65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_3
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65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_3
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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--- page 1 ---
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OZfice Memo: .dum - vsited 1 OVERNMEN
TO : Director, FBI /(J) DATE: September 4, 1947
»\\ ( /I/,.\/
RFQLFROM : §AC, San Francisco 7 ATRMATL
, SPECIAL DELIVERY
-~ SUBJECT: REPCRTS OF-FLYING DISCS
——————————
Enclosed is a copy of a letter dated August 25, 1947, with
attachment fram Lt. Col, DONALD L. SPRINGER of A-2, Hamilton Field,
A California. Even though Col. SPRINGER feels that Mr. JOHNSON may
) have read some of his claims in a newspaper, Col. SPRINGER believes
A that Mr. F. M;KJOENSON should be interviewed in this matter.
/ : In accordance with Bureau Bulletin No. 42, dated July 30,
1947, Portland is requested to exhaustively interview Mr. F. M,
JOHNSON, 106 N.W. First Ave., Portland, Oregon, regarding his
alleged sighting of a "flying disc" on June 24, 1947, Copies of
the result of this interview should be furnished the San Francisco
Field Office for distribution to the 6th Amy Intelligence.
DWK:MR
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--- page 3 ---
- TTYT ) ) A |
Authority e =
W
Office of the Assistant Chief of Steff, A-2
Intelligence
Hamilton Field, California
4AFDA 26 August 1947
SUBJECT: Flying Disc.
TO: Speciel Agent in Charge, FBI, U, S, Department of Justice,
Federal Office Building, Room 422, San Francisco, Calif.
l. The atteched true copy of a letter from Mr. F. M. Johnson
was received by this officer 22 August 1947,
2¢ Your attention is invited to the similarity between Arnold's
early report and this gentleman's report. A possibility exists that
Mre. Johnson might have reed some of this in the newspapers when Arnold
was publicized re this matters
3e This headquarters does not intend to investigete this incident.
It is requested thet a result of any interview you may make be furnished
this headquarters.
A
L
) DONALD L, SPRINGER
1 Inel: (dup)! Lt. Colonel, GSC
Ltr fr F,M,Johnson AC of 8§, A-2
(True Cy)
- _DER
onm
AUG 27 947
SAN
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ROUTED 1€ i
--- page 4 ---
I
A 4
L4 - »
PORTLAND, OREGON, August 20th 1947
Lte Cole Donald L. Springer, Assistant Staff
Sir. Saw in the portland paper a short time ago in regards to
an article in regards to the so called flying disc having any basis
)f facte I can say am & prospector and was in the ¥t Adams district
on June 24th the day Esmmet)frmold of Boise Idaho claims he saw a
formetion of flying disce 4And i1 saw the same flying objects at about
they are real and noting i D ver saw befor X peass
vorm™ ": rh over w re I v s Lo 13 i v 1€ ,".0. . VU Ve
thoy were Round about 30 floot in dimater tapering sharply %o a point in
the head md i n ovael 30PO . i : ArLEgnt op = rface. 4 did not
hear any noige as you would i« >lane . ut there was an objeet in
he tail end looked like a bipg hand of a tlock shifting from side to
side like a bisr mapenet. There speed as far as 1 Imow seemed to be
greater than anything I ever saw. Last I got of the objects they
were standing on edge Bankir in a Cloud.
Yours Respectfully
/s/ F. M. Johnson
106 No. West lst Ave
Portland, Oregon
A TRUE COPY:
V4 F
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AL LEEL N L) XS 7
DORALD L. QA;HING;?',
Lt+ Colonel, GSC4
AC of 8, A-2 4 ¢
§ I
ane 9= 1047
AUG 27 194/
AN <
p T T 1
) N A A A
--- page 5 ---
' * g
STANDARD FORM NO, 64 '. ‘
Ofiice' Mer Auns - uNITED ¢ GOVERNMENT
yb 1o : Director, FBI DATE: September 4, 1937
N Atten: Assistant Director D. M. LADD
\WJEROM : SAC, San Francisco
AIRMAIL
SUBJECT: REPCRTS OF flw
Enclosed for your information are copies of two letters
from Lt. Col. DONALD L. SPRINGER of A-2, Hamilton Field, California,
dated August 27, 1947, with attachments reporting the sighting of
"flying discs" on Guam, and result of A-2 investigation at Tacoma
and Kelso, Washington.
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--- page 6 ---
e ———E e
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,r () OLURET e S 1
i HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE |
Office of the Assistent Chief of Staff, A2 |
Intelligence "
| Hamilton Field, California |
j um/l 27 August 1947
| 333.5/1208-1 P |
’ (2-293 5 '
‘ SUBJECT: Re Flying Disc. |
" TO: Special Agent in Charge, FBI, U. S, Department of Justice, |
: Federal Office Building, Room 422, San Francisco, California. f i
i X |
53 l. Following is extraoct from the Weekly Intelligence Summary, 11
Alr Transport Command, Weshington 25, D. C., dated 20 August 1947, |
Copy Nos 120, Article I, pg 11
; *PLYING OBJECTS IN GUAM: Unidentified flying objects have |
boen observed by three Americen enlisted men of the 147th Aire
i ways end Air Communications Service Squadron et Harmon Field,
| Guem, The men report that at 1040 hours on 14 August 1947 the |
two objects, whish they describe as small, orescent shaped and |
‘ traveling at a speed twice that of a fighter plane, passed over
| them on a zig-zag course in a westerly direction at an approxi- ‘
e g mate altitude of twelve hundred feet. The objects disappeared |
b g ‘into clouds and a few seconds later a similar objeet possibly |
I y one of those previously cbserved, emerged from the clouds and |
e proceeded west., No further details have been reported." {
| . 2+ For your information. :
i / |
. & s |
_ L. SPRIN S |
e ' Lt. Colonel, GSC i
[ : i AC of 5, A~2 l
! . |
[ [
i . |
| ) |
r . |
4 LN A o
\= SECRET '
--- page 7 ---
--- page 8 ---
~
HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2
. Intelligence
Hamilton Field, California
4AFDA 27 August 1947
33345/1208-1
SUBJECT: Investigation of Flying Disec.
TOs Special Agent in Charge, FBI, U. 8, Department of Justice,
Federal Office Building, Room 422, San Francisco, California.
Attached summary forwarded for your information.
DONALD L. SPRINGER
1 Inecl: Lte. Colonel, CSC
Summary of Informstion. AC of S, A-2
! AUG 30 194
]
! -
--- page 9 ---
4 e HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2
Intelligence
amilton Field, California
4AFDA 27 August 1947
e 33345/1208=1
SUBJECT: Investigetion of Flying Disc.
T0s Special Agent in Charge, FBI, U. 8. Department of Justice,
Seattle, Washington,.
<
Attached summary forwarded for your information,
1 Inel: DONALD L. SPRINGER
Summary of Informetion. Lt. Colonel, GSC
AC of S, A-2
b
/
--- page 10 ---
* ENEH
copPY
AIR RESCUE SERVICE
. DETACIMENT 8 (624 AAF BU)
\ MoChord Fleold, Tacoma, Fashington
. 4 August 1947
SUBJECT: Final ¥ssion Report
T01 Commending Officer
Alr Rescue Service
¥acDill Field, Florida
A
1. NISSION WUMBER ThirtyeNine. ¢
Ze¢ KBATURE,.
fe At O400 PST, 1 August 47, ARMY FLIGHT SERVICE notified this
detachment that a plane had been seen to orash and durn thirteen (13) miles
south of KELIO, Washington (46°8'N, 1829656'W).
Je ACTION TAKEN
ae 1 Aug 47« At 04380 PET, AVS received information from Mre O
Ce Clark, looal sheriff of KELSO, Wash., that the scene of the crash was
fiftoen (16) to twenty (20) milos east of KELSO in the vieinity of QOBLE
CREEK, The XELSO Chief of Police saw an aireraft fly low over theo towm,
then orash and burn to the eost. The time wms about 0236 PST, A check of
airoralt Imown to be in the vieinlty revealed that 3-26 /1316 had departed
ICCHORD FIELD at 0212 PST for HANILTON PIELD, California. The weather was
reported as CFRe A full moon made visibility exceptionally goode The
pilot's name was CAPT, W. C. DAVIDSON; the plane ocarried three (3) sdditional
pargonss The Base Operntions Officer snd Base PIO were notified. Thie
detachment began organizing a ground party of base persomncl to supploment
that being formed by the KELSO Chief of Police. 4t 0B00 PST informstion
was received from KELSO by AFPS that greund fog in the wvalleys &t the seene
of the orash was preventing a ground party from locating the plane. Sinece
no communication had been received from B-25 #1316, it was assumed thet it
was the plane reported as orasheds ARS Ced7 was preeflighted to trensport
the Army ground perty to KELSO but a check of the fleld conditions there
deemed it advisable to use & smaller aireraft. Of the two Ce4S5s available,
one belonging to AFS wes unserviced after a night flights the other, belonge-
ing to AACS, was readied even though a responsible officer of that organe
ization was not present to suthorigze the flight, Fog at KSL30 prevented
takeeoff until 0700 PST, The ground party, led by CAPT, W, L. LITTRELL snd
CAPTs Te Ho FORSBERG, conaisted of six men ineluding a medical techniecian
end & photographer, At 0000 PST, the XiLSO Chief of Polioce notified AFS
that a passenger of the orashed mirplane was in his office and had confirmed
--- page 11 ---
. '~ A ATTY A\TOATTIT A
i s At )& RS 1IN T LA
> .
» .
; Subjeoty Final Nission Repors” 4 August 1647
The belief that the orash was that of the unreported Be28, The Passenger,
Sgte Fe Lo TAFF, of FT. LAWION, SEATTLE, was uninjured, but reported that
s the erew chief, T/s;—,t. We Ue MATHEWS, was at & farm house near the scemne of
the arash and was injured. Ogte TAFF then led &n ambulsnce to Sgbe EATHEWS
who was subsequently teken to & local hospital, At 0810 PST an attempt
was mede to telephone 8qs 5 at HAMILTON FIELD but no answer was received;
however, it was known that HAMILTON AFS was aware of the ineident and
would notify Sq. B, A% 0700 PST Capt. LITTRELL departed in a Ce45 for
KELSO, At 0746 PST 5q B wae oontacted by phone and given a flash report.
At OPOS PST CAPT LITTRELL phoned and informed that he had placed CAPTALN
FORIBERE in charge of Army porsonnel proceeding to the soene of the orash.
No norial search was necessary ss civiliens in the area knew tho exact
locetion of the erash and had reported finding one (1) body in the wreekbge.
CAPTs LITTRELL prepared to fly Sgt's TAFF end MATHERS o MCCHORD FIRLD .
for mediocal atsention, arriving et 0845 P8Y. The survivers steted that "
they belleved neither the pllot nor coe=pilot hes parschuted Prom the
plenes The osuse of the Incldent was et this time determined to be a fire
in the loft engine, CAPT LITTRELL was informed by Sgte TAFF that he
believed olassified documents had been aboard the planes CAPT FOKSBERG
was instructed to take necessary precautions. An ambulance met the plane
&% NCCHORD FITLD earrying the two survivors and took thom to the hospital.
3 Interrogation revealed that the left engine had omught fire iu the power
section and flumes ond smoke hed spread to the flight deck almoat immede
iatelys The orew ohlef, HMATANWS, mssisted TAPY in attachinz his shest
pack and TAFF abandoned the plene at an estimated altitude of 10,000 't
(this fact 1s doubted Lut 1as not considered necessarily rounms.
ATHEWS helped the pilot and coe-pilot attach thoir chest packs (a1l pere
sonnel had Yeon wearing the harness) and as he lef't the plane wos aware that
the coepilot was preparing to follow. The pilot had started %o leave and,
to the best recollection of MATLHENS, was partially stending and holding
the control wheel with his lef't hand, HATHEW'S gtatements indleste that
proper emergency procedurss had been porformed but that the flames hed en-
veloped the sntire left side almost immodlately. TAPF stated thet, decause
of the full woon snd good visidility, he gew MATHEWNS leave the plane end
was able to follow the plane to the ground and that he saw no one olase
bail outs The ship was euveloped in flames and was beginning %o fell apart
before hitting the ground where it exploded and burned about one (1) mile ;
from where he, TAFP, landeds lle 1it in & tree, end not knowing how to
release his parachute of the gquickedetachable kind, cut himself loose fron
the herress with hie pooket knife, He kicked end struggled and eventually
Jumped to the ground, receiving e jolt on impeot but was unable to puess
how far he hed fallen. He then followed a oow path for an estimated two
(2) milos to & farm house, arriving after MATHEWS, Moanwhile, as MATHEWS
eleared the plane he turned and sew the plane strike the ground, explode
snd burne Just before or juat at the time of impaet he saw an object
af'ire thrown olear of the plane but did not know whether it was & person
or part of the plane. MATHEWS also lit in a tree, and after freeing himself
from his harness, fell %o the ground where he injured his back, g lost
conselousncss and on recovering went to the burning plane, about rifty
2
) <L 111 410N 1 o
--- page 12 ---
2 ’ & A
oo MPNRROE g
.
Subject: Finel Mission Repgrs 4 August 1947
(60) yards away, Flares were going off and he thought best to leave the
soene, fe heard a stream nearby end followed 1t uptil he came to & house and
aroused the oocupantss 3Joon TAFF arrived at tho same house and, being un~
7 injured, was driven fnto town, Then he led an anbulance to effect transporta-
tion of MATHEWS to @ hospital., learnwhile, civilisus reached the seene of
the erash where they found one body. At 0830 PST, a messsge from Sq B
inforned that top seoret materisl was in the navigators kit and %o request
‘ommanding Officer NCCHORD FIELD 4o expedite all available informetion to
Commanding Officer BAMILTON FI®LD, Meanwhile, CAPT PORSSERC and four (4)
enlisted men Jdeparted KELSO at 0830 PST for seene of the erash, Thoy were
transported by the VASHINOTION 3TATE POLICE who knew the exaet location of
the plane (46°09'Y « 122045'W), The ground party determined upon arrival
at the sosns, that two (2) bodies were in the wreckage. Indications led te
the bellef thet the oo-pilot wae afire when he left the plane an instant °
before impact.: Ti. pilot's remains were foumd in the wreckage, Pre-
liminery inwestigzation by CAPT FORZBERG disclosed the planes left wing
about ome hundred twenty~five (125) vards from the widely seattered porte ’
tions of the planes The loft wing was intect end hed spperently torn
off just outdoard of the left engine before impact, = The forwerd pertion 3
of the wing stub was melted but the redr two thirds indicated that it hed
rippsd loose {rom the inboard seotion of the wing. The wing lesding edge
was undemageds The nawigation and landing lights were unbrokens The
ailercon was undamaged but the flap section was crushed, lesding to the
belief that tho wing struck the teil sections From these indicstions
it 1s believed the wing ripped from the airplane just efter MATHENS
abandoned the plsnes The resulting spin thus prevented the remsining
- erew members from bailing out slthough the co-pilot may heve been in the
hatoh, A few civilians were in the area when CAPT FORSBERG arrived
and he took precautions to prevent them from disturbing the wreeksge.
At 1157 PST CAPT LITTRELL flew CAPT RICE, M, C., to KEELSO, An awbulanee
digpatohed from MOCHORD PIELD, met them at KELSO, and was led to the soene
of the erash by the STATE POLICE. The bodles were recovered and trans-
ported in the azbulance to HOCHORD FIELD. CAPT LITTRELL returned to
MCCHORD FIELD where osmping equipment was prepared to be dropped to the
ground party. CAPT LITIRELL,made & suocessful drop at dusk by sighting
on & signal fire, The ground party set up camp at the wreokage scene to
8ot as guerd snd te investigete further the following day. They were
relieved of responaibility of sll recovered documents by a CIC agent who
had arrived about 1800 P37,
bs 2 Aug 47+ The ground party remeined at the scene of the erash
pending officlal seouring of the ineident. No aerial activity.
G¢ 3 Aug 47, MNOCHORD FIRKLD Operations Officer departed at 1000
P3T to investigate the mocident snd to relieve CAPY FORSBERG, who returned
et 1600 PSY, Inocident closeds
3
CONFIDENTTAL
--- page 13 ---
o % CANNTT ) W T
(I~ S N i
v .
350 Vi =
Tabjeots inal ¥ission pers 4 Augast 1047
STAPTEPTCA ha Y
Ce STATIETICAL !
s oot
Be IROUED ACTIVITY
(1) Total man hours by ARS Personnel in field 72
(sstinnte) 500
S
\ 1 men hours Yy eivilian peraonnel (est; 180
\
(1) otal Hoe of sorties flown 3
(2) Total hours flown by Army alreralt 5 :
s LOCAL JRCEASES
(1) YNone
a. Cooperstion recaived from sll oivilian ngendsies Sonsermed
was complete and excellent.
fe one.
Captain, Air Corps
;ommandin rficar
4 Inol:
leFPhotoRraphs
4
ny & YT N r i}
--- page 14 ---
. : AEALQUARTERS POURTH AIR PORCE
R Office of the Assistent Chief of Staff, Aeg
¢ e e L ¢ - o
Heedlton Pleld, California
Trree Investigation of Flying Dise Investication mape ar_T800ms and Helso, Weshington
ControLLnG orrice AT _Defense Uommind, Witshel Fisld
FuzNo. SAFSINOSeY =~ Perioo covemen .51 July through 7 August 1847
" CaSE cuassFicATioN .. Sneddent
Dare.. M Auguet 308Y =~~~ =~ Survsorcase.. . Pemddmg T
ASON FOR INVESTIGATION: Iuvestigation initisted at the request of Alr Uefense
&E-né. referonce 1tr Hq ADC, dtd 7 Jul 47, file D3S3.6ID, subj: Investigation of
Flying Dises
SYNOPSIS,
On 31 July 47, iMre Arnold, Aviation Yditor of the Idaho Uaily Stetesman, teles
phoned Lt. brown requesting he return to Tecoma because Arnold believed he had some
very vitel information on the flying dise.
Lte Brown end Cepts Davideon interviewsd & ir. Fred L. Crismen end e Y. larold
Ae Dahl, along with Capt. Smith of the United Alr Lines, snd Mre Arnold, &t the Wine
throp Hotel in Tacoma, Washington, on the night of 31 July 1947,
The summary of their interrogation and findings was related to ¥ajor Sender,
Public Information Officer, MeChord Field, by lires Arnold end Cept. Smithe ilajor
Sander retold the results of the iuvestigstion to this officer from his notes.
iire Uahl and Mr. Criswan wore met svailable for interview while this officer
was in that area, although every effort was mede to contact theme
Further investigation of this particular incident was left with MNr. Srady,
wsident Agent, FBI, Tacoma, VWashington.
It was epperent from nowspaper elippings, telephone ealls to this officer, and
conversations with e jor Sander, that & United Prees correspondent, of the Tacome
Times, wes instrumental in keeping this cuse alives This officer and Major Sender,
although quoted many times in the press, did not discuss this matter with the press
during the periocd of this report.
The anonymous mystery csller in Tecome could possibly be lir. Crisman.
DISTRIBUTION CoriEs APPROVED:
"““"“"“""“"Xfi&'”“”"“""‘""" 1 G 7 Z ¥
TN e e T T T DOBALD L. SPRIVGEN, it 0014.1 6s¢
- ¢ 6th A 1 » . - % L
FBI, Seattle 1 e b s s
FBI, San Franeiseo 1 | A : |
e i AUG 30 1947 |
( SAN FRANOISC( '
W.D., P.M.G. Form No. 110 “CONFIDENTIAL { ROED ) T -
1 Apeil 1944 H £ ,fi i
--- page 15 ---
C1-R1 Raport ‘ i ‘
" : : -CONFDENTAL
DEPAILSe
1. Turing the afterncen of 31 July 47, ¥r. Arnold, Aviation Bditer of the
Idebho Daily Statessen, telephoned Lt Srown, CIC Subwloteohment Commender at Soade
quarters Fourth Alr Foree, and steted in substeance: That be, Amold, nzd Capt Smith
bad arrived in Tacomm to investigate She purported flying dise explosion on a sure
facs oraft on 21 Jume 47, This investigetion wes requosted and finenced b e Wp,
He Ae Palner of the Vonture Press, 305 Studie ¥ldg., 1718 therses Averue, “vansten,
Nlincis,.
AGEXT'S WOTE: See Inclosure ) and Imclosure 2. The signature %o Inelosure 2, ir,
Pave Johnson, 15 that of the editor of the Ideho Daily Statossane Ur. Johmson is &
former Army Adr Poroe officer snd frem sll indicetions le & very patriotie Americen.
On the recsipt of Inslosure 2 at Jeadquarters Fourth Alr Foroe, this officer requested
the Sen Preneiseo Fil Office te oheok the Chlesgo PRI Office for Re As Palmer and the
Venture Preass The return snswer, by telophone, was to the effeot that the Chleags
indicen of the FBI, the Chicage Police, and Credit Huresu had no record on Re 2.
Peluer or the Vesture ‘ress.
2o It Grown end Oept Lavidson arrived et Mefhord Field during the afterncon
of 31 July 47 They changed from their wniforms to civilian elothing in the aircrafé
and, on being queried by Operations as to why they desired transportation te Taooma,
they replied they were So zake & speechs
AGERIYG ROTEs This wme in complisnce with par 4, lor fr Ng ADC, Pile DB3S.513,
T Jul 47, subls Investigstien of Flving Fisee
Asoording to Major George Sander, Publie informetion Officer, taChord Field, The
Tacoms Times reosived sn enonymous telephone csll that Arnold end Sxith were present
in the Winthrop dotel for the purpose of conducting em investigation om She fiying
dises The Tacome Times checked and found this %o be trus, mmoh %o Arnold's end Smith's
surpriges Lt Jrown snd Japt Devidson &id interview ¥y, lmreld A, Dehl, ¥y, Fred L.
Crissan, in & hotel reom in the Wimtkrop Hotel, Tacorma, Wash., in the presence of
¥re Arnold wnd Onpt Smitke If notes were teken of this conversation, they were dee
stroyed in the airereft aceldente ¥rs Arnold stated to Yejor Jander that Lt Srown
obtained from Wre shl end Mre Crisman smmples of sn unidentified substence thet were
identieal to those sppearing in Inclesures 3 o 7. The ssmples plotured in Inclosures
§ %o 7 wore teken by ¥, Arnold from the seme box thet Deshl and Crismsn offored li.
Srown and frowm which he obtalned hMa sampless 7/5gh Yatthews, Crew Ghief on the
wraekod airareft, wpon being interrogatod by thias officer, stated that he placed &
heavy onrdbosrd carton in the rear compartment of the Be25 that ereshed. I did net
look in the box nor heer sny comments from 14 Srown or Capt Vsvideon es to its cone
tanta, e
Se The following sumssrises what was related by Mr, Arnold and Jupt Smith %o
ajor Jander as %o the substence of the luterrogetion by Lt Srown and Cept Davideons
That on 21 Jum 47 Yr, Jahl wes proceeding south of Hsury Island in ¥re Crigsen's
boats Five flying diecs came down out of the olouds and cireled slowly around the
bay, dropping %o an estimated elewation of 500 fests These disos sppeared round and
-CONFIDENTHAL
¥.D.,P.M.G. Form No. 110
--- page 16 ---
C1-R1 Report ‘ : - ‘
& 5 : -CONFDENTHAL
Tflattenad sinilar %0 & deflated automobile imnertubes They were judged by lahl %o
be spproxinately 100 feet soross with a 20 foot epening In the eenter. The outer
edge of the objoot had round portheles snd the inner ring hed squars windows or
portholess The dises wore silent and from his viewpoint he could sew ne mesns of
propalaions One of thess dises eppeared to falter and waver in the air, snother of
these aforementioned five disos dropped down close to She dise that appesred So
waver sand bumped 1%, dumping “tons™ of the stuff as piotured in inslosare § to 7
on his bdoat, moeking of !’ the hendrail, horn, end generelly desaging the boat %o
the extent of $200,00, sud killing Jahl'e doge
AGESTS WOTHs This officer, in She company of ¥ejor Sender, boarded the aforsmen=
tiened bost where it wes dooked in the Tacoms barbor en 6 Aug €7y 2 dand rail was
aissing, bul the ares where the hand rail wes previcusly fastened hmd been painted
over with seversl coats of palnt and was ovesked by the westhers The deck and roeof
of the enbin was of & very thin oconstrusticn and the eabin further had glass on the
front and eldess It is thia offieer's opinion thet if may of the objeota presented
by Sebl as saplee of the matorial dropped by the flying dise had hit this boat, it
would heve ssmytaiuly been necsssary %o replece the foredock and ths cabin roof,
These twe arens wore very hoavily eonted with several ccets of palnt and bad deep
woather oracks thet would take evveral secasons to eeguire.
lire Urisman, who owns the buat and eperetes a shoreline wabter patrel for varioue
business firss, ovidently visited the area at Heury Islend to chsck Imhl’s story.
He ia supposed %o have stabed that he found the materisl that he prossuted to Lt
Brown and Capt Levidson iz & send pit near where ths ineident was supposed to have
socurreds “hile he, Orismn, was &t the goene of the incldent, a Plying dise came
out of e olouds and behaved in a similer mammer ss the ones previously deseribed.
ADENTYS NOTE: The witnessing on two ceeaslons, im broed daylight, of an cbjeet so
large and eclearly vieible within several miles of the olty ef Tacome certeinly should
heave bown sesn snd yreported on by other then Ushl and Urissan. A cheok was made of
the newspspers on and after Z1 Jume end no mention could be found of & mysterious
object sppearing over the Tecome harbor,
¥re Urisman is supposed to have sent semples of She objeots that he pleked up in the
Haury Island sand pis to a friend of hls at the University of Chleage for an analysis
reports o 1s reported to have not received the enulysis report.
AGENT'S NOTE: It 18 possidle that the Hre T4 &, Palmer, refersnce Inclosurs 1 snd 2,
sight bave coms soross this Ineldent through the University of Chicegoe
The inteprogetion of Pahl end Crissen by LS Jrows wes completed about midnight om
3 Ju,/l Anguate It Brows and Capt Davidson returned to WeCherd Fisld and preparsd
for a night fiight to anilton Fields he weeather was clear with a bright moen
shininge They departed spproxizately 0200 heurs snd orashed at approxizately 0230
hours on 1 August 1047, (See Inclosurs 8). :
S Om © August 47, thls officer, iz the cumpeny of Najer Sendery HeCherd Fleld,
snd Mre fGrady, resident sgent, Tacoms Federsl Juresu of Investigatlon, stfespted to
—CONFIDENTHAL-
¥.D.,P.M.G. Form No. 110
--- page 17 ---
CI-R1 Report ‘ 5 ‘
-CONFDENTHAL-
sonteot eliher Wre Dabl or ¥re Crismen, without success, Cept Smith snd ¥r, Arncld
departed the Taouma ares on § August 47, therefore, this officer did not have the
opportunity of eoemversing with them directlye.
AGEHT'S BOTE: A record check was sede by Selephone by Mr, Brady with the Seattle
Field Office, FBI, for records en ¥re Urimman end Wr, bahl, The cheok on Hre Crissan
vis negative, The Seattle FEI indloss indicated thet & Zareld Vahl had been charged
with twe inaldente of illegal wearing of the unifiorn snd one with theld of nationel
property. It could not be deternined 8t the time whether Harcld As Yshl, the eudjeot
in question, and Zareld Jahl of the FBI indioes, wae ono and the sane,
S5+ e Orisuan hod indicnted to Cept Smith, irneld, et al, that ke wes &
former Plghter pilot and held scomission se Captain in the ilr Heserves
AQENTYS BOTRs Om 8 August 47, thie officer checksd the reeorda of the 400%h ALY
SU(RT) and detersined that Fred i, Criswen wes registersd with that leserve Unit as
Captain, Serial Fumber O«758651, with residence at 128 Joodland, Tacoms, Washingbon,
Primary OS5 1066 and 1003. In 1042 ho was with the Criainal lavestigstion Sdviaien,
S%ato of Veshington, and proviously had besn &n oll teshnieian with the Union Pacifie
Bnilways Crissen eutored the servics v 1342 as an enlisted san and served sa suoh
for seventoon moathss In 1843 he was comnissioned on graduation frem flying sehool
and served a totel of twenty-nine menthse chack of the Tncoma eifty directory was
made on lmreld Ay Jehl, which indiesnted his home wes at 3003 ¥, Gobe St,, tclephome:
Preotor T117. Jusiness address was listed as 230 Hiddle %atereay; telephone: Sroade
-y 758
RECOMMEKDATION:
1 Thet mo farther investigation be undertaken on this apecifie inelident by
Apzy Aly Feres persomnel.
2¢ That in view of the reported statements by lre Crissan, thet consideration
be given o revoke his Alr feserve conmission snd flying status as an undesiredle
snd unrelisble offioer.
8 Inclas
le Fhotostat, Jtr fr R.AsFaluore
2e¢ TFhotostat, Selegran fr Dave Johmsons
Se 0 Te Fhotographs, Unidentified Substance.
8s Tinal Misslon Reporty; Alr NHesoue Serviee.
~-COMNFIDENTHAL
¥.D.,P.M.G. Form No. 110
--- page 18 ---
JI—— T = - o
e N\
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R iy |
—t
305 STUDIO BUILDING 7\
1718 SHERMAN AVENUE
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS |
| July 22, 1947 '
/ D 1
¥r. Kerneth Arnold, [ L !
2oise, Idaho (7 fiv 7 i
| Sl i H
i Dear Mr. Arnold: L{
} Quite obviously you have besn ribbed sc muish you'd like to |
| forget the flying saucers--but I'd sure like tc heve your !
personal story, your photo, pic of your plane, etc, as I
| asked before. 4nd you won't he made to look silly, because |
| there's more to this than the rewspapers and the “experts® |
\ have made of it. |
bBesides the article, I heve another propssition, You seer to 1
i % et around quite a bit, and if you can maks & trip to Tacome, }
Washington at el feasible, I'd be willing to pay expenses
| plus 2 nice amount to make it worth your while.
