as
•
considered con!idential , and still is .
I have been asked by Colonel Gee not to speak an,, further
than mat~rial which has been published in the press .
And I have
chosen simply not to speak at all , except to a source which I consider
might 1urther my own work .
I I you ask or tne above persons , to ascertain whether or
not I have made serious , materially valuable contributions, which
ma~ indicate much scien~i!ically... .. . and which, i f action can be
continued soon enough , may a li~~le later save our nation much • . . .
please make inquiries quietly , and as promptlv as convenient .
I must ask you not to speculate , even to vourselr ...
out si....pl v to act .
lJo
not mention in any manner, until release bv the har
Dep ' t , even tue receipt or this letter , except to the abo ve persons ,
or proper governmen~ o:t:ticials tnere .
Or , to one whom ,,ou know Hill
make a donaliion .
:t'erhaps your savest bet would -be simpl:v to telephone the
1.r3I there , auo. let them telephone 11rancis J inle:v nere :tor verirication .
I promise you an exclusive , behind the scenes stor~ when,
and if , tne ,1ar lJep ' t releases the material nationally .
Meantime ,
your action now may save :vou..r ov1n lite , and that 01 others who ma,, •
nave wor..dered what a " disc " is .
Rest assured I have all the proper scientific and rovernmenta
contacts needed ... ... al~ I need is the where¼ithall .
I h~ve the
proper backt;roi...nd to d.isci...ss tne subject , secure the further field

•
•
d· ta I new need , explain it technically, and secure proper action,
provided I wn given ~ne means to do so .
I regret that I cannot be more specific now , but dutv
to country rests above .
I ha ve met be:t'ore with the mental reaction,
"What?
A
woman hanaling this type material? "
And m:v signature beTow will
probaol? evoke the same response f'rom :vou. So I assure :vou, :ves ,
it is a woman who is comi ng in with the inI·ormation which men have
gone out to seek .
And doing the proper thing about it .
Mrs . hladeline
cc/
P . S . Am a rormer newspaper person, and very proud of it .
Am 39 , but dress and feel some younger .
Again , I must ask ,,ou not to mention even the town from
which this letter comes , as :vou ma:v be endangering lives to
so so .
Simply ascertain my contributions , get so r.e monev to
me, and wait . (.!!-rancis l'inley ==1 s cJ f would give me a gas
bud6 et , iI' ne were not so close himself . )

Mr~:~:rt:~
~
f4
UNITE:C. .ATES GOVERNMENT
~ffice
FROM
SUBJECT:
DATE:
August 28, 1947
T. F. Bauehman
~ - .olso
::.r. :..
• . ;1
~
Letter and material received from
Mrs. J . ~
xon
~still, South carolina
Route 1, Box JO
~:>
!.:r .
g: :?: := - - l.l". He
1.!r. Pe
Qu_
~alt:l . .
:?".
i:r. ::e
The attached let ,er dated August 14, 1947 f rom Mrs . Mixon to­
gether with the material which she reports to be part of a f lying saucer
was recei ved in t 'e Laborator y on Augu~t 19 , 1947. The material which
l'!as subnitted .., ;ith ~rs. Mixon I s l e tter has be.:n identified as powdered
soap stones .
1ass ·-
Inasmucb as the Investigative and Security Divisions might possibly
be interested in this matter, I request that ou adv:ise me as to the :inal
disposition of the submitted material as well as the type of reply which
should be nade to Mrs . Mixon 1 s letter.
fX..83

l'O
.,
FROM
:
DATE: September 4, 194
:
'
SUBJECT: ~
J. P. Co
LYING SA CER
Reference is made to the memrandum from Ur• .Baughman to Mr.
Harbo, dated August 28, 1947, requesting vice as to the final disposition of material submitted by Mrs. J. H
Estill, South Carolina.
It is noted that this material,
ic lfrs. Mixon reported to be a -part or
a flying saucer, has been identified as powdered soap stones.
,:; ~
It is recomnended that the material be returned t o Mrs. Jlixon
along with a letter adV'ising that such has been identified as powdered soap
stones.
RGF:LH

..
;·), lSfW ~U i ci30 -~
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.

-

.,

Memorandum . uNrTED sTATEs GovERNMENT

-

r 4, 1947

Director, FBI
SAC, Phoenix
REPORI'S OF FLTIID IJlSCS
ATTENl'IONs

ASSISTANI' DIIW:;TOR D. M.

Reference is made to San Francisco letter dated August 28, 1947,
and to Bureau te1etype to Phoenix dated August _30, 1947.

\

With reference to the above matter, I desire 1:o point out that the
letter of reference from San Francisco did not reach Phoenix until September

2, 1947.
On August 29, 194?, a Mr. GEORGE FUGATE, JR. called at the Phoen:i.X
office and exhibited credentials reflecting that he is a representative of A-2,
Fourth Air Force, Hamilton Field, California. He also exhibited orders emanating
from the office of Colonel DONALD SPRINGER, A-2, Fourth Ai.r Force, Hamiilton Field,
California, instructing rum t o proceed to Phoenix immediately and contact the FBI
office, at llhich time a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation would
be designated to accompany him to interview W I ~ F S , who had previously . !"eported t he µiotographing of a flying disc. The orders further indicated that "'
the sa.n Francisco office of the FBI was transmitting further information re­
lating to Mr. FUGATE 1 S mission.

ASAC HEBER Y. CLEGG telephonically communicated with SAC HARRY KDABA.U..
of the San Francisco office and Mr. KIMBALL verified t.he above infonnation and
stated that a letter bad been directed to the Fhoenix office suggesting that the
Phoenix office assist aey representative who called from A-2 in the interrogation «
of RHODES. SAC KIMBALL stated that in connection Jdth f ~ g discs, he had main­
tained close contact with Colonel SPRINGER and that close cooperation existed.
He further advised tbat many reports of flying discs had been received at San
Francisco and that a full discussion concerning the results of inquiries had
been he1d with Colone1 SPRINGER.
In connection with f'l¥:i.ng disc investigations, Mr. KIMBALL advised
he had maintained close touch w.i. th the fureau and had apparently handled these
matters in accordance with Bureau policy.
In vien of the above, Special Agent J. BAIIEY BRCNIER of the fhoenix
office was permitted to work with Mr. FUGATE in the interview of WILLIAM ALBERT
RHODF.S. The results of the inquiry are set out hereunder.
f

--v
11, J
5 5 {EP30 1947coPms DESTROYF.D
2 70

NOV 18 1964

~

J"

'

.,

Phoellix file 62-213

WILLIAU ALBERT RHODES, 4333 N. 14th Street, Phoenix, Arizona, owns
and maintains the Panoramic Research Laboratory and Hobby Shop at this address,
and he related the following as occurring on the afternoon of JuJ.y 7, 1947: •
A storm had occurred in Phoenix on the afternoon of Ju1y 7, 1947,
and the clouds were at approximately 5000 feet, the color of which was grey
and they resembled dense cum.uJ.us. A fifteen mile per hour wind was blowing.
At approximately 5 p.m. on that date, Mr. RHODES was walking from his home
to the Hobby Shop and he heard a noise resembling a P-80 aircraft, apparent'.cy
coming in a wester'.cy direction. Upon searching the skies he observed to the
northeast what appeared to be an odd shaped ship. He described this ship as
being possibly 20 to 30 feet in diameter, traveling at an estimated speed of
100 miles per hour. It appeared to be making a spiral in a small radius of
possibly one-half to three quarters of a mile. RHODES stated the sound which
he first heard was no longer audible; that he hurriedzy procured a 120 Brownie
Box Camera from his shop, and as the aircraft completed the first circle he
obtained a photograph. As the ship started on the second turn, it was in a
northwesterly direction from his place and he again snapped a photograph, which
more closely resembled the shape of the ship than photograph #1, this being
designated as Exhibit II, as submi t ted to the Bureau with letter dated August
4, 1947, by the Office of Assistant Chief of Staff A-2 Intelligence, Hamilton
Field, California. RHODES .further described the direction of the ship by
stating that instead of completing the lefthand downward spiral the ship banked
to the right and disappeared into the clouds. He stated that just as it banked,
he had snapped the second photograph, Exhibit II.

At the last point, which was at the time the ship made this turn, Mr.
RHODF.S estimated it to be between 1,000 arrl 2,000 .feet high. He further des­
cribed the appearance of this ship as closely res embling a picture which appeared
on the front cover of the May, 194?, issue of the Mechanics Illus trated Magazine,
the only difference noted by Mr. RHODFS being that the ship appeared t o be fly­
ing backward •
.Mr. RHODES also related that he did not associate the appearance of
this ship with the numerous reports of flying discs. He related, however, that
after a three minute interview with newspaper repor-ters the story that appeared
in the local papers was "blown up" to the extent that he, RHODES, barely recog­
nized the information furnished by him. .Mr. RHODES explained that the afore­
mentioned dimensions and distances were only estimated, pointing out, that his
previous experience probably assisted him in making fairly close estimates. He
related that he bad been doing experimental work for the past ten years. He
also stated he was Employed at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory, Washington, D. c.
during the early part of World War II and left there the beginning of 1942.
Upon his return t o Phoenix, he was employed at Falcon Field near Phoenix which
was leased by the British Goverrunent for training purposes. He instructed in
instrument training, aircraft ident ification and gunne l"'J practice. He explained
that his hobbies have to do with science, physics, radio, electronics and astronomy.
He produced a model which he had made of a radio controlled airplane. He related
that most of his work consists of building transfonners, but it is also necessary
for him to depend upan his music ability for his livlihood.

.,
Phoenix file 62-213

In explaining the results of photographing the ship, Mr. RHODES
stated that he was surprised that the object appeared dark on a light back­
ground; that he :fully expected that the object would be l ight on a dark back­
ground. He described the light spot which appears in the center of the object
(Exhibit II) as being a green house. RHODES insisted. that the ship made no
noise that was audible t o his ear and he was unable to detect the presence of
aey propeller. He also related that after the newspaper release over Radio
Station KTAR, wherein statements were made that he, RHODES, had stated Army
officials were studying the photographs, and that it was a top secret, he
attempted to determine the source of this release and the Radio station finally
told him that it was a United Press release from Washington, D. C.
The following description of RHODES was obtained from observation
and interrogation:
Age
Date birth
Plac e birth

Height
Weight
Eyes
Hair
Education
Marital status

30
U - 29-16
Garden City, Kansas
6 1 3"
155 pounds
Blue
Brown

Fhoenix Union High School
M:lrried- one son

It shoul.d be stated that at the time of intervi8i'f with RHODES, Mr.
BROWER identitied himself as an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and
exhibited his credentials . However, pursuant to a request 1'rom Mr. FUGATE, he
was introducBd only as a r epresentative of the United States government. His
exact of'ficia1 connection was not made lmown to Mr. RHODE.S:" Agent BROWER advised
that he felt it was a peculiar procedure, but it was not his business. However,
at the conclusion of the interview, Mr. FUGATE requested Ur. RHODES to furnish
him with the negatives and RHODF.5 stated he would be glad to do so, but they
were not in his iDJJ18iiate possession, and he would deliver then to the FBI the
following morning. Mr. RHODF.S requested that the negatives be returned to him,.
Agent BROVTER states that to this request, Mr. FUGATE made no rep~. Agent BROWER
states that after leaving Mr. RHODES he asked FUGATE if the negatives would be
returned to Mr. RHODES and FUGATE stated that he doubted very much that they would
be returned. Mr. BROWER then advised Mr. FUGATE that before he, BROWER, would
accept these negatives that RHODES must be advised of Mr. FUGATE'S identity and
also advised that the negatives, it turned CNer to Mr. FUGATE, would not be
returned to him.

Phoenix file 62-2l3

In view of which, on the morning on August 30, 1947, when Mr. RHODES
called at the Phoenix office t o deliver the negatives, they were accepted. only
after he was advised that they were being given to Mr . FUGATE, a representative
of the Army Air Foree Intelligence, United States Arrrry, and that there -was little,
if any, chance of his getting the negatives back. Mr. RHODES turned the negatives
over to this office with the full 'll.Merstanding that they were being given to the
Army and that he would not get them tack.
The Phoenix office did not receive the Bureau teletype of reference
instructing that no joint investigation should be conducted until after the
matter had been handled.
Inasmuch as military authorities have complete knowledge of the results
of the interview with Mr. RHODES no copy of this r eport is being designated. for

A-2.