! 3 |
! - I'G want you to see Mr. Harold A. Dahl, P, O. Box 154, Fera |
Hill Station, Tacoma, and Mr. Fred L. Crisman, csner of the i
Tacoma Hurbor Patrol, Inc. Dehl, and two other seamen, on a
patrol near Murry Island, off Taccma, saw six discs, one in
i trouble, witnessed an explcsion, saw falling stuff which fi
; smashed their wheelhouse end searchlight sad lended on the i
L beach, They sect me samples whioch Chicago U has failed to |
‘ analyze. I want a picture of the beach and the stuff that {1
landed there (about twenty tons, they said). And I want %
! somebody who'll get the trath, to find out if these boys are |
| on the up and upe You could do thet. I hope you will. If |
| agreeable, please write and perhaps we can telk business, Wai
{ I think you'd like to prove this thirng tool
|
Anyway, I stillvant that article!
| |
’ Sincerely yours, ‘
A !
Re A Palmer 1
L |
i
|
--- page 19 ---
‘ 'm% WUA41 PD () : a
EE . " BOISE IDA JULY 29 1947 255P + |
SD LT FRANK M BROWN, A=2 (RPT A-2) 1
OFF ICE 4TH AIRFORCE HAMILTON FIELD CALIF.
VENTURE PRESS 305 STUDIO BLDG 1718 SHERMAN AVE EVANSTON ILL. RA ‘
éz PALMER. SENT ARNOLD $200 TO GO TO TACOMA TO INVESTIGATE FLYING
EQ DISC REPORT THERE. SUGGEST THIS OUT OF LINE FOR PRESENT PUBLIC ‘
Fé‘/:') INTEREST IN STORY AND BELIEVE AS | SUGGESTED ON YOUR VISIT HERE
VENTURE PRESS SHOULD BE CHECKED i
DAVE JOHNSON
é% 305 1718 $200 '
EE 308P
--- page 20 ---
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Ofiic‘e Meno wwflm * UNITED Sla... 3OVERNMENT
- // \ |
TO : Direotor// FB ‘ \ ”LV\ DATE: i
FROM B -y J 7 /
R . - - ‘A S A
SAC, Boston /‘/’ 24’ L4
" SUBJECT: METAL FRAGMENTS O SERVED AT WEST RINDGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, JULY 7, 1947
SECURITY MATTER (X
Reference is made to Boston teletype to the Bureau dated July 18, 1947,
Dean John M, Bunker, the original informant, has advised that a spectographic
examination has been completed of the metal particles referred to,. They were
determined to be of ordinary cast iron which had been subjected to a very
high degree of heat, The heat csused scales to be formed on the oast iron
which were originally thought to be of some metallic alloy.
The soientist examining the partioles conoluded that if they had come through
the air from any great altitude in as small pieces as they werse found then
most of the heat would have been taken from them by the time they reached
the ground and fires would not have resulted, It is noted they landed
approximately 700 feet from a railroad track and inquiries were conduoted by
MIT to determine whether or not the particles could have been originally a
part of a liner in a smoke stack or some other part of the steanm engine, These
inquiries resulted in positive information that the particles did not come from
a train or loocomotive., Measurements of the four pieces examined revealsd
that they had most likely been originally all part of one hollow oylinder,
eight inches in diemeter and three sixteenths of an inch in thiockness, It
was felt that one piece falling from a great height would have still retained
a good part of its heat and probably would have smashed when it hit the ground,
A soientist, whom Yean Bunker did not identify by name, recalled that cast
>\ iron oylinders of similar measurements had been used in New Mexico on
research work on a guided missile project. However, this unidentified scientist
did not so conclude to the exclusion of all other possibilities,
£ JONF. INPT]
I$ is interesting to note that the examination at MIT was actually conducted
(b) (7)(D) who furnished the Boston Office with an informal report similar
in all major details to that supplied by Dean Bunker above, The men at MIT ,,\""fl
are gathering through friends all additional pieces of the original oyli i
available, These will be turned over to the Poston Office, No further, .-
examination is being conducted by MIT and no effort is being made t »
reconstruot the original cylinder, et 2%
Unless advised to the ocontrary by August 15, 1947 the Boston Office will
destroy these specimens, In the interim they will be transmitted to the
Bureau on specifio Bureau instruotions, g
' PSR
--- page 27 ---
(b) (7)(D)
“¥nage Ny3,,, ~'“"\‘%,\3\\Y\3\' 3
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--- page 28 ---
S5 e Y
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It is noted that the original Hoston teletype refleoted that this inquiry
was being treated as "secret" matter at MIT. (b)(7)(D) has advised that
the comparatively small number of research scientists at MIT during the summer
are all cognizant of the incident and the results of the research, However,
no publicity has been given and it is not anticipated that any will result.
The Bureau's interest is not kmown to the soientists at KIT. There has been
no speculation that a guided missile originating in a foreign land landed
in New Hempshire,
As indicated above, unless the Bureau requests specifically further investigative
action, this case is being closed in the Boston Office,
BSG:md
100-20698
--- page 29 ---
FBI BUTTE 8=15=47 5-45 PM vew
= il
PTRECTOR, FBI URGENT i v
FLYING DISCS. ON INSTANT DATE A, C«XURIE OF TWIN FALLS, IDAHC,)}!-V
INFORMED LOCAL NEWSPAPER THAT COMMUNITY THAT AT ONE PM ON WEDNESDAY
LAST, AUGUST THIRTEEN, HE AND TWO SONS BILLIE, AGE TEN, KEITH, AMX
AGE EIGHT, SAW AN OBJECT NINE MILES NORTHWEST OF TWIN FALLS, RE-
SEMBLING FLYING DISC. URIE STATED THIS OBJECT WAS PROCEEDING BMMX
DOWN SALMON RIVER AT TERRIFIC SPEED ESTIMATED BY HIM AT ONE THOUSAND
MILES PER HOUR. URIE AND SONS DESCRIBED OBJECT TO NEWSPAPERS AS
TVENTY FEET LONG, TEN FEET WIDE AND TEN FEET THICK, LIGHT SKY BLUE
IN COLOR AND ALSO OBSERVED FLAMES EMANATING FROM SIDES OF OBJECT.
AT TIME URIE AND SONS SAW OBJECT THEY ALL HEARD LOUD SWISH WHEN
OBJECT DISAPPEARED FRIM SIGHT. CURRENT EFFORTS BEING MADE TO INTER-
VIEW URIE AND SONS PURSUANT TO BUREAU BULLETIN FORTY TWO, SUB DIVISION
B, DATED JULY THIRTY NINETEEN FORTY SEVEN, BUREAU WILL BE PROMPTLY
AND FULLY INFORMED OF ALL PERTINENT DEVELOPMENTS. | n/ ') L;)
BANISTER 71 Ad I
END ‘ Vfifgfijggvxfizfl~ngfi;;L//‘/lr‘\
PLS ACK AND HOLD /ri ) £
7-48 PM OK FBI WA BV
--- page 30 ---
spnad
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nahmau
--- page 31 ---
. b 4
'YANDAW(:.F(VHM NO. 64 .
. . ‘ y
e » & .
g ()ffice Mer dum + uNITED ¢ GOVERNMENT *
I8 . S - y
' 2 : . -
TOLT s The Director DATE: August 1li¢ 1947 J/
Mr. son
FROM : Mr. D. M. Ladd mfié
SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS O —
In connection with your request to be advised as to the facts Harbo ————
concerning newspaper reports of flying discs in the Portland area and the i Snn fam———
reported conference of army officials in Portland concerning flying dises, i s ————
the Portland Office has advised that Leaveritt G. Richards, aviation R —
editor of the "Oregonian," has stated that Captain William L,/*ޢvi.dson
and Lieutenant Frank j.‘i}Bruwn of the Fourth AAF Headquarters, San Francisco,
were in Portland on JuTly 27, 1947. While in Portland they interviewed Dick (e
“\_Rankin, an experienced pilot, who had reported that he observed, on June 1, g
a formation of ten flying discs over Bakersfield, California. Richards added ¥ ,/
that Davidson and Brown had also interviewed the following four experienced
pilots who were among the first to report seeing discs, KennetkAXrnold, businessman
from Boise, Idaho; Captain E. J.\S nith, a co-pilot; RalpbiStevens, United Airlines
and Davay Johnson, aviation editor, Idaho"Statesman." 1In order to determine the
purpose of these interviews Richards contacted Major General Twining of Wright Field,
Ohio, and from him gained the impression that the AAF instituted this investigation
to wash out the disc reports since they are definitely not of AAF origin.
On Friday, August 1, the plane in which AAF investigators, Captain a 4
Davidson and Lieutenant Brown, were flying, crashed at Kelso, Washington and both
were killed. The wreckage was screened by AAF Intelligence from McChord Field.
The "Tacoma News Tribune" and through them the United Press put out a story that
the plane was carrying parts of a disc which had struck a boat owned by Harold
Dahl and Fred Chrisman. It has also been inferred that this plane was sabotaged
to prevent these disc parts from being examined.
Investigation by the Bureau has reflected that this plane was definitely
not carrying parts of a disc and there appears to be no substantiation of a sabotage
charge. .
For your further information there is attached a blind memorandum setting
forth in more detail the results of the investigation surrounding the above plane
crash. No further inquiry is being made in this matter.
ACTION 3
Air Force Intelligence has been advised of the results of our investi-
gation. I' y
o H( (DED !3 : / ¢ !
. x ‘ Sy
RGF:mjp i N
COPIES DESTROYED /7/ & /
2%0 NOV 18 1904 V
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--- page 32 ---
1] 5 < .
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350 Saf 40 yn e
--- page 33 ---
. A
W ; "
-
- -
August 1l, 1947
FLYING DISCS
The "Tacoma News Tribune" and through them the United Press put out
a story that an army plane which was allegedly carrying parts of a disc which
had struck a boat owned by Harold Dahl and Fred Chrisman had crashed on August
1, 1947, killing two Air Force Intelligence officers who were interviewing
persons who were alleged to have seen flying discs.
Harold A. Dahl and Fred Chrisman, when interviewed by Bureau Agents,
advised in a signed statement on August 7, 1947, that in the early part of June,
1947, they picked up some strange rock formations from a gravel pit on Hauri
Island, Washington. They sent a cigar box of these formations to one Ray Palmer,
editor of the Venture magazine in Evanston, Illinois and also editor of the
Fantasy magazine in Chicago, Illinois. According to them they requested Palmer
to make only a chemical analysis of the rock formations. Palmer then wrote
asking for additional samples stating he had been unable to analyze the material.
Dahl and Chrisman remarked that a few days after the flying disc stories appeared
during the latter part of June,Falmer contacted them by telephone saying he would
pay for an exclusive story if the materials they had sent him were fragments of
a flying disc. Dahl said he wrote Palmer a letter in which he represented the
material as being a part of a flying disc, and both Dahl and Chrisman admitted
that this statement was entirely false.
Dahl and Chrisman then received a call from one Kenneth Arnold of
Boise, Idaho who requested them to meet him at the Winthrop Hotel in Tacoma on
July 31, 19L7. According to them Arnold called in army intelligence officers
from Hamilton Field, California and one Captain Emil H. Smith of United Airlines
of Seattle, Washington to attend this meeting. Dahl and Chrisman maintained
they told the intelligence officers Captain Davidson, Lieutenant Brown, Kenneth
Arnold and Emil H. Smith exactly how they got the rock formations and that they
had no connection with any flying discs. Dahl and Chrisman stated that they then
furnished some of the rock formation to the intelligence officers as samples.
Captain Davidson and Lieutenant Brown left Tacoma, Washington in a B-25
to return to Hamilton Field, California about 2:30 A.M. August 1, 1947, 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 wing on fire which caused
it to break off. The crew chief and each officer parachuted to safety.
Ernie Vogel, an Associated Press wireman at Tacoma advised that two or
three days after the flying disc story started he contacted Dahl to check the story
COPIES DESTROYED
270 NOV 18 1964
--- page 34 ---
‘.
A
.
that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer had received from the Fire Chief at
Harbor, Washington, to the effect that Dahl had some flying disc fragments.
At this time Dahl admitted to Vogel that the entire story was false.
Relative to Arnold, Dahl and Chrisman stated that he was paid by
Ray Palmer of the Fantasy magazine and yosslbly the 'Boise ‘Statesman’ to come
to Tacoma and obtain a story from them regarding the flying disc fragments.
On July 31 and August 1, a total of five anonymous calls were
received by a Tacoma Times reporter and the United Press Wireman at Tacoma
giving information regarding the meeting at the Winthrop Hotel over the disc
fragments and stating that the B-25 had been shot down or sabotaged which
killed Captain Davidson and Lieutenant Brown, inferring that this was done
because the intelligence officers were carrying disc fragments in their plane.
Dahl and Chrisman stated that these calls could only have come from
themselves, Arnold or Smith, who, they stated, had a friend on the Chicago
Times and was possibly selling the story to the Chicago Times through this
friend. Dahl and Chrisman denied making these calls.
Smith, upon interview, stated that reporter Lantz of the Tacoma
Times and Morello of the United Press office in Tacoma had informed him that
Arnold had several anonymous calls and from the accuracy of the information
transmitted Smith believes they were made by either Dahl or Chrisman.
e
--- page 35 ---
> . %t -
h - Fededal Brrean of Inuestigah
United States Department of Justice
seattle 4, Washington s,
1 18 Q {
2 |
\ 1,
\
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CRISMAN and HAROLD A, DAHL,
Dear Sir:
island, shington, sighted six flyin iscs, one of which fluttered to the
RAYAFALMER requestedAflrans-Radio News in Chicago to verify the story as related
# RAY PAIMER then engaged KENNETH/QWRNOILD, Boise, Idaho, who was the first to report
¥ sighting the flying disc and whom RAY PAIMER had previously made a contract for
a story regarding the flying disc, to come to Tacoma and check the story. &k
a8 KENNETH ARNOLD came to Tacoma, Washington July 30, 1947 and
)3 arranged for a meeting the following day, July 31, with FRED CRISMAN and HAROLD
AHL in his room 502, Winthrop Hotel, Tacoma,-#ashington. KENNETH {RNOLD also
called to attend the meeting Captain EMIL~J.A SMITH, United Airlines Pilot who
J e _-4 -
{ ¥ :
: L ‘:j_,') }
--- page 36 ---
3 3 > 3 .
g 5 - '|’ u .
August ‘19, 1947
this meeting, KENNETH ARNOLD, Captain EMIL J. SMITH, FRED CRISMAN, HAROILD
DAHL, Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN of Army A-2 Intelligence from
Hamilton Field, California, all met in ARNOLD's room at various times during
the afternoon and evening of July 31, 1947 and discussed the flying disc
story as related by CRISMAN and DAHL., The Army Intelligence Officers, Captain
DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN, left about 2:00 A. M, the morning of August 1,
1947 to. return to Hamilton Field, California for Air Force Day in a B-25 and
were carrying some of the reported disc fragments. The left engine on the
B-25 burned an exhaust stack which in turn caught the left wing afire, the
wing subsequently breaking off and tearing off the tail, The B-25 crashed,
killing Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWlN. However, the Crew Chief and
a hitch-hiker parachuted to safety. Intelligence Officers at McChord Field,
Washington advised there was no indication of any sabotage. The plane crashed
at Kelso, Washington approximately 2:50 A. M. August 1, 1947.
Five anonymous calls were received by a reporter, Tacoma
Times, and the United Press Vlireman, Tacoma, between 11:30 4. M., July 31, 1947
and 5:30 P, M., August 2, 1947. The first call was to a Tacoma Times reporter
approximately 11:30 A. M., July 31, in which the caller stated that there was
a meeting taking place at that time in room 502 of the Winthrop Hotel concerning
the disc fragments found on Maury Island. The second call was received between
11:00 A, M, and 12:00 noon, August 1, 1947 by the Tacoma Times reporter in
which the caller advised that at that moment a big meeting was taking place
in ARNOLD's.room number 502, Winthrop Hotel; that the B-25 which crashed was
carrying disc fragments and that McChord Field officials had stated it was
shot down or sabotaged. The third call was received Friday, August 1, 1947
at 5:30 P, M. by the United Press Wireman, Tacoma, in which the caller stated
that the B-25 which crashed at Kelso, Washington was carrying flying disc
fragments and that the dead officers were Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant
BROWN, A-=2 Intelligence Officers at "amilton Field, €alifornia, This call
was prior to the release of the dead officers' names by Army authorities and
the caller indicated that when the names were released, it would verify the
information he was furnishing was corrects. The fourth phone call was received
at approximately 6:45 P. M., Friday, August 1 by the United Press Wireman in
which call the caller stated the B-25 was definiteyshot down and that if he
contacted Army Intelligence officers, they would not deny it. The fifth phone
call was received by the United Press Wireman, Tacoma; at 5:30.P. M. August 2,
1947 at which time the caller stated the B-25 was shot down from the air with
a 20 m.m, cannonj that the Marine plane found' recently on Mt. Rainier had also
been shot down and that Captain SMITH would be taken to Wright Field Tuesday
morning. Vhen the Army authorities released the names of the dead Intelligence
officers which verified the information as given by the anonymous caller, the
Tacoma Times printed this story on August 2, 1947 and carried several articles
thereafter inferring that the B-25 had been shot down or sabotaged because of
the fact that it was carrying disc fragments, DAHL and CRISMAN have admitted
that the material which they sent to RAY PALMER had no connection with any
flying discs and have given a signed statement to that effect which are being
e
--- page 37 ---
. % & g 1 3
. 3 3 s g %
s o : i ,
August 19, 1947
forwarded herein. DAHL and CRISMAN deny, however, that they actually started
the flying disc story and their actual part in the story, - United Airlines pilot,
EMIL J, SMITH, states that DAHL and CRISMAN on July 31, 1947, both related their
original flying disc fragment story. Information gathered would indicate that
the anonymous phone calls were possibly made by FRED CRISMAN in order to build
up the flying disc story to the point where they counld make a profitable sale
of the story to RAY PALUER; Chicago, Illinois: No facts have been developed
which would definitely prove that CRISMAN made these calls., However; from all
facts and information gathered, it appears he is probably the most likely to
have made the anonymous calls. ' The detailed interviews of the persons contac-
ted in regard to this flying disc story are being set out below,
The following investigation was conducted by Special Agent
DAVID A. MacCULLOCH at Tacoma, Washington on August 6, 7, 1947:
;kIZETVDGSL, Associated Press “ireman, Tacoma, \Jashington,
advised that in the early part of June, 1947 he was requested by the Seattle
Pact Tntelligencer to check on a story which he was informed had been obtained
from the Fire Chief at Harper, Washington. The story was supposed to have
originated with FRED CRISMAN. Mr, VOGEL stated that the story was to the effect
that DAHL, while patrolling in his boat near Maury Island, saw five or six
flying discs, one of which fluttered toward the ground and finally disintegrated.
Fragments of the disc were reported to have showered down on the boat of HARQOLD
DAHL, causing some damage and killing his dog. Mr. VOGEL stated that he went
to the home of HAROLD BAHL on 3903 North Gove, Tacoma, Washington to check with
him on this flying disc story. He stated that as best he could recall, this
was just a few days after the first flying disc stories had appeared in the paper
and was on a Sunday evening, He believed it was the early part of June. He
stated that DAHL took him in the kitchen and proceeded to talk about this flying
disc story in low muffled tones. He stated that DAHL acted rather suspicious
and that shortly his wife came into the kitchen and was in a considerable rage,
telling DAHL to admit that the entire story was a plain fantasy which he had
dreamed up. He stated that after his wife told DAHL to admit the entire story
was false, that DAHL then admitted that there was nothing whatever to the story
and it was an entire hoax. ' VOGEL stated that in view of the enraged condition
of DAHL's wife, he immediately left and reported to thé\geattle Post Intelligencer
that the entire story was a hoax and that they should Aot print it in any way,
He further stated that he advised the Seattle Post Intelligencer that DAHL was
a mental case and that nothing which he had reported should be carried as far
as a news story. Mr. VOGEL stated that since that time he had received repeated
requests from the Boise Statesman requesting information as to the flying disc
stories reportedly originating with FRED CRISMAN and HAROID DAHL. VOGEL stated
that he had never, in his experience, had such pressure brought upon him to
release a news story and that he repeatedly advised the Boise Statesman that
the story of seeing the flying discs by DAHL and CRISHAN was a complete fabri-
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24 A . & ' ) .
> . -~ 2
August 19, 1947
cation and should be in no way, carried as a news story and refused to furnish
any information regarding these reports. He further stated that he advised
the Boise Statesman shortly before, or at the time KENNETH ARNOID left Boise
to come to Tacoma to check on the flying disc stories with DAHL and CRISMAN,
that ARNOLD should not come as the entire story was a hoax.
The following information was obtained from T;’;Y,’L‘{TJ"I‘I',
4513 South Tth, Tacoma, Washington, Proctor 8416, a rpporter for the Tacoma
Times:
It was the Tacoma Times paper which first issued a story
on August 2 and-subsequent stories intimating that the B=25 which crashed at
Kelso, Washington on the early morning of August 1, had been sabotaged or shot
down because of the fact that it carried flying disc fragments. LANTZ stated
that on Thursday, July 31, at approximately 11:30 A, M. he received an anonymous
phone call in which the caller stated that KENNETH ARNOLD and Army Intelligence
officers were meeting in room 502 of the Winthrop Hotel to check on the flying
disc story from which fragments were obtained on Maury Island, .IANTZ stated he
turned around to speak to his'editor and when he picked yp-the'phone again the
line was dead, He stated that the caller asked for BURPIMcMURTIE,- a reporter
on the Tacoma Times who was out at the time of the call, He stated that BURT
McMURTIE called ARNOID at room 502 in the Winthrop Hotel and was advised by
ARNOLD that he could furnish no information as he was there on a Government
mission,. LANTZ stated that on Friday, August 1, betweéen 11:00 A. M. and noon,
he received another phone call for BURT McMURTIE in which the anonymous caller
stated that he might have some information for him. LANTZ asked the caller if
he was not the same party that had called the previous date and he said yes.
The caller then related that at that moment there was a big meeting in progress
in ARNOLD's room, 502, in the Winthrop Hotel; that the B-25 which crashed that
morning in Kelso was carrying flying disc fragments from California and that
McChord Field officials had stated the plane was sabotaged or shot down. The
caller then hung up after making some statement to the effect that he was a
switchboard operator. LANTZ stated that he went to the Winthrop Hotel on Friday
about noon and found that there was no male operator on duty. He stated he then
went to room 502 and ARNOLD answered the door and that Captain EMIL J. SMITH,
United Airlines pilot, was on the phone. LANTZ stated that he heard SMITH make
a statement to the effect that the infomation must be very strictly confidential,
He stated that there were one or two others in the room besides SUITH and ARNOLD,
but that he could not identify them. He stated that ARNCID told him he could
mafe no statement and that he had attempted to check the story with various people
on Maury Island with negative results., He stated that about 3:30 P, M,, Friday,
he wrote a story regarding the mysterious informant and called ARNOID at his
hotel room, stating that he had written thigsstory and that ARNOLD had better
check it. He stated that he talked to %FJLLC, the United Press Wireman,
Tacoma, who advised that the story sounded fantastic. LANTZ stated that about
5:30 P. M., Friday, August 1, an anofiymous caller called TED MORRELLO, the
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August 19, 1947
United Press Wireman, stating that Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN
were the Intelligence officers that were killed in the crash of the B-25 and
that civilians and the sheriff had been kept away from the wreckage with the
Army guarding it. He stated the anonymous caller then said that the names
had not been released yet by the Army and that this would verify his statements.
PAUL LANTZ stated that the following morning, Saturday, August 2, the Army
verified that the officers killed were Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN
and two days later verified that they were Army Intelligence officers, LANTZ
stated that the anonymous caller again later contacted TED MORRELLO, calling
him by that name, and at this time stated he did not call the Tacoma News
Tribune or the Associated Press and denied calling PAUL LANTZ or BURT McMURTIE.
In this call the anonymous caller stated that, "Don't think I'm doing this for
you." He then asked if the story had been put .on the wire and when MORRELIO
said yes, the caller stated, "We want this to get back to New Jersey." The
caller further stated that' the B-25 was shot down by a 20 m,m. cannon and that
the marine plane which was recently found wrecked on the side of Mt, Rainier,
having been missing for several months; had also been shot down. The caller
stated to MORRELLO that he should get in touch with a flyer named MORGAN with
United Airlines who, he stated, was with Captain SMITH when they were shot at
over Montana. The caller then stated, "I'1ll see you . Tuesday. I'm going to
7 San Francisco." LANCE stated that he had checked with Captain EMIL SMITH of
United Airlines who denied knowing any pilot by the name of MORGAN; denied
ever having flown over Montana., LANTZ stated that MORREILO received another
anonymous call in which the caller stated that SMITH would be sent to Wright
Field on Tuesday and that Saturday one of the men who found fragments of the
flying disc was to be flown to Alaska, LANTZ stated that in view of the fact
that the information as to the Intelligence officers on the B-25 had been as
furnished by the anonymous caller, had subsequently been verified by the Army,
the story was released that the B-25 was carrying disc fragments returning to
Hamilton Field, California and furnishing the inference that the plane had been
sabotaged or shot down. LANTZ stated that. about 8:00 P, M. on Sunday, August 3,
he contacted Captain EMIL SMITH at his home, 3027 West Laurelhurst Drive,
Seattle at which time SMITH stated he had not given any story out to the Post
Intelligencer at Seattle; stated that he had gotten a telegram to call a number
in Boise and when he called and found out it was the Boise Statesman, he had
hung up, He stated that the Boise Statesman then contacted him, at which time
he admitted he had seen the disc fragments, but that he did not take any of
them. This time SMITH ‘informed LANTZ that he had been with Major GEORGE
SANDERS, Public Relations Officer from McChord Field, all afternoon until about
3:45 Ps Mo SHMITH informed LANTZ that he had told the Army authorities every-
thing that he and ARNCID knew about the flying disc fragments story from the
time that KENNETH ARNOLD left Bolse, Idaho and he had left Seattle, Washington.
This time SUITH admitted that there were some of the supposed disc fragments
in ARNOID's room at the VWinthrop Hotel and that CRISMAN and DAHL had been in
the room Thursday afternoon, On londay PAUL LANTZ stated that he called
HAROID DAHL who advised that if this were not used in the paper, he and FRED
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August 19, 1947
CRISMAN would see him after lunch, LANTZ stated that about noon DAHL and
CRISMAN contacted him at which time DAHL stated that he and his son had been
exploring a gravel pit on Maury Island and found some strange rock formations.
He stated they picked up some of these samples and that FRED CRISMAN later
saw them and they went back over to Maury Island at which time additional
samples were obtained and that CRISMAN sent these to a friend of his at the
University of Chicago to have analyzed, They stated that they received a
report and that ‘apparently this friend had asked a newpaperman to find out
where the rock formations were obtained. CRISMAN and DAHL told LANTZ that
sometime after the first flying disc story had appeared, they received a tele-
gram from Trans-Ocean Press from Chicago wanting infommation on the flying
disc fragments. FRED CRISMAN stated that they had at no time indicated-the
rock formations were a part of a flying disc and that Captain ETIWTH and
KENNETH ARNOLD were not interested in the rock formations and they denied
giving them to SMITH and ARNOLD,
TED MORRELLO, a United Press Wireman, Tacoma, Washington
furnished substantially the same information that was obtained from PAUL LANTZ,
the Tacoma Timeés.reporter, regarding the anonymous phone calls which he had
received, He stated further that the first call he received was on Friday,
August 1, at around 5:30 P, M. At this time the caller stated that the B-25
which crashed at Kelso, Washington was carrying disc fragments and that the
two officers killed were Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN, officers with
Army A2 Intelligence at Hamilton Field and that the fragments were top secret
maberial, He stated the caller indicated that when the Army released the names
of the dead officers it would verify that the information he was furnishing wes
correct, MORRELLO stated that the second call he received at'approximately
6:45 P. M, Friday, August 1 at which time the caller stated that the B-25 was
definitely shot down and that if he contacted Army Intelligence A-2, the man
in charge would not deny it. - MORRELLO stated he thought the man said to con-
tact Colonel GUYS, but it was found out it was Colonel GREGG who was in charge
of Ammy Intelligence A-2, The caller further stated that the Sheriff's Office
had been kept away from the crash and that no civilians had been allowed near
the plane. MORRELLO stated the third call he received at 5:30 P. M., August 2,
and that this time the caller stated that one of the men who had been conferring
with Captain SMITH and KENNETH ARNOLD was taken to Alaska that ‘day. The caller
further stated that the B-25 was shot down from the air with a 20 m.m. cannon;
that the Marine plane found recently on Mt, Rainier had also been shot down;
that Captain SMITH would be teken to Wright Field Tuesday morning and that a
United Airlines pilot by the name of MORGAN flew with CGaptain SMITH when they
were shot at over Montana, The daller stated he was leaving for San Francisco
nd would. be back Tuesday.
PAUL LANTZ and TED MORRELLO both stated that .they had made
very little effort to question the anonymous caller to obtain his identity as
they felt it was useless and that if they started questioning him he would
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5 5 o 42 Avgust 19, 1947
refuse to furnish any further information.
On August 5, 1947 Special Agent DAVID A, MacCULLOCH was
contacted in the resident agency office, Tacoma, Washington by FRED CRISMAN,
At this time CRISMAN asked if the Seattle Office was investigation the crash
of the B-25 and he was informed that no investigation was being conducted by
the Seattle Office. 'CRISMAN at this time related in a rambling story that he
had picked up some strange rock formations which he had forwarded to a friend
of his in the University of 'Chicago to have analyzed and that later, in some
manner unknown to him, these rock formations had been reported as being frag-
ments of a flying disc.
On August 7, 1947 FRED CRISMAN and HAROID DAHL were inter-
viewed at the Tacoma resident agency office. Both DAHL and CRISMAN at first
denied any knowledge of how the rock formations which they had picked up to
have alalyzed became connected with the flying disc stories. Both denied
making any statement to anyone that these rock formations were portions of a
disc fragment. It was apparent from the start of the interview that DAHL and
CRISMAN were not telling their complete ‘and true connection with the flying
disc story. They refused to give any definite information as to what they said
or had done which caused them to become involved in a flying disc story, but
gave evasive answers and repeatedly stated that they had nothing to do with it
and were at a loss to understand how they became connected with the flying disc
story.. After considepable questionipg, they stated that in the ‘early part of
Junegsthey sent to RAT PAIMER of thelZiff-Davis Publishing Company which published
th6\Fantasy magazine in Chicago and the Venture magazine in &svanston, Illinois,
some ' rock formations which they had found on Maury Island. They stated they
sent these formations, asking PAIMER to have them analyzed. They stated that
later PAIMER wrote and asked for more samples, advising he had failed to analyze
the samples. CRISMAN and DAHL stated they have never sent any additional samples
and that the next they heard regarding the rock formations which they had sent
PALMER was when he called HAROID DAHL and asked if the rock formations could
have come from a flying disc. DAHL stated he made some remark that they possibly
could have come from a flying disc and that he immediately saet down and wrote
a letter to PAIMER, which was in the latter part of June in which he stated
the material could have been portions of a flying disc, ‘DAHL claimed that he
thought he told PAIMER over the phone something about being in his boat when
he obtained these rock formations, but stated he could not recall what he had
written to PAIMER and claimed that he passed the whole thing off as a joke,
CRISMAN and DAHL were questioned at length in an attempt to obtain specific
information as to exactly what each one had done with regard to the rock forma-
tions. However, each stated that the only thing they had done was tell RAY PAIMER
the formations could have come from a flying disc in view of the fact it appeared
"that 's what he wanted them to say", No definite information could be obtained
from either DAHL or CRISMAN as to what each specifically had done to start the
flying disc story,
The signed statement which was obtained from CRISMAN and
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1 ; i 1 August 19, 1947
DAHL and in which they admitted the rock formations had no connection with
any flying discs is being forwarded to the Bureau herewith, The statement
contains no information of value and therefore is’'not being set forth herein.
Regarding the meeting which was held in the Winthrop Hotel
on Thursday, July 31, CRISMAN and DAHL stated that they both met KENNETH ARNOLD
there about 1:00 P, M. 'They stated that they all left ARNOLD's room about
3:00 P. M. and that CRISMAN took ARNOID to Berry's Airport at Tacoma and
ARNOLD flew his plane to Seattle where he picked up Captain EMIL SMITH, CRIS-
MAN stated that he picked up ARNOLD and SMITH at Bérry's Airport about 5:00
P, M, and that HAROLD DAHL came to ARNOID's room about 7:00 P, M, CRISMAN
stated that he and SVITH left about 8:30-P, M. when he drove SMITH to Seattle
to get his car and that DAHL went home at this time., CRISMAN stated they
returned about 11:30 P, M. at which time the Army Intelligence officers were
in ARNCID's room and that CRISMAN left about midnight. He stated that he
returned to ARNOID's room Friday afternoon for approximately one-half hour
from 2:30 to 3:00 P. M,, at which time ARNOLD and SMITH were still there and
neither seemed to be able to recall if DAHL was in ARNOLD's: room on Friday,
August 1, The best that could be obtained from CRISMAN .and DAHL as to what
took place in ARNOID's room was to the effect that most of the talk was about
flying, that no one seemed very interested in the rock formations and that
they had no connection as far'as they knew with any flying disc, CRISMAN
Stated that KEMVETH ARNOLD wanted to obtain pictures of the place where the
rock formations were obtained and that the Armmy Intelligence officers did not
appear to be interested in any manner whatever,
HAROLD DAHL operates the Commercial Lumber Company at 235
Millwater Avenue, Tacoma, Washington and FRED CRISMAN has receéntly been R
working with him buying timber. They have also been associated with theXHarbor
Patrol Association at Tacoma, Washingtom which furnishes patrol and policeé pro-
tection to parts of the harbor area which are not patrolled by Tacoma police
or Sheriff's officers. FRED CRISMAN resides at 125 Woodland, Tacoma, Washington,
Amy serial number 0-758-951. During the war he was a pilot and it 1is believed
presently holds a Reserve Officer's commission as a Captain.
Regarding the B=25 which crashed, killing Captain DAVIDSON
and Lieutenant BRCOWN of the Ath Aire Forces, Captain ROBERT G. BJORNING, A-2
Officer, Mc Chord Field, advised that this investigation of the crash reflected
an exhaust stack had burned out on the left engine which in turn caught the
left wing afire and that when the left wing broke off, it also broke off the
tail, The plane at the time of the crash was carrying Captain DAVIDSON,
Lieutenant BROWN, the hitch-hiker and a man as Crew. Chief to take care of the
airplane, The Crew Chief and the hitch-~hiker parachuted to safety, but Captain
DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN were killed. He stated that their investigation
reflected no indication of any sabotage whatever,
A check of the records of the Winthrop Hotel at Tacoma,
Washington revealed that KENNETH ARNOLD; giving his address as Route #1, lMount-
view Drive, Boise, Idaho rented room 502 from July 30 at 7:43 P. M, until
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August 3, A record of the*bhone calls made from room 502 during this period
was made by Miss C:‘W.LTCI RG. This record reveals that KENNETH ARNOID on
July 31 called PAIMER at AN-5200, Evanston, Illinois, collect. On the same
date called Lieutenant BROWN at 5800 Hamilton Field, California, collect,
ARNOID also called 0109-J in Boise, Idaho on July 31, " On August 1 ARNOID called
LON-4936, Portland; PALMER at Dearborn 5200, Chicago; and SMITH called RODDY
at Dearborn 2323 at Chicago. Both Chicago calls were collect. The remainder
of the calls appear to be personal czlls and are not being set out., A record
of the phone calls made are being retained as an exhibit in the Seattle Office.
The following information was obtained by Special Agent
PIERRE H, LEVEC in interview on August 12, 1947 with Captain EMIL J. SMITH,
3027 West Laurehurst Drive, United Airlines pilot: It should be noted that
Captain SMITH has previously received publicity for having supposedly seen
flying discs or similar objects on July 4, last while on a routine United Air—
lines flight out of Boise, Idaho in company with his co-pilot RAIPHTSTEVENS,
concerning this incident. 'Captain SUITH states that they took off from Boise,
Idaho at 8:12 P, M, and headed Northwest at 300 degrees and while still climbing
at 8,000 feet, co-pilot STEVENS called his attention to some objects in the
sky ahead of them about ten degrees left which neither one could identify,
SMITH states that he called a CAA radio operator at Ontario, Oregon and reques-
ted him to step outside his radio shack and see if he 'could see any of these
objects overhead, The CAA radio operator replied in the negative.
Captain SMITH states that he first met KENNETH ARNOLD on
July 5 in the offices of the Seattle Post Intelligencer where both were being
interviewed concerning their sighting of flying dises. SMITH states that he
next met ARNOLD about three weeks ago in Boise, Idaho at which time he, SMITH,
was on another flight through Boise, Idaho and had a ten mipute lay-over there.
On this occasion ARNOJMD was in company of Captain WILLIAM LJDAVIDSON and
Lieutenant FRANK M #BROWN, Army Intelligence officers, and”a reporter JOHNSON
of theiBoise Statesman. SMITH's next contact with ARNOLD was on Thursday,
July 31, last when he received a telephone call from ARNOLD calling from Tacoma
in the early afternoon at which time he asked SMITH to come over to Tacoma and
Join him as he was investigating a flying disc story for "someone back East"
and some fragments were involved which SMITH might be interested in seeing,
After some discussion SMITH agreed to join ARNOLD in Tacoma and ARNOLD told
SUTTH he would fly over and pick him up at Boeing Airport at 4:00 P. M. SMITH
at Tacoma, Washington where they were met by FRED CRISMAN. The three of them
proceeded in CRISMAN's car to the Winthrop Hotel where ARNOLD was occupying
room 502, ARNOLD ordered something to eat and during this time either ARNOLD
or CRISMAN called a HAROID DAHL and invited him up to the room. By this time
SUITH states he had learned from ARNOLD that CRISMAN and DAHL were the parti-
cipants in the latest flying disc story and SMITH states that he had no previous
acquaintance with either of these men before meeting them in Tacoma on this date.
RAYMOND PALMER of the Venture Pressof CThicago requesting that ARNOILD investigate
A
--- page 44 ---
; . w5 August 19, 1947
the CRISUAN-DAHL story in Tacoma., ARNOLD informed SMITH at this time that
after receiving this letter he had called PAIMER by telephone in Chicago
as a result of which call PALMER had- forwarded him $200,00 expense money
for covering the story. Shortly thereafter, at about 7:30 P. M, HAROLD DAHL
arrived at the Hotel room and the discussion began among the four men present
as to what DAHL and CRISMAN had seen on Maury Island. DAHL professed reluc-
tance to tell the story, claiming that several unfortunate incidents had
occurred subsequent to his seeing the flying discs and he believed the entire
incident had brought him bad luck. In this connection he stated that four or
five days subsequent to his sighting the flying discs, a man called at his
home and had a conversation with him the course of which DAHL was warned to
forget all about everything he had seen on or near Maury Island. In addition
to that, DAHL stated that his sixteen year old son had run away from home
following the incident and had been picked up by the police somewhere in
Montana. After some further discussion DAHL finally agreed to tell his story
of the flying disc incident in front of SMITH after elieiting a promise from
SMITH that he would not discuss the matter for at least two weeks., It should
be noted that DAHL had previously told his story to ARNOLD and CRISMAN, At
this point DAHL related the inecident which has already been described and which
he alleged had taken place on or about June 23 or 24. While relating the
incident DAHL mentioned that he had taken pictures of the flying disc vhich
he had seen but that the printed films were marred with white spots., When
DAHL had concluded his story, CRISMAN related that he had gone the following
day to Maury Island to verify what DAHL had told him concerning the fragments
and had at this time picked up several fragments and taken them with him, At
this time CRISMAN related that he also saw one of the flying discs hovering
over the Island but that it had disappeared into a cloud. When DAHL and CRISUAN
had finished telling their story ARNOLD told the group that he had earlier in
that evening called Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN, Army Intelligence
officers and that they were on their way to the Hotel room. At this point DAHL
protested that he did not wish to tell his story before anyone else and he
was advised by SMITH that if such was the case why didn't he just leave and not
be there when they arrived., CRISMAN, DAHL and SUITH then left the room and
went downstairs, A DAHL departed alone. :CRISMAN drove SMITH back to Boeing Field
near Seattle where SMITH desired to pick up his own personal car, which he' did.
They then returned to the Hotel where they found Captain DAVIDSON and Iieutenant
BROWN in room 502 with KENNETH ARNOID, ARNOLD met them at the door and seemed
excited, explaining to SMITH that Captain DAVIDSON had just drawn a reproduction
of a freak disc which had supposedly been seen by a woman in Apizona and that
this drawing was an exact reproduction of the flying disc which he, ARNOLD, had
seen several weeks before, nearing Mt. Rainier, SMITH states that shortly after
this CRISMAN seemed very anxious to tell his and DAHL's story to the Army offi-
cers., Before this was done, however, SMITH had a discussion with Lieutenant
BROWN, informing him that they had promised DAHL not to release the story for
two weeks and that if CRISMAN were allowed to tell the story at this time, BROWN
and DAVIDSON must agree not to release the story for one month. Following this
agreement, CRISMAN related DAHL's and his story of the flying dises over Maury
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.
¢ Jew < August 19, 1947
Island to BROWN and DAVIDSON, Following this recitation, Lieutenant BROWN,
the opinion that there might be :some truth in the current flying disc stories,
but, that their immediate superiors (presumably 4-2 at Hamilton Field) did not
agree with them, BRUIN and DAVIDSON then held a brief discussion as to whether
they -should return that same night to Hamilton Field and they decided that
they would, All five of the men then went down to the lobby where BROWN
detached himself from the group and entered a phone booth to call for a car
from McChord Field., GMITH also left the group and met BROWN outside the phone
booth where they held a short discussion relative to the credibility of CRIS-
MAN and DAHL's story. BROWN indicated to SMITH that he should attemt to find
out if the story was on the level and that BRONN would call him the following
day regarding this matter. The group then proceeded to the front of the Hotel
at which time CRISMAN brought his car to the front of the Hotel and took from
his trunk a box of the alleged flying disc fragments picked up on Maury Island.
He offered them to BROWN and DAVIDSON and when the Army car arrived from McChord
Field the box of fragments was placed in the car with the officers. CRISMAN
departed alone and ARNOLD and SMITH went in search of something to eat and later
returned to the Hotel for the night.
On Friday morning, August 1, 1947, ARNOID received a call
from CRISMAN informing him that a B-25 had crashed during the night and it was
believed to be the same plane which BROWN and DAVIDSON were flying. Following
this call CRISMAN and DAHL came to the Hotel room and from the room CRIQIAN
again called McChord Field in an attempt to get information about the crash,
SMITH took the phone from CRISMAN and spoke to a Colonel GREGG, identifying
himself and asking if the B-25 which crashed was the only one which had taken
off from McChord Field the previous night, GREGG told him that it was. Follow-
ing this call ARNOLD called RAYMOND PALMER in Chicago and informed him of the
previous night's conversations and the fact that DAVIDSON and BROWN were believed
to have been killed, PAIMER told ARNOID to discontinue his investigation of
the incident and that he, PAIMER, was no longer interested. SMITH then took
the phone from ARNOLD and asked PAIMER if he could shed any light on the
situation. SMITH was unable to say what PAIMER's reply to CRISMAN was. Fol-
lowing these telephone discussions SMITH says that he called MAURICE \E@BDY whom
he identifies as a personal friend of his and an aviation editor of the Chicago
Times, SMITH states that he had prefiously made an agreement with RODDY in
Chicago that should he ever run across any flying disc stories which showed
promise of news value, that he would contact RODDY and this call was a result
of that agreement, ' Shortly afterward, Colonel GREGG called him from McChord
Field stating that Hamilton Field had requested that ARNOLD, SMITH, CRISMAN
and DAHL submit their addresses to Hamilton Field for convenience of any Army
investigation of the incident which may be forthcomings After this call the
four men went to a restaurant for lunch. During the course of this meal SUIITH
excused himself from the table and attempted to call SAC BOBBITT of the Port-
land ~ Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation with whom he clzims acquain-
tance. BOBBITT, however, was unavailable and SMITH was unable to complete the
o 30 v
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g o . August 19, 1947
call, After returning to the Hotel room, a Tacoma Times reporter called
attempting to in information, but they did not give him any, later, a Mr,
ORRELLO of the United Press called and SMITH spoke to him on the telephone
but refused to give out any information, SMITH further relates that while
the four men were in the room at this time, an envelope was shoved under the
door and that he retrieved it from the floor. SUITH states that the appearance
of ‘this envelope seémed to startle CRISMAN considerably and that in fact, CRISMAN
nication to the Hotel advising that a strike of Hotel employees was eminent and
that guests should not expect room and telephone service much longer. Shortly
after this incident DAHL and CRISMAN left the Hotel room after promising to
the box requesting him to call a certain telephone number. He did this from
tl 1 room and was answered by LANTZ, Tacoma Times reporter who requested
information which LANTZ had received, SMITH was convinced that the anonymous
caller must have been present at the discussion also, as LANTZ was seemingly
in possession of pertinent remarks which had been made in the room. SMITH
sion of the call, he returned to the Hotel room and he and NOLD retired for
and SMITH joined DAHL, CRISMAN and an unknown man in the Coffee Shop for
and left after breakfast, On leaving the coffee shop, SMITH asked DAHL about
a search of the instant glove compartment was fruitless. The four then pro-
ceeded in CRISMAN's car to the dock where they were to embark for Maury Island,
The boat, however, could not be started and the trip was postponed until later
to the boat which had allegedly occurred when the fragments showered down on
jaury Island, CRISMAN pointed out what may have been repairs to the windshield
and lights on the boat, but SMITH was not personally satisfied that these repairs
were made as a result of any such incident, CRISMAN and DAHL then drove ARNOLD
and SMITH back to the Hotel at approximately 10:45 A, M. and CRISMAN told them
he would call them later on and that they would go to Maury Island, On return-
ing to the Hotel, SMITH called LANTZ at the Tacoma Times as a result of which
call he and ARNOLD met LANTZ at the Coffee Shop across the street from the
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OE 2
3 i 8 August 19, 1947
iinthrop Hotels SMITH stated that the purpose of this meeting was to try to
find out something more about the anonymous phone calls which LANTZ had told
him about. He and ARNOLD still refused to give out any further information
regarding the Thursday evening conference to TANTZ and were informed by LANT
that the Tacoma Times was afraid of being scooped on the story and was going
to print something on that day. SMITH and ARNOLD then returned to the Hotel
and shortly thereafter received a phone call from CRISMAN but the call was
cut off by the switchboard operator since it was not an cz’ierf‘\,ncy call, SMITH
and ARNOLD then returned to the Hotel lobby where they found a telegram from
DAHL asking them to call him at either Broadway or Proctor 7733, QMITH is not
sure of the exchange., SMITH called this number, but DAHL was not there. SMITH
states that he went then to the Western Union Telegraph Office and dispatched
a collect telegram to MAURICE RODDY at the Chicago Times which contained a
brief resume of the incidents which had occurred and which requested RODDY to
wire SUITH a telephone number where RODDY could be reached after 6:00 P, M.
SUITH states that he has never received an answer to that wire. Following
this, SMITH states that he and ARNOID that he and ARNOLD were sitting in the
lobby of the Olympic Hotel when LANTZ entered and gave them each a copy of the
latest edition .of the Tacoma Times which contained a story hinting at sabotage
in the crash of the Army B-25 which killed Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN,
SUTTH stated that he and ARNOLD continued to occupy seats in the Hotel lobby
nost of the afternoon inasmuch as they were unable to receive calls in the Hotel
room due to the Hotel employees' strike. . He relates.that he received a call
2230 as LANTZ had further information regarding the anonymous calls. SMITH also
that it was J;I..L‘JT.O;" the Boise Statesman., He refused to give JOHNSON any
further information at this time., However, shortly thereafter, JOHNSON called
General SHRAM revealing the confidential ;_1—:;1';:..,.@'-; which BROWN and DAVIDSCN
had been engaged on, In view of this release, JOHNSON requested SMITH to answer
one question for him which was, "Were they carrying any alleged disc fragments
on the plane?" and SMITH answered, '"Yes, they were.!" Following this SMITH
United Press had received another anonymous phone call at which time "the voice"
RE&inier had also been shot down with 20 m.m. shells, The voice went en to state
that SMITH would be called back to Wright Field on Tuesday. Vhen MORRELLO
asked why he was giving out this Information the caller replied that it was
not for the benefit. of the newspapers, but that he was interested in seeing
that the information got back to New Jersey. The voice also informed MORRELLO
at this time that one of the two persons who had been talking to ARNOLD and
SMITH had now left for Alaska. As a result of this latter bit of information
SMITH dedided to find out if CRISMAN or DAHL had left town. He located DAHL
They were unable to locate CRISMAN by phone and DAHL left saying that he would
tru'u to find out where CRISMAN was and that he would call them tomorrow (Sunday)
and that they would go out to Maury Island at that time. - After DAHL left,
-12 -
--- page 48 ---
S . 4 ;
2 . G . August 19, 1947
mous phone calls. In the course of this discussion MORRELILO mentioned the
name of Major GEORGE SANDERS, Public Relations Officer at McChord Field as
being one of the officers interested in the investigations
SMITH states they still refused to divulge any further information, SMITH and
ARNOID returned to the Hotel for the night.
On-Sunday morning, #August 3, 1947, DAHL appeared at the
Hotel room -and told them that he had received a letter from CRISMAN which said
in effect, "Take care of my business., I!'ll be out of town for three or four
The three men then drove to DAHL's secretary's house in South Tacoma and
picked her up and the four of them then went to breakfast on the South Tacama
highway. While the four of them then went to breakfast SMITH excused himself
him at the Hotel lobby at 11:00 A, M, They then took DAHL's secretary to her
to the Hotel, They asked him if he was going to take them to Maury Island that
day and he replied that he was not. He further stated that he was sick of the
that ever lived". Shortly after returning to the Hotel, SMITH: met Major SANDERS
and DAHL had left in the Hotel room. . They then returned to the Hotel room and
fajor SANDERS left them. After packing their bags, SMITH took ARNOLD to Berry's
in Boise, Idaho in the Boise Statesman and which was written by JOHNSON following
R
--- page 49 ---
':‘, 4L
all of his information in the hands of the Army. SMITH stated that a.couple
of days later he called Major SANDERS at McChord Field and asked him if there
was any recent information concerning the incident. SMITH states that Major
SANDERS informed him that CRISMAN had not yet been contacted, but that the
Federal Bureau of Investigation was "setting a trap for him"., SUITH further
advises that on Friday, August 8, 1947, he appeared before Lawyer JOHN NOLAN
at the County-City Building, Seattle and made a deposition of the facts relating
to the incidents in Tacoma from Thursday afternoon, July 31, last until Sunday
morning, August 3, last,
A copy of this deposition is now in possession of the writer
and is being forwarded herewith to the Bureau. It should be noted that this
deposition is in no way as complete as the statement taken by the writer above
and any setting out of this deposition in this communication would be superfluous,
Copies of this communication are being sent to the Butte,
Portland, San Francisco and Chicago Offices for their information only. Unless
advised by the Bureau to the contrary, instant investigation is considered closed
by this office,
For the information of the Bureau, Captain R, G. BJORNING,
Intelligence Officer, McChord Field, Ft. Lewis, Washington advised at the weekly
0.N.I,-S8.1.D.~F.B.I. Intelligence conference that the Public Relations Officer
at McChord Field had received a telephone call from an individual at Army Air
Forces Headquarters at Washington, D. C., during which call the Public Relations
Officer was requested to obtain a signed statement from DAHL and CRISMAN which
could be published and thus publicly close the matter. Captain BJORNING further
related that he had no additional information in this matter and that he did
not handle it.
Very truly yours,
.
L5 &
éé%%j B. WILCO¥
Special Agent % harge
ENCLOSURES
DAM ; PHL sMEK
100-18945
CC - Butte
Portland
San Francisco
Chicago
s il
--- page 50 ---
-
: Yezoq
|
é e
--- page 51 ---
Auvgust 8,1947
HAROLD A. DAHL and FRED CRISMAN make the followi foluntary statement
to SA DAVID A. MAC CULLCC f the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
fr g T 1 pit on Maury Island, Washington. We sent a bc (cigar)
started FAIMER contacted us by phone. He told us not to tell the news-
the fragments could be frem a flying disc.
One of us told him the fragments could have been from a flying disc.
Just after our phone conversation HAROLD DAEL wrote a letter to RAY
PAIMER setting out some notes etc. regarding the fragments and
indicating they could have come from flying discs.
The next thing we heard was about the first of July when we got a
Trans Ocean Press telegram from Chicago asking mwk about these flying
disc gragments. We told them to fgorget the entire matter.
The next we heard of these fragments was when we were called by
KENNETH ARNOLD to meet with him in the Winthrop Hotel on Tuly 31,1947
we sent to be analyzed. " ’
- c
-
C et il &t
--- page 52 ---
STATE OF WASHINGTON ;
ss 5
COUNTY OF KING )
J. E. SMITH, being first duly sworn, on oath, deposes
and says:
This is a narrative statement as to what took place in
Tacoma from Thursday, July 31 until Sunday, August 3.
Thursday I received a telephone call from Tacoma from a
Kenneth Arnold. The gist of this conversation was that he thought
it would be a good idea for me to come to Tacomg and listen to the
story of two men whose names were Fred Crismon and Harold Dahl,
This Kenneth Arnold I had met two times previous -- once on July 5
at the office of the P.I, in Seattle for a very brief time and the
second time in Boise, Idaho when I was passing through on one of
my trips.
In this conversation with Arnold on the phone, I made the
statement that it would be impossible for me to go over to Tacoma
due to my going out to Salt Lake City the next morning. He said
that he would fly over from Tacoma and pick me up at Boeing Field.
I agreed to this proposition from Arnolds At Lo'clock I met
Arnold at the Boeing Field and we flew back and landed at Barry's
Airport. We were picked up at the airport by Fred Crismon, who
drove the two of us into the Winthrop Hotel. We went up to Room
: 502 ==~ Crismon, Arnold and myself.
Fred Crismon put a telephone call into Harold Dahl and
asked him would he come up to the room. A half hour later Harold
Dahl made his appearance. At this time there were four men in the
room -- Crismon, Dahl, Arnold, and myself. Mr. Arnold asked Mr.
Dahl to relate his story as to what took place on June 24. MNr.
Dahl was very hesitant about telling the story to me. Arnold and
Mr. Crismon were already aware of the statements that Dahl had made
previons. Mr. Dahl made the statement to me that if any statements
he would make relative to his story, if I would keep it confidential
for two weeks, that he felt definitely that I would want to forget
the whole thing. I made the statement to Mr. Dahl that as far as I
was concerned, I would keep any statements he made to me confidential
for at least two weeks.
Here is Dahl's story: On June 24 (this date to be checked
later) he was in a boat owned by Fred Crismon, who owns the Harbor
Patrol in Tacoma. They -- Mr. Dahl, a Mr. Knight, and Mr. Dahl's
son age 16, were cruising around Maury Island looking for logs that
had broken away from booms. They were fairly close to shore of
Maury Island when they saw four or five objects in the sky at an
altitude of approximately 1500 feet. He said these objects were
--- page 53 ---
Page #2
100 feet in diemeter, circular in shape, and it appeared that
there was a hole in the center of each as he could see the sky
through this hole. He also mentioned that on the inside of the
circle or the hole, that portholes were visible. Thelr speed was
negligible ag they appeared to hover over a given spot. One of
these objects appeared to be in trouble. Another object came
over and appeared to make contact. After making this contact for
approximately two minutes, it rose to its original position.
At this time the object that appeared to be in trouble
seemed to throw a lot of debris from one of the portholes, These
objects then disappeared from view, Some of this debris that
landed broke in the wheelhouse of the boat, the spotlight, and
the klaxons, While this debris was falling, my boy and Mr. Knight
got off the boat and hid under some logs. This debris that fell
killed our dog and a sea gulle I asked Mr. Dahl what was done with
the doge He made the statement they threw the dog into the water.
This story was told to Mr. Crismon, who the next day
went out to this Island to check on this story., He verified the
fact of the damage to the boat, also to the fact that there appeared
to be quite a few pleces of ai%her rock or metal on the shore. Mr.
Crismon also stated that while he was over there investigating on
Maury Island, he also saw a disk. This disk was of the same shape
and contour as the objects explained by Mr. Dahl,
At this point Mr, Arnold clarified for me as to the reasons
he was investigating this story. Mr. Arnold stated that he received
a letter from a Mr. Raymond Palmer, supposedly editor of the Venture
Press, Evanston, Illinois., The glst of this letter was that Mr.
: Palmer received a letter from Mr. Dahl and Mr, Crismon, also a
package of these fragments that were found on Maury Island. Mr.
Palmer also made the statement in the letter that the Chlcago
University failed to analyze these fragments and that would Mr. Arnold
pleese investigate the story. Mr. Arnold was sent a Western Union
check for $200.00 to take care of any expense that he might incur
while making this investigation. \
Mr. Arnold had made a telephone call to Hamilton Field to
contact a Captein Davidson and a Lieutenant Brown, who were with
A-2 Intelligence at Hamilton Field, asking them would they make a '
trip to Tacoma to also listen to this story of Dahl and Crismon.
When Mr. Arnold acquainted me with the fact that he had made this
phone call in front of Mr, Dahl, Mr. Dahl made the statement that
he would not tell this story to anybody in Army Intelligence. I
made the statement to Mr, Dahl that if he felt this way, that he
should not be in the room when these two Intelligence officers
arrived, Mr. Dahl thought this was an excellent idea.
--- page 54 ---
Page i3
Mr. Dahl, Mr. Crismon, and myself left the hotel room to
go downstairs as Mr. Crismon wanted to get some metal that was in
the back of his car that he had picked up on Maury Island, to
bring back to the hotel room. Mr, Harold Dahl departed.
At this time I made the statement to Mr. Crismon that I
should like to pick up my car in Seattle. MNr. Crismon drove me to
Boeing Field, Seattle. After leaving me at Boeing Field, he drove
back to Tacoma and I drove my own car back to Tacoma., After I had
put my car in the garage at Tacoma, I went up to the Winthrop Hotel
and in the room at that time was Mr, Arnold, Mr, Crismon, and Captain
Davidson from Army Intelligences Lientenan% Brown was downstairs ——
getting sandwiches and coffee., When Liesut. Brown came baeck, the
stories were again related and Lieut. Brown made a abatemene that
all the facts of these stories would be held in strictest confidence
until released by Mr. Dahl.
After Mr. Crismon had told all the faets, relating not
only his own story but that of Mr, Dahl, he asked for the opinion
of both officers as to what they thought., Lieut. Brown made the
statement that he would like to obtain some of these fragments to
take back to Hamilton Field.
At this time Capt. Davidson and Lieut. Brown were debating
the thought as to whether to stay over night in Tacoma or leave for
Hamilton Field immediately, as the B-25 they were flying was
supposed to be at Hamilton Field the next day for the Alr Show.
The five of us then left the hotel room and went down to
the hotel lobby where Mr. Brown made a telephone call to McChord
Field asking them to send a driver to pick up Capt. Davidson and
himself., Lieut. Brown came up to me and made the statement that he
and Capt. Davidson were going back to Hamilton Fleld and that he
would get in touch with me tomorrow and if after I had seen the
fragments on Maury Island, if I thought in my own mind that this
was authentic, they would immediately leave Hamilton Field and
returns I was to hold this statement by Lieut. Brown in the
strictest of confidence from the other group of three (Dahl, Crismon,
and Arnold).
We then went down to the street where Mr. Crismon drove his
car up in front and took out a box of fragments and gave this box to-
Davidson and Brown., While walting for the driver from MeChord Field,
Lieut, Brown and I discussed Pacific operations and things not pere
ta!.nm.l:i‘:o this mission. Capt. Davidson and Lieut. Brown departed at
app. tely 12:45 AJs Mr. Arnold and I went back to our hotel
room after having a midnight snack,
--- page 55 ---
Page #4
Friday the lst: At approximately 8 o'clock in the
morning, Mr. Crismon called up our hotel room and acquainted us
with the fact that the B-25 had crashed. Also that he had called
McChord Field and from information he received also verified the
fact that the two men in the ship were Capt. Davidson and Lieut.
Brown, plus a flight engineer and a hitch~hiker, This left both
Mr. Arnold and myself in a very bad state of concern. Approximate-
ly an hour later Mr. Crismon and Mr. Dahl made their appearance in
the hotel room. I still wasn't sure that this was the same B-25
that the two Intelligence officers had left in last night. Mr.