JBB-kb
cc-san Francisco
62- 2)3

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FBI PORTLAND
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8 - 08 Pf,
9- 13- 47
l/DfREC10R
U :1 C E N T
(?FLYING DISCS .
LEOt.: V~
I
HHS
NKil~S, CEIEF OF POLICE, PORTLP,ND , STA TES
HE OBSERVED AT ABOUT FIVE FIFTEEN PM ELEVENTH I NSTANT, AN OBJECT
SIMI LAR IN SIZE TO A WEATHER BALLOON , WHICH APPEARED TO BE MADE OF
ALUMINUM OR SOt-'iE OTHER BRICHT METAL,
TrrnVELING RAPIDLY NORTHUEST TO
SOUTHEAST OVER PORTLAND AT AN ESTIMATED TEN THOUSAND FEET .
OBJEC1
'JEERED TO SOUTH AND DISAPPEARAD IN THE DISTANCE I N APP,,OJ I MATELY ONE
~lit-:UTE .
CAR ,
A~~
ALSO OBSERVED BY PATROU-iAN H. ~ . ~At~EY' DRI'~'fi~
fCSSIBLY BY OTHER PORTLAND POLICE OFFICERS .
~r JEN la [~S
SMALL ARTICLE
APPEARED IN PORTLAND NE~SPAPER, THE OREGONIAN, CONCERNING THIS ON
TKELF'i'H INSTANT .
END

RECEIVEDTELETYPE UNIT
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9- 13- 47
FBI NORFOLK
AlRECTOR
U R G E N T
O FLYING DISCS .
MRS .
G.
4- 15 PM
CLC
H~OCKTON, ONE SIX NINE A VIEW AVENUE,
OCEAN VIEW, VA . , REPORTED SIGHTING FLYING DISC AT SHOUNS, TENN . ,
SIXT~ LAST .
SON-IN- LAW, H~NINGS, ONE ONE ONE BELLGRAVE, -Ge
e.
OCEAN VEG~ :S:0. VIEW, CONFIRMS SIGHTING OF THIS OBJEJT WHICH HE
DESCRIBEJ AS BEING SHAPEU LIKE FOOT3ALL, MOVING IN A SOUTHERLY DI~ECTION
AT CONSTANT ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMAT:~LY TWO THOUSAND FEET, AND TURNING
END OVER END IN THE AIR .
-­
RATE OF SPEED COMPARABLE TO CUB PLANE .
JENNINGS STAT.ES eJt!rft OBJECT VIS IBLE FOR APPROX I t1ATEL Y FIVE MINt.4s
AGAINST OVEJ-tCAST SKY•
NO DETAILS DISCERNIBLE .
..iENNINGS
~
DOES NOT
BEL I EVE OBJECT WAS DISC BUT THAT I T MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LOOSE l-U::Tt.ROXX
METEOROLOGICAL BALLOON .
Rue .
ROBEY
END
5-1 7 PN OK FBI WA BW

•
R~CEIVEO TELETYPE UIIIT
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I
I N Rlll'LY RPm TO:
f
cnN1=10rN11Al::
A~UARTERS, ARMY AIR FORC~ .
WASHINGTON
AFBIR- C0
S SEP1947
Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Department of Justice
Washington 25, D. C.
Dear Sir:
Attention:
Liaison Section
In answer to a verbal request of your Mr .
S. W. Reynolds , a complete survey of research activities
discloses that the Army Air Forces has no project with
the characteristics similar to those which have been
associated ~~th the' ilying Discs.
Yours sincerely,
GEO. J. SCHULGEN
Bl'lg&dier Genera l, U. S.A.
Deputy, Ass' t. Chief of Air Staff-2
Authority
I
~
NND90986
CONFIDENTIAL
AODREH Rl!Pl.Y TO, COMM ANDING GENERAL. ARNY AIR FORCES, WASHI NQTON 2!1, D, C.

n - =o-•-~
•
•
•
• •
Office Memorandum • UNITED sTATEs 'GOVERNMENT
TO
9/16/47
DATE:
11r. Toleon ~ -­
w:r. E. A. Tua
:I. G. J'lto
FROM
: : 8½:~__
1'-n:::--=.._-=_-_
_-= =
Ill'. Ladd~
ill'. Nlchole
ill'. Ro..n:--_ -_ - _ -
C
SUBJECT:
l'Lnl'G DISCS
:: ~;~n- ­
::
~~=.-- 111'.
H&rbo
llr. H
endo•~ ::;;::;::;::
llr. PeMtngton
Special. Agent s. w. ReJ"DOl4e of the Lial1on Section hae 41 ■ill'. Quinn r ....- cu■ed with Ltatenant Colonel George Garrett of the tatelllgence
~ ~eN.::m·_=;::=
DiTidoa of the Air :rorcea the poaa1"bll1 t7 that the fiTiDC diac1 or
~1•• Holme
1auoer1 are in fact a project of the J,,,rJq Air Yore••• It should 1,e note&!.
that Ooloael Garrett 8Cl"eM with thta poa1lbUit7. At that time Mr. ReJD,014a
polatecl nt '9 Oeloael Garrett the poadble •barrudng poetHon of the
tntellf&ence D1T1aion of tbe Air Yore•• tf tt wa• n1,■eqv.eat17 aacer\atned
that th11 va1 the truth, eapeo1all7 alaoe the7 ha4 requested the ae11sta.uce
of the Bureau in the oapt1oaecl aatter.
Oolonel Qarrett a4-rieecl Mr. R•J']lold1 that he wo1ll.d 1D1tlmte a
fur'her ,ea.rob, and m ha1 ·nov a4-r11ed that a letter was a4dreeeecl lt1' Major
General KcI>onal.4, Director of the l:a'8111Bence D1Tb1on of the Air Jloroea. to
the lleeearah and DneloJlllent Seotton of the Air hro•••
!here 1■ at~hed hereto a letter addrea1ecl to the Director, da,ed
Sep,•b•r 15, 1947. froa !rtca,lter General George P. Sclmlgen, which ■tat•• tba,
a coaplete nrn7 ot reeearoh aot1-rttie• cUec101ee that the ~ ilr Jlorcee
ba•• no project with cbaraotertaUc1 e1a1l.ar to ,hose which haTe been uaooiatecl
with tu flTiDC dleoa.
llCQMMl!JBDATIOJ:
It ta reoo-•nd.ecl that thil meJ10randua be forwarded to tlle Internal
Securit7 Seotio:a for their illfol'll&tion•
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Office Memorandum . UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO

Director, FBI

DAT E :

9-17-47

Portland
REPORrS OF FLYnm DISCS
SECURITY MATTER - X
'

Refer San Francisco letter dated September 4, 1947.
FRID ~
HNSON, Globe Hotel, 106 mv. First Avenue, Portland, reported
without consulting any records that on June 24, 1947,while prospecting at a
point in the Cascade Mountains approximately five thousand feet from sea level,
during the afternoon he noticed a reflection, looked up, and saw a disc pro­
ceeding in a southeasterly direction. Immediately upon sighting this object
he placed his telescope to his eye and observed the disc for approximately
forty- five to sixty secondil. He remarked that it is possible for him to pick
up an object at a distance of ten mil.es with his telescope. At the time the
disc was sighted by Mr. JOHNSOO it was banking in the sun, and he observed
five or six similar objects but only concentrated on one. He related that
they did not fly in any particular formation and that he would estimate their
height to be about one thousand feet from where he was standing. He said the
object was about thirty feet in diameter and appeared to have a tail. It made
no noise.
According to JOHNSON he remained in the vicinity of the Cascades
for several days and then r eturned to Portland and noted an article in the
local paper which stated in effect that a man in Boise, Idaho, had sighted a
similar object but that authorities had disclaimed any knowledge of such an
object. He said he cozmnunicated with the Army for the sole purpose of attempt­
ing to add credence to the story furnished by the man in Boise .
JOHNSON also related that on the occasion of his sighting the objects
on June 24, 1947 he had in his possession a combination compass and watch. He
noted particularly that immediately beiore he sighted the disc the compass
acted very peculiar, the hand waving from one side to the dther, but that this
condition corrected itself immediately after the discs had passed out of sight.
Infonnant appeared to be a very reliable individual Y1ho advised that
he had been a prospector in the states of Montana, Washington, and Oregon for
the past forty years.
FJS:KAM

62-1531
2 cc: San Francisco (62-2938)

31 SEP 2 9~7

\
-
STr ,\ftD FORM~- 64
•
•
~ .JIOffice Memorandum • .UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO
D. II. !ADD
FROM
~
t l 9,J~
J
. Clegg,, .--_-_-_-_
E. G. FITCH
llr. 0lav1o._ __
::: ~ ~,,,.lir--­
SUBJ ECT:
lt ~~~,-----
½ rxnm DISCS
: :: ~_:on ~ - Kr. Ournea_ _ __
llr. llarbo
llr. Holldo·;;-0:;;.;;.:::.:::.=
~i.~:===
Special Agent s. Vf. Reynolds of the Liaison Section, while discussing the above captioned phenomena with Lieutenant -Colone~rrett
l:i;.~~ :.,,.,
111
of the Air Forces Intelligence , expressed the possibility that fzyin·g
"" 0&nc1.y
iscs were , in fact, a very highly classified experi.roont of the Army or
Navy. Mr. Reynolds was very much surprised when Colonel Garrett not on1:-..~
greed that this was a possibility, but confidentially stated it was his
personal opinion that such was a probability. Colonel Garrett indicated
confidentially that a ~
rroll, who is a scientist attached to the Air
Forces Intell igence, was of the same opinion.
0. - - --
\(
lI~
Colonel Garrett stated that he based his assumption on the
following : He pointed out that when flying objects -were reported seen over
Sweden, the 11high brass" of the War Department exerted tremendous pressure
on the Air Forces Intell igence to conduct research and collect information
in an ef fort to identify these sightings . Col onel Garrett stated that, in
contr ast to this, we have reported sightings of unknovm objects over the
United States, and the "high brass " appear ed to be totally unconcerned.
He indicated this led him to believe that they knew enough about these
objects to expr ess no concern. Colonel Gar rett pointed out further that the
objects in question have been s een by many individuals who a re what he
terma 11 trained observer s," such as airplane pilots. He indi cated also that
several of the indivi dual s ar e rel iable member s of the community. He stated
i t i s his conclusi on that these individuals saw something. He stated the
above has l ed him to come t o the conclusion that t here were objects seen
which somebody in the Government knows all about.
Mr. Reynolds pointed out to Colonel Garrett that if it is a fact
exper imentations are being conducted by the United States Government, then it
does not appear reasonable to request the FBI to spend money and precious
time conducting inquir ies with respect to this matter. Col onel Garret t stated /J that he agreed with Ur. Reynolds in this regard and indicated that it would b e ~
extr emely embarrassing to t he Air Forces Intelligence if i t later is learne<i
that t hese flying discs are, in fact, an experiment of the United States
Goverruoont •
Mr. Reynolds subsequently discussed this matter with Colonel L. R.
Forney of the Intell igence Di vision of the War Depar tment. Colonel Forney
stated that he had discussed the matter previously wit h General Chamberlin.
Colonel Forney indicated to Mr. Reynolds that he has the assurance of General
SWR:LL
.....
...
rV
1-:;
RECORDED
EX-64 INDEXED
SEP29 I~ r COPIES D~S1'R0YED
27 0
NOV lo 1964
19

•

•

MEMORANDUM FOR MR. IADD

Chamberlin and General Todd that the Army is conducting no experimentations
with anything which could possibly be mistaken for a flying disc.
Colonel Garrett of the Air Forces Intelligence subsequently contacted
Mr. Reynolds and indicated that he had discussed this matter with General
Schulgen of the Army Air Forces. General Schulgen had previously assured both
Mr. Reynolds and Colonel Garrett that to the best of his knowledge and in­
formation no experiments were being undertaken by the Government which could be
mistaken for flying discs. Colonel Garrett indicated to Mr. Reynolds that
he had pointed out his beliefs to General Schulgen and had mentioned the
possibility of an embarrassing situation arising between the Air Forces
l Intelligence and the FBI. General Schulgen agreed with Colonel Garrett
\ that a memorandum would be prepared for the signature of General McDonald,
A2, to General IeMay, who is in charge of Research and Development in the
Air Corps. Colonel Garrett indicated that this memorandum will set forth
the characteristics of the objects seen by various reliable individuals.
The memorandum will then request General I.e:May to indicate whether or not
any experiloonts are being undertaken by the Air Forces which could possibly
be connected with any of the observed phenomena. Colonel Garrett stated
, that when a reply is received from General I..eMa.y, a comnmnication will be
addressed to the Bureau.
Mr. Reynolds will follow this matter closely with Colonel Garrett
and General Schulgen so that the Bureau will be promptly advised of all
infozmation re garding the flying discs, especially aey information indicating
that they are, in fact, an experiment of some Governmental agency.

- 2 -

()jfi~;~Memorl dum
TO

FROM
SUBJ ECT:

• UN ITED STA'' S G OVERNMENT

D. M.

DATE:

~:a

8-8

@

c::FBS

?.;:
u;:.;I;::,;.;;;
NG...,;D
_I_s_cs_

Reference is made to the memorandum to you frolJl t he Liaison
Section dated July 21 , 1947 , setting forth a request from Colonel
Ool br anson of the Intelligence Di.vision of the War Department for the
B.lreau to conduct investigation to determine the origLn of the flying
discs .
OBSERVATIONS:
It is felt that the situation regarding these flying saucers and
flying discs is very similar to the situation which was previously encountered
tu the Bureau during the past war in handling complaints arisi ng out of the
sighting of Japanese baloons . You will recall that at the inception of these
complaints the Blr eau conducted considerable investigation and located numerous
baloons as a cooperative measure for the Army and that after considerable work
had been done, the Arnu then informed that these were military weapons and that
they would take over the handling of these completel y . This they did and in an
extremely short time issued a big press release as to the splendid work of the
Army in locating these Japanese baloons . From the infonnation available thus /
far, it does not appear that these discs should be treated other than as a
~
military weapon. Certainly the B.lreau has no way to determin e what experiments
the Arrrq and Navy are conducting and whether such might be arising out of
experiments being conducted by them nor do we have any way of determining how
far the Russians have progressed in certain experiments and mether such might I
~
' be the r esult s of experiments by the Russian Array. It s hort, i t would certain.L1/ ;,Y
\ appear that this is a military situation and should be handled strictly t u ~
jzm.l itary authorities.

l

1

In this connection it ml..ght be pointed out that our present Portland
case arose out of the fact that two Army Intelli gence officers were returning
from an interview of two individuals who reportedly had seen flyin g discs . If
he Army Intelligence officers are handling some of these interviews, it is be­
ieved that they should be handling all of these interviews , and it is not
believed that the Bureau should be expending its precious manpower on these com­
plaints whi ch thus far have no connection with our Russian espionage program.
The military authorities certainly are better equipped to know what they are
looking for than we are and have more facilities for handling any material which
it is necessary to examine as a result of its being reported as a remnant of a
/£'lying disc . It is believed that the fureau is merel y playing bird-dog for tm
Army b'J usin g our manpower to run out these complaints on flying discs .

ft

ACTION~

EX-34

REOO:RDJm>

Ibe;). - g_ f!!!t- 31

In view of the recent Bureau fulletin #42 dated July -.; 1921& howl:ver
there is attached a letter to the Ch i cago Office asking that~e,£e°"''j;/'7t,he
'
requested investigation.
)\ }.