Crismon then again called McChord Field and talked to a Colonel
Gregg and the fact was verified again that the two pilots were
Davidson and Brown. ¥
After an hour or so Mr. Crismon and Mr. Dahl left the
hotel room with a plan in mind of the four of us meeting the next
morning (Saturday) for breakfast and going out to Maury Island.
That evening (Friday) there was a message for me to call
this particular telephone number that was on the message. I called
this number and was asked by the party to please call them from a
paystation, This party was a Mr. Lantz, a reporter on the Tacoma
Times. He told me, "I most certainly am doing myself out of a good
story but I thought you ought to know that somebody has been calling
this paper and giving us a blow-by-blow description of all that has
taken place in your room since you arrived." To verify this, Mr.
Lantz repeated back to me discussions that I felt had only been
taking place in our room.
Mr. Lantz also made the statement that there was a leak
either from the switchboard operator or our room had been tapped.
I asked Mr. Lantz why he was tipping us off with this information.
He made the statement that he didn't mind doing this if in return
that any information that I may let out would be given to him.
After this conversation with Mr. Lantz I went back to our room and
told Mr. Arnold what took place on the telephone.
Saturday morning: Mr. Arnold and I met Mr. Dahl and
Fred Crismon for breakfast. We then drove out to the boat to go
to the island. The boat was unserviceable at the time so we went
back to the hotel. Mr. Crismon said that he would call later on
in the day and let us know when the boat would be repaired. That
was the last time I saw Mr. Crismon.
Approximately 11 o'clock Saturday morning Mr. Crismon
phoned me and made the statement it would be impossible for him to
keep this appointment with me. We were cut off by the switehboard
operator as this was classified as not an emergency call. The
reason we were cut off was due to a strike in all the Tacoma hotels.
--- page 56 ---
> >
Page #5
Mr. Lantz called up and said if I would call him at
8:30 that evening, he would have some additional information for
me. I called Mr. Lantz at 8:30 that evening. He told me that
this anonymous caller had again called a MNMr. Marillo of the
United Press and said that one of the parties that Mr. Arngld and
I had come down to see was flown to Alaska. Also he made 3ho state-
ment Mr. Smith would be called to Wright Field Tuesday. This
anonymous caller made the statement to Mr. Marillo that this B-25
was shot down. Mr. Marillo asked this person calling what his
interest was, This anonymous caller made a statement - "Don't think
I am doing it for the newspapers. All I am interested in is seeing
that this information gets back, to New Jersey."
After I finished the conversation with Mr. Lantz, I went
over to the United Press and talked with Mr. Marillo and had him
read back to me the conversations that he had had with this
anonymous caller. But no opinions at this time were voiced either
by me or Mr. Marillo.
Sunday morning I called a Major Sander of S-2 McChord
Field and asked him to meet me at the Winthrop Hotel at 11 o'clock.
I met this Major Sander at 1l o'clock and we drove t0 a small coffee
shop on the Tacoma Highway where this complete story was related to
him by me. We then drove back to the Winthrop Hotel where Major
Sander was introduced to Mr. Arnold by me and again listened to
s Mr. Arnold's story. Mr. Arnold and I departed from the Winthrop
Hotel Sunday afternoon at approximately 4:30.
This is to certify that the foregoing statement was taken
before me, a notary public; that prior to making said statement, the
witness was first sworn to tell the whole truth and nothing but the
truth; that the statement was then reduced to writing and signed by
me on the day of August, 1947.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and offiecial
seal the day and year last above written.
Notary Public in and for the State
of Washington, residing at Seattle.
--- page 57 ---
/
\J‘
s = / .
--- page 58 ---
Affidavit of EMIL J. SMITH
Re: FLYING DISCS SIGHTED BY FRED CEISMAN and HAROID A. DAHL,
Tacoma, Washington
b N -
--- page 59 ---
Signed statement of Fred L. Crisman and farold A. Dahl
Tacoma, Washington
L
A 07 /0 L
--- page 60 ---
e e Py P . ’
.’ : » - L)
Ofiice Memorandum - vxitep states GOVERNMENT -
TO B e Dirootor. FBI - AIR MAIL DATE: August 26, 1947 .
FROM }</ SAC, San Francisco @/
Nt C oA
SUBJECT: ‘REPORTS OF FLYING DISCS
There are being transmitted herewith to the Bureau photostatic copies
of three reports received from Lieutenant Colonel DONALD-SPRINGER, A=-2, Fourth
~Air Force, Hamilton Field, California, involving reported sightings of flying \
,discs. ( A¢
_— g
The Los Angeles Office is being furnished with a photostatic copy of/
sthe report of Lieutenant Colonel SPRINGER dated August 18, 1947 concerning the (/
investigation conducted at the Muroc Flight Test Base, Muroc, California.
The Butte Office is being furnished with a photostatic copy of the
report of Lisutenant Colonel SPRINGER dated August 20, 1947 which sets forth a
letter received from Mr. R. J¢«MADDEN, Division Plant Engineer, Pacific Telephone
and Telegraph Company, Helena, Montanae.
This office is maintaining contact with Lieutenant Colonel SPRINGER
and will furnish the Bureau with a subsequent report from him concerning the ob-
servations of Mre RAY A SWITZER, Sacramento, California, who has reported
certain observations which he believes may involve a flying disc at Placerville,
California, on August 14, 1947,
T m————". ] -
HMK ;EMB O ’
Enclosures - 3 v ke Vg
cc Los Angeles (with enclosure) - ", 7 0 £
Butte (with enclosure) /f /& ;
3 ' /
r\‘ Ve /
| f y/
--- page 61 ---
R o I R o Tt v e ~ coxTIDENTIAL !
} Office of the Assistant Chief of snrr,”k—é’” i
| e LEERT ea. (Davel ki ke o T T J
| Hanilton Field, California 3
i Trrie Investigation of Flying Dise. Invesricarion mane Ar..I_!‘.{‘.’_‘.’.._&.A:Ee_.,!‘.'.’.',‘.’.9.!...95}?:.1?:.....”.._ ;
' Controtuine orrice ALr Defense Command, Witchel Fleld.
| FueNo. . 1808 Pemopcovemeo... 8 July 1947 T T T
| Cask crassirrcaion 1neident AR BT 4 T A ST Y
Dare... 18 August 1947 = Srirus or case A..f,..,?':,“,‘u,’,‘,& AR R S S el l
| REASON FOR INVESTIGATION: Investigation initiated at request of Air Defense Commend
| reference ltr Hq ADC, dtd 7 Jul 47, file D333.5 ID, subj: Investigation of Flying Disc,
i SYNOPSIS:
i On 8 July 1947, approximately 1000 hours, two incidents occurred in the vicinity
" of Muroc Flight Test Base. | |
' No further investigation of these incidents is being considered by this ho-quun-t'.orl.E
i DistrisuTion CoriEs ArprOyED: N
‘ o 4 2 NALD L7 SPRINGER, T¥. Col., G5
2 b 28 e T AQ of 8, A-2 4 {
! ; FBI, S.F. & i*mf*-‘?'?(ié‘f*flfflfi
| e s e T T e s | u.s.Df - S1ICE
| File 4AF 1 - |
‘ P AUG 21 1947 i
|
\fi(\ ! SAN FRANCIE” « / : |
5 .t "”"'ig.’-?i;?" T conwrmenwral GUIED VO N
k N e oy AU R L s O e AR S R |
--- page 62 ---
>
§
--- page 63 ---
L3 y : . 4 { R
| ¥
--- page 64 ---
A = ANNTDTINTINTTT A T e ~
g AT ENERLILAN &t n () ) I
i B e I, |
I |
| : l
; AFPEIDAVIT 5
I |
) {
STATE OF CALIFORNIA) |
COUNTY OF KERN) * !
The following is a statement given by Major Richard K. Shoop,
Office of Chief of Tech. Engineering Division, Muroe Army Air Field, |
Muroe, California, statement given on 11 July 1947. |
At epproximately noon on 8 July 1547, my attention was ealled to an |
object in the air by Colonel Gilkey. I observed between five (5) and |
eight (8) miles to the North what appeared o be a thin metallic object.
; It esppeared to be metallic because the method in which it was flying caused |
the sun to reflect like an apparently aluminum colored surface. The object |
moved from an intermediate altitude in an oscillating fashion, almost to ‘
the surface of the ground and then started climbing again. It climbed to 1
. @& fairly high altitude and moved off slowly into the distance. The object i
appeared to be the size of a pursuit eirplane but did not have the shape of a |
conventional plane. The time that the object was in view was approximately }
eight (8) minutes. Ilhis same object was seen by my wife at the same time., |
This statement has been given freely and voluntarily without any threats {
or promises under duress. This statement consists of one (1) page, and is
the truth to the best of my knowledge and belief. I have initialed all |
corrections deemed necessary. |
s/s richard r. shoo
MAJOR, RICHARD R. §350P, AC
WITNESS:
s/s_thomas a. memillan
"THOMAS A, MC MILLAN
i
OMNNIITRNTTNTTT AT
. \UNV/INL LEJEJIN L 121, Vo Ll ety
--- page 65 ---
L € f 3 i ield, and First
ts f f to look up to where he was pointing
1 P 7 r ) feet. could not hear a motor
. r pl 5 it could not have been a balloon.
t 1 1 this was no hallucination.
O O A g ———————r
3 I JOS VOLO
--- page 66 ---
R . . .
P e ANANITITINTIAT T A T : 3 J
B » s R 230 PRXIINE L AN 1 1 ex 7y '@ {
| K - \‘/’ a i # 4 . |
‘ AFFIDAVIT ;’
‘ STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) |
‘ COUNTY OF KERN ) |
The following is & stetement given by lst. Lt. Joseph C. lcHenry, |
Billeting Officer, Muroe Army Air Field, Muroc, California, statement
given on 11 July 1947, to Mr. Thomss A. McMillan, CIC S/A. this Station. !
The following statement concerning the actual observance of what has ]
been termed as a "flying Disc" or & "flying Saucer" is true and correct and i
it will be noted that the above mentioned observance was made by me per- |
sonelly while enjoying complete health in mind and body. |
On Tuesday 8 July 1547, at approximately nine-thirty A.Y. (09:30) !
I was in conversation with nersonnel in the Post Exchange Office. Yy part |
of this conversation was as follows: i
| "Someone will have to show me one of these Disc before I will |
i believe it."
Upon leaving the Post Exchange, I went directly to my Office and be- ]
| fore entering heard one of our local aircraft in the traffic pattern.
| Looking up, as I eslways do I observed the aircraft, and looked slightly
i to the left, whereupon I observed two (2) silver objects of either a
| spherical or disc-like shape, moving about three hundred (300) miles an
hour, or perhaps less, at approximately eight thousand (8000) feet, heading
at about three hundred twenty degrees (320°) due north.
i When I first observed these objects I called S/Sgt. Gerald E. Nauman, |
‘ T/Sgt. Joseph Ruvolo and ¥iss Jammette Marie Scotte who immediately came
i to where I was standing. I pointed in the direction of the objects and
i asked them the question "Tell me what you see up there." Whereupon, all
the three (3) with sundry comments stated, "They are flyingz Disc". To
further verify my observance I asked them to tell me in what direction the
objects were traveling, without indicating their direction myself, and again,
; all three (3) in a consistent nature stated thet the objects were moving |
| toward Mojave, California.
|}
l 7 I had time to look away several times and renew my vision of the objects
| to make sure that there were not eny results of eye strain, or in any nature
an optical illusion. The objects in question were not repeat, were not air-
1 eraft, the objects could not have beon woather balloons released from this
g station, since they were traveling egainst &he prevailing wind, and since
the speed at which they were traveling and the horizontal direction in which
they were traveling, disqualified the fact that they were weather balloons.
MATEDTMIDAT T TAT
{ : Cul\‘dl LEJA51N L Ly ; D 2
--- page 67 ---
/_fi . ANMNTERTINIINITT AT ; ]
i £ . o el X T S T B b S T T e X C |
; % N »/ : i Ofir |
? r.
e
| After the observance of these phenomenon and hoping that I might have !
' time to enlist further witnesses, I immediately ran into the dispensary to ,‘
l get personnel who are Yedical Officers to verify, for my own curiosity, the |
| actual observance of these objects, but by the time I reached the back porch
| of the dispensary, Mrs. A. C, Naum, who is a registered nurse, and about
i sevon (7) other personnel were with me, the objects, had by that time, dis-. |
| appeared, due to the speed with which they were traveling. Upon further {
i investigetion, two (2) of us at the same time sighted another object of a {
| silver spherical or disc-like nature at epproximately eight thousand (8900) !
i feet, traveling inm circles over the North-end. I called the objects to the |
| attention of Mrs. Naum and pointedit out to the other personnel standing near
| by. All of us saw the object, with the oxception of two (2) out of seven (7) I
i versonnel. All of us looked awey from the object several times to make sure ]
| there was no eye strain or from pernitting the object to become an optical |
| illusion. : 1
From my ectusl observance the object cireled in too tight a circle end '
too severe a plane to be any aircraft that I kmow of. It could not have been ]
any type of bird because of the reflection that was created when the ob ject ;
reached certain altitudes. The objeect could not have been & local weather "
balloon for it is very impossible that a weather balloon vould stay at the |
same altitude as long end circle in such a consistent nature as did the ] !
above mentioned object. 5 3
I am femiliar with the results of too constant vision of the sun or 2
eny bright object and em aware that optical illusions are possible and |
probeble. I wish to make this statement that the above mentioned observence |
was thet of actual subject matter.
| This statement has been given freely and volunterily without any threats
[ or promises under duress. This statement consists of two (2) pages, end
| is the truth to the best of my knowledge and belief. I have initialed all
corrections deemed necessary. y .
s/s _joseph c. mc henry .
1ST LT JOSEPH C. MC HENRY AC v
s/s _thomas a. mc millan
THONAS A. WC MILLAN ) ¥
| B
f PATTAT-A Y :
: 8 CONFIDENLIAL , ‘
. 3 x FESl RS SIS SER R SR S RS iy, R
--- page 68 ---
11 > X i ’ A ’ 4 I »
I A p i L .
--- page 69 ---
= N
B ; PP 5 TN ANETEIS RN T LN & " C
i -\ Vo R Cops
L4 )
I by 3
- AFFIDAYIZ i
: STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) : |
: |
: COUNTY OF KERN ) ! ;
; The following is a stetenent given by Captein John Paul Strapp, l
} Flight Test, Muroc Army Air Field, Yuroc, California, statement given to
| Yr. Thomas A. MeMillan, CIC Agent, this Stetion, on 12 August 1947. l
! A%t 11:50 hours, 8 July 1947, while the undersigned was sitting in
| an observation truck located in Area # 3, Rogers Dry Lake, for the
| purpose of observing a P-82 ejection seat experiment, the following !
unfemilierity was observed. : ]
The undersigned was gazing upwerd toward a formation of two (2) ‘
' P-82's and an A-26 aircraft flyine at 20,000 feet, preparing to carry i
| out & seat ejection experiment, when I observed a rounded objeet, |
| white elumirum in color, which at first resembled a parachute canopy. l
| The first impression was that a premeture ejection of the seat and 5
dummy hed occurred. This body was ejected at a determifned height lower 1
than 20,000 feet, and was falling st three (3) times the rate observed
for the parachute which was ejected thirty minutes later. As it fell 3
it drifted slightly north of due west against the prevailing wind, to- 3 ]
| ward Mount Wilson. The speed, horizontal motion could not be determired, |
but appeared slower than the maximum velocity 50-80 aircrafte.
i As this object descended through a low enouch level to permit
i observation of its lateral silhouette, it presented & distinet ovular
| outline, with two (2) projections on the upper surfece which might have
| been thick fins or nobs. These crossed each other at intervals, suggest-
i ing either rotetion or oscillstion of slow type. 3 L
i Yo smoke flemes, propellar arks, engine moise, or other clasusble (?)
or visible means of propulsion were noted. The color was silvery, re=-
serbling aluminum painted febric, and did not appear as dense as & - X
parachute canopy. |
| hen the object dropped to & level such that comes into line of
vision of the mountain tops, it was lost to the vision of the observer.
It is estimated that the object was in line of vision about 90 : ]
| seconds. Of the five (5) people siting in the observation truck, four 1
[ (4) observed this objeet and made remarks about it. These people includes:
| ¥r. Lenz - Civilien, Wright Field, Dayton, Chio
(Cther names not given)
| The following is my own personal opinions ahout this ::bjeohs
| 1. I think it was a man-nade object, as evidenced distaintly by
| the outline and functional appearance.
' N |
NLDITNDARFTTAT o |
l iy CO;'iL' EELEGEN L EX RS i
LA LSS Rt et S SRR opecs o S = 3 T e g SRR O
--- page 70 ---
5 2 2 Pl A M e, U
e o
--- page 71 ---
l"—— TRTSSN s R o = e T O T 5350 I San t e 'i
) Bt N/ 3 i Fr
| AEEIDAVIZ i
| .
STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) : ’
|
{ The following is a statement given on 14 July 1947, by Jannette |
w faric Lecott, Secretary to 1st Lt J. C. leHenry, Billeting Officer, |
| furoc Army Air Field, Muroc, California. }
i ! I am fully "aware of my Civil end Constitutional Rights, and under=
i stand prior to making this stetement.
T 2 On Tuesday morning 8 July 1947, at approxim;.tely 10:00, while typing [
i some cards, and taking care of my routine work, Lieutenant Mclenry !
i called me, along with T/Sgt. Josoph Ruvolo and S/Sgt. Gerald £, Nauman, |
g to the front of B.0.Q. "A" 3ldg. Pointing up in a direction directly ]
{ above me he asked us to explein whet we saw. There were two, silver |
[ colored disc like dbjects flying toward Yojave, California, one directly ]
‘ 3 back of the other, st a speed of about 300 to 400 miles per hour, having 1
J‘ an altitude of approximately 8000 feet. I listened carefully for a few ]
| minutes, and heard no drone, such as should be heard from any airoraft. L=
} I also cast my eves to another direction and looking back to the same |
| spot, I was able to distinguish the same objects again. Having assured
‘, myself thet there was no eye-strain, I wes convinced these objects were
not weather balloons due to the horizontal position in whiech they were :
flying. Nor could they have been birds of any nature, due to the de=-
finite reflection from the sun rays. |
A <\
1 heve been on this 3ase, considering an absencs of six months, el
epproximately eizhteen months, and am familiar with all type eircraft.
About three or four minutes, after these flying objects had nearly |
disappeared, I zlanced around and sighted another flying object,
similar to the above montioned objects. Ihis flying object was silver
| colored and was in the shape of a disc. Unlike the first two this object }
| was flying in e tizht eircls, neither losing nor gaining altitude, at e
) approximately eight thousand feet, therefore I was convinced it could
| not have been a weather balloon, and because of the tight circle it could
not have been any type aircraft.
1 This statement was given freeoly end voluntarily without threats ‘
‘ or promises under duress. This statement consists of one (1) page, and |
is the truth to the best of my knowledge and belief. I have initialed !
i all corrections deemed necessary. ]
I am of sound mind and body, and swear that this statement is true
and correct. |
1 s/s _jannette marie scott
i Jannette larie Scott
[ WITNESSES:
‘ s/s thomas a. me millan r“.f\\TDTh“ i ¢
| ¥ O AT TR I LN Ay )
THOMAS A. %C MILLAN NOAJINLD RLEJX 0N 1 AN i
--- page 72 ---
Wotac 700 A, R R e T 2T 3 SPETES Tt i RN T T % vRa,
s : S O LGN L LAL S8 N
o4 v 2 e oA ]
1 ' : )/
' AFEIDATIZ
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF KERN )
. The following is a statement given by S/Sgt. Gerald ¥. Tauman,
4144th AAFBU, Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc, California, statement given b
on 14 July 1947, to 1lst Lt. J. C. lMeHenry, Billeting Officer. I
On the eight of July 1947 at ten o'clock (10:00) in the morning ]
I odbserved personally two (2) flying dise, flying in a north west direction |
at an estimated altitude of seven or eight thousand feet, traveling at '
approximately three or four hundred miles per houre. 1
Just & few minutes before this 1 was in the 5illeting Office and 1
First Lieutenant Joseph C. Mcilenry, called me and two (2) others out- |
side. He then asked us what we saw. I sew two (2) objects with my own {
eyos, end I am now snd was then in perfect physical condition. I have ]
20-20 vision and I am positive these two (2) cbjects could not have been :
Aireraft, weather balloons or birds. Llue to the altitude in which they i
§ were flying, they geve off a definite reflection from the rays of the sun. ]
In eddition to_these two (2) dise I saw another object a few l
{ minutes later at the same altitude doing certain meneuvers such as flying |
in & tight circle. The two disc had elready disappeared. This object to
| my knowledge of aircraft could not have been an airplane because of the
{ very tight meneuver it was undergoing. I have been flyinz in and heve |
| been around all types of aircraft since 1943 and never in my life have 1
| seen anything such as this. If necessary I cen and will swear to this ]
E statement. : {
{
! This statement has been given freely end volunterily without any
i threats or promises under duress. This stetement consists of one (1)
! . page, and is the truth to the best of my knowledge and belief. I have
i initialed all corrections deemed necessary.
{
i s/s t. c. robinson
I PFC T. C. ROBINSON
WITRESS: j
|
s/s thomas a. me millan % ‘
| " THOPAS A. MC MILLAN |
|
!
] ) |
E |
1 COMNNTITINTIDOAT T A Y
1 ) MANSINL LILJIUIN L1811, e B |
--- page 73 ---
TATT'TAY
! UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT {
4AF=1208-1 » }
| 20 August 1947
’ MEMORANDUM FOR THE OPFICER IN CHARGE: |
1. On 20 August 1047, this agent and Special Agent Hubbard
| interviewed lr. Ray A. Switser, Insurance Adjustor, at his home, 3431 ;
B David Way, Sacramento, California, and he stated in substence:s On the |
afternoon of 14 August 1947, he was driving his automobile from Placer=- sl
ville, California, on the Cedar Ravine Road. Mr. Switser's wife was in S {
’ the front seat of the automébile and Mrs. Switger's mother and the two - !
Switzer children were in the back seat of the car. At about 1600 hours |
they were at a point approximately five miles southwest from Placerville !
when Switzer saw a white smoke trail out of the cormer of his eyes In |
j searching for a rocket ship (P80) he saw an object, four to six feet in i
i length, ten to fourteen insches wide, and of a metal color, bright like ‘
i highly polished chromium. In relation to the travel of the automebile 5l
{ the object was first seen at 1030, and when the object - reached a
: point at approximately 1200, 1t was engulfed in a puff of dark gray smoke
about ten feet in diameter. The object was traveling at a terrific rate !
of speed and seemed to be in & very shallow dive. When the puff of smoke
appeared, the object disappeared completély and there were mo particles .
seen to have fallen from the smoke. The point where the object was ene :
gulfed in the smoke wes about eight hundred yards distant (inm fromt of)
‘ Switzer with no possibility of the objeet being hidden from view by vege~ .
: tation or terrain. The object appeared rectanguler in shape cum.m - §
3 one very short period of time it appeared to have a top surface was
‘ very slightly curved. Mr. Switzer turned to tell his wife about the 3 3
‘ object and found her with her mouth open in an effort to say something
1 and with her hand in a pointing gesture toward where the objeoet had dis- 1
appeered, The object was not very high in relation to the terrain and |
seemed to be following the contour of a canyon. ; 2
2. In a separate interview Mre., Switzer concurred in the urom.
obtained from lMr. Switzer with the following exceptions: The smoke ¢
and the puff thet engulfed the object appeared dark gray in color and there T
was ro change in the color. Mrs, Switzer estimated the object %o be about !
five feet long and about a foot wide with the top surface being slightly -
ourved. The object appeared to be some larger in front then in the rear, « |
AGENT'S NOTES: At the time this object was seen, the sun was to the Switger's
back, the sky was clear and the object gave off & very bright reflection. L
¥r. Switzer hes been connected with the field of insursnce investigation for
the last eighteen years and appesrs to be & man not desirous of publieity.
The other passengers of the car did not see the object, ‘Tlfli’l—’t 4s in 1
the process of moving to a ranch near Flacerville,,Califs, and his new.address
will be Box 43, Aukum, Eldorado County, Calif. Arw‘-m- h*n\dn.gr Ave
to meet Mr. Switzer at 1400, 26 Aug 47 at Raffeld” » Placerville, Calif,,
for the purpose of going back over Cedar Ravine Road SAUReRY M8 point i
where the object disappeared. ; ‘ ek
vy f Bryden E. Moon, Special Agent, 4AF CIcC . OAN FRANCISCY L 2
- \ rORIAY 1 - | o
CONF DENT I e
--- page 74 ---
/l'-'.— R s, A0 PR~ > = o 3 & i
£2 20 wa s SMOYNTITIERT ) AT AR I
e v g S NJANL KA JAUIN L AL, ‘
; HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR PORCE : |
¢ Offiee of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2
; Intelligence |
| Hamilton Field, California |
| 4ATDA 20 August 1047
33345/1208-1
i |
SUBJECT: Flying Disc. ;
0 Special Agent in Charge, FBI, U. 5. Deot. of Justice, |
Federal Office Building, Room 422, San Francisco, Calif, l
e 1. The attached letter was received by this office from 'r, |
Re Jo Madden, Division Plant Engineer, Pecific Telephone and Telegreph |
Company, on 16 August 1947, !
S 2e Yo further investigation will be made of this reported ineie
: dent by this headquarters. ) ,
- A 27 ¢ S 7+,
: Le SPRINO!
1 Inels Lt. Colomel, 0SC
As indieated. AC of 8, A-2 7 4
: -2
| 3% © ADC el *”
. 6th Army - 1 oy
e FBI =1 ey
i : —————————————————
| - u. §. DE N “iCe
Pty
AUG 21 1947 ‘
e SAN FRANCISC 1% o5 4
; 0010 10 i\ )
ONNTTNG
--- page 75 ---
bt ad
' . 427 W, 34 Avenue ¢ : 1
| Spokane, Washington {
' August 8, 1947 |
| |
{ Hilitary Intelligence Division, U,5.A, !
i ¥oChord Field, Washington . i
f . |
: Gentlemen: f : !
f Tollowing the reading of an mecount of the visis of Wr. Kenmeth |
3 Arnold, Joise, Idaho, as published in the Spokesman Review under date |
‘\ of August 7, 1947, the undersigned comsidered the enclosed account of
i &n observetion of a "flying saucer” would be of interest to you.
j lhiunmmm-mtmnmuwwwofiunbuu
] ation as yet.
Yours truly, :
/s/ Re Jo Madden
Ry J. MALDEN, 2 & el
Division Plant mmgre ; !
The Pacs Tels & Tels Cos 5
Wk 4 Uz : -‘:‘A -_‘“...' i
- FEOERAL BUREAL G 10V ESTIGRTIO! |
. ST ST |
AUG 21 1947 ’ |
SAN FRANCISC CORE 4
ROUTEDYQ. 8 g .
CONNIDTITNENITT A |
\\JINL 11141 p P B o e W A Y i
--- page 76 ---
e A : e Ao s i
e : ‘ : » Al . -
Iy | |
¢ ) muqmw A |
, * i |
L AS or about 12:06 pems, July 20, 15947, a sedan, driven by Steve |
g mndmi.i.(lcb)“nh'hmmnlk:::m— |
4 in the rear seat, was proceeding nortiwesterly sleng the rond leading from |
1 Canyon Yerry to York, both in lontane some 28 miles N.%. of Helenme |
; mn.mmu&uull.cmm Su-h- s
{ on Forest Serviee ¥ap to be in the Ofllxoflo.ounfllii Karl . !
i suddenly shouted "See 1tl See itl There's a flying seucerl” Steve immed- i
| iately slowed down end gredually brought the sedan to a stop, he and Bob
§ meanwhile scanning the sky in the direction pointed by Karl in en effort to |
v see the "flying ssucer”, but without success, , .
i mfiulymm.l».‘m_ the time Karl roported seeing |
i the "saucer”, coming over the horison st high speed from the southwest,(¥arl |
: first thought it a meteor) and travelling northeasterly, and the bringing ef !
» the oar to a stop. |
5.’ As the car came to & stop, Steve, Karl and Yob, simultenecusly, saw the ‘
{ followings |
b Directly shoad, (Ne¥) 2 to 3 miles distant and approximately 3000 ft. |
‘ above the ground, & bright dise hovering and fluttering in the air, Descende
! ing end rising through a vertiosl distance of fifty or a hundred feet for a !
| period of about five seconds thenm, while st the top of an ascent, the "dlse" |
} suddenly swooped Lo the Northesst at tremendous speed and disappesred inte |
I the elear alr within a distence of 200 ft. That is to say it did not pass
| beyond sn obstruction %o further visibility dut "melted into thin eir” as if
i because of tremendous spoed.
| This aise was, from the viewpoint of the observers, apparently 3 ft. |
| in diameter, oircular and of no great thickness = approximately 3 or 4 inches. ;
The sky was blue with soattered mall slouds, the sun was shining
; brightly end the disc gleamed and shimmored in the bright sunlizht as if i
| ecovered with highly polished nickel. i
i After the “dise" dissppeared from view, the sedan ond its oocupantae |
| proceeded northwesterly alomg the road, but oould discern no evidence of 2 |
i the prosence of the "dlso" aleng or adjacent to that thorofare. !
l It is to be remembered that the dimensions as stated above were as I
i they appeared to the chservers some 2 or 3 miles from the "dise"™ and the /
! true dimensions must be econsiderabdly grester. ]
3 /o/ R d. Waden, 1
t Re Js MADDEN, |
i Division Plant Dngr. :
:' The Paee Tols & Tel. Co. ‘
i CONFIDEN1LIAL : ; 3 )'
--- page 77 ---
AN OTL L, 1
“q_-Office M d.
(e .
L ce CNMoranaii’z « UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : DIRECTOR DATE: 9-15-47
){/’Z{FRWK ¢ SAC, San Francisco
SUBJECT: REPORTS OF FLYING DISCS
Reference is made to my letter dated August 26, 1947, Enclosed is
a copy of a letter dated September 9, 1947 from Lt. Colonel DONALD L. SPRINGER,
of A2, with a2 memorandum prepared by BRYDEN E, MOON, 4th Air Force CIC on
August 20, 1947 and August 26, 1947. The memorandum contains information
regarding observations of RAY A, SWITZER of Sacramento, California.
Also enclosed is a letter dated September 10, 1947 from Colonel
SPRINGER with attachment dated September 9, 1947 -
For the information of the Bureau, KENNETH ARNOLD of Boise, Idaho,
who has been repeatedly interviewed in this matter by A2, has expressed his
intention to A2 of selling for publication his detailed account of his
investigation of flying discs.
62-2938 P
DWK, / [ ‘
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RECORDED
- /
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4@2
--- page 78 ---
L s s
S e N Nt STV AT T A v/
A\ 3 N LN i 1AL ]
. |
Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A~2 i
Intellirence {
Hamilton Field, Chlifornics
|
4AFDA 9 September 1947 it
85545/1208-1 5
SUBJECT: Investigetion of Flying Disc. i
}
T0: Special Agent in Charge, F3I, U. 5. Department of Justice, |
Room 422, Federal Cffice Building, San Franci co, California. I
i
i
Attached MOIC for your information. AL |
] b AV 4 / }
DONALD "Ly SPRINY o, |
1 TInel: Lt. Colonsl, / rps (/ 1
MOIC, Moon, dtd 20 Aug 47. Deputy AC <){'[,//, A= |
|
!
|
|
- ' b —
1
SEP 12 982
: - e s ANIA
UTED TO FILE ]
FSONATIDTINTONT T A 1 e !
; UAJINT LLJ15IN L1AL, !
--- page 79 ---
Bt COANETNENTT AT {/ ]
B0 v T A LAC IR P EI TN S EE S o U ) o ,
| i : 1080 hours 18 August 1547 |
‘ |
f {
f Telephone message received from lr. Al Reck, City Editor, Oskland Iribunes ‘
]
! dre Ray As Switser, 3431 David Way, Sacramento 2, Calif, sad insurance e
‘ axeooutive with the firm of Holduire end Wallis, of Sseramento, reported the
‘ following incident: |
‘ “At 4374, om August 14, wille driving on Cedar lavine Road, 4 to & |
miles southemst of Placerville, Uslif, he, socompanied by his wife, observed 4
& "vapor® trail meving from north to souths Closer observation revesled a ]
pisoe of “shiny metal” et from 500 4o 1000 feet altitude -vlnfi at a "high ]
rate of spoed”s The object appesred to be more "rocket-shaped” than diso=
shapede It appeared to be approximately § feet in length and was “"tilted
in & senieoirele”, |
The objeat strueck the ground with a "puff of blaselk amoke" about 100 1
feot below the top of a hill which was approximstely 750 feet ahoad of the i
automobile driven by the observere An intervening eanyon prevented investi- ?
pation of the location where the objeot was observed to heve landed. |
|
The observer is able to identify the location whare the object was j
obeerved to lande ]
(Jrs Switzer is @ University of California graduste, and is personally T
imown by wmenbers of the Oekland Tridbune staff, le is a brothereinelaw of
Coles Uray ol the Marine Hospital of Southern California) ‘
‘,
|
\
| 4 |
--- page 80 ---
| s ; SNINATTIITNTOINT Y X i
et SUAJINT LIJEUIN L 1AL : : l
, UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT e ]
| 4AP-1208-1 ot
| 20 August 1947 ; o j
| MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGEs . : 1
| 2|
‘ l. On 20 August 1947, this egent and Special Agent Hubbard K
: interviewed lire. Hay A, Switgzer, Insurance Adjustor, at his home, 34351 gy
i David Vey, Secreamento, Californis, and he stated in substances On the S
af'ternoon of 14 August 1947, he was driving his sutomobile from Placer= At
ville, California, on the Cedar ilavine Road. Mr, Switger's wife was im = =
the front seat of the automobile and Mrs. Switzer's mother and the two e
] Switger children were in the back seat of the car. At about 1600 hours SRR
they were ait & point npproximately five miles southwest from Placerville e
when Switger saw n wiite smoke trail out of the corner of his eyes In 3
‘ searching for a rocket ship (P80) he saw en object, four to six feet in - o A
| length, ten to fourteen incnes wide, end of & metal color, bright like G
[ highly polished chromiume In relation to the travel of the automobile
the object was first seen at 1030, and when the object reached a = £ P
point at approximately 1200, it was engulfed in a puff pf dark gray smoke
‘ about ten feet in diemeter. The object was traveling at a terrific rate =
of speed end seemed to be in a very shellow dives When the puff of smoke 2
| sppeared, the objeot disappeared completely and there were no particles e
i seen to have fallen from the smoke. The point where the object was en= =
“ pulfed in the smoke was about eight hundred yards distant (in front of) e f"‘
| Switzer with no possibility of the object heing hidden from view by vege= =2k
| tation or terraine. The object appeared rectangular in shape except for
f one very short period of time it sppeared to have a top surface that was i 41
| very slightly curved. Wr. Switgzer turned to tell his wife about the R e
{ object and found her with her mouth open in an effort to say something
) and with her hand in a pointing gesture toward T the objeot had dis=
i appeared. 1he object was not very high in relation to the terrain and : |
| seemed to be following the contiour of a canyon, e S
; 2. In a separate interview ¥rs. Switzer concurred in the informetion ‘l
‘ obteined from ¥r. Switzer with the following exceptions: Jhe smoke treil =
| and the puff that engulfed the object appeared dark gray in color and there by
i wes no chanpe in the colors iirse Switzer estimated the object to be about = =
i five feet long and about a foot wide with the top surface being slightly =
; curveds Ihe object appeared to be some larger in front tham in the rear. 5o
‘; AGENT'S NOTES: At the time this object was seen, the sun was %o mmw‘&é
\ back, the sky was clear and the object gave off a very bright reflections ‘l
} Yre Switzer has been connected with the fisld of insurance investigation for 24
| the last eighteen yeers and appears to be a man not desirous of publiedtys = = |
j The other passsngers of the car did not see the objects Ure Switzer is im 1
the process of moving to & rench neer Placerville, Califs, and his new address =
will be Box 43, Aukum, Fldorado Lounty, Calif. Arrangements have been made «]
to meet Vr. Switger at 1400, 26 Aug 47 at Kaffels liotel, Placerville, Calif., .|
for the purpose of going back over Cedar Ravine ioad to loeate the poimt¢
where the objeot diseppeared. = s "hey
Bryden &, Yoon, Speoinl Agent, 4AF CIC e i o
| AT LN 2T LDLN 1 IAL ENE “
e —————— - e e e T e ST e el i S T R R S e AR = —_—
--- page 81 ---
--- page 82 ---
s T RARTINI VTR DT AT f
» 5 \, ANIINTTEITLLAN L TETT
. UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT |
| - ' 4AF=1208=1 ;
¢ 3« On 26 August 47, S/A Hubbard and this agent contacted Nr. Rey |
Switger, Insurance Adjustor at the haffels Hotel, Placervills, Celifornie.
e After traveling Cedar Ravine road 4o & point nine miles southeast of
Plecerville, nown as Suck's Bar, Owitzer deolded thet the plecs fronm
where he had observed the objeot on 14 Aug 47 was nearer to Plucerville.
T After a thorough check of the road, Switzer believed the spot where he
o= Moo had observed the object to be on the ridre just north of Vebber Creck
- where the road breaks over the summit. This point is two miles from the S
REELS Raffels Hotel, Placerville, California, on the Cedar Havine toed. As
o Sy the road epprosches the summit it eurves to the left which would provide
i an obgerver from an sutomobile a sweeping view throurh 409 of the canyon
F e and the horizon on the south side of Webber Creek. This point of cbserva-
S S " gion lies 38% 42' 45" North Latitude and 120° 47' 15" West Longitude.
P P The elevation at this point is 2,000 feet above ses levels Ihe horizon
.~ from this {dnt in the south is formed by a series of mountain peaks which |
~ 1lie generally through 380 39' 45" and which are on the south side of Squaw !
MO Hollow Creek, a distance of four miles, end renging in elevation from A |
1 2,300 feet to 2,500 feet above sea level. Switzer was not definite as %o ‘
:‘?‘ L what part of the field of view he had seen the object and indicated thet it |
BE " oould have been as far ms the horizon. Any objeoct, or particles of an |
A object, that Switser saw, if on the ground on the field of view, would be J
' ina six square mile erea of wooded, mountkinous terrain which is full of i
e L P 1 'S NOTESs This agent bellieves that Switger could have se¢n an sluminum i
. surfaced sonventionsl type siroraft which, due to the distance ai whioh he |
Bk observed it, distinguishin; features were not seen because of the bright }
éf"":; ~_ reflection and the short perlod of observetion. The aircraf4 would have been |
.~ ooming from the left as Switzer turned to the left, thereby giving the effect |
~ = . of & much greater speed than the obJect was really travolinge This agent has |
| no explanation as to the snoke treil observed by Switzer. If roconnaisance ]
- - is desired of the area to see If anylhing can be located on the ground, this ]
1;“ agent ?‘t' that a small type sircraft similar to an L-5, be used in low
A e edatas ght between the hours of 1100 to 1300, Switger was very cooper= |
gt 3t - ative and expended much of his own time in en effort to be of as mueh service |
’l};&g' _ as possibles Switser will communicate with the AC of §, A=2, Headquarters |
& 5" Pourth Air Force, Familton Field, Californie, in the event of any report of
v:"":,"‘“‘ ~ aireraft wreckage in the ares,
(s e e R ; :
Bk SNl e On 26 Aug 47, & cheek with Ranger Dixon, State Forest Service,
e ~ Camino, Celifornia, and George 3. Young, Forester, Foderal Forest Service, !
o A Placerville, Californie, provided the following information: There hes
‘% )",q ~ been no forest fires or reported aircraft orashes in the area in guestion
A ot within the last month.
-?M'v; Biah Bryden F. Moon, Speciel Agent, 4AF CIC
X
’r‘;}’.a o o )
Y ONNIDTN LN 3
A AR N AT Ly 4 & e
--- page 83 ---
i 2 & NI AL &
| ;
| {
i HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE |
| Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2 |
| Intelligence {
| Hamilton Field, California ;
i 4AFDA 10 S»:;)tu-m&r 1947 Q :
i 333.5/1208-1 |
| |
‘; SUBJECT: Investigation of Flying Disc.
i
| |
| 70: Special Agent in Charge, F3I, U. S. Uepartment of Justice, ‘
{ Room 422, Federal Office Building, Sen Francisco, California. ‘
[
| i
f Atteched MOIC for vour information.
| FOR THE AC OF 8, A-2:
| Vi /' 7
i
‘ DONALD L. SPRIAGER /
| 1 Inel: Lt. Colonel, Air C s
| MOIC, Hubbard, dtd 9 Sep 47. Deputy AC S, A-
|
|
|
{ y
i
.
| 4
|
| T |
: e e —
‘ y BURL AT OF 1 o HIGATW
} U.» O OrF JUFiloe
( SEP 12 194
., Ri0 FiLk
| 5%
i TTAI
--- page 84 ---
R A B ki Ses AT R > S R R 2 e B PGSy [0 2y s o
£ : N R S a N Ma B AAN ARLANA R
3 |
&
‘ 9 Septemer 1947 e
| MEMORAYDUM FOR THE CFFICER IN CHARGE: S e 2|
| Z Sy e g
; ¥r, fard L. Stewart, 122 ¥Wilvia Street, Berkeley, mm- T
‘ interviewed 3 Septenber 1947 at his place of employwent, the Hes flw e
! Builling, University of GCalifornia, concerning flying cbjects he od |
’ to have seen on 2§ July 1947 while with Captain #illiam H. Ryherd of the = ‘
! LlSth AAF BU (RT). Mr. Stewart stated in substance that he was a 2st I8 ol
i in the Reserve and that on the 29th of July 1547 mfi. 12 noon he 4
; and Captain Ryherd had just landed from a routine fligat when |
‘ Captain Ryherd called ¥r. Stewart's attention to an unidentified flylng
{ object that was following a P-80 aireraft at a terrific rate of speeds oI
¥r. Stewart estisated the P-§0 to be flying at approxizately 250 miles |
i per hour on a preliminary spproach to landing at Haailton Fleld, In e, =~
{ Stewart's estimation the object he saw following the P-80 main ! :’(‘\m;g, -
: speed of thres to four tines that of the aircraft. A moment laters
| second object appeared and flew a course descrided as OMQH.:W AR
| to a fighter aircrafi's mansuvers when accompanying heavier P8, or a “ry
i left to right movement, over the objest firat sighted. lir. Stewart o
; that this maneuveriny continued until the objects were out of sight. He ’;_1
4 estimted the tine to be aproximately 15 secords, the course ap J Pt <
| 120 degrees. 'r, Stewart could not estimate the size of the objests % d
| actual altitude, though he did not believe them to be beyond six - e 2
| feot, Ur, Stewart described Lthe objects as being milky white in T
and unlike any conventional type alrcraft he had ever seen. ‘w‘qfi
whether he was flalliar with the Navy "Flapjack", Wr. Stewart stat w”, o
he was, and that Le was certaln the objects he reported seeing were mot of
this rature. - ._’ 5 ;’J“:%S‘y_ r "\"‘Vm
AGINT'S NOTES: Mr. Stewart 1s a former officer of the U.S. AAF and a B-29 ')?
pilot of considerable experience, ¥r. Stewart does mot convey the im-
pression of being the kind of person wio would "imagine" that he was seein S S
| objects, nor has he any apparent desire for pudblicity. 4r. Stewsrt fsdim =
| charge of machine shops at the University of California, Serkeley, : &y ‘
| RSN 5 s -
LESLIE S. HU'MARD, S/A, CIC ADC kAP o e
[ /¢ O AT T AT T T TRy s i o S
t,‘.sl_____A it ROV i IR SRy el A Lot MR RRCH T TR A '_'i';-::\‘:‘ S 2ol WS
--- page 85 ---
i | 1‘ "
,/‘\ . U‘ PR
/'\'\\v“ ;
Y\
,)/‘ _
)
FBI BUTTE g=15-47 5-50 PM VEU
¥ _pIRECTOR, FBI URGENT i
A O\ oA
’FLYING DISCS. ON INSTANT BA@EAWNKX DATE, AL Wa HAWKINS, counTvfi’k j;;
COMMISSIONER AND EX SHERIFF, TWIN FALLS, IDAHO, AND gy J. H.&‘ F
BROWN, IDAHO STATE WAREHOUSE INSPECTOR, SAME COMMUNITY, ADVISED
THAT ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST THIRTEEN LAST, AT APPROXIMATELY
NINE THIRTY AM WHILE FISHING IN RIVER APPROXIMATELY FORTY MILES
SOUTHWEST OF TWIN FALLS, IDAHO, IN ISOLATED COUNTRY, THEY SAW
TWO OBJECTS FLYING THROUGH AIR AT GREAT HEIGHT, WHICH ARPREXXX
APPEARED TO BE DISCS, AND AT SAME TIME HEARD ROAR SIMILAR TO NOISE
CREATED BY MOTOR TRUCK., INFORMANTS ADVISED OBJECTS MOVING VERY
RAPIDLY AND P#S®NX THAT THEY EACH APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY SIX
FEET IN DIAMETER, OBJECTS QUICKLY DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT AND HAVE
NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE . NO FURTHER DESCR%?IlON THESE OBJECTS PRESENTLY
AVAILABLE, FURTHER INVESTIGATION Bgmwé CONDUCTED BY THIS DIVISION
PURSUANT TO BUREAU BULLETIN QE}QiGfiTY TWO, SUB DIVISION B, DATED
JULY THIRTY NINETEEN FORTY KVEN., BUREAU WILL BE PROMPTLY INFORMED
OF ALL PERTINENT Divtadfifiggi" | .
BANISTE&V ; v/,',\ “f‘fi
END A}’fiyljj/TJli\Y ~t€i;:;b
7 o SR R
HOLD PLS §3%7 O
7-54 PM OK FBI WA BU
--- page 86 ---
--- page 87 ---
STANDARD FORM NO, 64 ' ?
|
Ofi‘ice Mettior oredums + UNITED s.... GOVERNMENT
TO ¢ DIRECTOR, FBI DATE: pugust 28, 1947 ()
L onifls B
EROM : 35AC, SAN FRANCISCO o« 2 , A’& \
SORECT: REPORTS OF FLYING DISCS
4 ATTENTION: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR D. M, LADD
On August 27, 1947, Lt. Colonel DONALD SPRINGER, A-2, Fourth Air
Force, Hamilton Field, California, advised that the Area Intelligence Require-
ments Division Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2 Headquarters, re-
quested that one WILLIAM-RHOADS of Phoenix, Arizona, be completely inter-
viewed in connection with a report that he had seen on July 7, 1947, what
he believed were flying discs, RHOADS is supposed to have taken several pic-
tures of the discs with a 620 Box Camera.
A previous report of this reported sighting of flying discs was
forwarded the Bureau on August 8, 1947.
Colonel SPRINGER has advised that GEORGE F. FUGATE, Jr., an
intelligence agent of A-2 stationed at Long B ach, California, would arrive
in Phoenix, Arizona, on or about September 2, 1947, and would be instructed
to contact the Phoenix Field Division Office.
In accordance with Bureau Bulletin No. 42, Series 1947, it is
felt that an agent from the Phoenix Field Division should interview WILLIAM
RHOADS at 4333 North 1lith Street, Phoenix, if RHOADS has not already been
interviewed. Colonel SPRINGER indicated that Mr, FUGATE should, if possible,
sit in on this interview.
A copy of the report from A-2 dated August 4, 1947, along with three
photographic prints of the pictures allegedly taken by Mr. RHOADS, is being
enclosed for the Phoenix Field Division,.
WWR/ jo
62-2938
2 cc Phoenix (Encl,) (AMSD) ¥
RECORDEI é)‘ {- £3; /ll
ATRMATL SPECIAL DELIVERY : — K
& .
5
P T S
v
--- page 88 ---
l |
Mna3s VV““?}:;‘} '
dacessc Je
--- page 89 ---
.-’ i ¥ ¥ -
L v J
A s .
b Ofice Mer.......dum + oNITED ....._. GOVERNMENT
B85=-477
/ TO : Director, FBI D Mugust 27, 1947
\MROM : SAC, Butte L3 @*
SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS SIGHTED BY
SECURITY MATTER - X
Re Seattle tels August 7, 1947, and August 12, 1947, in the above
captioned matter.
'»’:’”‘-"JT‘\NQ"‘(,\L”, Route 1, Mountein View Drive, Boise, Idaho, was inter=-
viewed at the Boise Resident Agency, Boise, Idaho, by SA JOSEPH E, JETTE on
S August 19, 1947. MNr. ARNOLD advised that he received a letter from RAYMOND A,
PALVMER, Editor, Venture Press, Evenston, Illinois, dated June 26, 1947, in which
Mr, PALMER advised thet he was interested in publishing an article in his magazine
concerning the flying discs seen by Mr, ARNOLD near Mount Reinier on June 24, 1947,
which letter is being enclosed to the Bureau. Wr., ARNOLD stated that he did not
give much thouzht to PALMER!s letter until PALMER wrote him agein end informed
him that FRET IRISMAN end HAROLD A, DAHL of Tacoma, Weshington, had sent him
fregments of e flying disc and that he would like him (ARNOLD) to go to Tacoma,
Washington, and contact CHRISMAN and DAHL to find out if there was any truth in
@ their story about the disc fragments. He steted that he did not enswer PALMER's
£ letter, but inquired of several friends for their opinion in the matter, end
T that they all told him if PALVMER desired to pay his expenses to go to Tacoma,
& Weshington, and look into this metter, that they did not see where he had enything
t to lose. He informed that he gave a talk at the Boise Ad Club on July 25, 1947,
about the flying discs he had seen, and elso of the request conteined in PALMER's
E:let(.er to go to Tpcoma to investigete additional informetion regerding the find-
%Zing of disc fregments by CHRISMAN and DAHAL.
T -
3N "7’}\""‘" ARNOLD edvised that following his telk, he was approeched by a personfy’’/
who said he knew both CHRISMAN and DAHL and thet they were very reliable
individuals. He stated that after thinking it over, he called PALMER by telephone
end at which time he informed PALMER that he would contact CHRISMAN and DAHL end
investigate the matter regarding the disc fragments, if PALVER would send him
$200.00 expense money. He also advised that he received $200.,00 expense money
from PALMER via Western Union the next morning. He informed that he left for
Tacoma, Washington, vie his personal plene on July 30, 1947, Upon arriving at
Pendleton, Oregon, he told his story to "‘L‘v\b&}."'a, C&A, Inspector from Portland,
Oregon, who advised him to go shead with his investigation, 1} /j,"
He stated that he landed at Eerry"% Airport ilxj“icom” Bnd oh‘tg‘irm_c_l._s
room at the Winthrop Hotel. He informed that he' then caMe MILSby talgphone to
make arrengements to telk to him regerding t‘ne.thfc Jr%ts. He advised that
DAHL insisted on coming to the hotel room immedi®%ely. U n’ erriving et Mr, ARVOLD's
hotel room, DAHL stated thet he wanted to forget agfé the discs as too meny things
. hed been happening to him, end advised lr, AR! oLr¥ %M home and forget about
the discs. Mr. ARNOLD stated that he informed DAHL thet he weanted to obhtain all
) ’
waBuNYr 2EC
--- page 90 ---
- - S
U 34U ag
i
LIYNI3S TYNYILNI
HAEE ) 124
J3AI30 3y
B Jm. 40 lday
I'O‘i
ALINIBS Winyg,
--- page 91 ---
- - . 2 i
Director, FBI August 27, 1947
Res Flying Discs - Tacoms, Wn. 4
of the information aveileble regarding the disc fragments and thet he understood
thet DAHL had told the press about the disc fragments, stating there was nothing
to the story and that it was a phoney. DAHL immediately replied thet his story
wes not false or phoney, but that whet he had seen and what had heppened to him
was so unusual and fentestic that he wented to forget ebout the disc fregments.,
DAFL then egreed to tell Mr, ARNOLD the following story, providing his name and
the Harbor Pstrols would be left outs
DAHL stated that his dog had been killed and his boy hurt end that
the wheel mount on his harbor patrol boat had been struck by disc fregments,
and that about twenty ton of this materisl had fellen on the beach at Mauri
Islend, end into the bay, and that a day after this incident, & men about forty
years of age had contacted him and told him, "I know whet you sew at Mauri Islend
and I'm telling you in & nice way to forget about it and keep your mouth shut."
DAHL stated that he had obteined a large number of the fragments and had taken
them home, but that FREDLIRICKMAN, his superior officer, had told him to send
the fragments to RAYMOND PALMER at Chicago; that PALMER would enalyze the specimens
free of charge, DAHL continued stating thet on the afternoon of June 21, 1947,
he wes on patrol with his boy, dog, and two seemen near & cove on the east side
of Mesuri Islend., He stated that he looked up thprough the windshield of the boet
and at a height of about 1,000 feet, he saw six round circular grey objects
that looked like large inmer tubes slightly squeshed. These objects eppesred
to be about 100 feet scross and in the center was & hole sbout twenty-five feet.
DAHL said he assumed they were some type of a baelloon. The object in the center
was lower than the rest of the other objects, eand the other objects were circling
around it. The object in the center seemed to be descending while the others
followed. As the objects descended he saw port holes around the inside of the
object and what eappeared to be windows. He stated thet the object in the center
descended to about 500 feet, and that suddenly one of the circling objects ceme
down and touched the object in the center and remesined in this position for =
few minutes, while the other objects continued to circle above. The object
which had descended and touched the object in the center and which wes lower,
then rose and took its place with the other objects.
All of the objects then started to rise and what appesred to be news-
papers came out of the center of the object in the middle of the circling object.
Then the sky seemed to rein leva, the lava coming from the object in the center
and DAHL heeded the boat for shore. He stated that the lava coming from the
object in the center eppeared to be & white metal, and as it fell into the water,
clouds of steam rose from the water, He stated that some of the lava landed on
the beach. He 2lso stated that his dog was killed end also a sea gull in addition
to his boy being hurt by the falling lave., Mr., ARNOLD continued stating that
DAEL had seid thet he had teken pictures of the object and thet if Mr. ARNOLL
wented them, he could have the negatives. \HL, took Mr. ARNOLD to the home of
his secretary that evening end showed him some of the disc fregments he hed
picked up, which were smooth on one side end rough on the other, according to
r. ARNOLD,
o2
--- page 92 ---
- - - s
: . @ L
£ 3 - - .
irector, FBI August 27, 1947
Re: Flying Discs - Tacoma, Wn,
r. ARVOLD stated he received a telephone call from the press upon
returning to his hotel room, and that the press wanted to know about the flying
disc fragments, and he told them that he was not talking until he had proved
it. He stated he did not know how the press ever knew he wes in Tacome or had
seen DAHL,
Mr, ARNOLD informed that at 9:30 A.,M. the next morning, July 31, 1947,
AUL end CHRISMAN eppeared at his hotel room and DAHL agein asked him to go home
and forget about the discs, thet his story weas not felse, but that he had had
enough trouble. DAHL seid that his boy had been missed one morning end had been
found at Lust, Montana, waiting on tables in a cafe; that he did not know how
he had got there and that too many things were happening. ro ARNOLD stated
that when DAHL and CHRISMAN ceme to his hotel room, they had an armful of
fregments, and that CHRISMAN had then informed about how he had seen en object
resembling those seen by DAHL. CHRISMAN stated he had taken the patrol boat
on July 23, 1947, end had gone to Mauri Island and had found the beach littered
with leve. CHRISMAN stated he hed looked up and had seen 2 balloon-like object
with port holes and windows, which had diseppeared into & large cloud. ARNOL
stated thet he asked DAHL again to see the pictures of the objects; that DAHL
had agein agreed to show them to him. iroe ARVOLD informed that he had then
asked DAHL and CHRISMAN if it would be all right for him to call a friend,
Captain SMITH, who had also seen some flying discs and let him sge the fragmenis
end hear Mr, DAHL's story. DAHL dissented, however, CHRISMAN readily agreed.
He also steted that he had placed a call to Lieutenant BROWN and Ceptain
DAVIDSON, Army intelligence officers at Hamilton Field, and hed asked them to
come to his hotel, as they had previously instructed him to report to them any-
thing of an unusual nature or of interest regarding the flying discs.
He stated he flew to Seattle and got Captain SMITH, and that Lieutenant
BROAN and Captain DAVIDSON had come to his room about 4:00 P.M. r. ARNOLI
edvised that he hed asked Lieutenant BRONN just what he had found out regearding
the discs, and Lieutenant BROAN had confidentially informed him that they had
obtained a picture of a disc, which appeared to be authentic, which picture
wes taken by & man in Phoenix, Arizona. The picture, according to Lieutenent
BROWN, was of a circular object with a hole in the center, and of another object
that looked like a flying wing. He stated that when Lieutenant BROWMN told him
this thet he immediately thought of the object seen by DAHL. He stated thet
after hearing DAHL's story, Lieutenant BRO end Captain DAVIDSON's attitude
had chenged immediately, and that they appeared disinterested. It was ther
sugrested that they all go to Mauri Islend and look for the disc fragments.
Lieutenant BROWN end Ceptein DAVIDSON stated thet they hed to return to Hamilton
Field immediately. ro. ARNOLD stated that Lieutenant BROWN and Captain VIDSON
were very careful to gather up all of the fragments which had been brought to
the room by DAHL and CHRISNAN, -
--- page 93 ---
- - A
g . @ |
o > - -
Director, FBI August 27, 1947
te: Flying Discs - Tacoma, Wn,
He stated that the next morning he received a call from CHRISMAN,
who told him that Lieutenant BROI and LYaptain DAVIDS hed been killed in =
D'?V C""'f“’f. le stete ne oes ‘Of ky ow how CHRI A knew W .,,O }'AP.',:‘ "'7:}‘“" :‘Yf
the plene before anyone else. He also stated that during the above conference
numerous telephone cealls were received from the press, wenting to know about
the conference, He stated that someone kept tipping the press off e&s to what
vas going on and what was being said daily verbatim. le informed that PAUL
LA and MORELLO, United Press men at Tacoma, appeared to know all that took
plece during the conference, and even knew of the crash of the B-25 and those
eboard, before the Army released this informetion. WMr, ARNOLD informed that
when he received news of the crash, that he and Captain SMITH fully expected
to be contacted by Army Intelligence, as they were the last people with
Lieutenant BR and Captain DAVIDSON, however, they were never contected.
le further stated that he and Captain SMITH went down to the United
Fress to see what the survivors of the cresh had informed about the crash and
that MORELLO had told them that the mysterious informant who had been callin
had told him that the B-25 hed not crashed, but had been s hot down, also that
{ORELLO's Army informant hed said that en observer at Kelso, Washington, had
seen the plene throw out a landing flare after the two survivors had jumped
from the plane, eand that the plane had zone into & steep dive and dove into a
hillside, and further that one engine had been on fire, but that the fire
apperatus, protecting the engine, had failed to function. r. ARNOLD stated
that DAHL then ceme to see him and Captain SMITH end told them to zo home and
forget ebout the dises, that such things as the B-25 crash had been happening
to him all alonge.
fr. ARNOLD stated that he then called Mr. PALMER at Chicego and tol
him that the deal was off and that if he wanted his $200.,00 back, he coul
heve it; that two men had been killed and he was getting frigzhtened of the
whole thing., He stated that PALMFR informed him that it was ell right with him
to keep the $200.00, however, he would send him an additional check for the
trouble he had put to. MNr, NOLD advised that previous to this telephone call,
Captain SMI had called his friend, MORRI ODDY, of the ‘hicego Times and had
told him that he did not have any faith in Army intelligence = for I Y to
conduct an investigation on PALMER and get to the bottom of this disc fantasy.
r. ARNOLD also advised thet previous to the two above telephone cells, he hed
esked the press to investigete PALWFR, as Army Intelligence hed informed him tht
they could not find PALMER and knew nothing concerning him, and appeered not to
be interested in PALMER, who seemed to know more about the flying discs the
anyone else.
r. ARNOLD stated that he personally thinks thet PALMER's business is
e blind for something else and thet DAHL and CHRISMAI will do enything that
PALMER asks him to and will not talk unless PALMER tells him to. Mr. ARNOL
stated that he still wanted to get to the bottom of the disc fragment story
so he and Captain SMITH had decided to go to Mauri Island on Sunday, August 3,
4=
--- page 94 ---
~ “ .