v:t~";~ 34 f{lyj,1/
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INTERNAL SECURIP
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llrD. Joaeph H. R),an
Bieber. CalU'ornia
Dear Wro • .R)oana
Receipt ia aolcnowledted of your letter
dated September 19• 194?• requesting into~ tion
oonoerning the origin ot the •nying S . ~ 2Ecnu1
-•~•
•
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s1 bh• •
In thie oo.nneotlon. you are advi ed
that 1n Tin ot a long eatabl1ahed pol1~1, l am
unable to t'w-niah the reaulta ot inwirttg&tioti•'
l:u thia lllreau to otb.r than Gowrnmctal 11ouroe.e.
For thia reucn I regNt that I am unable to
anS1Mr your question. wt I appreciate your
interest 1n writing to me 1n thia regard.
Sinoerely youn.
J olm Edgar BooTer
Direotor
RGF:vj:cmw
COMMUNtCAno u
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COMMU~ I\Afl J SECTION
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~~RECTOR AND SAC , CHICAGO AND BUTTE
URGENT
d" OFLYING__j)Is.KS SIGHTED BY FREIY'CHR I SMAN AND HARLD -K"'DAHL,
SM DASH X.
REMYTEL AUGUST SIX , LAST CAPTIONED FLYING DISKS .
DAHL AND FRED CHRISMAN, •TACOMA, IN SIGNED STATEMENT INSTANT DATE
STAT£ THAT I N EARLY PART OF JUNE , LAST, THE:PICKED UP SOME STRANGE
ROCK FORMATIONS FROM A GRAVEL PI T, MAURI I SLAND , WASHINGTON .
THEY STATE
A CIGAR BOX OF THESE ROCK FORMATI ONS THEY SENT TO ~RA~ALiiE.B , ED I TOR OF
VENTURE MAGAZINE I N EVANSTON , ILLINOIS .
THEY STATE PLAMER IS ALSO
EDITOR OF FANTASY MAGAZINE , CHICAGO, ILLINOI S.
THEY STATE
PALMER ONLY TO MAKE A CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ROCK FORMA TION .
DAHL AND CHR ISMAN STATE PALMER LATER WROTE ASKING FOR ADDI TI ONAL SAMPLES
STATING HE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO ANALYZE THE MATERIAL .
DAHL AND CHRI SMAN
STATE PALMER , A FEW DAYS AFTER THE FLYING DISK STORIES STARTED THE LATTffi
PART OF JUNE , LAST , CONTACTED THEM BY PHONE AT TACOMA , WASHINGTON , SAYir,.t;
HE WOULD PAY FOR AN EXCLUSIVE STORY IF THE MATERIAL WHICH THEY HAD SENT
HI M WAS FRAGMENTS OF A FLYING DISK .
DAHL STATES HE WROTE PA LMER A
LETTER IN WHICH HE STATED THE MATE~~R'f>~ P~RT OF A FLYING pj SK . JLAHL
AND CHRISMAN ADIHT THI S STATWENT WAs}9Jffa'Ey FALSE 9-
7
D( Hli.'Jo CHRIS t'AN
STATE THEY HERE CALLED BY KENNET~RNcr'L;J; BOU SE q IDAHO TO MEET WITH
K
HIM AT THE WHITHROP HOTEL , TACOMf, 1l".SHI NGTON; ...
LAST .
JULY THIRTYFIRST,
THEY STATE ~OLD CA L1li} IN ARMY I NTELLIGENCE OFFI CERS FROM
V..., V V I .J, /Da; v(/t.A.J

•
PAGE TWO
HAM ILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA, AND CAPTAIN EMIL H.,SMITH OF UNITED AIR
LINES , SEATTLE, WASHINGTpN TO ATTEND THE MEETING .
DAHL AND CHRISMAN
CLAIM THEY TOLD THE I NTELLIGENCE OFFICERS, CAPTAIN DAVIDSON AND LIEUTEN­
ANT BROWN , AS WELL AS KENNETH ARNOLD AND EMI~SMITH EXACTLY HOW THEY GOT
THE ROCK FORMATIONS AND THAT THEY HAD NO CONNECTION WITH ANY FLYING DISK.
DAHL AND CHRISMAN STATE THEY FURNISHED SOME OF THE ROCK FORMATION TO THE
INTELLIGENT OFICERS AS SAMPLES.
CAPTAIN DAVIDSON AND LIEUTEANT BROUN
LEFT TACOMA, WASHI NGTON I N AB TWENTY FIVE TO RETURN TO HAMILTON FIELD,
CALIFORNI A ABOUT TWO THIRTY A. M. AUGUST ONE , LAST, AND WERE KILLED
WHEN THEIR PLANE CRASHED AT KELSO , WASHINGTON , AFTER THE LEFT ENGINE
BURNED OUT AN EXHAUST STACK WHICH IN TURN CAUGHT THE LEFT WI NG ON FIRE
AND IT BROKE OFF .
THE CREW CHIEF AND EACH OFFICER PARACHUTED TO SAFETY.
ERNif(vOTEL, ASSOC I ATED PRESS WI REMAN , TACOMA, ADVISED THAT TWO OR THREE
DAYS AFTER THE FLYING DISK STORIES STARTED , HE CONTACTED DAHL TO CHECK
0
A STORY THE SEATTLE POST I NTELLIGENC~R HAD GOTEM'"F\M THE FIRE CHIEF AT
HARBOR , WASHINGTON, TO THE EFFECT THAT DAHL HAD SOME FLYING DISK
FRAGMENTS .
FALSE .
AT THIS TIME DAHL ADMITTED TO VOGEL THE ENTIRE STORE WAS
DAHL AND CHRISMAN STATE ARNOLD WAS PAID BY RAY PALMER OF THE
FANTASY ~~AGAZ I NE AND POSS IBLY THE BOISE STATEMAN\.I
p
I
NEWSPA.ER, TO COME
'\
TO TACOMA, WASHINGTON AND OBTAIN A STORY FROM ]HEM REGARDING THE
FLYING DISK FRAGMENTS .
THEY FURTHER STATE THAT ~M I~ H. SMITH HAD A

RECEIVED
P27 236 PH:
INTERNAL SECURITY
PBI
TORT AF ine

I
,
'
-..I
PAGE THREE
FRIEND ON THE CHICAGO TIMES AND WAS POSSIBLY SELLING THE STORY TO fr.
CHJCAGO TIMES THROUGH THIS FRIEND .
A CHECK OF THE {oRDS AT THE
'\
WI{HROP HOTEL, TACOMA WHERE ARNOLD HAD HIS ROOM, REFLECT THAT ON JULY
THIRTY FIRST, LAST , ARNOLD CALLED PALMER AT A. N. FIVE TWO NAUGHT NAUGT,
EVANSTON , ILLINOIS , COLLECT, AND ALSO CALLED NAUGHT ONE NAUGHT NINE J AT
BOISE , IDAHO, COLLECT .
ON AUGUST ONE, LAST, ARNOLD CALLED PALMER AT
DEARBORN FIVE TWO NAUGHT NAUGHT CHICAGO, COLLECT , AND EMIL SMITH CALLED
BLANJYf(ODDY AT DEARBORN TWO THREE TWO THREE .
ON .JULY THIRTY FIRST AND
AUGUST ONE, LAST , A TOTAL OF FIVE ANONYMOUS CALLS WERE RECEIVED BY A
I)
TACOMA TIMES REPORTER AND THE UNITED PRESS WIRE MAN AT TAC"MA, GIVING INFORMATION REGARDING THE MEETING AT THE WINTHROP HOTEL OVER THE DISK
FRAGMENTS AND STATING THAT THE B TWENTY FIVE HAD BEEN SHOT DOWN OR
SABOTAGED WHICH KILLED CAPTA~AVIDSON AtJD Ll[UTFA~ROWN INFERRING
Q..
THAT THIS WAS DONE BECAUSE THE INTELLIGENE OFFICERS WERE CARRYING DISK
I\
FRAGMENTS IN THEIR PLANE .
DAHL AND CHRISMAN STATE THESE CALLS COULD ONCT
HAVE COME FROM THEMSELVES, SMITH OR ARNOD, AND DENY THAT THEY ~ADE THE
CALLS .
NO RECORD OF THE CALLS AS HAVING BEEN MADE FROM ARNOLD-S ROOM
IN THE WINTHROP HOTEL CAN BE LOCATED .
DAHL AND CHRISrAN ARE EVASIVE AS
TO JUST WHAT INFORMATION THEY DID FURNISH BY PHONE OR LETTER TO RAY
PALMER .
ERNIE VOGEL, UNITED PRESS WIRE MAN , TACOMA, WASHINCTON,
STATE IT APPEARS THE BOISE STATEMAN- S PAPER AND KENNETH ARNOLD HAVE
y

,.
PAGE FOUR
BEEN PUSHING THE PUBLICITY ON THE FLYING DISK STORIES.
VOGEL STATES
THAT ARNOLD \•JAS EI,ER THE FIRST OR ONE OF THE FIRST TO CLAIM HE HAD
SEEN FLYING DISKS .
DAHL AND CHRISMAN STATE THAT ARNOLD ADMITTED RE­
CEIVING MONEY FROM RAY PALMER to COME TO TACOMA TO CHECK T'//f. DISK
STORY .
UNLESS ADVISED TO THE CONTRARY BY THE BUREAU , THE BUTTE OFFICE
AT BOISE , IDAHO, WILL OBTAIN ALL INFORMATION REGARDING THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE BOISE STATEMAN- S PAPER AND KENNNETH ARNOLD .
WILL INTERVIElJ
KENNETH ARNOLD , ROUTE ONE, t>'OUNTAIN VIE\~ DRIVE, BOISE FOR WHAT INFOR~lTIGJ
HE HAS AS TO THE ABOVE FACTS AND WHAT INFORATION HE FURNISHED RAY PALMER
AND THE BOISE STATEMAN REGARDING THE TACOrA MEETING AND THE SABOTAGE
OF THE B TUENTYFIVE .
THE CHICAGO OFFICE AT CHICAGO WILL I NTERVIEW RAY
PAL~ER, EDITOR OF FRANTASY MAGAZINE, REGARDING HIS CONNECTIONS WITH
DAHL AND CHRISMAN AND ARNOLD AND WHAT INFORMATION EACH FURN,ISHED TO HIM .
WILL ALSO ATTEMPT TO ASCERTAIN WHAT INFORrATION CAPTAIN EMIL H. SMITH
FURNISHED THE CHICAGO TIMES .
THE SEATTLE OFFICE AT SEATTLE WILL
INTERVIEW EMIL H. SMITH , THREE NAUGHT TWO SEVEN WEST LAURELHURST
DRIVE ALONG THESE SAME LINES .
WILL ALSO ASCERTAIN WHAT INFORt1ATION THE
FIRr CHIEF AT
CHRISMAN .
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SIGHTED BY FR~ISMM! AND HAROLD ~ L , TACotlA ,
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REMYTEL AUGUST SEVEN LAST .
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EMIL ~ITH, UNITED A!RLIMES
PI~OT , INTERVIEWED RE ASSOCIATIONS ijITH HAROLD A, DAHL , FRED C4RISMAN
'
AND KENNET1~ARNOLD IN TACOMA , WN . , FROM JULY THIRTYONE TO AUGUST THIRD
LAST .
SMITH HAS RECEIVED PREVIOUS PUBLICITY FOR HAVINC SEEN FLYING
DISCS OR SIMILAR OBJECTS ON JULY FOURTH LAST IN CO~PANY WITH HIS CO­
PILOT , RAL ~
EVEMS,
DURING ROUTtiNE UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT OUT OF
BOISE , IDAHO .
SMITH RELATES THAT HE WENT TO TAC0t1A ,
WN . ,
FRot,1
SEATTLE
ON THURSDAY , JULY THIRTYONE LAST IN RESPONSE TO TELEPHONE CALL FROM
KENNETH ARNOLD AT TACOtA .
SMITH CLAir:s HE HAD PREVIOUSLY MET ARNOLD
ON TKO OCCASIONS , THE FIRST TIME ON JULY FIFTH LAST IN OFFICES OF
SEATTLE POST- INTELLIGENCER HHERE BOTH WERE INTERVIEWED RE FLYING
THEY HAD SEEN , ANO ON SECOND OCCASION IN BOISE , IDAHO, ABOUT .THREE
\-!EEKS AGO \.Jl.{ILE HE , SMITH , WAS PASSING THROUGH ON ROUTINE FLIGHT •
m;
THIS LATTER OCCASION , ARNOLD iJAS HJ CO>IPANY OF CAPTAIN1 DA'VIDSQtJ
AND LIEUTENAITT DRGJ;TN,
\ J'"OMNSOM
1
OF THE
ARMY INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS ,
IDAHO STATESMAN NEWSPAPER .
ACQUAINTANCE WITH DAHL OR CHRISMAN .
AND
SMITH CLAH'S NO
SMI1H RELATES THAT ON
JULy THIRTY ONE LAST IN TAC01,1A' WN . ' THE DAHL /\ND CHRIS;jAN ·sroRY' WHICH
BOTH HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY AD~ITTED TO BI FALSE WAS TOLD TO S~ITH~ARNOLD ,
CAPTAIN DAVIDSON , AND LIEUTENANT BROUN BY C1iRISMAN AND DAHL ,
SUBSEQUEST
TO T'HS INTERVIEW, CHRISMAN GAVE CAPTAIN DAVIDSON AND BRO\iN A BOX OF
FRAGMENTS WHICH THEY A~Yls TOO}( WI~H THEM ON
1/
,•'\/AFTER
FATAL FLIGHT .
SMITH STATES ...IlLA, ON !~•T)JiHMY·, :AliC.t!S1Z'F:J:.R~J LAS7,
rllVEXEo :;~c,1...,.. - ~ .;;, a / 7-•
O
LEARNING or THE CRASH AMD DE(\ TH OF DAVIDSON AND BROUN , AR 1oLD
C!LLED RAYitflNi,;..PALMrn , EDITOR OF Tll~~TllnE PRESS IN EV1!8TON, IL:.INOIS
,~
l
AND WAS TOLD BY PALMER TO DISCON~,Ni~ HIS INVESTIGATIO O THE DAHL-
.
S!.. "MONEY