; ¢ ¢ ~i
L . - -
- k- -
irector, FBI August 27, 1947
Res Flying Discs - lacoms, Yn,
1947, however, when CHRISMAN wes spproached in this regerd, ¢ they had gone
to the boat house where CHRISMAN kept his boat, CHRISMAN could not seem to
meke the boat run, and after making some excuses thet he had to return to his
office, had steted that he would return jn ebout an hour, and by thet time
his mechanic should have the boet repsired end they could all proceed to Meuri
Isleand. Mr. ARNOLD informed thet CHRISMAN never returned, end thet they were
unable to locate ISM et sny of the telephone numbers he hed given them.
They loceted DAEL in & movie, sccording to Al OLD, and thet DAHL,
after making some efforts to locate CHRI , had informed them that CHRIS
had left town for a few days. jo further informed that about this time the
oress contected them end told them an informent had celled end told them
that ISk as on his way to Aleska in en Army plane.
Mr. ARNOLD advised that Captein SMITH hed informed him thet he hed
Ma jor SANDERS the complete story. DBuring the efternoon, Captein S ITH and
ajor SANDERS came to the hotel room, eccording to ARNOLD, and some of the
fregments thet DAHL had brought to Mr. ! LD's room, following the conference,
were shown to Major SANDERS. Upon viewing the fragments, Major SANDERS, accord-
ing to Mr. ARNOLD, steted that they were nothing but slag from the copper mill,
however, before Major SANDERS left, he gathered up every fra ment in the room,
gccording to Mr. ARNOLD, end took them with him. r. ARNOLD stated that he
then left for Boise, Idehoe.
r. ARNOLD produced a letter dated August 5, 1947, from PALMEF
in which PALMER attempts to encourage Mr, ARNOLD to continue his investigation
into the flying discs. This letter is also being e closed to the Bureau.
r. ARNOLD also gave SA JETTE a copy of the article sent to Mr. PALMER end
to the Commanding General, Wright Field, Yayton, Ohio, regarding his sighting
of the nine dises neer Mount Rainier on June 24, 1947. This article is elso
being enclosed to the Bureau. r. ARNOLD advised that he is vitally interested
in this metter and knows that there must be something to the flying discsstory
He stated that he will do everything in his power to help the Bureau in this
matter. fe also advised thet he has no connection whatsoever with the Boise
Statesmen. e stated that the Boise Statesmen has never peid him for eny
information he hes given them. He informed theat he sincerely believes thet
the Boise Statesman is attempting, as he is, to get to the bottom of the flyin
liscs story. Mr, ARNOLD stated that he has told the ebove story to Army
Intelligence and Major SA RS and to no one else, with the exception of
DAVE JOHNSON, Boise Statesman, Boise, Ideho, advised that the »ioisto
Statesman hes never peid lMr, ARNOLD for eny news item he has given them, ar
hes never epprosched him in this menner. He stated that the Boise Stetesman
is not attempting to push the flying dises story, but merely attempting to
--- page 95 ---
.
s 7 A 5
> . . - .
.
e: lying Discs -~ lecoma, Wn,
Laptain 3 S 1 contacted him on July 20, 1947, at Boise, “dsho, regerd-
ing the discs thet is how he met them.
Jompletion to the Sesttle Office.
Fnes. (REGISTERED)
SEEETAT DELI
LI
ce - Seattle
7/
”/
o d
/
-
A
-~
--- page 96 ---
--- page 97 ---
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Encs. to Bureau
Re: Flying Discs
Butte file 65-477
y /
--- page 98 ---
: ' o0 sMBons 5 !
305 STUDIO BUILDING O MG 5 04‘ *~ ;w; =5 VE Bl
1718 SHER 430 Py SR e ¥ ey
MAN AVENUE ol e o (sl ’
EVANSTON, ILLINDIS & 1947 o ‘-wv—\"""‘
Mr. Kenneth Amold, /VZA’
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Box 387
e -
y | Boise, Idaho !
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--- page 99 ---
Y
305 STUDIO BUILDING
1718 SHERMAN AVENUE
EVANSTON, ILLINDIS
L Augst 5, 1947
Ur. Kenneth Arncld,
Box 387,
Boise, Idaho
Dear ir. Arnold:
It seems that Mr. Maurice Roddy of the Chicago Times got the
story from Mr. Smith, because he called me, tocld me he was 3
running it. I knew only what you'd told me over the phone.
Now, it seems the newspapers are pestering the very devil out
of all ycu fellows. Crisman wired me for instiuctions, and I
told him to say nothing th the newspapers, because he'll look
8illy if the army explains this as "meteors* or something like
that.
I don't bleme you for being alarmed, but I trust you've had no
trouble in your flying since then. Let's get that straight--
there's no horrible plot infolved. It's probably true that the
two men killed were just aecidents. It could be true that it
was not an accident, but I don't think there was any connection
with the disks, or anything of that nature, nor is the material
from Murray Islend to blame,
Certainly I don't think you'd suffer from completing your report
on your mission, and sending me your affidavit. Also, you'll
have some money coming for that, and no sense to tossing thet out
of the window. It is unfortunate that the thing seemed so big
you had to call in army intelligence, but it wi 11 take them a
long téme o proceed to the point F've reached iuthis disk mystopy.
You see, you aren't the first to see them. They've been known
for nearly forty years, and I have ample proof of that. But
Jour experience was the first real break toward & solution. I'
hate to have you drop the matter when all remaining to do is to
file your report with me.
Crisman is willing to contribute his share. I hope you will too,
This thing nust not be hushed up and forgotten. It's much too
importent to the people of America, if not the world. And no
censorship of the metter is legale You needn't feer thet angle.
You certainly did a bang-up job of investigation, sls=o you wrote
one of the best articles about your June 24 experience I've ever
ceen. FPlease do the same on this last business. You owa it to
those two men #ho were killed,
I'd also like to know what developed on those pictures yocu took
of those "ddcks", or whatever they weree
--- page 100 ---
. ¥ «2e
¥y »
In short, I'd 1ike to have you continue to keep in contact
with me, and relay to me anything furtker you learn.
In turn, I'll give you the whole story, which I'm just about
ready to break (not in the newsparers). And if it was as
dangerous as you seem to suspect, I'm efraid I'd have been
a corpse long agoi
But, and this Is all you need remember, those disks aro not
red corpascles in your eyetall, and they are not something
we can forget about with an ostrich in the sand attitude.
%e 've got to solve them, public hysteria or no. A4s for that
hysteria, if laughing is hysterie, that's all the hysteria
I've noticed!
By all means, I want to thank you for the work you've done. jise
You know your business, and you handled it like e major. :
But I'm hoping you do the easy part now and get that report
on paper.
A check for your June 24 article is zoing out to you.
Sincerely yours,
R. A. Palmer
--- page 101 ---
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--- page 102 ---
305 STUDIO BUILDING
1718 SHERMAN AVENUE
EVANSTON, ILLINDOIS
P June 26, 1947
o ™ Ny
\ ;«‘”" \ 7
Yo o7 Mr. Kenneth Arnold,
o Boise, Idaho
C i
P Dear Mr. Arnold:
I have just read an account in the Chicago Tribume concerning
an aerial train composed of at least 9 units shaped like a
pie-plate and silvery in color, traveling at 1200 m.p.h. near
Mount Ranier, as witnessed by you while flying in the vicinity.
This is quite important to me, because I have in my possession
numerous independent confirmations of what you saw, although none
in as great detail as your account. I am interested in publishing
an article in our magazine, written from a personal account by
yourself, and accompanied by pix of yourself, plene, and rough
sketches by yourself, of what you saw.
If you ocare to do this for me, I am prepared to pay our usual
rates of 2¢ perword, plus $5.00 for each photograph you can
provide, or for each sketch which can be used by our art staff
to illustrate the article.
Included in this material, we'd like a short biographiocal
sketch of yourself as "author background® material, The
article would appear under your by=-line.
If you are not interested, I would at least appreciate a
letter from you, confirming the newspaper story.
Very truly yours, 5
/ > /; 7 /
0 S /
£‘<144777h4}<0ua‘(_ 'f<*?1477/v4“y/
Raymond A. Palmer
Editor, The Venture Press
In your reply, pleace use airmail.
--- page 103 ---
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Form 3811
Rev. 1-4-40
RETURN RECEIPT
Received from the Postmaster the Registered or Insured Article, the original
number of which appears on the face of this Card.
(Stgnature or name of addressee)
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(Stgnatdre of fMldressec’s ageni—Agent shoald enter addressecs name on line ONE wkood)
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Date of delivery //fi, IQL] - R
. 5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16—12421
--- page 114 ---
pusi O((ltz Dtpart]]lgnt PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE TO AVOID PAYMENT OF POSTAGE, $300
OFFICIAL BUSINESS 4 ;>N SR o0 W
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Street and Number, D it
or Post Office Box,} MR _..__,_.:__/;_,_.:A,’.;,A,,‘K,,,“___t?,.._fi., £
REGISTERED ARTICLE
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INSURED PARCEL BOISE’
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--- page 115 ---
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FBI SEATTLE 8-14=47 5-18 PM : .
— -
DIRECTOR FBI ROUTINE (7 s *'}:
BRUCE JARMSTRONG. . Mo AJ{NICHOLS. FLYING DISCS INTERNAL szcuRlTyfx(;éQ’
NEWSPAPER SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER CARRIED ARTICLE ON AUGUST L//‘Y’
TWELVE OF REPORT OF FLYING DISCS SEEN BY ONE BRUCE ARMSTRONG OF
BOEING AIRCRAFT COMPANY, AND M. A. NICHOLS, ONE ONE TWO FIVE, SOUTH
WEST ONE HUNDRED AND SECONB STREET, SEATTLE. INVESTIGATION OF L
A
SIGHTING BY ARMSTRONG REVEALS OBJECT TO HAVE BEEN PIECE OF WMMBURNT
PAPER WHICH HAD BEEN SEEN BY CONTROL TOWER AT BOEING FIELD. IN-
) VESTIGATION 08 SIGHTING BY M. A. NICHOLS INDICATES OBJECT WAS
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A WEATHER BALLON, LETTER TO FoLLOW. y (/) — @ 5 K[ %
ib VILGOX )
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A_AND H PLS / 32 K2 >
9-19 PM OK FBI WASH DC GAR
--- page 116 ---
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--- page 118 ---
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--- page 119 ---
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WASHINGTON 17 FROM PHILADELPHIA 8=T=47 5-30 PM DST s
| A
_ADTRECTOR FBI URGENT 7
FLYING OBJECT REPORTED OVER PHILA. AUGUST SIX, NINETEEN FORTY-SEVEN,
SABOTAGE. THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ON AUGUST SEV EN, NINETEEN
PHILAes ON EVENING OF AUGUST _SIX, FORTY SEVEN. PEOPLE REPORTED AS
OBSERVING SUCH INTERVIEWED BY PHILA. OFFICE, AND SUBSTANTIALLY
FURNISHED FOLLOWING INFORMATION. AT TEN FORTY FIVE, AUGUST SIX, -
NINETEEN FORTY SEVEN, A BLUISH WHITE FLAMING OBJECT WAS OBSERVED AT
A HEIGHT OF ONE THERSEREE THOUSAND FEET OR MORE OVER PHIL &T‘C"f’"”\".’,'c/‘: 2
PROCEEDING FROM A NORTHEASTERLY TO A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION.
THIS OBJECT LEFT A #WRRE TRAIL OF SMOKE WHEISK LASTED FOR ABQUT ..
’ @b 5as® 4
TWO SECONDS AND W HISSING OR BUZZING SO®ND WAS AUDIBLECAETER -THE
2\ ). K
SIGHT OF SUCH OBJECT. PEOPLE OBSERVING THE SAME SEHEMED R}W,I
k"‘.,
RELIABLE, AND INCLUDE A PEESMESEEX FORMER ARMY AIR CORPS RILOT. HE
DOES NOT BELIEVE ABOVE MENTIONED OBJECT m&mm PROPELLED PLAN}
SINCE THE ACCOMPANYING SOUND WAS NOT AS LOUD AS THAT MADE BY JET
PROPELLED PLANES. HE ESTIMATED ABOVE OBJECT TRAVELED AT A RATE OF
T™ND PACE ONT .
END PAGE ONE X
£A &
I o e 7
--- page 120 ---
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PAGE TWO
ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED TO FIVE HUNDRED MILES PER HOUR. INQUIRIES BEING
MADE BY ARMY AND NAVY INTELLIGENCE FORCES, PHILA. ON THE REQUEST
OF THE PHILA. OFFICE TO DETERMINE IF EITHER ARMY OR NAVY ARE DOING
ANY EXPERIMENTAL WORK ON NEW TYPES OF PLANES IN VICINITY OF PHILA.
THEY WILL ADVISE PHILA., OFFICE IN NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. LETTER OF
DETAILS WILL FOLLOW,
BOARDMAN
HOLD PLS
--- page 122 ---
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Oflice Memuorandum + uNiTED sTaL.. .OVERNMENT
¥ 65=-480
. ; DATE:
[ #H¢ TO fD>D ‘otor FBI E August 20, 1947
FROM fi SAC Butte A
4 SUBJa{h HeLyine piscs 4},%2‘*" -
Refer teletype to the Bureau dated August 15, 1947, PP <
Enclosed please find the newspaper account carried by the Twin Falls, 4
g&ho "Times News" on August 15, together with a sheet of paper on which A, Ce £
_xURIE attempted to sketch his impressions of the instrument which he claims to s
have seen, 1
Concerning URIE's sketches, it may be noted that he believed the
rolled outer edge which he attempted to create in his drawing to have been about
a foot through, URIE likewise believed that the tubing or exhaust flame which
he and his sons claim to have seen was about a foot through and extended at
least to the back end of the device, The flame did not appear to taper off nor
to widen out toward the back,
BILLY and KEITH(URIE stated that they could see a knot on the side of
the device fram which the ‘flames were shooting, and that they could see day~-
light between the exhaust fleme and the side of the device, The flames did not
leave any smoke or odor,
a The URIE boys thought that the "side view" sketch should show that
4 & the device was more sharply angled from bottom to top, while URIE himself
¢ thought that it was more streamlined and curveds, URIE said that the instru-
E ment came to & pointed or rounded tope PEFERRLED oo onDIy G,
F In his notations, URIE mistakenly said that he had seen it on Thurs-
g daye During interview, he stated that it actually had been on Wednesday,
% _ August 13, 1947, when he and his sons saw the contrivance about 1:00 P, M,
\¢ URIE explained that he had sent his boys to the river to get some
A rope from his boat, When he thought they were overdue, he went outside his
tool shed to look for them, He noticed them about 300 feet away loocking in
the sky and he glanced up to see what he called the flying disc, He said he b
R could only see it for a moment before it disappeared behind a hill which /
obscured his view, —/f:z,s,
URIE further stated that the contrivance was about seventy-five
feet in the air., TURIE rgsides in the depths of the Snake River Canyon, which
is about four hundred feet deep and twelve hundred feet across at that place,
According to his acc t, the contrivance was about three hundred feet below
the rim of the canyeh and he sew it ageinst the steep walls of the canyon on
the far side, He ribed its color as sky blue and stated that he doubted
if it could bofi /agaifist the sky, He likewise said that it was purely by
- chancpy\tl‘fiyty ,‘q., /It)d.id not spin like a Efifww TP {'6/7[
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--- page 124 ---
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--- page 125 ---
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BT 65=480 v
p As the machine went by the URIE place, the trees over which it almost
directly passed (Mormen Poplars) did not just bend with the wind as if a plane
had gone by, but, in URIE's words, "spun around on top as if they were in a
vacuum,"
KEITH URIE, eight years of age, said he first saw the machine coming
down the canyon, heading from east to west and following the contours of the
ground, BILLY, age ten, saw it almost immediately, Both watched it fly out 0
of sight behind a tree in a matter of moments, They said they themn ran to
their Father and learned that he too had seen the machine,
URIE seemed completely sincere about the incident, He said his wife
and daughter were in the house at the time and had not seen the machine, He
questioned his brother, who also lives in the canyon, but his brother had been
eating at the time and had seen nothinges URIE and his two boys maintained
that they had never before seen one of the discs, URIE, when interviewed, ap-
peared to be a sober, middle-aged man,
JOHN-TROSNAN, the"Times News" reporter who originally furnished
Special Agents with information about the incident, likewise stated that URIE
appeared completely sincere about the machine,
No further attempt was made to locate L. W.‘ HAWKINS, inasmuch as
Je H¢'BROWN, who was with HAWKINS at the time, was interviewed, BROWN's name
was withheld fram the newspaper because HAWKINS and BROWN were fishing at Sale
mon dam while BROWN was supposed to have been working in Twin Falls,
BROWN said simply that he and HAWKINS could hear a roar, They looked
up and could see two instruments flying at a great height, which BROWN mentioned
might have been between four thousand and six thousand feet, However, he said
he had no idea how large the devices were and consequently, they may have been
several miles awaye He said that he and HAWKINS were satisfied they had seen
some thing and they were very doubtful that they had seen two planes,
RJGsFO'S
Enc, (2)
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--- page 126 ---
--- page 127 ---
ENCLOSURE » iy . f‘"‘""'.fwz';; F
P
R 7
--- page 128 ---
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3 TWIN L
RcJiR.al Newspaper Serving - FALLS -
"sp';'l‘,’f TWIN FALLS, IDAHO, FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1947
j Y IS
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Heads Up, Folks! The Discs Are Flyi
r ¢ »
eads Up, Folks! The Discs Are Flying A
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i SIDE VIEW T OTTOM VIEW END VIEW
This is an artist’s conception of the flying disc that A. C. Urie saw | sides, and could well be the inspiration for something new in women’s
sweeping through Snake river canyon six miles west of Blue Lakes hats, such as a “flying saucer” creation. (Drawing by Vic Goertzen-
ranch. It seemed to be powered by jets emiiting a fiery glow on both staff engraving)
g * ¥ * * * * * * * * ¥ * * ¥ ¥ *
Flying S Reported Flashing Down C
At 1,000 Miles Per Hour; Two Oth |
°
t 1,00 iles Per Hour; 0 Others Are Seen ||
By JOHN BROSNAN the fast-flying objects the nation scription of the flying discs seen by come concerned about what was de- |
Just as Magic Valley and the [has yet produced. him and his son, Keith, 8, and Billy, | laying them, and had walked down
nation were starting to let go of The flying saucer Urie saw was | 10: | toward the river to see if they were
lampposts after reeling under a | skimming along through Snake river | “I obtained a close-up view of | all right. |
welter of flying saucer reports, two | canyon at a height of about 75 | the flying saucer as it passed by lhe‘ “I had a side view at a d!smn(e;
more Twin Falls county men re- |feet at 1 p. m. Wednesday. At 9:30 | trout farm at 1 p. m. Aug. 13 going | of about 300 feet and almost on a
vived speculation on the mystery |a. m. the same day, L. W. Hawk- | down Snake river canyon at ahmght‘lcvoi with the thing,” Urie (wwn-l
with vivid descriptions of discs they [ins, Twin Falls county commis- | of about 75 feet from the canyon |tinued. “Two of my boys, Keith |
saw. sioner and former county sheriff |floor. I would estimate the speed | and Billy, were below me and they
6 From A. C. Urie, who operates from Filer, also saw two circular | at about 1,000 miles per hour.” |also saw it at about a 45-degree
the Auger Falls Trout farm six | objects soaring along at a great Urie explained that the incident | angle. They both got a bottom and
miles west of Blue Lakes ranch in | height near Salmon dam 40 miles | occurred while the two boys were |8 side view, and we were all look-
el ke river canyon, came perhaps | southwest of Twin Falls. \(-ommg across the river from the |ing at it from the south side of the
most detailed account of one of Here is Urie’s eye-witness de-|north side in a boat. He had be—l (Continued on Page 8, Column 6)
L R T iTr o AaPos LR e e | oot o= (i O TN TR
--- page 129 ---
TIMES-NEWS, TWIN FALLS, IDAHO
p
e | p . - = |[Four Parleys |
J |
| Twin Falls News in Brief ' i
| P
ng | Set on Cassia |
To Visit Here | Marriage License 3
., Aurelia Stark, Portland, Ore, iS| Kenneth Miracle and Esta Jay S Oll Ol Pla b | U
Op arriving here soon to visit Mr. and | pearson, both of Twin Falls, received cno B
Mrs. Phil A. Snow. |a marriage license Thursday at the (From Page One) 9y
known | e ! courthouse. | Sublett; 14, Almo; 24, Hazel; P
heans. | Births " et | Bridge, 50, springdaie; 31, View, 2
smits| A daughter was born Thursday | Rector Returns 32, Moulton. %
beets. | to Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Wageman, | - v W ) B g £l v The above districts would be
made | Filer, at the Twin Falls Cou“ly"h’:hfif)zst\)b‘fl‘. é‘s;?g;]R(?f‘:'h;u,{.\o(fi(.x?:icurpm'mvd into one district wh ?]. £
special | general hospital maternity home. | 8 P ¥ 7 B LR would elect five trustees. Tru:‘.u 18
Lt with R |sion, and Mrs. Rolls returned | W°%¢ would be divided thuss D
iety of | Return From College Thursday = from Tacoma, Wash.,|p Bios, WONC, Burley school disc]#
p resist| Mr. and Mrs. Robenl Van Engelen | Where they spent their vacation. .md west of Overland and the Bur? | g
1 Fri /a Engelen have re- B y-Oakley hi yay; distri
reworm i:l?:ned rexs)m‘;{l:xscov«;wherc‘rhey at- (Return to Kansas City i)er} g&}l\]l‘p‘; L::Iglxlflciis{txxl‘;ctéwéafi a:)l!l S
jal con- | tended the summer session of the| E. L. Hoffman and his son, | Overland and the Burley-Oakley | §
sted use | University of Idaho. iEugene, with Lucille Gahr, has re- highway; district 3, present districts | ¢
ene di- —_— turned to Kansas City after visiting | of Declo, Albion, Springdale and |]]
ghat al-| BREV !Ml‘» and Mrs. H. B. Hogue. MrS.|View; district 4, Oakley, Basin, | §
high as | Miss Povey Visits | Hogue is his mother, | Moulton; and district 5, Heglar, |}
fm con- Kathleen Povey, former Spanish TN {Malm. Elba, Sublett, Almo, Bridge |
ars. instructor at Twin Falls high schoolv‘()n Trip to East |and all present unorganized terri- |
L mp.a- - flsm"{‘ he}—e this we_ek. S};le ’;O“tl Mrs. John Hawes and her nephew, | tory. t
e o | teaches Spanish in a high school at | 5.y Bolang, have gone to Boston —_—_— |
al DDT|South Pasadena, Calif. {and New York City on & two-week's |
2 good e o st reiacives. | Funeral Held for
reworm | Auto Recovered ‘na(.atxon to n.sx__re_na\nca. i -
rs. Clifford J. Roth, 520 Fifth avenue [y, ... = . I Wend ”
ert north, reported the theft of his| viSiting Sister 2 [ ntant at endade
for two|automobile from near the Legion| Mrs. Robert Swanson, Denver,| wenperr aug 15 — Graveside |
fe to at-| hall to Twin Falls police at 5:42 p.|Colo.,, is visiting her sister, Mrs. services were held Thursday eve- |
done at|m, Thursday and 18 minutes Wflif{”‘ sth Kall. Mrs. Swanson is a|,ino toh Marian Kay Ems, Wendell. |
ut:'torm§- reported he had recovered the ve-|former resident of Rupert. The infant daughter of Mr. and |
d?::r r;‘:"o‘hm& St Permit Mrs. Kenneth Ems died at birth
< 5 e ey b g Thursday :
fields in| yisits Schuberts | Al plication for a permit to bulld‘ Hu Sd_‘? n?cv)‘rfung :
ieh as 25' Agnes Schubert, Monterey’ Park,|a 12 by 20-foot private garage of| She Is survived by her parents; a |
tields o ie seit o Aol b L 8 5t riled 3 brother; Kenneth Ray, 22 months, |
s 1lelds. Calif., is visiting her Lrother and)irauie conslruction was filed Friday | e AN e > <k 4
nuipaeaamnage is done to the| sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Mel|in the office of the city clerk by | and a sister, Janet LaRae, 5. Burial
pods, he explained, as the insects|Schubert, this month. Miss Schu- [Lola M. Vazquez, 350 Elm street, | in the Wendell cemetery was under
burrow into a pod at night, eat into | pert, former art instructor at Twin |who estimated the cost at $400. the direction of the Frazier mor-
the seeds, drop to the ground the|Falls high school, now teaches in | g tuary.
next day, and enter another pod | California. IMM” to Meet ———eee -
the next night. He recommended —— Members of the fellowship degree 3
fuse of five per cent DDT dust| Attend Funeral of the Moose lodge will ]mect' a"JenklnS May TI‘V
| at the rate of 20 pounds per acre,| Out-of-town persons who attend-"lz:so p. m. Sunday at the Moo::e‘ it
| and said the first application should | ed the Donald Spencer funeral in- | hall, officials announced Friday. | Run Tests Frlday
| be on now. |clude Mrs. George Robbins, Ingle- | pofreshments will be served bvl
| Next speaker was W. D. Hay of | wood, Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. Clmo"'Women of the Moose. % WENDOVER, Utah, Aug. 15 (#)—
| the PMA federal-state seed IabOI‘fl-‘Adams, Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Vidun.’ s Ab Jenkins, holder of most of the |
| tory at Sacramento, Calif. He dis-|Wayne and Dorothy Adams, and . world’s land speed records for dis- |
| cussed the movement of bean seed | Mrs. Norma Lou Veneman, all Po- Harrv Plper 71 tances of 50 miles or more, may be- |
‘ll‘l interstate commerce, how the catello; Mrs. Sarah Adams, Mrs. . ’ ’ gin late tomorrow test runs in prep-
seed should be labeled, how to name | Will Severe, Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Clalmed b Death aration .for his newest record as-
different varieties, and the validity Adams, Mr. and Mrs. Orvil Adams, y sault.
of name assignments, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Adams, Mr. BUHL, Aug. 15—Harry Sylvester re o .
Carl Blackburn, of the Idaho Crop | and Mrs. Ellsworth Adams, all Oak- | Piper, 71, Buhl plumber since 1926, si ?;:f: X‘f”:g:l?oar_qfifi A,'\]ng‘;‘ ‘dc'
Improvement association, dlficusstd']oy: Mrs. Judson Tolman, Logan,|died at 9:20 p. m. Thursday at the -riZl that Jenki g‘w.“gé ,] hos
“lho general organization of that | Utah, and Mrs. Alice Miller, Salt | Twin Falls county general hos- noun('eé the c‘"rn:'reflév t mp'., pros
| group and spoke of its measures for | Lake City. pital. from complications following | r; Tt Bl b d ST
seed certification. | e ————— an emergency operation. “Ew _:,n'lh Ht c.,mfl cflon an 11%
The delegates then adjourned to | T Mr. Piper was born June 6, 1875, ?i]lln S:“” {i;‘.m;‘;}, O::m(,:p fi‘?‘t‘”fi‘
Clear Lakes res ist y. w ll M i car Rt . ¢ ]
{ s resort for a fish fry : am llng'el', \’I‘ésf:”:g”alb%xam' and came to|galt Lake City. Jenkins, former Saé
-— - - P H = e 5u1'\'i\'éd -~ 3 . |Lake City mayor, hoped to make
[ . | y his wife, Mrs. jeial > vt
i I The HOSpltal ,‘ 389 asses s ere Nettie Clussman Piper; three g oLiotal i FAT et woey
1 William H. Munger, 38, 305 LOCdUSl daughters, Mrs. Harry Kinter, Buhl; J
t i 11 a. m, Friday . Je s P, - .
| erzency beds only were avail-| eree nort. dle at = S, S r ‘Jdmes F. Perchal, Twin Falls, » e
--- page 130 ---
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
" ".. OFFICIAL BUSINESS
J ENCLOSURE TO BUREAU
Butte File 65-480
--- page 131 ---
GS 9 S
aucer’ seen
.
Flying Down
; O
Snake Gorge
<)
(From Page One)
river facing toward the north. The
boys saw it coming about half a
| mile up the canyon, and we all lost
‘sight of it in less than a mile.”
While the impression was still
[vivid in their minds, the three got
‘ together and made rough sketches
of what they had seen. These, in
turn, were the basis for the artist’s
conception of the strange affair by
Vic Goertzen of Twin Falls for the
Times-News.
“It was all one color—sort of a
light sky blue with a red, tubular
;;fiery glow at the side of the top or
«nood,” Urie continued.
“The canyon floor is rough at
hatgmnicular point, and it rode
up and down over the hills and hol-
lows at a speed indicating some
type of control faster than the
reflexes of man. It 1s my opinion
} that it is guided by instruments and
must be powered by atomic energy,
as it made very little noise—just a
s-w-i-s-h as it passed by.”
Urie described the size as about
20 feet long by 10 feet high and
h| 10 feet wide, giving it an oblong
shape, It might be described as look-
ing like an inverted pie-plate or
broad-brimmed straw hat that had
been compressed from two sides.
I Pressed for his candid opinion of
just what it was, Urie said that he
was convinced that there was some-
thing to this flying saucer situation.
“I know a number of the people who
have also seen them and I know
that they’re not just imagining
something or trying to get their
names in the paper,” Urie com-
mented.
“I do know that it scared the boys
and made me feel pretty uneasy,”
he added.
Tracing down a rumor that County
Commissioner Hawkins had seen an
unusual object in the air on the
rb’dm(’ day as Urie’s experience, fhr]
Timeés-News called him at his Filer|
home, |
‘ “Yes, I did,” he replied without
hesitation. “I'll have to admit I've|
been skeptical all along until I sawl
it with my own eyes. I can’t say|
what it was, but I can say there’s
something in the air.”
Hawkins related that while at
Salmon dam Wednesday morning,
a sound resembling the echo of a
motor caused him to look upward,
and there he saw two circular ob-
jects that reflected light. They were
traveling at a great speed and
higher than most airplanes, accord-
ng to Hawkins.
Aside from this, he declined to
add details, except to say, “There's
something in the air.”
His general description, however,
corresponded closely to those of
hundreds of persons who reported
seeing flying saucers after Kenneth
Arnold, Boise businessman, had
touched off the deluge by telling of
coming upon nine disc-like objects
while he was flying in his private
plane in Washington.
Thereafter, the nation became in-
creasingly flying saucer conscious,
creating a state of mind that made
it possible for four ’teen age Twin
Falls boys to cause a mild sensa-
tion when they built a model flying
disc and tossed Into a local yard
July 10. This was subseuently re-
vealed as a hoax, following investi-
gation by the army and FBI.
Thereafter the saucer reports
| tapered off into a few scattered in-
cidents until the question was re-
vived by this week’s occurrences.
Speculation has ranged from
mention that the discs could be
army or navy guided missile experi-
ments, or that they could be similar
experiments by some foreign coun-
try, to “something out of this
world.”
‘Whatever, they are, a lot of people
have seen “something.” l
--- page 132 ---
OUT OUR WAY
LET THAT 1' THAT'S
ALONE, YOU FROM
FATHEAD, AN’ & . TH' g
Il Go oN ABouT 5 TH
[T\ YOUR BUSINESS! A R]
[y = o
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SIDE GLANCES
45 y
n
(P23
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&
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“If you quit driving to wor
save enough money to buy Ju
the yard!”
CARNIVAL
=G \o4
--- page 133 ---
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--- page 134 ---
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--- page 135 ---
b S
STANDARD FORM NO. €4 R
>/ e - fo
O_jjhce\ C77%. . oveid4F72 + UNITED 8 GOVERNMENT
TO : D. M. Ifim DATE: August 20, 1947
¢
FROM : E. G. Fitch e
Mr. E. A, Tamm__
’ Mr. Clegg
SUBJECT Adthorty e —
cEm— Mr. Rosen ——
Mr, Tracy
3 —
There is attached hereto copies af #wo memoranda dated July 24, . Gume_——
1947, and July 16, 1947, concerning BymHIZB.Wage, Field Engineer, Radio X- e
Corporation of America, Dalla$, Texas, 416 N. We 29th Street, Oklahoma g;fjg{;g‘m'w‘
City, Oklahoma, and Kenreth¥Arnold, Box 387, Boise, Idaho. These memoranda Lgi\%’*‘
were made available to Special Agent S. W. Reynolds of the liaison Section __ _——
by Gereral Schulgen of the Army Air Forces Intelligence. Gerneral Schulgen 4
requested that the Bureau comduct a background investigation of these two
individuals mentioned in t‘& attached memoranda since they were among the
first to sight the alleged Tlying discs. He indicated that he desired that
the investigation be directed toward ascertaining whether or not either of
these individuals have any subversive background and to ascertain whether
or not they had any ulterior motiwves for porting <Ufpse sj ingsS.
>
c- i }. ) i
It is recommerded Fnisfieng a{&/fl% fo mfi?; to the Internal
Sannrity Sectio ) : o/
Security Section. j / Y P )
Attachment 7% Al ( 5 &!( sopAos o’ , /
A 2 | / a.r. ¥
i:(rk C))' ) b5 A e ¥ fl |
L’J & '}) MJ‘V Ug g9/ ] =
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--- page 136 ---
COPY
e %
Y
OCAPN/KDS: cp
#3724-1 24 July 1947
MEMORANDUM TO THE SECURITY OFFICER, OCAMA, TINKER FIELD,
SUBJECT: BYRON B. SAVAGE, Field Engineer, Radio Corporation
of America, Dellas, Texas, Residence: 416 N. W, 29%h Street,
Oklshoma City, Oklahome,)
RE: Flyind Disce.
On 23 July 1947, BYRON B, SAVAGE was interviewed et his residence,
416 N, W, 29th Street, Oklahoma City, Okleshoma, relsting to his elleged
viewing of e flying disc over the vicinity of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
Subject, whose sge is 38, advised he is married and has one child,
end is presently the holder of a Privete Pilot's License, No. 39101
(Single Engine, Lend). Subject averred he has extensively studied electron-
jcs, sound engineering end aeronsutics, and his present occupstion, which is
Field Engineer for Radio Corporation of ‘fmerica, offices of which are
located in Dellas, Texas, is that of installing theater sound equipment,
SAVAGE stated that between the days 17 May to 21 Mey 1947, just after dusk,
he observed an object which he believed to be a smell aircraft in the south.
SAVAGE advised thet the sun hed just gone down and the moon had not arisen
on the horizon, SAVAGE related thet he and his wife had just deperted
their residence end had started to enter their cer in the drivewey at
416 N, W, 29th Street, Oklehoma City. He judged the time to be between
8:30 pem, end 9:00 p.ms, and the lights from the city of Oklahoma City
appeered to be shining on this object when he first saw it. He judged the
object to be about 160° in the south when he first sew it, and as it moved .
towerd him he remerked to his wife thet "& big white plene wes coming over."
SAVAGE stated that when this object was at a 45° angle from him, he
realized it wes not & conventional type eircraft, end it eppeared elliptical
at first end as it moved closer it sppeared perfectly round end wes flat,
SAVAGE sdvised the object, which asppeared to him as e disc, had no appearence
of being sphericel end had & ratio of disemeter to the thickness of epproxi=-
mately 10 to 1, eppeering thicker in the center, but this could not be 3
positigely ascertained, SAVAGE judged the object to be at en altitude of
between 10,000 and 18,000 feet, and it left no trailing effects. SAVAGE
related that it appeared to be in bulk as big &s the bulk of six B-29s at
an sltitude of epproximately the seme height. SAVAGE advised thet the object
wes in his vision espproximately 15 to 20 seconds end travelled et a speed
which he judged to be approximetely three times that of jet-propelled aircrafte
--- page 137 ---
>
Memo “to the Security Officer, OCAMA, Tinker Field, dtd 7 24/47, File
3724-1,
SAVAGE stated thet there were no protrusions on this object end es it
went by he listened for & sound of noise, end at one time thouzht he dis-
tinguished & swishing sound like the rushing of eir. This swishing sound
occurred a few seconds after this object hed passed him, SAVAGE averred
this sound was not very loud end did not last very long, end it is very
possible that the sound could heve been his imaginetion or expectation, as
he wes not sure of the sound, SAVAGE related thet he called his wife to :
see this object but it had disappesred before she could focus her eyes on
it. Subject stated thet the object sppeered to diminish in size and
speed as it movfdrifig;(, and it wes moving in a direction of 350° to the
north, Subje-ct/gteted thet the object eppeared to be frosty white in
color at all times,
SAVAGE advised that he has held a pilot's certificete since 1934 and
has been flying since 1829, He advised that he would be zlad to answer any
further inquiries and will cooperate in every way possible. SAVAGE stated
he was sure this object was not a meteor snd in his opinion it must be
radicelly built end powered, probably atomic.
KAIMAN D, SIMON
CeI. U.S. Army
--- page 138 ---
: g COPY
. \ -/ A\ P - -
[ L AN T 44F 1208 I
A 16 July 1947
MEMORANDUM FOR THE OFFICER IN CHARGEs
le On 12 July 1947, Mr, Kenneth Arnold, Box 387, Boise, Idaho,
was interviewed in regerd to the report by Mr, Arnold that he saw 9
strenge objects flying over the Cascede Mountein Range of Washington
State on July 25th. Mr. Arnold voluntarily sgreed to give the interviewer
e written report of exectly what he had seen on the sbove mentioned dste,
The written report of Mr. Arnold is stteched to this report as Exhibit A,
AGENT*S NOTES: Mr, Arnold is a man of 32 yesrs of age, being married snd
" the father of two children., He is well thought of in the community in
which he lives, being very much the family men end from ell appearances 2
e very good provider for his family., Mr., Arnold has recently purchesed a
home on the outskirts of Boise, recently purchesed a §5,000 airplene in
which to conduct his business to the extent of which is explained in the
etteched exhibit, It is the personal opinion of the interviewer that Nr,
Arnold actually sew whaet he stated thet he sew, It is difficult to believe
that e men of Mr, Arnold's character and epparent integrity would stete
thet he saw objects end write up a report to the extent thet he did if he
did not see thems To go further, if Mr, Arnold can write a report of the
character thet he did while not having seen the objects that he claimed he
sew, it is the opinion of the interviewer thet Mr, Arnold is in the wrong
business, thet he should be writing Buck Rogers fiction., Mr, Arnold is
very outspoken snd somewhet bitter in his opinions of the leaders of the
U. S. Army Air Foreces and the Federel Bureesu of Investigatidn for not having
mede an investigstion of this matter sooner. To put all of the statements
mede by Mr. Arnold in this report would meke it & voluminous volune., However,
efter heving checked en eseronauticel map of the erea over which Mr, Arnold
cleims thet he saw the objects it wes determined thet ell stetements made by
Mre Arnold in regerd to the distances involved, speed of the objects, course
of the objects and size of the objects, could very possibly be facts. The
distences mentioned by Mr, Arnocld in his report ere within a short distance
of the actual distences on aeronsutical charts of this area, although Mr,
Arnold hes never consulted seronatitical charts of the type the Army uses,
Mr, Arnold steted that this business hed suffered grestly since his report
on July 25 due to the fact that et every stop on his business routes, large
crowds of people were waiting to question him as to just what he had seen,
Mr, Arncld steted further that if he, st any time in the future, sesw anything
in the sky, to guote Mr, Arnold directly, "if I sew a ten story building
FRANK M. BROWN, S/A, CIC 4th AF
CNCARTTATISNTARI AT A F
--- page 139 ---
-l L N & T
o ; Incident
4AF 1208 I +
flying through the air I would never say e word sbout it", due to the
fact that he has been ridiculed by the press to such an extent that he
is practicelly a morcn in the eyes of the majority of the population of
the United Stetes.
1 Incl: Exhibit "A"
f
FRANK M. BROWN, §/&, CIC 4th AF
AR CIT SN ATIIT A T
--- page 140 ---
A » COPY ‘
- W: L L e —
SOME LIFE DATA ON KENNETH ARNOLD
I wes born March 29, 1915 in Subeke, Minnesote., My father's
neme was Edward Erb Arnold; my mother's meiden neme was Bertha
E, Barden. I was & resident of Minnesote until’ I was six years
old when my femily moved to Scobey, Montans, where they home=-
steaded, My grandfether, Rolend C. Armold elso homesteaded in
Scobey, Montesna, snd beceme quite prominent in political circles
elong with Burton K, Wheeler, the femous Montene senator,
I went to grede school and high school at Minot, North
Dakota, I entered scouting et twelve years of age end achieved
the rank of Eagle scout before I was fourteen, My former scout
executive was H. H., Prescott, now a regional commissioner for
the Boy Scouts in Kensas City, Kansas,
As & boy, 1 was interested in sthletics and was selected
eg an ellesteate end in 1932 and 1933 in the state of North
Dakote., I entered the U. S. Olympic trials in fancy diving in
1932; I wes a Red Cross Life Saving Exeminer during the years
of 1932, '33 end '34, I taught swimming end diving at scout
camps end the municipel pool in Minot, North Dekota, I went
to the University of Minnesotas, where I swem end did fency
diving under Neils Thorpe, end elso played footbell under Bernie
Biermen, but upon entering college I was unable to continue my
footbell career because of en injured knee, My high school foot=
bell coach wes Glenn L, Jerrett, who is now the heed football
coach of the University of North Dakotas I had little or no
finences, end my ambition in furthering my education in college
NTCON T Rt Ay
--- page 141 ---
S By
Al 'V’l;é,;e"z - Some Life dete on Kemneth Arnold i :
was through my athleticse 4s a boy in Minot, North Dakots, I
did e good deesl of dog sled racing, placing first with my dog
in 1930 in the Lions Club Dog Derby.
In 1938 I went to work for Red Comet, Inc, of Littleton,
Coloredo, & menufacturer of automatic fire fighting spparstus.
In 1939 I wes made district menager for them over s part of the
western states, and in 1940 I established my own fire control
supply known as the Greet Western Fire Control Supply. I have
been working as an independent fire control engineer since,
end I hendle, distribute, sell end instell all types of auto-
metic and menual fire fighting equipment in the rural areas over
five western steates,
My flying experience started as a boy in Minot, North
Dekote, where I took my first flying lesson from Earl T, Vance,
who was originelly from Great Falle, Montena, Due to the high
cost et thet time, I wes uneble to continue my flying and did
not fly of any great consequence until 1943, I wes given my
pilot certificate by Ed Leach, a senior CAA inspector of
Portland, Oregon, and for the last three years have owned my ‘
own eirplane covering my entire territory with sasme end flying
from forty to one hundred hours per month since. Due to the 5
fact thet I use an sirplene entirely in my work, in Januery
of this year I purchased & new Callair airplene, which is en
eirplene designed for high altitude take-offs end short rough
field usage. >
In the type of flying I do, it tekes & great desl of
--- page 142 ---
B R S
COFY
- . l
*
% v -
. Pege 3- Some Life Date on Kemneth /Armold
practice end judpment to be esble to land in most eny cow
pasture snd get out without injuring your eirplane; the .
runways ere very limited end the sltitude is very high in
some of the fields and places I have to go in my work, To
date, I have landed in 832 cow pastures in mountein meadows,
end in over a thousend hours a flat tire has been my greatest
mishep,
--- page 143 ---
" i (" \:,\ Xl A A
= £l
)
/ v~
FBI SEATTLE 8=14-47 5=21 PM FB
P
+DIRECTOR FBI URGENT \,?//;A )
L. R. BRUMMETT, SIDVBECKER. FLYING DISCS. INTERNAL SCURITY=X. ?/ /)
/
AUGUST FOURTEEN [elqeRdMmey NINETEEN FORTYSEVEN SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER
PUBLISHED ARTICLE TO EFFECT THAT L. RfiUNNETT, BOX TWO FIVE FOUR RED-
MOND, WASH, AND SIDNEY DECKER BOX TWO NINE SIX REDMOND, WASHINGTON HAD
SIGHTED TWO DISCS AT APPROXIMATELY NINE AM AUGUST THIRTEEN NINETEEN
FORTYSEVEN., UPON INTERVIEW DECKER STATED THAT TWO VERY BRIGHT OtJECTS
TRAVELING AT AN EXTREME RATE OF SPEED WERE NOTICED BY HIM AS HE*;AS W
STANDING NEAR THE REDMOND POST OFFICE. DECKER DESCRIBED THE OBJECTS
AS HAVING NO WINGS, NO TAIL, AND BOTH ENDS WERE TAPERED. DECKER ADDED
THAT THE OBJECTS RESEMBLED A BELLY TANK AND THAT THEY WERE NOISELESS.
THE OBJECTS WERE VERY BRIGHT AND TRAVELING IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION
OVER REDMOND, WASHINGTON, ONE A BIT BEHIND AND A LITTLE ABOVE THE OTHER
MAINTAINING EQUAL RATES OF SPEED FOR APPROXIMATELY EIGHT SECONDS A’I}.
WHICH TIME THEY DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. DECKER ADDED THAT THEY WERE
HIGHER THAN A PLANE GENERALLY TRAVELS. BRUMMETT ADVISED THAT HE NOTICED
THE OBJECTS AND CALLED DECKERS ATTENTION TO THEM AND ALSO POINTED THEM
OUT TO A MRS MAMIE ENGLISH. BRUMMETT STATED THAT HE SAW TWO OBJECTS
FLYING. AT A FORTYFIVE DEGREE ANGLE NORTHEASTERLY OVER REDMOND AN/D /
v ¢ | ’
A THAYOOHN = v—-,;:' \‘é- /
(Y & LINE Y
--- page 144 ---
Trngged
L LIUNO3S TVRYALN!
WHasLY e
--- page 145 ---
PAGE TWO
TRAVELING AT LEAST THREE TIMES FASTER THAN A PLAN. BRUMMETT ADDED THAT
HE WATCHED THE OBJECTS FROM FIVE TO EIGHT SECONDS AT WHICH TIME THEY
DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT. ACCORDING TO BRUMMETT THE OBJECTS WERE DESCRIBED
AS BEING NOISELESS, HAVING NO WINGS OR TAIL, LIGHTER THAN ALUMINUM,
TAPERED AT BOTH ENDS AND ONE STAYED A LITTLE BEHIND AND A BIT ABOVE THE
OTHER AND BOTH MAINTAIND EQUAL RATES OF SPEED. FROM BRUMMETTS OBSERVATIO|
HE WAS UNABLE TO DECIDE WHETHER THE OBJECTS WERE FLAT OR ROUND. MRS
MANfE*ENCLISH STATED THAT WHEN BRUMMETT CALLED HER ATENTION TO THE
OBJECTS SHE TOOK A PASSING GLANCE AT THE SKY AND COULD OFFER NO
DESCRIPTION OTHER THAN THEY LOOKED LIKE TWO SILVER BALLS TRAVELING
AT A FAST RATE OF SPEED.,
WILCOX
END
SHOLD PLS
5-28 PM OK FBI WASH DC GAR
--- page 146 ---
:
. 1 4
Vi
<
--- page 147 ---
,
. STANDARD FORM NO, 64 7
~
.Ojfic‘(i Memorandum - vxitep s. GOVERNMENT
- T0 : Director, ' 5 DATE: September 20, 1947
N
WFROM : SAC, Chicago
i ~
{
SUBJECT: RIVTNC DTS
RICHARD Po{SHAVER - Informant
Reference is made to your letter dated August 11, 1947 in the above captioned
matter.
Sheriff FRED BAU, lMcHenry County, Woodstock, Illinois, advised that he had
received no reports of flying discs in the community of ILily Lake, Illinois.
writer of mystery stories. He said he had no information to the effect that
SHAVER was mentally unsound and he believed him to be a substantial citizen.
rs. R. IANNES, Lily lake Realty Company, advised she had sold property to
She knew of no derogatory information concerning him.
tICHARD SHARPE\SHAVER was interviewed at Lily Lake, Illinois and advised that
he was the featured writer of mystery stories forM#mazing" magazine, which
Chicago, Illinois. OSHAVER at *the outset stated that PALMER had told him t“vf—//
to in referenced letter, was probably sent by one of his readers, unknown to
him. He said that he wrote mystery stories based on his firm conviction that
under the earth are various ca ms formerlyv inhabited bv a snper race who
under e earth ax .‘_r‘n S caverns ,L“ rly inhabited by a super race, who
have since fled to other planets. This region of caverns he calls lLemuria.
He stated he believes there is valuable machinery and other resources in these
caverns. He therefore explained flying discs, which he calls "space ships",
as the mode of travel of the Lemurians coming from other planets to reclaim
vide following among readers of "Amazing" magazine. /
/‘l -
A.HVW'.“‘; 3, 1947, The article stated that on June 24, 1947, on Murray Island,
a private pilot, sighted the first flying disc at Boise, Idahg3 /
O A
gOF
i
B OF J’J 7 ig:!(, i (\Q(\w\ (\
270 NOV 18 1964
--- page 148 ---
t
& %
Luno3s TWRESS
[d \ -
<
(Ak\
--- page 149 ---
-
e e L
Director, FBI
les FLYING DISCS September 20, 1947
The article went on to state that it was believed at the time that there was
some correlation between the flying disc and the Murray Island explosion, and
that RAYMOND PALMER, Chicago magazine editor, had employed ARNOLD to investi-
gate and "cover" the Murray Island explosion.
The article went on to state that on August 1, 1947, at Tacoma, Washington,
there was a conference among officials of the Army and Navy, who discussed
the possible relation between the Murray Island explosion and the appearance
of flying discs. ARNOLD was supposed to have been in attendance at this
conference. At the conference, authorities brought samples of a lava oxide
metal, allegedly taken from the scene of the Murray Island explosion.
The article stated that following the conference, two pilots left by plane
for Hamilton Iield, California, carrying samples of the lava oxide metal.
e article further reported that the plane crashed near Hamilton Field,
California, and it was conjectured that the plane had exploded by reason of
the combustion of the lava oxide metal it carried.
From the above newspaper article, it should be noted that RAYMOND PALMER,
SHAVER's employer, was from the start "exploiting" the appearance of the
flying discs, possibly to enhance the appeal of SHAVER's stories. It is
possible, therefore, that the entire flying disc theory was conceived by
PAIMER and SHAVER.
OAG:lab
100-18999
--- page 150 ---
gm0 AHD FORM NO. 64 ' .
y Oflice Memamndzmz + UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
/1 TO : Director, FBI DATE: 9-17-47 = o
d ROM : SAC, Anchorage ~— AR
SUBJECT: Flying/Disks C %1/
Reference is made to Bureau Bulletin No. 42 dated July 30, Z w/
1947.
Phis is to advise that two army officers reported to the / /
Office of the Director of Intelligence, headquarters Alaskan Department,
at Fort Richardson, Alaska, that they had witnessed an object passing
through the air at a tremendous rate of speed which could not be Jjudged
as to miles per hour.
The first officer stated that his attention was attracted to
this airborne object, and he in turn pointed it out to the second of-
ficer. The object appeared to be shaped like a sphere and did not give
the impression of being saucer-like or comparable to a disk. The first.
of ficer stated that it would be impossible to give minute details con-
cerning the object, but that it appeared to be approximately two or three \
feet in diameter and did not leave any vapor - trail in the sky. ._fl__-,)\
Both officers attempted to determine the approximate dltitude
of the object, and from a weather group stationed nearby it was de-
termined that cloud formations at the time the object was sighted were
wscattered above 10,000 feet." The object was noted to be traveling
below the cloud formation.
The first officer stated that in his opinion the object ap- o
peared to be metallic and was silver in color, much like the color of £
many airplanes. -
The second officer stated substantially the same facts and ;
also pointed out that the object remained within his vision for ap- ~>
proximately 15 to 20 seconds. When sighted, the object was traveling
due south at a speed considerably in excess of any plane. The second
officer stated that the object appeared to him to be approximately 10 /"
feet in diameter and compared it to half the size of a full moon on an // y
ordinary night. The second officer based the altitude at approximately%- ot
the same as the first offiter except for the fact that due to the size
he believed the object to be, he estimated the altitude to be only
approximately 3,000 or 4,000 feet. The object appeared broadside to
the second officer, and no evidence of a spinning motion or reflection
was noted. As to the color, the second officer pointed out that it
appeared to be a dull metal finishg HW’T
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--- page 151 ---
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--- page 152 ---
- -
Letter to Director, FBI 9=17=47
Re: Flying Disks
In conclusion, the second officer pointed out that one of
the remarkable features of this object was that it was definitely
traveling against the wind.
The exact date of the sighting of this object was not fur-
nished this office, and inasmch as it occurred previously to the re-
ceipt of Bureau instructions in this matter, no further investigation
is being conducted by this office unless specifically requested to do
so by the Bureau.
100-1403
--- page 153 ---
STANDARD, FORM No. 64 . ‘
: Ofif(];e Memorandum - vNiTED STATES GOVERW
A TO : Director, FBI DATE: September Y8V 1947
¥ WM : SAC, Philadelphia [
Ll >
SUBJECT: FLYING OBJECT REPORTED OVER PHILADELPHIA R 7.1y A
AUGUST 6, 1947 ©) DY M/
SABOTAGE g W / 7
Remytel August 7 last. / e \Z
Miss ELEANORANADDLE, 2114 Hobart Street, Philadelphia, who is employed
by the GEORGE H. GREENWALD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 1524 Chestnut Street, Phils-
delphia, advised as follows: \
Between 10:30 and 10:45 p.m. on August 6, 1947, she was sitting on
the steps of her home with CECELFA(FINE. She was facing north and observed
a large white object traveling at’a very fast rate of speed to the south.
There was a buzzing sound, not too loud but plainly audible, just after this
object passed through the air. This white object left in its trait a- thin
streak of smoke, which was grayish in color. .
Miss CECELIA FINE, 5617 Arlington Street, Philadelphia, who is em—
ployed by the PRESSMAN & GUTMAN COMPANY, INC., Room 1140, P,S.F.S. Building, \
Philadelphia, stated she was sitting on the steps of Miss NADDLE's home on
the evening of August 6, 1947, around 10:45 p.ms engaging in conversation
with Miss NADDLE, when Miss NADDLE abruptly stopped in the.middle of her con-
versation and appeared to be frightened. Miss FINE at that time was sitting
in a position in which she was facing south. She did not see any object in
the sky after noting Miss NADDLE's change of expression, but she did hear a
slight buzzing sound.
JOHN SNYDER, 1440 Vankirk Street, Philadelphia, an insurance agent,
who was a former pilot of B-24's in the Army Air Corps, advised as follows:
He was sitting on the steps of his home around 10:45 p.m. on August
6, 1947, with his wife; and his neighbors, the KELLY family, were sitting on
their steps next door to the residence of SNYDER. All of the above parties
were facing east. SNYDER noticed at this time an object, emitting a bluish-
white flame, passing quickly through the air. The object was traveling from
northeast to southwest. Using his experience in the Army Air Corps as a guide,
SNYDER estimated the above object was between 1000 and 3000 feet in the air
and traveling at a rate of between 400 to 500 miles an hour. This object dia
not lose elevation as it passed through the air and left either smoke or a
condensation trail in its former path, which lasted for about two seconds.
A hissing sound accompanied the passing is objects This sound was moder-
ate and not nearly as loud as t:he*nofl, acgtompanying the passage of a rocket ’)
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--- page 154 ---
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--- page 155 ---
Sl ® é
Director, FBL September 18, 1947
JOHN J. KELLY, 1442 Vankirk Street, who is a retired police officer
of the Philadelphia Police Department, advised as follows:
Around 10:45 p.m. on August 6, 1947, he and his wife were sitting on
the steps of their home, when KELLY noticed an object, resembling to him a
giant firecracker, pass quickly through the air. KELLY heard no noise, but
the object had completely passed from view in a southern direction within a
split second. It left a fiery trail for about 100 feet. August 6, 1947,
was a clear night, and no storm was brewing. KELLY was sure the object he
saw was no falling star, and he noted the above object did not seem to be
falling but maintained the same altitude.
The wives of SNYDER and KELLY verified the accounts of their husbands
as to the above-mentioned object.
It is to be noted that the SNYDERS and the KELLYS live in Northeast: ?
Philadelphia near Oxford Circle, which is about ten miles removed from the
residence of Miss NADDLE. Miss NADDLE's residence is located in the western
part of Philadelphia. The Misses NADDLE and FINE are not known to the above-
mentioned KELLYS and SNYDERS. It is further noted the observation of Miss
NADDLE, the KELLYS, and the SNYDERS roughly correspond. All of the above
persons seem reliable and not the type to seek publicity or to spread rumors.
Miss NADDLE and JOHK#KELLY called the "Inquirer", Philadelphia news-
paper, and inquired if it ceéuld offer any explanation as to what they had
seen. A representative of that pesper had advised Miss NADDLE and KELLY that
the object they saw may have been some product of an oil refinery or chemical
company in their neighborhood.
Both the Offices of Naval Intelligence and Army Intelligence in Phila-
delphia were requested by the Philadelphia Office to ascertain if either the
Army or the Navy was doing any experimental work on new types of planes or
equipment, in the vicinity of Philadelphia. OSuch was done with negative re-
sults. The Office of Naval Intelligence indicated that an explosion had oc-
curred at the CHARLES LENNIG CHEMICAL COMPANY on August 6, 1947.
S. A. GIMBEL, Sgfety Department of the CHARLES LENNIG CHEMICAL COMPANY,
INC., 5000 Richmond Street, Philadelphia, advised as follows:
The above company is a manufacturer and distributor of chemicals.
A fire had occurred on a dump of the company on August 6, 1947, but was
quickly gotten under control. Such fire was confined to the company's prem-
ises and could not have been observed from outside the plant. The CHARLES
D
--- page 156 ---
Director, FBI September 18, 1947
LENNIG COMPANY is about two and one-half miles southeast from Oxford Circle.
The account of the fire does not seem to fit into the general pattern of the
above-mentioned flying object, for itis noted that the flying object was
allegedly traveling from a position northeast of Oxford Circle to a south-
westerly direction in Philadelphia. GIMBEL pointed out that, to the best
of his knowledge, there are no oil refineries and chemical companies located
around Oxford Circle or north of such, but that all of the companies of this
type are several miles south of Oxford Circle.
All logical investigation having been conducted, no further action
will be taken on the instant matter unless advised to the contrary by the
Bureau.
FFB/ctg
98-1762
ar N
--- page 157 ---
‘ L
2 - t
September 27, 1947 '
A
[ M Major Gemeral George C. McDonald
Assistant Chief Air Staff - 2
The Pentagon
Washington, D. C,
RECORDED 4
Dear Gemeral McDon#&ld:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been requested
by your office to assist in the investigation of reported sight-
ings of flying discs. v
My attention has been called to instructions disseminated
by the Air Forces relative to this matter. I have been advised
that these instructions indicate that the Air Forces would intere-
view responsible observers whils the FBI would investigate incidents
of disos found on the ground, thereby relieving the Air Forces of /
ruming domn incidents which in many cases twned out to be "ash §
can covers, toilet seats and whatnot."
In view of the apparent wnderstanding by the Air Forces
of the position of the Federal .Bureau of Investigation in this
matter, I cannot permit the persomnel and time of this organizee-
tion to be dissipated in this mammer.
I am advising the Field Divisions of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation to discontinue all investigative activity regard- (%
ing the reported sightings of flying discs, and am instructing them “
to refer all complaints received to the appropriate Air Force .
representative in their area. -
Sincerely yours,
John Edgar Hoover-:
Director
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Tolson_ i ' D O | P v 3
--- page 158 ---
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--- page 159 ---
- STANDARD FORM NO. 64 .‘ \ ‘ .
{ 9]7'16‘8 Me_momndum « UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : THE DIRECT(%\ DATE: September 25, 1947
A Mr. Tolson
FROM : D, M. IADD s Ty
o D f: i
SUBJECT: FLYING DIS€8 YAk peem——
30—
The Bureau was requestied by the Air Forces Intelligence to ussistfg"fgf:fiF
the Air Forces in attempting to arrive at an explanation of the above Toie aooa T —
phenomena. The Air Forces indicated that the alleged sightings of flying Eii?fit‘i‘i’_——
discs might have been made by individuals of Communist sympathies for the ___ ——
purpose of causing mass hysteria in the United States over the fear of a secret
Russian weapone The Bureau agreed to assist in the investigation of the reported
sightings, and the Field was advised in Bureau Bulletin No. 42, Series 1947, dated
July 30, 1947, that they should investigate each instance which was brought to
their attention of the sighting of a flying disc in order to ascertain whether or
not it was a bona fide sighting, an imaginary one, or & pranke The results of the
investigation conducted by the Bureau Field Offices in this matter have failed to
{ reveal any indication of subversive individuals being involved in any of the
reported sightingse.