Sr'ITH RELATES Tl11
HE AND APJ~6Ln MADE s~B~E.,.
ST ATTEMPTS To co
TO ~AURI ISLAND WITH CRISMAN AND DAHL ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDA~
AUGUST FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD, DUT WERE PUT OFF BY CHRIS1•1AN
FOR Vl\RI OUS REAS0~1S,
41s) DAHL
SMITH STt1 TES THAT REPOF. liR[C'ANTZ OF TACOMA TIMES
A~ELLO OF UNITED PRESS OFFICE TACOM/\ INFORMED HHi AND ARNOLD OF THE
•
A1JOt,YMOUS PHONE CALLS , AND FROM ACCCURACY OF THE INFO TRANSMITTED BY
THESE ANONYMOUS CALLS, SMITH BELIEVES THEY WERE MADE BY EITHER DAHL OR
CHRISMAN .
sj'rTH ADi'1ITS CALLING HIS PERSONAL FRIEND MAURIC~DY,
AVIATION ED I TDR OF CHICAGO TIMES , ON FRIDAY , AUGUST FIRST LAST , TO INFOR·t
HIM OR THE TACOMA INCIDENT AS PER A PREVIOUS AGREEMENT BET\o:EEN THEM THAT
SMITH WOULD LET RODDY IN ON ANY FLYING DISC STORIES WHICH HE ~IGHT RUN
INTO .
SMIT
ALSO ADMITS THAT HE TOLD REPORTER JOHNSON OF IDAHO STftTESM~
IN TELEPHONE CONVERSATION SATURDAY NIGHT, AUGUST SECOND LAST , THAT CAPTAm
DAVIDSON AND LIEUTENANT BROWN WERE CARRYING FhACMENTS WITH THEM ON THEIR
FATAL FLIGHT .
SMITH SAYS THAT DAHL TOLD HIM ON SATURDAY NITE AUGUAT
SECOND LAST THAT HE , DAHL , IF CONTACTED BY THE ARMY OR OTHER AUTHORITIES
UAS GOING TO SAY THAT. THE ENTIRE STORY WAS A HOAX .
SMITH STATES THAT
HE TOLD HIS COi'PLETE STORY TO MAJOi' S'\NDERS OF ilCCORD FIELD , TAco:·A , ON
. SUNDAY
t1 0RM INC'
, AUGUST THIRD
LAST , AND THAT ARNOLD LEFT TACOMA .
UNLESS ADVISED TO CONTRARY, LANTZ AND liORELLO WHO ARE BOTH TACOMA
NEWSPAPERMEN ~ENTIONED ABOVE, WILL NOT BE CONTACTED FOR VERIFICATION
OF !Ila SMITHS STC~Y ABOVE .
TO (rR IFY INFOP.MAT I ON
UNABLE TO LOCATE FIRE CHIEF OF HARBOR ,
RECEIVED BY HIM FROM DAHL AND CHRISMAN .
S_I~CE THIS STORY OJU.~T...;n ru_s:ATTLE
PAPER
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URGENT
qEL,..XING DISCS, SM;_ X. RE PORT~AND TELETYPE REFERENCING PHONE CA~ ,
FROM MR. LADD AT BUREAU ONE PM AUGUST FIFTH LAST. A-TWO SAN FRAN­
CISCO UNABLE TO VERIFY. LT. COL. DONALD SPRINGER A-TWO HAMILTON
FIELD, IN CHARGE OF INVESTIGATION BY A:.rwo IS THOUGHT BY A-TWO
TO BE RETURNING FROM KELSO, WASHINGTON AREA HAVING GONE TO_KE~
UPON LEARNING OF DEATHS OF AAF INVESTIGATORS MENTIONED IN REFERENCE
TELETYPE. HE PLANNED,
UPON DEPARTURE, . TO OBTAIN RESULTS OF AAF
INVESTIGATORS OR REINTERVIEW PERSONS MENTIONED IN REFERENCED TEL­
ETYPE. SPRINGER WILL BE CONTACTED UPON HIS RETURN AND.._ BUREAU
ADVISED.
630C . KIMBALL ~
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ibbl?ral ilur.eau nf lnu1?sti9ation
Unifl?h ~uit.l?s i11?purtm1?nt of Yust icl?
New York, N. Y.

IN REPLY, PLEASE REFER TO
F I LE N O . - - - - --

September 4, 1947

Director, FBI

Attention :
Re :

Mrs.

FBI Laboratory

A. ~ I S , Informant

Dear Sir:
Reference is made to Bureau lette
ted July 21,
to Mrs . A. G. SARBANIS, 66 Notr e Dame Avenue, HioksVl.
York, a copy of which was sent to the New York Office .

addressed
sland, New

Yrs . SARBANIS was interviewed by Special Agent William A. Johnson
on August 12, 194?, at which time she advised that this coded message had
appeared in "Newsday," the local newspaper of Nassau and Suffolk County,
Long Island, New York. She stated that the message had appeared in the
"County Irritant, 11 a feature of this paper, and had been signed "Radio Ham."
~(r. JACK ALTSCHUL, City Editor of 11Newsday," Hempstead, New York,
was interviewed and advised that this article had been sent to the newspaper
by letter which was signed "Radio Ham," and explained that he had no way of
determining the identity of the writer . Mr. ALTSCHUL stated that it was his
opinion that the code had been made up by some local 11 screwball" who had
been affected by all o,Yhe newspaper publicity that had been given at that
time to the story abou~ fly:i.ng discs .
There is enclosed an article appearing in the July 12th issue of
"Newsdayl' concerning this coded message, which might be of interest in this
matter .
Unless advised to the contrary, no furtaer effort is being made
to establish the identity of the person who signed himself "Radio Ham ."

..

•
"

I

!

?/ J.i/'/7 &,,~

. COUNTy'\
IRRITANT"
lrom our Mail lox
Coming His Way
Merrick-Out all day yesterday
looking for a house to rent , but
no luck. I yot so disgusted I ended
up in a tavern and got lit. When
I got home and went in the house
I SAW FLYING SAUCERS IN
AIR!
-No Foolin.

Garbles
Westbury- B,. 11 more Radio
Ham's message seems to be from
some gentleman occupying an
Oly mpian height. As with many of
these erudite souls, the sender can­
not resist including a few "garbles"
in his code. Or is our Ham guilty?
Here is your message: TffiED OF
H U M A N NONSENSE WONT
AWAIT ATOMIC WAR DISTURB·
JNG SOLAR SYSTEM SO SENT
FLYING DISKS AND WILL SET
UP WORLD UNDER MARTIANS
LATE THIS YEAR.
- Simple transposition. Hope all
your readers are appropriately
warned.
-Stephen M. Schuster.
(Other ungarblers got "outlaw"
( ATLAW) instead of "await,"
• isrupting" instead of "disturb•
I g." Miss Rita Flood of * t
ashington expects the wo ld
der to be set up un der "
•
i.ter." Is Radio Ham satisfied
Erl:)

BECOM.lilf)

~

ENCLOSURE

•

STANDAf!-0 FORM NO. 64

Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
-

•

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{

TO

Mr. J. P. Coy

\

FROM

W. v. Cl eveland

Mr. Tolson
llr. E. A. Tam_
Mr. Clegg
Mr. Glav1-n- -

SUBJECT:

Mrs . A . d
Informant

::: ~~;~~Is_ _

DATE:

9/17/47
llr.

rbanis

=--~---_-_

11r. 1'racy- ­
llr. carso-n- Mr. Egan._-_-_-_-_
Mr. Gurnea_ _

:hrbo-tYou will recall that a letter was received from the :Ml".:: :PeM-,ng=t=on­
llr. Qu!nn Tam­
above captioned individual dated July 10, 19b7, in which she Mr
Tele . Room
. Neas•-­
M!ss H o ~
inclosed a newspaper clipping signed "Radio Ham." This news ­ M188Gan<lypaper clipping contained a coded message which Mrs. Sarbanis
decoded. The FBI Laboratory checked Afrs . Sarbanis' decoding of
this message and advised that it was substantially correct. The
Labocatory ' s decvding of the message is being set forth below:

"TIRED OF HUMAN NONSENSE i'/ONT AWAIT A'f£!,MIC WAR
DISRUPTING ORDER SOLAR SYSTEM SO SENT"7'LYING
DISKS AND WILL SET UP WORLD ORDER UNDER MARTIANS
LATE THIS YEAR.,,
The New York OJ/ice was asked to interview Mrs . Sarbanis to
determine from what newspaper the clipping in question was obtained .
They were further instructed to contact this newspaper in 9n effort
to ascertain the identity of the p er son who sent in the coded message,
in order that the person might be interviewed for information a? ncerning
the alleged receipt of the coded message.
By let te r dated September 4, 1947, the New York Office
advised that they had ascertained from Mrs . Sarbanis that the coded
• message had appeared in 11Newsday , " the local newspaper of Nassau and
Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. The City Editor of this news ­
paper stated that the original had been signed only "Radio Ham" and
knew of no way of dete rmining the identity of the write r. It was the
City Editor 's opinion that the code had been made up by some local
"screwb all" who had been affected by all of the newspaper publicity
that had been given to stories concerning ''flying discs ."
The FBI Laboratory has now advised that the FCC maintains
their amateur records by a geograp hical breakdown as well as by call
l etters and that the Laboratory could possibly get the names of all
amateurs in the Bellmore , Long Island , New York Section in the event
it is desired that another attemit be made to identify the person who
sent this coded message to the 'News~ay.
."
t, ;_ _ [ . . .1

rl

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended th . o further action be taken in
connection with this matt e r in view j the opinion ~xp~essed by the
City Edi tor of the "News day " that the 1 ette~ ' rebe i\,-ed'" by hf m si gned
"Radio Ham" was from some local ".screwbat . 11

f"

~~~:;~•-9 -17,6

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Office Memorandum •

UNIT ED STATES GOVERN MENT

TO

:~ i r e o t o r , FBI - Attentions Assistant
Director D. M. LADD

FRO~

:

DATE:

SAC, San Francisco
LYING DISCS

SUBJECT :

There is transmitted herewith for the information of the Bureau
a report received from Lieutenant Col onel DONALD L. SPRINGER, A-2. Hamilton Field,
Cal i fornia, contai ning the results of an investigation by his office concerning
the reported sighting of flying discs.
In addition to containing ~he detail ed descriptions of what was
allegedly seen by several persons, the Bureau's attention is particularly called
to the first memorandum setting forth the notes of Agent FRANK M. tRONN, CIC,
Fourth Air Force, concerning an interview he had with Mr. KENNETH RNOLD, Box
387 , Boise, Idaho, who reported that on July 12, 1947 he had seen ine strange
objects flying over the Caacade Mountain Range of Washington State. It will be
noted that ere Agent BRO\'IN reports that"Mr. ARNOLD is very outspoken and somewhat
bitter in his opinions of the leaders of the Uni ted States Army Air Forces and the
FBI for not having made an investigation of this matter sooner."
The thought has occurred to me that the Bureau might desire to have
an agent of the Butte Office contact Mr. ARNOLD and explain to him our lack
jurisdiction in such matters.
HMK,emb
Enclosure

cg
Authority
NND 90986

•
____ x l'H _AIR _FORCE .. •
CQ-VI~JUNG
Cl-j.1.
.
_ :i..A~~mt.Jhj.~f...9.£..~t~rr....A-:.2...
- - - · Hamil ton.. Fie1d,....Ce. li f ornie...................
INVESTJGATioN llADE AT . . P.~l.m..Siu:ing§..... Qalif........B.oi.s..e-...
Flying Discs .
Trru:
Idci.ho....and..Hamil t.on. .Field_... s;alifor nia... _..........._._ _
CoNTRoLLING OFFICE ..Ai1:.. ~f~n.s.fL.C.omman.d........................
FILE No.
D333 . 5_ID {4AF-l208- Il_...._.
PERion coVEREo ft.Qm. .1.0...Jul...~u..:t.o..1.a...J.ul...4.7.__..___._
CA.SE CLASSIFICATION ..f.Jl~i9~1lt.................................-••-••--•
DATE ...
.1 a.. Jul y _1947 ............................
STAros o" CASE •••••••.••:r.~mU.ng......................-············-········
REASON FOR INVESTIGATION:
Investigati on initiated at the request of Headquarter s Air Defense Coillllland
reference lett er Headquarters Air Defense Command , dated 7 Jul y 47 , File D333 . 5 ID ,
subject : Investigation of Flying Discs .
SYNOPSIS :
Flying\~sc s first reported in this area 24 June 1947 near Mt . Rainier , Wash. ,
by Kenneth :M . \!'"r nold (Incl 1, Exhibit A)
Unidentified object reported 9 July 1947 at appr oximately 1277 near Boise, Idaho ,
by David N. Johnson, Aviation Editor, Idaho Dai l y Statesman. (Incl 2, Exhibit B)
Unidentified objects repor ted by Capt . E. J\Smith, United Ai r Lines Pilot,
4 July 1947 • ei ght minutes out of Boise , Idaho . (Incl 3 MOIC, Incl 7 News Clippings
dated 5 July 1947)
Record check of law en\o;oement agencies, public utilities, and local residences
revealed no recor d of Richard~Rankin in Palm Springs. (Incl 4)
Unidentified objects repori_ed 8 Jul y 1947 at 1245 , t r avel ing nor theast over
Hamil ton Field by s/sgt Edward Ry' Baker, (Inc l 5• Exhibit I)
Unidentified objects reported over Grand Canyon, Arizona , 0910 MST by Lt . "• G.
McGinty, USN (Incl 6) and in vicinity of Lake Mead by Lt . E. Bl Armstr ong , Hq Tenth
\ ~ir Poree , Brooks Field, Texas. (In cl 6).
'I
\
Extent of publicity in local area indicated by press cl ippings . (Incl 7)
APPROVED:
DISTRIBUTION
·-··-···-··-·AAF ----··-·-········-- -
••.••• 2 •••••.•
·····-··-·····ADC
••.••_1 _.____
------·-·
4AF Fi l es
...-. 1 --·
JUL 241 7
W,D.,P. M,G , Form.No, 110
l April 19-«
(Tbid""" oupened.e. W. D~ 0. C. S. F orm No. 19, wlilcb
will -
be .....i o - ....,pt ol thia reYiDOo)
~8Nl"llllfN'JIIA.t.
f~

Inoident

4AF 1208 I
16 July 1947

MEMORANID:U FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE:
l . On 12 July 1947, '{r . Kenneth Arnold. Box 387, Boise, Idaho,
was interviewed in regard to the report by l!r . Arnold that he saw 9
strange objects flying over the Cascade ' •ountain ~ange of ,fashington
State on July 25th. Mr . Arnold voluntarily agreed to give the intervieW'9r
a written report of exactly what he had seen on the above mentioned date.
The written report of Ur . Arnold 1s attached to this report as -..xhibit A,

l

AOEUT'S NOTES : llr. Arnold 1s a oan or 32 years or age, being narried and
tho father of t •,To children. Ee is well thoutht of in the co'1llllunity in
whioh he l i ve s , being vary much the fanily man and frou all appearances
a very good provider for his family . l'r. Arnold has recently purohased a.
hone on the outskirts of Boise, recently -:>urchased a ts .ooo airplane in
which to conduct his business to the extent of which is explained in the
atto.ohed exhibit . It is the personal opinion of the interviewer that 1 'r.
Arnold actually saw what he stated that he saw. It is difficult to believe
that a Man of 'lr . Arnold ' s oharaoter and apparent integrity would state
that he saw objects and write up a report to the extent that he did if he
did not see them . To p o .further. 1f Yr. Arnold can write a report of the
oheraoter thnt he did while not having seen the objects that he claimed he
saw, it is the opinion of tho interviewer that er . Arnold is in the wrong
business . thnt he should bo writinr; Buck Rogers notion . I.I?- . Arnold is
very outsRoken nnd somewhat bitter in his opinions of the leaders of the
U. S. Army Air Forces R.Dd "nie "'Federnl tfureau of Investigation for not having
made an investigation of this matter sooner. Top ut all of the statecents
made by Ur . Arnold in this report would make it a voluminous volumo. However,
a~er having cheoked an aeronautical map of the area over •hioh Mr . Arnold
claims that he saw the objects it was determined that all statements made by
Mr . Arnold in regard to the distanoos involved, speed of tho objects , oourse
oV the objects and site of the obj ects , could very possibly bo facts. The
distances mentioned by Mr . Arnold in his report are within a short distance
of the actual distances on aeronautical charts of this area, although !r .
Arnold has never consulted aeronautical charts of the type the Anny uses .
Mr . Arnold stated that his business had suffered greatly since his report
on July 25 due to the fact that at every stop on his business routes , large
groups of peop le were waiting to question him as to just what he had soon.
'tr . Arnold stated further that if ho, at any tine in the future , sow anything
in the sky. to quote lli- . Arnold diroot ly, "if I saw a ten story building

(

II

I
I

Incident
l
4AF 1208 I
flying throu·gh the air I would never say a word about i t ", due to the
fact that he has been ridiculed by the press to such an extent that he
is practically a moron in the eyes of the majority of t he population of
the United States.
1 Incl:
Exhibit "A"
[
FRANK M. BROifN, S/A, CIC 4th AF
I
>
•

• J

SOME LIFi DATA ON KENNETH ARN
1

I was born Uarch 29. 1915 in-Subeka. l'innesota . l,~y father's nru::ie was
Ed,m.rd Erb Arnold; my mother ' s maiden name was Bertha E . Barden. I we.s a
resident of Minnesota until I was six years old whon my family moved to
Scobey, Uontana, where they homesteaded. My r,randfathe r. Ro land c. Arnold
also homesteaded in Scobey, l 1ontana, and became quite prominent in political
circles along with Burton K. Wheeler. the famous !lontana senator.
I went to grade school and high school at Minot, }forth Dakota . I
entered scouting at twelve years of age and achieved the rank of Eagle scout
be.fore I was fourteen . My former scout executive was H. R. Prescott, now a
regional commissioner for the Boy Scouts in Kansas City, Kansas.
As a boy, I was interested in athletics and was selected as an all­
state end in 1932 and 1 933 in the state of North Dakota. I entered the
u. S. Olympic trials in fan cy diving in 1932; I was a Red Cross Li fe Saving
Examiner during the years of 1932, 1 33 and '34. I taught swimming and diving
at scout camps and the municipal pool in lli not , no rth Dakota . I went to the
University of llinnesotu, where I swam and did f ancy diving under Neils Thorpe,
and also pl ayed football under Bernie Bierman, but upon entering coll ege I
1'9.S unable to continue ny football career because of an injured knee .
1~y
high school football coach was Glenn L. Jarrett, who is now the head foo tball
coach of the University of North Dakota . I had littl e or no finances. and
my ambition in furthering my edi cation in college was through my·athletics.
As a boy in Hinot, North Dakota, I did a good deal of dog sled racing , p laced
first with 11\Y dog in 1930 in the Lions Club Dog Derby.
In 1938 I went to work for Red Comet, Inc. of Littleton, Col orado, a
manufaoturer of automatic fire fi ghting apparatus. In 1939 I was made
district manager for them over a part of the western states, and in 1940 I
established my own fire control supply known as the Great \Yestern Fire
C6ntrol Supply. I have been working as an independent fire control engineer
since, and I handle, dist ribute, sell and install all types of automat i c and
manual fi re fighting equipment in the rural areas over five western states.
!Jy flying experience started as a boy in Uinot. North Dakota , where
I took 11\Y first flying lesson from Earl T. Vance, who was originally from
Great Fal l s , llontana. Due to the high cost at t hat time , I was unable to
oontinue m.y flying and did not f ly of any great consequence until 1943.
I was given my pi l ot certificate by Ed Leach, a senior CAA inspector of
Portland , Oregon, and for the last three years have owned my own airpl ane
covering my entire territory with same and flying from ~or ty to one hundred
hours per month since . Due to the fact that I use an airplane entirely in
my work, in January of this year I purchased a new Callair airplane, which
is an airplane designed for high altitude take-offs and short rough field use .

In the type or flying I do , it t akes a great deal of practice and
judgment to be able to land in most any cow pasture and get out without
injuring your airplane; the runways are very limited and the altitude is
very high in some of the fields and places I have to go in my work . To
date, I have landed in 823 cow pastures in mountain meadows, and in over
a thousand hours a flat tire has been my greatest mishap .

co NFI Ld. r~· ~:I:;
B r:"

.J. .1..

jONFI)?E~'Tii~L
BY KENNETH ARNpLD

•

The fo ll owing st or y of what I observed ove r the Cascade mountains ,
as impossibl e a s it may seem, is positiv el y true . I never a sked nor wanted
any notoriety for just accidently being in the r ight spot at the r ight time
to observe what I did . I reported something that I know any pil ot would
have r epor ted . I don' t think that in any way my obserTation was due to any
sensiv ity of eye sight or judgment than what is considered normal for any pi l ot.
On June 24th , Tuesday , 1947 , I had finished my work for the Centr al Air
Service at Chehalis , Washington , and at about two o ' cl ock I -took off from
Chehal is, Washington , airpor t with the intention of going to Yakima , Wash .
!fy trip was delayed fo r an hour to search for a large marine transport that
supposedly went down near or around the southwest side of Mt . Rninier in the
state of Washington and to date has neTer been found.
I f l ew directl y toward Mt . Rainier after reaching an altitude of about
9 , 500 f eet, which is the approximate elevation of the high plateau f r om which
Mt . Rainier r ises . I had made one sweep of this hi gh plateau to the westward ~
sear ching a l l of the various ridges fo r this marine ship and flew to the west
down and near the ridge side of the canyon wher e Ashford, Washington, is l ocated .
Unable to see anything that looked like the lost ship , I ma.de a 360 degr ee
turn to the r ight and above the little city of Mineral, starting again towar d
Mt . Rainier . I cl imbed back u~ to an altit ude of appr oximately 9, 200 feet.
The ai r was so smooth that day that it was a r eal pl easur e flying and 1
as most pilots do when the air is smooth and they ar e f l ying at a hi gher
a l titude , I t r immed out my a i r pl ane in the dir ecti on of Yakima , Washington ,
which was al mo st di r ectly east of my position and simply sat in my pl ane ob­
serving the sky and the terr ain .
Ther e was a DC- 4 t o the left and to the rear of me a pproximatel y
fift een mi les distance, and I should judge , at 14,000 f oot elevation .
The sky and ai r was as clear as crystal . I hadn ' t f l own more than
two or three minut es on my cour se when a b right flash refl ected on my
ai r plane . It startled me as I thought I was too close to some other air­
craft . I looked every pl ace in the sky and couldn ' t find wher e the r efl ec ­
t i on had come from until I l ooked to the left and the nor th of Mt . Rainier
wher e I observed a chain of nine peculiar looking air craft f l ying f r om north
to south at approximate l y 9, 500 feet eleTation and going, seemingl y , i n a
definite dir ect i on of about 170 degr ees .
They wer e appr oaching Mt . Rainier ve r y r apidly , and I merely assumed
they were jet pl anes. Anyhow, I discovered that this was where the r efl ec ­
tion had come from, as two or thre e of them ev er y few seconds woul d di p or
change their cour se slightly, just enough for the sun to str ike them at an
angl e that r eflected brightly on my plane.
These objects being quite far away, I was unabl e for a few seconds t o
make out their shape or their formation . Ver y shor tly they appr oached Mt .
Rainier , and I observed thei r outline against the snow quite p l a i nl y .
I thought it was v er y peculiar that I couldn ' t find their tail s but
assumed they wer e some type of jet plane . I was determi ned to clock their
speed , as I had two definite points I could cl ock them by; the air was so
clear that it was very easy to see objects and deter mine their approximate
shape and size at almost fifty miles that day .
I remember distinctly that my sweep second hand on my eight day clock,
which is locat ed on my instrument panel , read one minute to 3 P .M. as the
fi r st object of this formation pa s sed the southe r n edge of Mt . Rainier .
I watched these objects with gr eat inter est as I had never befor e obee rved

•

.

• airplanes flying so close to the m9untain tops , flying dir ectly south to
southeast down the hog ' s back of a mountain r ange . I would estimate their
elevation could have varied a thousand feet one way or another up or down ,
but they were pretty much on the horizon to me which would indicate they
were near the same el evation as I was .
They f l ew like many times I have observed geese to f l y in a r ather
diagonal ohain-like l ine as if they were linked together. They seemed to
hol d a definite direction but rather swerved in and out of the high mountain
peaks . Their speed at the time did not impress me particularly, because I
knew that our army and air forces had p l anes t hat went very fast .
What kept bot he r ing me as I wo.tohed them flip and flash in the sun
right a l ong tpeir path was the f a ot that I oouldn ' t make out any tai l on
them, and I am sur e that any pi l ot woul d justify more than a second look at
such a plane .
I obser ved them quite pl ainly, and I estimate my distance f r om them ,
which was al most at right angles , to be between t wenty to twenty-five mil es .
t knew they must be very large to obse rve their shape at that distance , even
on as clear a day as it was that Tuesday. In fact I compared a zeus fastener
or cowling tool I had in my pocket with - holding it up on t hem and
holding it up on the DC- 4 - that I could observe at quite a distance to my
left , and they seemed smaller than the DC- 4; but. I should judge their span
woule have been as wide as the furthe rest engines on each side of the
fuselage of the DC- 4 .
The more I observed these objects , the More upset I became, as I am
accustomed and familiar with most all objects flying whether I am cl ose t o
the ground or at higher altitudes . I observed the chain of these objects
passing another high sno,.,- covered ridge in between :.:t . Rainier and :.!t . Adams•
and as the first one was passing the south crest of this ridge the last
object was entering the northern crest of the ridge .
As I was flying in the direction of this particular ridge , I measured
it and found it to be approximately five miles so I could safely assune that
the chain of these saucer like objects were at least five miles lone . I
could quite accurate1:, determine their pathwny due to the faot that there
wore several high peaks that were a little this side of them as well as
hibher peaks on the other side of their pathway.
As the lest unit of this formation passed the southern mo st hig~ snow­
cover ed or e st of I.'t . Adams • I looked at my sweep second hand and it showed
that thoy had t r avolled the distance in one minute and for ty- two seconds .
Even at the tiree this timing did not upset me as I felt confident after I
would l and there would be 3ome explanation of what I saw .
A number of news men and experts suggested that I might have been
seeing r efl ections or even a mir age . This I know to be absolutely false ,
as I observed these objects not only through the glass of my airpl ane but
turned my airplane sideways wher e I coul d open my window and ob serve the
with a completely unobstructed v iew. (iithout sun gl asses)
Even though two minutes seems like a very short time
gr ound, in the air in two minutes time a pilot oan observe
things ~nd anything within his sight of vision pr obably as
sixty ti 11es.
I ~ontinued my sear ch for the marine plane for another
twenty minutes and whi l e sear ching for this marine plane , w
observed kept eoing through my mind . I became more distur,
taking L last look at Tieton Reservoir I headed for Yak

(..

•

I might add that my complete obsery ation of these objects, which I
could even follow by their flashes .as they passed Mt. Adams , was around two
and one - half or three minutes -- although, by the time they reached Mt . Adams
they we re out of my range of vision as far as determining shape or form . Of
course , when the sun reflected from one or two or three of these units , they
appeared to be coopletely round; but, I am kaing a drawing to the best of my
ability, which I am including , as to the shape I observed these objects to be
a.s they passed the snow covered r idge s as wall as Mt . Rainier.
When these objects were flying approximately str aight and l evel , they
were just a bl ack thin line and when they flipped waR the only time I could
get a judgment as to their size .
Xhewe objects were holding an a l mo st constant elevation; they did not
seem to be going up or to be coming down , such as would be the case of rockets
or artil l ery shel l s . I am convinced in my own mind that they were some type
of air plane , even though they didn't conform with t he many aspects of the
conventional type of planes that I know.
Al though these objects have been reported by many other observers
throughout the United 3tates , there have been six or seven other accounts
written by some of these observer s that I can truthfully say must have ob ­
servied fthaasa~etthiijzJihat I did;rEa~ti~ularly. the descriptions of the three
Western/Xfr Linijsf~mp! oyees , the/genitiman f rom Olclahona City and the lo comotive engineer in I ll inois , plus Capt Smith and Co-Pilot Stevens of United Air Lines .
Some descriptions could not be very acourate:itaken from the gr ound unless
these saucer-l ike disks were at quite a great ·height and there is a possibl ity
that all of the people who obse rved pecul iar objects oould have seen the same
thing I did ; but , it would have been ver y diffi cult f~Oll\ the ground to observe
these for more than fou r or five seconds , and t he re is always the possibi l i t y
of atmospheri c moisture and dust near the gr ound which could distort one's v ision .
I have in my possession letters from all ov er the Un i ted States and people
who profess that these objects have been observed over other portions of the
world , principal l y Sweden, Bennuda, and Califor ni a.
I woul d have given almost anything that day to have had a movie
came r a with a te l ephoto l ens and f rom now on I wil l never be without one
but , to continue further with my story - When I lan ded at the Yakima , \iash.,
airpor t I described what I had seen to my very good friend, Al Baxter, who
l istened patiently and was very oourteous but i~a joking way didn ' t believe me .
I did not accurately measure the distance/t~e\p these t wo mountains
until I l anded at Pendleton , Oregon, that sane day ~ , ere I tol d a number of
pilot f r iends of mine what I had obser ved and they did not scoff or laugh but
suggested they might be guided missiles or something new. In fact sever al
for mer Ar my pil ots informed me that they had been briefed before going into
combat over seas that they might see objects of simi l ar shApe and design as I
descr ibed and assured me that I wasn ' t dreaming or goi ng crazy.
I quote Sonny Robinson, a former Army Air Forces p ilbt who is now oper a.­
ting dusting operations at Pendleton, Or egon, "l"ihat you ob se rved, I am con­
vinced, is some type of jet or rocket propelled ship that is in t he process
of being tested by our government or even it could possibly be ,by some for~i~
government .
Anyhow, t he neY1s that I had observed these spread ve ry r P. :J.i.etly and
before night was over I was receivin& telephone calls from al l ?aris of
the world ; and , to date I have not recoived one telephone call or one letter
of scoffing or disbelief . The only dit;belief t hat I know of was what wa is
print ed in the paper s .
I l ook at t his who l e ordeal as not something .f'unny as some peopl e have
made it out to be . To me it is mighty s~rious and since I evidently did

..
observe something that at least Mr·. John Doe on the street corner or Pete
Andrews on the ranch has never heard about, is no reason that it does not
exist . Even though I openly invited an investigation by the Arrey and the
FBI as to the authenticity of my story or a mental or a physica l examination
as to my capabilities, I have received no inter est from these two important
protective forces of our country; I will go so far as to assume that any
report I gave to the United and Associated Press and over the radio on two
differ ent occasions which apparently set the nation buzzing, if our Liilitary
Intell igence was not aware of what I observed, they would be t he very first
people that I could expect as visitors.
I have received lots of requests from people who told me to make a lot
of wild guesses. I have based what I have written here in this article on
positive facts and as far as guessing what it was I observed, it is just as
much ·a mystery to me as it is to the rest of the world.
My pilot ' s license is 333487. I fly a Callair airplane; it is a three­
place single engine land ship that is designed and manufactured at Arton ,
Wyoming as an extremel y high performance, high altitude airplane that was
made for mountain work. The national certificate of my plane is 33355.

/s/

Kenneth Arnold
Box 587
Boise , Idaho

They seemed longe r than wide , their
thickness vras about l/20th of' their width

-;-;:t;. u~/

- C - ~ 7 Mirror Bri ght
They did not appear to me to whirl or spin but seemed in fixed position.
I have made drawing .

/s/ Kenneth Arnold

CONFIDENTIJA. L

•

Incident
4AF 1208 I
16 July 1 947
MEMORANDUlA FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE :

1. On 12 Jul y 1947, a oall was made at the newspaper office of
the " Idaho Daily Statesman", Boise, Idaho. The aviation editor of the
paper, Mr . David N. Johnson, was interviewed in regard to how well he
knew Mr. Kenneth Arnold of Bo ise , Idaho, and as to the credibility of
any statement made by Mr. Arnold . The purpose of this interview wa s an
attempt to verify statements made by Mr. Kenneth Arnold on 26 June 1947,
to various national news services to the effect that he , Mr . Arnol d,
had seen 9 objects flying in the air above the Cascade Mountain Range
of Washington. These objects were subsequently referre d to as f l ying
saucers or fl ying disks and will her e - in-a~er be referred to as such
in this repor t. Mr . Johnson stated that he had known Mr . Arno l d for
quite a period of time, having had r e l ations with Mr . Arno l d on various
occasions, due to the fact that both he, Mr. Johnson , and Mr. Arnold
wer e private f liers and frequently got together to t a l k shop . Mr . Johnson
stated that as far as he was concerned anything :,r. Arnol d said could be
taken very seriously and that he, Mr . Johnson , ac:tually believed that Mr .
Arnold had seen the afor ementioned flying disks . Mr . Johnson stated that
af'ter Mr. Arnol d repo rted having seen the flying d~sks , that the editor
of the paper had assigned him, tLr . Johnson, the ass~gnment of taking the
airpl ane be l onging to the newspaper and exhausting al l errorts to prove
or disprove the p r o·b~ h i H .t y of f l ying disks having be~n seen i n the
northwest. ar ea . The resu lts of th1s assi gumo~t t;o ''r. Johnson and what
he subsequently sa.w is put .forth in a sworn statement; signed by Mr . Johnson
attached to this report as Exhibit~.
I

AGENT ' S NOTES: J:r . Johnson is a man of appr oximate ly 33 to 35 years of
age . Fr om al l appoarances he is a very reserved type o.f p~r son. Mr .
Johnson has l ogged 2800 hour s of flying time in various typ~s 0£ ai r p l anes
up to and including multi -engine ai r craft . During par t of the war years,
~r . Johnson wa s the first pi l ot of a B- 29 type ai r cr aft be ing assigned-to
the Twentieth USA.AF and stationed on Tinian Island, in the Paci £ic. I t '
is t he per sona l opinion of t he interviewer that M'.r . Johnson actuolly saw
what he states that he saw in t he attached repo rt . It is al so t he op i ni on
o.f t he interviewer that Mr . Johnson would have much more to l ose than gain
and would have to be very strongly convinced that he actually saw son2ething
before he woul d report such an incident and open himse l f fo r t he ridi cq le
that would accompany such a r eport .
1 Incb

Exhibit 11 B11

FR.A.NJC M. BROWN, S/A , CIC lfth AF

\

:d-,.,_
f ea~
- ur: ~ 1., :r.n
~ FT

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T-

.... ,.

n.i-...

f
J

S~atement of David N. Johnson
at Boise, Idaho , July 12 , 1947
To i1hoa It Jlay Concer n :
On the sixth day of July , 1947, I received from James L. Brown ,
gener nl manager or the Statesman Newspapers , incorpor ated in Ida.ho as
The StateS1!18.n Pri nting company, an assignment which was in substance :
11 Conduct

an aerial sear ch or the northJirest states in an effort to
see and photogr aph a flyi ng disc . Conduct this pat r ol for so l ong a time
as you bel i eve reasonabl e , or until you see a flying disc .n
In accordance to these instruction s , I took the Stat est'lan ' s airpl ane ,
and with Kenneth Arno l d as pas senge r, flew a seven and one - hal f hour mission
on the seventh day of July, 194 7 . This mi ssion wa s without r esult . It
covered an area embr acin g the confi nes of the Hanford plant in ~ ashington ,
and territory between and around !Jit . Rainier and Pt . Adams, where Arnold
fi rst reported seeing objects hencefor th described as saucers or discs .
On the eighth dny of July , 1947 , I took an AT- 6 of the 190th Fighter
squadron , Idaho national Guo.rd , of which I nm a member , and flew to norther rt
I daho , into north,vestern Montana briefly, to Spokane , Vashington , e.nd back
to 3oise by vre.y of ~·lalla 'W alla , 17e.shington, and Pendleton , Oregon . This
sear ch also was negative .
On the ninth day of Jul y , 1947 • I continued the search, a.gain using a
national guard AT- 6 , this time centering n y efforts over the Ov,yhee mountains
west and south,rest of Boise , a portion of the ~ountain Home desert on a track
southea st of the Mountain Horne e.rmy ai r base , thence into the Sawtooth moun­
tain s , and back in the gene r al direction of Boise on a line carrying me wel l
to t he nor th of the Shafe r butte forest service lookout station , into the
Borse5hoe Bend area, and t hence back in a soutlnvester ly direct ion to a point
between Boise and the vi llage of Mer idian , west of Boise a few mi l e s ,
Dur ing this search , which l asted approximately two and one - hal f
hours , I flow under and around r apidly forming cumulus clouds over that
ar ea known as the Cai:cas Prairie, east of Boise . The clouds were near the
village of Fai rfield in that vall ey, and Fai rfie l d is 75 miles air line
distance east of Boise . At that timo I saw nothing in the vicinity of
t hese clouds .
At the time I reached the point between Boise and ?£eridian, I was
f l ying at an a l titude of 14, 000 feet mean sea l ove l, which woul d be a mean
aver age of 11,000 feet above the earth i n this area , not oonsidering errors
in the altimeter induced ei ther by barometr ic changes since my takeoff, or
by the temper atur e at that altitude .
I turned the aircraft on an easterly hes.dine , pointing toward Gowen
Field, and had f l ovm on that course for perhaps a minute when ther e suddenl y
appeared in the l eft hand portion of my fie l d of vision an object which was
bl ack and round .
I immediatel y center ed my gaze on the object . At that time . due to i ts
erratic movement , I thought I was seeing a weather bal l oon . I called the
CAA ' s comnuni cation stat i on at Boise , and asked if the weather stat ion had
r ecently r e l ea sed a bal loon . The repl y from communicator Al bert son was t hat
the bureau had not . I do not r emember his exact wor ds; I am under the
impr ession he said "not f o r several hours" or go.ve me the exact time of the
previous r elease • which ,va s around 08: 30 t hat day .

Up on he a ring this response , I turned the aircraft b r oadside
to the ob j ect , pulled back the plexigl a s s covering to avoid any
distortion, took my camera f r om the map case , and exposed about 10
seconds ' duration of eight millimeter motion picture fi l m. During
the time the camera was at eye level , I could not see the object be ­
cause of minuteness of scope introduced by the optical view finder
with which the camera , an f . 1 . 9 Eastman, was equipped .
Taking the camera away and once again centering my gaze on the
object , I observed it to roll so that its edge was presented to me .
At this time it flashed once in the sunlight . It then ap~eared as a
thin black line .
It then performed a maneuver which looked as if it
had begun a slo,v roll , or a barrel roll , which instead of being com­
pleted , was broken off at about the 180- degree point . The object
rolled out of the top of the maneuver at this point , and I lost sight
of it .
rhis entire performance was observed against the background of
clouds previously formin£ over the Camas Prairie . The object appeared
to me , relatively , as the size of a twenty - five cent piece . I do not
know hov1 .far away 1 t was .
I do >1ot know, nor can I truthfully estimate
its speed . I can only say it was not aD airpla>1e , and if it was at a
very sreat distance from me , its speed Ylas great , taking into consider ­
at l on· that apparent speed is reduced to the viewer if an object is a
very great d i Btance away .
I forgot to look at my clock to determine the exact time I saw
the object . The OAA's log of radio contacts shows my f'irst contact
to rave teen made at 12 : 17 hours . But a few seconds elap~ed between
the time I f'irst sow the object , and the time I called the 0AA 1 s station .
I subsequent l y related over the radio a description of what I
saw , and communicator hlbertson may remenber it . The control tower may
have a recording of the conversation . I have not checked to determine .
The purpose of my relating over the air what I saw was to ·enable
ranid tra'!'lsr>tission of the report to the newspaper , for at that time I
was on assignment and my energies thenceforth were devoted to (1) trans ­
mitting the information and (2) conducting a further search, which I
did after landing for fuel and to make some telephone calls .
rhe next search, begun within half an hour after landing from the
first one , consumed another two hours , but ,.,as negative .
I explored
thoroughly the region where I saw the object .
Immediately after eighting the object , I asked if tPere were other
aircraft in the area . There v1as a P- 51 of the 190th squadron practic irig maneuvers in the vicin:lty of Auna , but that was behind me .
A C- 82
passed over Boise , but I saw that aircraft go beneath me by some 2 , 000
feet . The P - 51 in the vie ini ty of l\una proceeded to the area v1here I
saw the objec1<, at my request , and conducted a search . It was nega t i ve .
During the afternoon , flights o.f P - 5ls were sent out to cover the a r e ~ ,
and some of them flew h18h altitude missions on oxygen. These s earche s
were negative .
I was subsequently informed that personnel on both the United Air
Lines side of Gowen fleld , and on the national guard side , obse rved a
glack object maneuvering in f'ront of the same cloud formation , which by
now had grown so that the clouds reached a probable height of' 1 9 , 000 or
20 , 000 feet from a m3an base of' 13 , 500 or 14 , 000 feet , mean sea level .
Three of these men were national guard i;ersonnel and I talked to them ,

CONFIDENTI1\ L

•
saw it .
This statement is made voluntarily and freely , in response
to the request of Mr. Brown and Captain Davidson, who called on me
this morning .
/s/
David N. Johnson
Subscribed and sworn to before me , a notary public , this
12th
day of July , 1947 .
/s/
Geo . L . Flaherty
Notary public for Ada
county Idaho . My
commission expires Jan 2 , 1949 .

..
jONFDE"I'T'T
"L
I
. . ...,I ~ I I r~
Chart to which reference is
made on page six , statement
of David N. Johnson
'f ,
-:&.
,,
-'<>
-
'
,
....
I
/
/. 0---'
This design portrays the movements of the object to
which reference is made in the attached statement . At
all times the object appeared as black. Positions (1) , (2)
and (3) show the jerky , rising motion . Position (4) is where
the object rolled , presenting its edge to me . It then
followed the dotted line , rolling over the top of the maneuver
and disappearing at position (5) .
CONFIDENTIP.t

•

I CON~I~ ENJ]l~La

CoJ:l

Y

· as~ing them to describe what they saw , before tel'i: 1ng them my story ,
in order to avoid suggestion or inrerence of a leading nature . They
saw the object (from the grou1id) while I was on my second search .
'l'hey believed the time to have been 14;00 hours .
The object peri'ormed
in the same erratic manner , they said , as I observed .
The above is the extent of the story , and information concerning
myself is now in order .
I have approximately 2800 hours of flying time in equipment
ranging from primary trainers to B-29s . Of course , that does not in ­
crease my powers of observation except as to those practiced daily by
an airman . It does not make my eyesight any shurper except again a s
to the incidental demands upon the eyes of a pilot .
At the time of the experience related above , I had flown four ­
teen and one - half hours on an assignment to find a disc and if possible ,
to photograph it . In all frankness , I was tired . I may have been
suffering , although slightly , from want of oxygen .
Prior to sighting the object , I had concluded there was no point
in pressine the search, that I probably v1ould never see the disc - like
objects referred to by Arnold ~na by Captain Smith of United Air Lines .
At all times during the search, both on that day and the t~o
preceeding days (particularly when I was with .Arnold) I had literally
talked to myself to keep beating into my head that I vo uld not fall
victim to the power of suggestion or self- hypnosis arising from a
naturally very intent desire to find a disc and bring success to the
assignment given me .
I therefore do not believe that I was the victim of suggestion
or hypnosis .
I am familiar v.d. th the optical illusion of a fixed object
beginning to move after it is watched a sufficient length of time .
I
know what tricks the eyes will play as to moving bodies , and have l3 arned_
of this particularly during night formation flying .
I saw the object appear suddenly . If it had moved in a jerky
fashion (as it did at first) for the full length of time I observed it ,
I would not be so strong in saying that I saw something not an aircraft ,
not a ballo'on , and not a corpuscle moving across the retina of either
eye . The maneuver described by the object when its edge was presented
t~ me convinces me that I saw an object actually i;:erforming in an
erratic flight path .
The question remains , of .course , whether I saw it . The motion
picture fi l IJt , developed and processed by R. w. Stohr in the Eastman
laboratories at 241 Battery Street , San Francisco , showed no trace of
any object . Stohr says that if it was more than a mile distant from me
at the si z e I described , the ob j ect would not have registered suffic­
iently on the film to be shown. He said it probably was too far away
to be apparent even through great enlargement of' the -negative , and
enlargement i n that case is limi ted because of the s i ze of the film
and the fact I did not have any telescopic equi pment on the lens . The
exposure was f . 16 , stop set at infinity , at a speed of 16 frames per
second .
•
I have worried over this matter a great deal since seeing it .
I "took myself aside 11 and said , "come now , Johnson , don't be stupid 1
But I cannot bring myself to the point of thinking I did not see
thing .
The impression of the moment was too vivid , too realist
I knew in the air when I saw that partial slow roll or barr8l
that I was not a victim of illusion .
I trust this matter will be of help to those investigati
flying disc phenomena which have been reported .
A chart is attached depicting the mov ements

CONFID2 I~TI~A~L

1fONfID._!3N7IAL t

..

Incident
4AF 1208 I
16 July 1947

MEUOR»:mm FOR THE OFFICER IN CRARGEt

1. On 12 July 1947 , Captain Smith, of the United Airlines , was
interviewed at the Boise Municipal Airport , Boise, Idaho. Captain
Smith was passing through Boise on a schedule flight at the time and had
a 20 minute stop- over. Captain Smith reiterated the statements originall y
ma.de by him to the press as to what he had seen in the late evening of July
4th, when 8 minutes out of Boi se on the r oute to Seattl e , Washington. It
is the opinion of the interviewer th.at due to the posit i on Captain Smith
occupies , th.at he , Captain Smith, would have to be very strong l y convinced
that he actually saw f l ying disks before he would open himself for the r id­
icule attached to a report of this type .

'

FRANK M. BR<:fJN ,.S/A, CIC 4-~H AF

'

Incident
4AF 1208 I
14 July 1947

MEllOR.AllDUlJ FOR THE OFFICER IN CHA."R.GEt

1. On 10 Ju l y 1947., a ohech we.s made at the follcwring l ocations
in Palm Springs ., California for the purpose of t r ying to l ocate Mr .
Richard Rankin; Palm Sprint;s Police Department., Palm Springs Newspaper.,
•The Desert Sun"., Palm Springs Water Company ., Southern California Gas
Company., Palm. Springs Telephone Company , Palm Springs Employment Office .,
Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce ., Royal Palms Hotel ., 5 Palm. Springs real
estate offices , and the City Offices of Palm Springs inoluding waste
disposal , water r ights, tax records and etc . No reoord of lir . Rankin
existed in any of the above mentioned offices .

2. On 11 Jul y 1947, Mr . Ryland M. Gorham, Postmaster of Palm Springs ,
California for the past 14 years ,,,as inter viewed . Mr . Gor ham stated that
he had lived in Palm Spr ings f'or the past 24 years and that he was un.a ware
if a person named Richard Rankin had ever lived in Palm. Springs . Mr .
Gorham stated that due to the fact that Palm Springs is a resort area and
due to the fact that in the summer months only 3 to 5 t housand peopl e resided
in Palm Springs , whereas in the winter months 10 to 12 thousand resided in
Palm Springs , it was very possible that Mr . Rankin could have lived in
Palm Springs more or less on a non- per manent status and he , Mr . Gorham, not
being aware o:f it •
A oheok o:f General Delivery records revealed a. letter a ddressed to
.Mr . Richard Rankin, Palm Springs , mai l ed :fr om Cicero, Indiana , postn1arked
at Cicero, Indiana, July 1 947 ., at 5 P. M. The return address on the
envelope was listed as the Gospel Tract Worker, Route 1., Cicero ., Indiana.
Mr . Gorham permitted the contents o:f the envel ope to be examined inasmuch
as the c ontents was 3rd Cl ass material and the envelope not sealed. The
records were of a religious nature concerning the sad pl ight of .American
non- church goers, the second coming of Christ and etc . Superintendent of
Mails was contacted by !Ir . Gorham and s tated that there was a Mr . Richard
Rankin who had received mail through the general delivery office of the
Palm Springs Post Office, but that the last mai l, other than the letter
mentioned above , came through the Post Office approximately two years ag o. "'-­
The Superintendent of Mails seemed to have a very uncanny memory and recalled
where the mail ooming in for Ranki n had been addressed to . This mail was
addressed to Mr . Richard Rankin in care of a trailer camp located in Palm
Springs . On calling the trai l er camp office, it was found that Mr . Richard
R~ n had lived in the camp but depar ted approximately t\vo years ago and
left no forwarding address . Investigation is cont i nuing in an effort to
locate Mr . Rankin and obtain a statement from him.
/
FRANK M. BROWN,S/A, CIC 4th AF
•' t'

•

/

"

, eo~~I~~:E]ALFLYING..rrscs

4AF- 1208 - I
l5 July 1947

MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE:
On 15 July 1947 , S/Sgt Edward R . Baker , ASN RA 39576378 , 467th
AAF BU (ORD) , Squadron A, Hamilton Field , California, was interviewed
and stated as follows : S/Sgt Baker has been in the Army ten years and
two months , twenty - six months overseas duty in the ETO, and has been in
the Air Corps for about ten months . S/Sgt Baker stated that on 8 July
1947 , he was going to Base Cleaners from his office and was passing
along the sidewalk near the barracks of the ORD when he saw five or s~x
men pointing toward the sky , but as he was use to this around an Army
Air Base , he paid no further attention to it until a lieutenant and a
captain ahead of him stopped and pointed in the same direction . He
stated that on g lancing up he saw three objects traveling northeast
across the sky . Two seemed to be traveling faster than an ordinary
flight of P- 80s and he estimated the altitude between 9- 10 , 000 feet
and approximately 7 - 10 miles away . S/Sgt Baker stated that the two
objects in the lead appeared to be round and of a very light gray col.or,
while the object in the rear seemed to be either rotating or rolling
behind the other two . S/Sgt Baker stated that from a distance he could
not tell exactly the shape of the one which was rolling as it appeared
to be turning over and he couldn ' t tell whether the object was flat .
The only means he had of identifying it was the fact that it seemed to
get brighter and darker as it appeared to roll . The objects were in
sight approximately four seconds . As he was in a hurry , he did not stop
to talk to the other men but he heard one of them remark that the one in
the rear was certainly rolling fast . S/Sgt Baker was unable to identify
any of the other men in the group who were reported to have seen the
object . Baker stated that it was unlike anything he had ever seen and
that he has been trying to convince himself that it was an optical .
illusion , and yet at the same time he is certain that he saw the objects
as described . (See Exhibit I) .
NOTE : S/Sgt Baker appears to be intelligent and is a reserved sort of
person . He was very reluctant to discuss the subject at first and
appeared hesitant prompted by the possibility that he might be ridiculed.
He seemed to be honest and sincere in what he stated he saw , and said
frankly he was puzzled over the matter . A signed statement by S/Sgt
Baker is attached .
1 Incl:
Exhibit I .

·~HLLIAM L. DAVIDSON , Capt , AC ,

ore er, 4AF

•

UNITED STA'
,.

S ;OVERNMENT

65-481
~

TO

Director FBI

FROM

SAC Butte

DATE:

September 2, 1947

r)
SUBJECT:

FLYING DISCS
Remy-tel August 20, 1947.

With reference to the above-described teletype, Mr. H. H. \ HEDSTROM,
322 Third Avenue North, Twin F~lls, !daho, was the principal source of infor­
mation. Mr. HEDSTROM, who is the Executive Director of ~ Twin Falls Housing
Authority• explained that he and his '¢.fe and Mrs. HENRY SHULTZ• a neighbor, were
sitting on their front poroh at appro;rlmately 9s30 P. M., August 19, 1947. He
said that Mrs. HEDSTROM suddenly shouted and pointed to
sky and therea.fter.
stated that she had seen an object tra\reling at a terrific rate of speed in a
northeasterly direction. The object was out of sight before Mr. HEDSTROM and
Mrs. SHULTZ could see anything•

I

While they were discussing what Mrs. HEDSTROM ha.d seen. approximately
ten minutes later all three saw ten similar objects proceeding rapidly in the
same direction in the form of a triangle. As the group of objects was dis~
appearing, three of the objects on the left flank peeled off and proceeded in
a IIX)re northerly direction. The remaining objects appeared to close ranks and
proceeded in a northeasterly direction.
From three to five minutes later these same in vi us.ls saw
group of three ob jects proceeding in the same direction, and again in
e shape
of a triangle. From three to f'ive minutes later all three observed another
group in a triangular formation consisting of five or six objects. They were
proceeding in the same direction.
A fevr minutes later the three persons saw a large group or objects
estimated at from thirty-five to .fifty .flying in a triangular formation in the
same direction. Approximately twenty or twenty-five minutes after the large
group of objects was observed, similar ob jects were noted cOl'.ning back over the
oity in a southwesterly direction. These ob jects were generally in groups ot
three• five and seven and followed each other at approximately five minute inter­

vals.
Mrs. HEDSTR014 called Deteotive RICHARD A. FRAZIER of the Twin Falls
Police Department, a next door neighbor. who was then accompanied by M. E.
ROUNTREE and RICHARD SCOTT• aleo Ill:lmbers of the Twin Fal ls Police Depar~nt.
The three officers watched £or a f'ew minutes and observed a group of about
twelve objects flying in formation over the city in a southwesterly direction.
The IIJ3mbers of the Police Departm3nt did not continue watchiFng,
al o ugh Mr.
FRAZIER later saw other groups. which were also seen by the HE S
and Mrs.
SHULTZ. Mrs. SHULTZ had also o led her husband, who saw s
the objects.

n~

"'OPIES DES'T'DQVED

2 70

NOV 1 8 l!:104

:5 n

\ fl1' 'f)l I\(]
l

~},v>

~

~

~-

.\

'i

23

0jr ~ if~ - 90

.i4 $fl' '/{'1

~~

,

I

'

'

BT 65-481
On the night in question the sky was overcast and the objects could
not be seen closely; however, they were distinct enough so that all persons
could observe wlat they desoribed as a glow going through the air. They said
that the objects appea red to be lighted .t'rom the inside and were of a color
similar to regular electric lights .

Detective FRAZIER and Ure HEDSTROM both stated tmt they could not
be rm!lteors or comets, that they flew on a l evel line and did not appear to
drop. They flew at a terrific rate of speed and were visible for only a few
minutes at a titll3 • Both persons interviewed said that the objects could not
have been geese or ducks and tbl. t the lights were not a reflection of the city
lights on s0l'IJ3 object or objects.
None or the perscns inter'Vi.ewed noticed any flames or anything except
the glow of lights. None o:f the persons who claimed to have seen these objects
were drinking at the time• No other persons in TWin Falls reported seeing the
objects mentioned herein; however, Mr. HEDSTROM and Mr. FRAZIER stated that it
was purely by accident that they had seen the ob jects and the.t they would not have
seen them unless they were looking for th.em• because of the speed at which they
traveled. On acoount o£ the overcast sky they were unable to estimate the size
of the objeots or the height at which they flew.
No :further investigation is being conducted by the Butte Off'ice, and
the c a se is being closed.
RJG:Fo•s

- 2 -

I
\I) FORM NO. &I
' '
' "
-'
Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVER NMENT
TO
Director, FBI
0 S
FROM
SAC, San Francisco
'<._: /
SUBJECT:
REPCRTS OF FLYING DISCS
DATE:
Septenber 4, 1947
Am.MAIL
SPF.cIAL DELIVERY
C'
Fhclosed is a copy of a letter dated August 28, 1947,
from Lt. Col. OONALD L. SPRmGER of A-2, Hamilton Field, Calif.,
with an attachment referring to the sighting of a fiying object
by Captain JA~CK and his co-pilot, VmGa :r,At'l, near Bethel,
Alaska.
Photostatic copies of this letter and attachment are
being forwarded to tll3 Anchorage Field Office. In accordance
with Bureau Bulletin #42, dated July 30, 1947, Anchorage is
requested to interview Captain JACK PECK and his co-pilot, vmcE
DALY, preferably separately, in order to cbtain all details of'
their reported sighting of a flying object on August 4, 1947.
The San Francisco Field Office should be furnished t~ copies
of the results of these interviews for distribution to the Sixth
Army IntE!lligence.
DWK:MR
6.2-2938
&lcls.
cc Anchorage (:Ehcls.)
AMSD
RECORDED
&
INDEXED
(;, ~ -:__%_ 3-2_2)
B
lI
'34 :IF'
SEP ~~ 194
A
n
s
uJ

ALASKA COMU.UMICATIOH SYSTE~, SIGNAL CORPS
Seattle 4• Uashincton
SIGAK 000
A CS.AD
19 August 1947
Subjoct,
Mattera or Nat ional I nterest
To :
Cornt:10.ndinr; Gouerul
Fourth Air Foroe
Ran Franoisoo . California
The attached letter has been received f r om t he NCOIC of
t he Al aska Col:llllunioation System station at Bet hel . Alaska.
It is submitted f or your information.
For the Coillllanding Officer :
/a/
Svend c. ::Ia.nsen
SVEND C. HANSEN
Captain . Si gnal Corps
Acting. Executive
1 Incl
Cy ltr fr llCOI C
at Bet hel to Hq .
ACS , Sef\ttl e
33:S . 5/1208-I
lot I nd
4AFDA
HQ FOURTH AIR FO:t:E, l 1an:i lt.on Fiel d , Co.liforni a , 28 Aur;u:3 h 1947 •
TO:
Spooio.l Agent In Char ~e . FBI , U. S . Dopartr.ent or Justioe , Room 422 ,
. Feder a l 0.ff'ico Buil 1 i ng. Snn Fro.ncisoo , Cnlifor nia. .
Forwnr dod for your lnfor~ntion .
'~
D0NAL1) L. SPRI NGER
Lt . Colonel, GSC
l Incl\ ~ L.
n/o ,
AC of S, A- 2
Authority:
NND 90986

6 TTTVOATSSE ASE
PEN TONFIDEN TLALS4 Cc |
Je ° Op,
- Ky
- |

S BETHEL, ALASKA

Fries]
5 August 1947 d
ae q
Subjects Matters of Jational interest al
Tor Comanding Officer, Alaska Commmnicstion System ]

550 Federal Office Yuilding, Seattle 4, Weshington |

le Per AGAQ-S 519.1 the following report is submitted on e matter 5 |
which may become of National Interest. Captain Jack Peok and his CoPilet :
Vinee Daly have stated that on August 4, 1947 they sighted and followed a
flying saucer Northwest of Bethel Alaske. ‘This object was bigger than the
Douglas DC=8 they were flying, crossed their course at right angles to thems
Tt was flying at an Altitude of one thousand feet. They swung in behind it
and followed it at an eir speed of one hundred seventy miles per hour but.
it was out of sight in four minutes. They state the o! wes
surfeeed and streamlined with no visible means of pro} whatever.
‘ a”.
2. It 1s realized that the Fourth Air Force claims there are no such =
things but Captain Peck is Chief Pilot for Al Jones flying service and is "i
not » man given to exagerations In view of the excellent reputation of —
Captain Peck and the fact thet no one here doubts in the least but that he
aotually saw this object, this report is turned in for any action deemed
necessary by your offices 2

i

| /a/ Yaxoa D. Johneton
: 1/4 Signal Corps
| Cperator ‘in Charge

mE
| EDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

UW. 8. DEP SE TMENT © JUSTICE

--•~.M
'
'
Memorandur/Z~ . UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Director , FBI
DATE:
August 27 , 1947
SAC , San Francisco
SUBJECT:
REPORTS o.PFLYlliG DISCS
Attention ;
Assistant Dir ector D. M. LADD
Reference is mde to my letter of August 8 , 1947 , with which there
were transmitted photostatic copies of three letters dated August 4 , 1947,
entitl ed , "Investigation of Flying Discs".
In order to keep the Bur eau fully informed qoncerning this matter ,
I am enclosing a letter dated July 28 , 1947 , entitled , "Unidentifiable Ob­
jects" furnished to me by Lt . Colonel DO ALD L. SPRil1GER, GSC , A C of S A- 2 •
Enclosed with this l etter was a memorandum for the officer in charge written
by LA./R::NC~ R. KIN, , JR. , Special A~ent CIC AdC dated July 15, 1947 .
Lt . Colonel DONALD L. SPRINGER furni::;hed me in person nith a memo ­
randum entitled , "Incident for AF 12O8 - I " dated August 5 , 1947 , and pre re
by JA11.2S A. NBLSON , Special Agent CIC 4AF.
------,.,.,..-._, -"w""~
The Bureau will be kept currently advised of any future informal\~
obtained in this matter .
D,/KaVL
62 - 2938
Enclosures
20C

4AFDC-1
4AP-1206-1
SUBJECT: identifiable Objects".
: Special Agent
Cali. i
dated 15 July 1947,

Wis ae i

UNIDENTIFIABLE OBJECTS
Williams Fld., Chandler, Ariz.

15 July 1947
MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGE:

1. On 14 July 1947, 1st Lt Eric B. Armstrong, 0-2059709, 170th
AAF Base Unit, Ferry Division, Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas was
interviewed and the following information was obtained: Lt. Armstrong
departed Williams Field, Arizona at 1400 CST on 28 June 1947 in a P-51
for Portland, Oregon, by the way of MedBrd, Oregon. At approximately
1515 CST on a course of 300 degrees, and ground speed of 285, altitude
10,000 feet, approximately thirty miles northwest of Lake Meade, Nevada
Lt, Armstrong sighted five or six white, circular objects at four o'clock,
altitude approximately 6,000 feet, course approximately 120 degrees and
an estimated speed of 285 MPH. Lt. Armstrong said the objects were flying
very smoothly and in a close formation, The estimated size of the white
objects were approximately 36 inches in diameter. Lt, Armstrong stated
that he is sure the white objects were not birds, since the rate of
closure was very fast. Lt. Armstrong was certain that the white objects
were not jets or conventional type aircraft since he has flown both types.

AGENT'S NOTES:

Lt. Armstrong was very sincere in the explanation and was not the
exaggerating type. He merely stated what he saw and has drawn no con- «
clusions as to what the white objects were. —

: |

a Sree |
RAL BUREALL OR INVES LIGATION!
Lawrence R, King, Jr., Special Agent, CIC,AD¢ tS, OF TOF JUSTICE

JUL 3.04947 |

erm pre
. D. STEAIENS ir |
Major, Air Corps POL ESTE rhe 82 ES |

G2-299E-4

~-Memorandum
'
-

TO

-1-~ FROM

-!.~

SUBJECT:

D~TOR, FBI
SAC ,

f

• UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
DATE:

August 27, 1947

3Al' r' wmc1sco

0

R....,PORTS OF ..,LYTI.G DISCS
AI''J. .J 7.J.ON:

i\S..,L:,T u~T DI::--t.....CrOii D. .. . L.aDD

Colonel ..:ii-'11.ING.i.!.i.t, .r·ourth Air Force, ,-ia.milton field , California, / i ) ~
telephonicilly advised ~peci.=u .ttgent .ICHALL J . Cn..:iSillY of the San Franciucfu..~
Uffice at 10: 40 ...won ,\u 0 ust 27, 1947 , that a )crsonal letter !.ad been
received by his organization from IL..;M{Y 1.cL....OD, city editor of the Suattl e
Times , wLich stated in effect that b.;cause Vere ,~<:are so I:Jany stories going
around relative to flying discs and r~latcd r.1atter~ , and that hi3 staff of
reporters had been attemoti~~ to get reliable infon..ation concerni~ such
stories, he was writing to inquir1;; Hhether any governmental agency was eoing.
to make an official state1 cnt relative to the sitl.l.'.ltion pertainint, to the
flyin_; discs ; tr.at !.~. ....cLIDD al~o askec! ,•,hetheJ.' it ·.~ould be percissibl e for
.is reporters to interview AIU~OL0 , uA.tIL, and ShITH relative to this situation.
Colonel SPRI'NG:Z:: stated that the abo ·e-menti0ned letter was answered
personally b3 General t ~ on ~u"""-ust 25 , 1947, .::.nd a,~vise~ Mr . !IcLEOD that as'
fa.~ 1.s th.., ..r.rey ,ur Force was concerned, they 1-iad no infon.ation which would
definitely clear up the situation; that as far as intervicvin5 persons, Mr.
llcL!DD coulrl feel free to interview whoosoever '1e desired , in that there was no
censorsh~J at the rosent tie ; that in the interest f economy, ul e rourth
Air Force feadquarters would not run out every lead or report of flJi.n.c, discs ,
but that if \'Tdll- founded and an.;::arently reliable j nfornation were rece.:.ved , t 11at
such information , ould be given attention .
~ u,
UU)J'fl-.,
A copy of this letter ;_s being fornarded to the Seattle Field Tlivision
for any action deemed advisable .

62- 2938
D K/jo

2 cc Seattle

SEP e f

lfr. lmllON was quoted Qtf hM:ng oallea t h-6 Meh!.

and was advised that the Bureau was not intere8ted, whenupon he notii"ied
the Eastern Airlines and the Civil Aeronautic Authority- of the objects
he had seen. Both agencies are reported to have accepted the information
stating they would investigate. The clipping further stated that Mr.
WENYON had received no answer to date from either agency.
This clipping was submitted to me by the resident agents 1 o£!1ce at
Wilmington together with the advice that no agent in Wilmington had been
contacted b7 Ur. WENYON. I directed Kr. WENYON be interviewed to determine
the ful1 .facts.
:rtr. '!JIENYON was interrlewed and it was determined that his correct name is
HORACE P...,.JIENYON. 1tr. WENYON advised that he had been an airplane pilot
approximate'.cy thirty- years. He stated that in SeptElllber of 1946, 71hile ~Ilg
at an a1 ·., itude of 1,000 feet, two or three miles south of Rehoboth Beach,

.Dela~ .1.'e, he noticed a projectile approximately fifteen inches in diameter
which crossed his course at right angles and was moving in a west-to-east

direction. According to lfr. WENYON, several jeta 0£ name were spurting
from the object and it was traveling at a very high rate of speed, 1 1 000
to 1,200 miles per hour. He stated that in October of 1946, he observed a
similar projectile while ~ing over Rehoboth Beach at 1,400 £eat~ 1bis
was also traveling from west to east.
-----~--Vr. 'WENYON stated that there is little question in his mind but that llbat
he saw was some sort of rocket being test,ed. He stated that he 111.shed to
call the matter to the attention of the appropriate authority inaSDQ.ch &-~
he thought that the series of airplane crashes that have occurred rsr
might in part be explained by what he had observed. He stated tr
reported the information to th~ Givil Aeronautics Authority a
telephonically interviewe4 byr ~porter from the Wi1Jningt0'

IBS D

1'"'0Y,....D

IJOV 18 1964

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L/Dir., FBI

9/4/47

Flying Discs
Miscellaneous
Mr. WENYON stated that what he had seen traveled at such a high rate

of speed that it was very difficult to describe it, but the description
11
flying mayonnaise jars 11 was concocted by the newspaper reporter.
This information has not been brought to the attention of any AI'Il\Y
sources in view of the fact that only a preliminary inquiry was con­
ducted on the basis of a news article which sets forth essentially
the facts obtained from Mr. WENYON.
No further action in this matter is contemplated by this office unless
advised otherwise by the Bureau.

SB:arf
62-0
Attachment

- 2-

SUBJECT:

TD,YTJi:"r. nr!iC!

•

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,--

tg Mayoififais"l!-"Ylt,-G

.

.-,,oi-ted by Rehoboth Pilot
w

rest
eny on Believes Mystery Dis Cs,
t-Propelled, May Have Caused Big
Plane Crash on Memorial Day
0

'

eteran Delaware pilot, Forrest Wenyon of 123 Rehoboth Avenue,
th Beach, disclosed last night that In the past 10 months he has
een objects now being loosely described as "flying saucers" but
he calls "flying mayonnaise jars."
e particular di..t!erence between the mysterious object:! of Mr.
•'s report and those which have now been observed in some
----=---------,40 states 1n that the former. accord' Jng to the pllot, held a true course
until they disappeared from sight.
This would indicate a gu1f(w'"...,.
, , J~t an aimed missjJe while thP.
c rse of the "saucers" has been
d cribed by observers as trratlc.
r. Wenyon said last night that
he first saw what loosely resembled
a "flying mayonnaise jar" one afternoon last September whi:P. flying at
about 1,000 feet. It was late in the
afternoon and the pilot was flying
north.
Suddenly, at an estimated distance
of 2,000 feet in front of his plane
·and traveling from west to east, Mr.
J wenyon saw the "jar."l was going
at tremendous speed
t the p11ot
was able to note sever tnings.
The most important f these observatlons, insofar as ar xplanatlon
is possible, is that the "jar" appeared
to have some sort of rocket com­
bustion. Mr. Wenyon said that
s- ;urts of silver flame from the tail
1d emed to provide the propulsion.
ir Carrying out the description of
n
e "flying mayonnaise jar," Mr.
1- enyon said that the tall appeared
ll
be a lld which had been perforat.ed and that from these per­
/) foratlons the flames escaped.
1!J In a matter of two, at the most
al three, seconds the object had disappeared owr and past Fort Miles.
"s The pilot did not see It land and
w doesn't know whether 1t did or not.
a Then on June 2 while flying at
•re l,* feet In a Stinson four• passen­
ds ger ship Mr. Wenyon,~ pilot of 30
'.I• ye s' experience, saw
other "jar."
commission said they had no con- es
didn't say much about it to
st
·s. Re oboth Airport attac es although
n(ction with the my ery_.
~e West, which orlgmatec\ th e ,e he did mention lt.
r. Wenyon,
sa Jeer reports, continued to prxluce
with a theory In mind, called the
ob;ervers who claimed to have seen m ederal Bureau of InvP.stigation.
the whlrl!ng dies and also bre:ught re
res
forth one deflationary explanation er him so, he said. He then called
of them.
ti
1 e East.e1 n Airlines and the Civil AeroBob Johnson, operator of a ynautic Authority both of which
regave him a sympathetic hearing,
ing service at Missoula, Mont., th
ported he had captw·ed one of e or thanked him and said they'd inves­
discs and found it to be milkweed : tlgate.

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To date
he has received no answer
seeds.
Charles Odom, 23-year-oId f Or -t 'n
,
from
either.
1
mer B-17 navigator, th
eorized
a
1r
Mr.
Wenyon's
theory is that one of
Houston, Tex., that the obJects I t hese "jars" WM responsible for the
might be a version of radio-con- 'lrash of the Eutem Airlines plane
I Port Depo,sit, Md., on Memorial
trolled "crystal balls" ed by th e
Nazis in the war.
Tl1ese balls, which flew to the
t1t1.,de of the bomber and appare
ly v.ere magnetized to fly along w.
the planes, sent b·
to rac
, 'qta on
omb

111•hieh kllled 53 persons. HP
the stories of that ac<:lder /
md 1-olieves now that t}-, ,
···,on in mid-air, , ·•
ib,,. 'lf witnesses. ·
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.. q,nj"o't~'..."'J •Lil, ~ne:ton.
•

Continued :FTOm Fin. Page

, r 1ged from the theory that they
1 v, ere radio controlled flyu.1g miss!les
stnt aloft by U. S. m1llt. ry scien• tists to the suggestion that they
might be merely sun light reflected
on wing taw of Jet-propelled
planes.
A. B. Cross of Chattanooga, Tenn.,
a 34-year-old watchmaker, an­
nounced he invented the "flying
saucer'' and.submitted It to the War I
Department in 1943 but his idea was /
rejected as not practical "at the
present time.·•
Later, he said, he became con­
vinced that the department elabo­
rated on bis plan. His model was
powdered with a rubber band, Cross
said, but he bel1eved atomic power
now ls being used.
A Spokane, Wash., woman insisted
the objects she saw were ot such
size that together they would take
up, the space of a five-room house
if they landed, but a Clearwater,
FI¾:. woman said the disks she ob­
serl ed resembled "pie pans."
A1, Rutland, Vt., a woman re­
ported she and her husband
nessed a br!Jliant object in
e
night sky which she assumed to e
a "flying saucer" although it
stationary.
But at Cambridge, Mass., a housewife said she saw "a group of white,
flying saucers whirling around and
/ going at a tremendous speed."
The Mas.sachusett.6 and Vermont
reports brought to 40 the number
ot stat.es in which the objects have
been observed.
With New England getting into
the game, the Harvard University
astronomical observatory took note :
of the reports but said it had had /
no luck so far in photographing one
of t he discs.
Tl.e mysterious saucers first were
reported June 25 in the State o
Wasnington, but Charlie T. Han,
let, superintendent of the Kingt.
port! Tenn., Times News composln
room, said yesterday he had see
the discs two years ago,
They were "of a. bright, aluminum
color" and "were going at terrific
speed," Hamlet said, explaining he
kept quiet about them because of
the ,.':>ak Ridge atomic bomb pli nt,
then a war secret.
Lester Barlow ot Stamford, Conn.,
international known explosives in­
ventor, advanced the theory that
the objects were radio controlled
flying missiles.
Reports persisted that the Army
: was looking into the phenomena but
Gen. Cari Spaatz, Army Air Forces
commandant, said he knew of no
AAJ!' Plans to search for the saucers.
The Navy and Atomic Energy 1

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