The Bureau has received a communication in the captioned matter from
the Special Agent in Charge at San Francisco, dated September 19, 1947, which
attached a "restricted" letter that was furnished confidentially to the SAC at
San Francisco by lLieutenant Colonel Donald L. Springer, A=2, Army Air Forces,
Hamilton Field, Califormia, a copy of which is attached hereto. It is noted
that the letter, which is dated September 3, 1947, is signed "By Command of
Lieutenant General Stratemeyer" by Colonel Re He Smith, Assistant Chief of Staff
Intelligence, Headquarters, Air Defense Command, Mitchel Field, New York, and is
addressed to the Commanding Generals of the wvarious Air Forcese. This letter is
entitled "Cooperation of FBI with AAF on Investigations of 'Flying Disc' Incidents."
This letter states in substance that it was the original intent of the
AC/AS-Z, Headquarters, Army Air Forces that whereas the ADC Air Forces would
interview responsible observers, the FBI would investigate incidents of so-called
discs being found on the grounds Further, it indicates that the services of the
FBI were enlisted in order to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of
tracking down all the many instances which turned out to be "ash can covers,
| | Jtoilet seats and whatnot."
RECOMMENDATION:
\ It is recommended that the Bureau protest vigorously to the Assistant
Chief of Air Staff - 2. It is also recommended that the Bureau discontinue all
activity in this field and that the Bureau Field Offices be advised to discone
tinue all investigations and to refer all complaints received to the Air Forces.
A proposed Bulletin is attached for your approvals é 9 - , 1/, X
Attachment. o8 | 2 Y 7
SWRIAJB R 9 o—«u‘- AT RS
FA N i Gl T > |
--- page 160 ---
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--- page 161 ---
[ e e v v ks Yo%
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. TR 8.50 SiP- . X
HEADQUARTERS
AIR DEFENSE COMMAND
Mitchel ¥isld, New York
In reply
refer tos
D 333 .5EX 3 September 1947
> SUBJECT: Cooperation of FBI with AAF on Investigations of "Flying
Disc" Incidents.
TOs Commanding Genrals, First, Second, Fourth, Tenth, Eleventh
and Fourteenth Air Forces
ATTENTION:; Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2
1., The Federal Bureau of Investigation has agreed to assist Air
Force Intelligence personnel in the investi gation of "flying disc"
incidents in order to quickly and effectively rule out what are pranks
and to concentrate on what appears to be a genuine incident.
2, It was the original intent of the AC/AS-Z, Headquarters,
Army Air Forces that whereas the ADC Air Forces would interview respon-
sible observers whose names would be furnished by AAF, the FBI would
investigate incidents of so called "dises" being found on the ground.
The services of the FBI were enlisted in order to relieve the numbered
Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which
turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot.
8. It is requested that each A-2 informally coordinate and
cooperate with the FBI, generally keeping the FBI informed of any
proposed calls that intelligence personnel will make on this subject.
Vory shortly, with the separation of the AAF from the War Department,
a firm policy will be established to clarify the liaison arrangements
between A-2's end FBI “pecial Agents. Presently, it is considered
inadvisable to promulgate a formal interim policy -- only to have it
replaced in a month or so by another.
BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL STRATEMEYERg
/s/ R. H. SMITH
R. He SMITH
Colonel, GSC
Asst Chief of Staff-Intell.
--- page 162 ---
STANDARD FORIgggR- 64 * ’ ‘ -
Ofi%e Men.......dum - uNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
7
TO : NR. IADD M’ v ) Z,* DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 1947
7
FROM : E, G, FITCH / o /7 e
g ot ——
I C—
}( SUBJECT: INSTRUMENT FOUND ON FARM NEAR o —
DANFORTH, ILLINOIS ’ / el g,;%/
L sl B ==
Reference is made to a memorandum to Mre Harbo from Mr. Baughman Isie. eon —
on the above-captioned matter, dated September 3, 1947, The reference fig:“fijlm—
memorandum indicates that the instrument has been examined by the hbomtowffi
and the laboratory had contacted a Mrs. Whedon of the Army Engineers and she /fi /‘,;, ’
indicated that the instrument had been used by the Air Forces on tests which /9/‘«;!
were classified as "Top Secret." &
The memorandum indicates that Special Agent S. W. Heynolds of the Liaison
Section contacted the Intelligence Division of the Air Forces and was advised that
Mrs. Whedon alluded that the instrument was used in "Operation Mogul." The instru=
ment was loaned to the Intelligence Division of the Air Forces who in turn forwarded
it to Wright Field. The report was received from Wright Field indicating the
instrument had no connection wi@%"fipeg&j_i_og__Mqul“ or any other operation at Wright
Field, It was classified as a hdax in view of the apparent discrepancy between
information developed from Mrs. Whedon and information received from Intelligence
Division of the Air Forces that the Bureau might wish to pursue this matter further.
Mr. Zimmers of the Technical Iaboratory advised Mr. Reynolds of the Liaison
Section that Mrse Whedon had told him that a Major Hopkins handled the Liaison in
Washington for the tests in which this instrument was used. Ijeutenant Colonel George
Garrett of the Intelligence Division of the Air Forces advised Special Agent Reynolds
that he contacted Major Hopkins. He advised that Major Hopkins has had a great deal
of experience in radio and along technical lines. Major Hopkins advised Colonel
Garrett that the instrument could not have been used in the "Operation Mogul." Hopkins
indicated that from the pictures and particles recovered, it appeared to him to be a
part or portions of an old-type radio loud speaker, 4
In view of the information received from Major Hopkins, Colonel Ga‘l‘rlr%i/
stated that he was at a loss as to how to explain the actions of Mrs. Whedon other
than to say that she perhaps gave a false impression as to her knowledge of the
instrument and the "Operation Mogul." Garrett pointed out that in view of the
report received from Wright Field, together with the statement made by Major Hopkins,
he felt that there was sufficient evidence that this instrument was not used in any'
WTQW‘? classified project and that in all probability it was just a hoax.
Iy Fevr(e
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that this memorandum be forwarded to
the Technical Iaboratory for their information., ( 9 _C2 - yA 4
DED | ©°° 28 )49 — I#
X B B E
DE .';fi frer .
--- page 163 ---
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JSVICT
--- page 164 ---
Ao (O
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t yZi 7
AIT‘;‘ "»,\‘\ 7z ok 25 August 1947
AR __oecussred
\3(' ‘fl\ SUBJECTs Flying Saucer, Authority
TOs Commanding General
| Army ’ir Forces
¥ashington 25, D. Ce
ATTN: AC/ASe2
Lt Col George Garrett
1. The specimens of an alleged ;'?lying Saucer" brought to this
Command by Colomel H, ¥, McCoy, which were obtained by the FBI and given
te Lt.Col Garrett, were examined to determine their conmection, if any,
with the soecalled "Flying Saucers®, or any project at Hg ANC, Wright
Fields The specimens were carefully examined by both techmiciams of the
Analysis Division (T-2) and Elsctronics Sub=division (T=3), The latter
organization stated that these specimens definitely had no conmection
whatsoever with the "Mogul®" project nor with any other research and devele
opment project of this Command,
& 2. It is slso the opinion of this Command that these specimens
have no connection with the so=called "Flying Ssucer" or "Disc®, These
§ specimens, therefore, are considered as part of a hoax that could be pere
Sk petrated by most anyone seeking publicity or for any other reasons,
3. The specimens shown in the attached photograph include frage
\/) ments of an undeterminable shape made from plaster of paris or similar
ceramic and containing some electrical resistance wire for measurement
or heating purposes. The condition of the cerzmic indicates that the
resistance wire was heated electrically at one time or another., These
fragments could not be connected with any AMC project, The other articles
at the top of the photograph reading from left to right are idcntif’ as >
follows: - ®
a8, An outmoded type of magnetic speaker diaphragm made®’'of alume
inum alloy, manufactured by The Nathsniel Baldwin Company of Salt Lake
City, Utah, which was first patented May 1, 1910, This article cannot be
connected with any AMC project.
De The second and thind articles are bakelite coil forms
--- page 165 ---
" 1. 03,AAF, Wash, D0 5 25 August 1947
Siyjects Flying Saucers
3 * wrapped with o:.-dina'ry thin enameled copper wire, These coils indicate
that they were skillfully uade at one time but were crudely rewrapped by
one not familiar with the art of making a coil, These colls also have no
connection with any AMC project,
$ G¢ The fourth article is a metallic box which is the remains of
an electronic filter condenser made by the Polymet Manufacturing Company
of New Yorky, Ne Yo This article also has no connection with sny ANC proe
Ject,
de The fifth article is the remains of a metallic magnetic
ring that could not be identified as any part of any device used at this
command,
L, This information and attached photograph may be transmitted to
the FBI to inform variouz agencies throughout the United States as to what
action to take in the event other similar specimens are found,
FOR THE COMMANDING GENERALs
H, M. NeCCY
1 Inels Colonel, Air Corps
1 Photo 8-1/2x11 Deputy Commanding Gemeral
"Flying Ssucer® Intelligence (T-2)
2
) 1 4
SNE
--- page 166 ---
“NCLOSURE
" ,1'
--- page 167 ---
N ’r
SLYNG SAVCER , ALLEGED SPEC/IMFNS, S
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--- page 168 ---
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--- page 169 ---
FoRM NO. 64 . ‘
Oflice Memomndum e UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
7 “TO : Director, FBI DATE: September 15, 1947
/ 4 A
/2 FROM : SAC, Salt Lake City Yy e .,;/x'\/(/)
( SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS. Y 4 /" \ Vijd//
e— /! - . § LN
; 8 234, A .
{’( Remytel tenth instant. (\)J
JV s
)n September 10, 1947 an item relative to flyings saucers appeared in g
y /}"P Salt Lake Tribune indicating that two young couples, Mr. and Mrs, GAYLON
/CT\LD VELL and Mr. andMrs. E’_TCPAP_D;’M"‘"FTEE, )N, Logan, Utah, 'who had been playing
7~ bridge, revorted that they saw three brief flipghts of saucers, the first at
10:40 p.m. and two more before 11:10 p.m. the eve ’;(p" Septenber 8, 1947,
This news fir‘tic“’W contained the namesof KEITH/HUGHES, JOANAGROUKSTON, end
Mr. and Mrs. FRE IUNELL of Logan who had likewise made separate reports of
havinz observed these flying discs,
Mr. end Mrs. RICHARD ANDERSON, when interviewed by an Agent of this
office, advised that they, in company with Mr. and Mrs., GAYLON CALDWELL, observed
approximately a dozen objects flying in group formation at about two or three
thousand feet in the air. They stated that they first observsd these objects
on September 8, 1947 at 10:30 p.m. when their bridge game broke un and both counles
went out on the porch. The ANDERSONS believed these objects to be similar in
size to pigeons and stated that they seemed to be rather white and illuminated.
They informed that the objects could have been birds; however, thev appeared
to be moving faster than birds as they circled the city in anproximately one to
two minutes, and then disappeared in a northern direction,
Mr, and Mrs, ANDERSON claimed to have observed no wing movement during
the flight, and are unable to make up their minds as to exactly what they saw.
{r. ANDERSON informed that Mr. and Mrs. CALDWELL are presently en route to an
unknown city in Nebraska.
Mr, KEITH HUGHES and JOAN CROOKSTON both advised that they were unable
to state how their names appeared in the newspaper as havin- observed flying
saucers inasmuch as neither had ever had the opvortunity to view these 1"1_;‘inq,‘,//
objects, and the newspaper report was erroneous. . /LL&C' ¥
Mrs FRED THUNELL advised that she, her husband, and five other neonle
had observed flying objects between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. on the evening of )
eptember 8, 1947, She stated that they saw five ¢roups, each containing
thirty-five to sixty small objects, which were rather yellowish white in color
and were circling the city at a high rate of speed. Mrs. THUNELL stated that
these objects were several thousand feet in the air and it was impossible for &)
them to determine the size due to the distance. speed and cloudy :\//mi‘,ti'ylfi/' f .
RECORDED [NDEXED ‘C; = o »,"/
\fe Mrs. THUNELL infprmed that Mr, qng ’}”_;f/}d"'f«.""-l”_‘[_,; Mr.¥and Mig. H, P,
A ANDERSON, and Mrs, 3?:3%1(‘?‘{5? were p,‘é".é:]t Bnd’ observed thelflying
objects; howevaer, none qg,,fl"a"f fwere gble” to determine r'zk chese objects might
have been. 4 T 191 Y/ / B\
) to : A ' Y, i Q A g
L¥
--- page 170 ---
1938 75, L\zm‘)as W\\aan\t
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--- page 171 ---
~
1z e p— ("r." T s Y . 9
objects traveling clockwise above the city at approxi ely10:30 p,m. the evening
of September 8, 1947. They informed that they first believed the objects to be
lights of an airplene. However, these objects seemed to change in formation and
appeared to be similar to a group of moving stars.
M4y, and Mrs, HALL believed these objects were traveling much faster than
birds.
It was determined that Mr., and Mrs. H, P. JERSON and Mrs., BESSIE
HENDRICKS were not available for interview:
>aptain B, E, NASON, Military Intellipgence Division, Fort Douglas,
Salt Lake City, Utah, is being advised by letter of the results of this
investipation.
In view of the indefinite information furnished relative to this matter,
no further investigation is being conducted by this office.
AMSD
--- page 172 ---
-
427 W 3d Avenue
Spokane, Washington
August 8, 1947
itary Intelligence Division, UeSeAe
itlemens
Follewing the reading of an account of the visit of Mre Kenneth
of 15t 7, 1947, the under ed considered the enclosed account of
/s/ R. J. Madden
e Jeo MADDE!
Division Plant &ngre
3 The Pace Tels & Tele Coe
gopYy
--- page 173 ---
e
e
N
: 2 A ’
w
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S '
hen at a point approximately 1/4 mile NeW. of tanyon ¥erry, (as shown
suddenly shouted "See itl! See it3 There's a flying sauceri" Steve lmmed—
jately slowed dowm and gradually brought the sedan to0 a stop, he and Bob
megawhile scanning the sky in the direction pointed by % rl in an effort %o
see the "flying saucer", but without success.
yproxmiately ten seco ds elapsed between the time Karl reported seeing
the "saucer™, coming over the horizon av high speed from the 50 thwest, (Karl
irst thought it a meteor) and ira velling northeasterly, anc the bringing of
seyond an obstruction to further visibility but "melted inte thin air® as if
sence of the "disc" along or 4acent to that thorefare.
/e ]
/a/ Re Jo Madden,
- ¥l
o Je N,
--- page 174 ---
-
p ' PnsT-OrFICE DEPARTMENT '\
B BUREAU OF THE CHIEF INSPECTO!
* o T. He Barkow OFFICE OF INSPECTOR
{NSPECTOR Chiocago 7, Illinois case No. 56114-F
o rof September 19, 1947.
LAKL'A!GREST, ILLINOIS: Alleged violation of Section 2350, P. L. &
R., ‘uyées Arc Foundationy sale of informa-
tion ‘on®flying discs.
Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Washington, D. Co.
Gentlemen:
The subject involved in ocase of above description is
Ce ‘:’b’:%evens, formerly of Lake Forest, Illinois, who may
also have given a Chicago address at various times.
Can you advise whether you have a record of this man
and if so, will you please forward a copy of same to me.
Sincerely yours,
—— 2 "
7/ M. JBarsten) A
Post Office Inspector.
3 El
INDEXED 1/
Gy r-S }X
--- page 175 ---
i AT ’ ’
s
Ofli(,‘v Memorandum - uNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
2o ¢ DIRECTOR, FBI DATE: September)\13, 1947
g) FROM : SAC, SEATTLE 7 W )
4 4 FOrAA A VA o
. SUBJECT: FLYING DISC SIGHTED . /’%fi i h
. July 29, 1947, R%cjx;xuze FERRY, ~ 7B
JofiTANA, BY KARL/E A.mu%fis’m\m (@~
fIERRMANN and Re Je 505) DDEN;
SECURLTY MATTER - X
Enclosed herewith for information of Bureau and Butte Division are ,
copies of the following received September 2, 1947, from H. R. PETERSON, t,t},f)«‘ £
Air Force, S-2, McChord Field, Washingten: DELLRE St
letter to Military Intelligence Division, USA, McChord Field, Wash.
from Re Je MADDEN, 427 W 3rd Ave. Spokane, Wash. dated 8/8/41,
with enclosure of Madden's "Report on a'Flying Saucer'."
No action being taken by Seattle. Pisin
REQORDET '
INPEXED
~ ‘/5‘ ~ - )
EEB:hg 2 b ? 7
100-18945 gt
Enclosures - 2 \ |/ ; { :
cc: Butte o 7 \ y. (>) ;
7‘~_ 2 ¢
L )
--- page 176 ---
L14No3s TVNY3 N
i NBURT
> fd 8T ‘J ’f',{',' 1 i
BN
--- page 177 ---
; L Y |
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< 7. /
..
September 24, 1947
Mr. T. H. Barkow
e Inspector
Post Office Department
Chicago 7, Illinois
REOORDED
’ Alleged violation of Section 2850, P. L. & :
fin%j R., by des Arc Foundation; sale of information
on flying discs.
Reference is made to your letter dated September 19, 1947,
requesting information regarding one C, W. Stevens, your case #56114-F,
You are advised that an effective search cannct be conducted
through the files of the Identification Division of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation on the basis of the name only., If you are able to fur-
nish the physical description of Stevens or other means of identification
such as a registry number, a search will be éonducted in an effort to
furnish you with the information desired.
RHG: jb
59
4
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. Tolson, | \
L E. A, TR i N
« Clegg 3 |
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« ladd :
. Nichols___— §
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. Egan >
. Qurnéa_— A
. Harbo v
[ PenoYeEr— r 5
Quinn Tem = fl
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--- page 178 ---
AR ¢ é
Pal
O]ficc Memorandum - viteD s...... GOVERNMENT
( TO : - DIRECTOR, FBI DATE: Sept. 125-1947
v (OFROM ¢ SAC, SEATTIE , ; d/)/
a . OHY
SUBJECT: FLYING DISKS Reported by BRUCB/ZRMSTRONG 3 W4 ]
‘and M. AATICHOLS, Seattle, Washington, @ v (A' e
August 12, 1947 " ¢
SECURITY MATTER X (f d
The newspaper, Seattle Post Intelligencer, carried an article in the
morning issue of August 13 reporting the sighting of flying disks. The article
appeared on the fifth page 2and was headed "Blue Triangle LatestThing Seen In
Disks". Under this caption there was a short writeup which stated, in substance,
that one BRUCE ARMSTRONG, an electronics technician, and & number of other en-
gineers at the Boeing Aireraft had sighted a mysterious flying ob ject about 2:20
p.m. on August 12. The newspaper report further stated that the object seemed
to be fluttering like a leaf, and appeared to be a black or dark blue triangular
substance. In this srticle also appeared another report of a disk supposedly
sighted by one M. A. NICHOLS, 1125 S. W. 102nd Street, Seattle, and NICHOLS des-
cribed it as a big ball reflecting light, giving it a purplish tinge.
Interview with BRUCE ARMSTRONG on August 13 revealed that ARMSTRONG
was standing in front of Section D of the Boeing Aireraft Plant with about ten
other research engineers and had noticed a small black object flying about 200
feet high, going south over Boeing Field runway. ARMSTRONG further stated, upon
interview, that the object appeared triangular in shape and floated in the air
like a leaf, and he estimated the speed to be about fifteen miles per hour.
ARMSTRONG could not accurstely determine the distance between him and the object
but it is noted that Section D is about half a mile from the opposite side of 2 0
Boeing Field where he supposedly had sighted it. X e 3
The following other research enginéers were also interviewed regarding
this object:
/ Vg A
Mr. JOHN H. STONER Ok (
Mr. GEORGE H. STONER Z' RECORDED / “,{ &
Mr. LEROY PERKINS AIRRED 7 e
The consensus of opinion of these men was that the object resembled = BEEck Ygaf
in flight and looked more like a piece of tar paper than anythindiCTWHelicttie object
reached the end of the runway in Boeing Field it climbed into the sky in a south-
westerly direction and disappeared.
'\
Mr. KEN GRANT, opeyktor of the control tower for the Northwest Airlines
was then contacted. Mr. OFENT stated that he reviews 211 reports of objects seen
in the vicinity of the {k;}e"l_d and mekes a log of such. Mr. GRANT reviewed his
log but could not g &ny record of such an item, but upon contact with Mr. VAUGHN
LOCKWOOD, who was ‘oiY'duty at the time the object was supposedly sighted, the
following infogm’ti,ox weg obtained: T.OCKWOOD stated that about 2 o!clock in the
\ '\ «¢U NOV 18 1564
)
--- page 179 ---
‘ i
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‘:x‘\‘xl‘-?’b 2
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N ; a/ 4
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--- page 180 ---
; ¢ é
-
DIRECTOR, FBI FLYING DISKS, Report of 8/26/17
afternoon there were several pieces of burnt paper which flew over the field,
and he did recall a large piece of burnt paper which the wind had blown across
the runway and down the south end of the field. LOCKWOOD estimated that the
paper was approximately three feet in length. Mr. GRANT stated that undoubtedly
this was the object in question, and inasmuch as the control tower has a complete
view of the area in which the engineers had sighted this object if anything fur-
ther was noted it would have appeared in the log.
Mr. M. A. NICHOLS, 1119 S. W. 102nd Street, was then interviewed regerd-
ing his report of a flying object. NICHOLS stated that about 4 p.m. on August 12
he had sighted an object which he estimated to be about 35,000 feet in the air,
which was flying over his home in a southwest direction. A neighbor, RAY STANLEY,
also saw the object and STANLEY examined the same with a pair of binoculars.
According to STANLEY the object looked like a white dock moving, cylindrical in
shape, and reflected the light of the sun with a sort of purplish tinge. Other
witnesses who had seen the object at this time were a Mr. and Mprs. GEORGE KROGSTADT,
of 1113 S. W. 102nd Street, Seattle, and their version of the object corresponded
with that of NICHOLS and STANIEY.
Contact with Mr. THOMAS E. GERMAIN, of the Seattle Weather Bureau Office
at Boeing Field, revealed that weather balloons are released every six hours
from his field commencing at 1:30 a.m. The balloons, according to Mr. GERMAIN,
are of a white gum color and reflect the light of the sun at a high altitude.
Although Mr., GERMAIN could not understand why a balloon could have been sighted
at 4 p.m., he nevertheless was certain that, from the description of the object
seen by these people, it must have been either one of his balloons or one released
from some other area in the vicinity.
No further investigation is being conducted in this matter by this
office.
JdJS:JG
62—
--- page 181 ---
0 FRNS ) g2
f:";g.fifi;u; ; Federal Burpau of Investination 4 ?-'
Sl i . - Hos
R :(;\;/jé»; United States Depariment of Justice : "[/
| e 422 - Federal Office Building, Civic Center | Jl# =
e G A2 San Francisco 2, California \ ~
4 September 19, 1947
PFRENG e e
_/Director, FBI
Attentions: Assistant Director D. M. LADD ‘))/
Ke; FEPORTS OF FLYING DISCS M
Dear Sirg
I am transmitting herewith copies of a "restricted" letter datefi{; :
September 3, 1947, which was furnished to me by Lieutenant Colonel DONALD
L. SPRINGER, A-2, Army Air Forces, Hamilton Field, California, which letter
is designated to certain Commanding Generals in the Army Air Forces from
Colonel R. H. SMITH, Assistant Chisf of Staff = Iptelligence, Headquarters
Air Defense Command, Mitchel Field, New York, concerning "Cooperation of FBI
with AAF on Investigations of 'Flying Disc! Incidents",
It is my understanding from recent Bureau instructions that we are !
to assist the Air Force Intelligence persomnel in the investigation of flying
dise incidents., However, it will be noted from the attached letter that it
is Army interpretation that it was their intent that the Bureau would investi=-
gate those incidents of the so-called "discs" being found on the ground and |
apparently not those which are observed only in flighte Further, the atten=-
tion of the Bureau is respectfully called to paragraph two of this letter
and to the last sentence therein which states, "The services of the FBI were
enlisted in order to relieve the numbered Air Forces of the task of tracking
down all the many instances which turned out to_be ash can covers, toilet A
seats and whatnot."
In the first place, the instructions issued by the Army Air Forces
in this letter appear to limit the type of investigations which the Bureau
will be asked to handle and secondly it eppears to me the wording of the last
sentence in the second parsgraph mentioned above is cloaked in entirely
uncalled for language tending to indicate the Bureau will be asked to conduct,
investigations only in those cases which are not important and which are %/‘J &
almost, in fact, ridiculous. /
The thought has occurred to me the Bureau might desire to discuss
this matter further with the Army Air Forces both as to the types of investi-
gations which we will conduct and also to object to the scurrilous wordage
which, to say the least, is insulting to/the Bureau in the last sentence of
paragraph twoe ; > /,. .
; , : CORpp;, V== gl
AR gl 4 L Ad: | I
[ " { )
~— 147
--- page 182 ---
' 3 A"
. . ¢
ol .
‘4. /,&,' LIND3S TWNYALNY
'S 43M303Y :
--- page 183 ---
G 8 ¢
Director, FBI 9/19/47
REs REPORTS OF FLYING DISCS
In the event the Bureau decides to discuss the matter further with
the Army Air Forces, it is recommended that no indication whatsoever be
given indicating this letter was referred to me by Lieutenant Colonel
SPRINGER inesmuch as it would undoubtedly cause him serious embarrassment
and would certainly cause the excellent personal relationship which exists
between Lieutenent Colonel SPRINGER and this office to be endangered.
Very truly yours,
Hafl—;/:.\i(imban &
Spoc\)al gent in Charge
HMK smhr
62-2938
--- page 184 ---
Syt ‘ .
A ek Gh0. P Y
HEADQUARTERS
AIR DEFENSE COMMAND
Mitchel ¥ield, New York
In reply
refer to:
D 333 45EX 3 September 1947
SUBJECT: Cooperation of FBI with AAF on Investigations of "Flying
Disc" Incidents.
T0s Commanding Genrals, First, Second, Fourth, Tenth, Eleventh
and Fourteenth Air Forces
ATTENTION: Assistant Chief of Staff, A-2
% l. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has agreed to assist Air
Force Intelligence personnel in the investi gation of "flying disc"
incidents in order to quickly and effectively rule out what ars pranks
and to concentrate on what appears to be a genuins incident.
24 It was the original intent of the AC/%S-Z, Headquarters,
Army Air Forces that whereas the ADC Air Forces would interview respon=-
sible observers whose namss would be furnished by AAF, the FBI would
investigate incidents of so called "discs™ being found on the ground.
The services of the FBI were enlisted in order to relieve the numbered
Air Forces of the task of tracking down all the many instances which
turned out to be ash can covers, toilet seats and whatnot,
3. It is requested that each A-2 informally coordinate and
cooperate with the FBI, generally keeping the FBI informed of any
proposed calls that intelligence personnel will make on this subject.
Very shortly, with the separation of the AAF from the War Department,
a firm policy will be established to clarify the liaison arrangements
between A=2's and FBI Special Agents. Presently, it is considered
inadvisable to promulgate & formal interim policy == only to have it
replaced in a month or so by anothers
BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL STRATEMEYER:
/s/ Re H. SMITH
R. H. SMITH
Colonel, GSC ° J
Asst Chief of Staff-Intell. g_
&\
--- page 185 ---
”
v
y
A
5
(D)/FLYING DISCS --Effective immed.:ately, the Bureau has discontinued its investi-
gative activities ag outlined in Section B of Bureau Bulletin No, L2, Series 191+7,
] dated July 30, 1947,
All future reyorts connected with flying diges should be referred to )'
the Alr Forces and no investigative action should be taken by Bureau Agents,
¥ )
{
i
SCORDWD i
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0o or 6 19 z
Q
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--- page 186 ---
STANOARD F.
a2 \ 3
T 7} /.1///‘ ” i1/ TANTT T OFY A T O - - B el
(/jfia. LYIEINROVYANAUNZ + UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
2
%P#’ffi:r’ SAC, Butte
/
SUBJECT: FLYING DISCS SIGHTED MAY 5, 1947,
Warden JONNHENRY, Montana State Frison, Deer Lodge, Montana, bhas
wdvised the writer that while driving between Ellensburg and Seattle, Washing-
ton, about 3:30 P,d., on May 5, 1947, he sighted a silver object streaking
across the sky., This was also seen by MELBOURNE Me HILL, convict chauffeur,
and Mrs, HENRY, This objeoct went into a nose dive and they thought it would
erash, However, before reaching the earth it disintegrated, leaving a long
pillar of "gas" hanging in the sky. It was partioularly odd because this re-
mained in form and did not blow away. It was observed by these three people
while they drove frem twenty to thirty miles.
This smoky, gaseous pillar was a long ways ofT and Yémained high
in the eir, Werden HENRY said that this silver object was traveling at an
excessively high rate of speed and when it disintegrated it was still a lomng
way from the earth, Warden HENRY said when he first saw it he thought it was
probably a jet propelled plane but that he ‘couldn't tell except that its mo-
tions were erratic. He said he had not reported it umtil he had noticed so
much in the papers about these discs, Although three people saw it, they de-
cided that they must be "seeing things",
The Seattle Office is requested to advise Mr, H. R. PETERSON, 4th
Air Force, S=2, McChord Field, Washington. ;
No further action is being taken by the Butte Office due to the
time elapsing between the sighting of this object and the report.
"
WGR:1.R P -~y )
WGo: LD 2 n [
cc - Seattle prs {9/ % 4 A
'Y At v ] \
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&g 5 i i/' A {
< ke RECO]
NDEXED
i
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V
--- page 187 ---
2 L <
--- page 188 ---
BARD FORM NO. 64 A % L
Oflice Me U2 + UNITED STAT "GOVERNMENT
Octob 9, 1547
TQ =% MR IADD DATE: OoToberSu N
. ——
SUBJECE: PLYING DISCS :E:,f;'-~;
There are attached hereto, photographs of various reports Seies foc:
. Az s > 1 2 2 3 f. Ssase
received by the Air Corps in connection with vhe above-captioned matter, L —
DI S P . rlr e o Tt dlah) R 21 A cant O laymnids of Ve 'Fif:_:‘
the Iieison Section by Lieutenant Colenel XK+ L. Garrett of the Intelligence 7' e
Uivision of the Air Force for completion of Bureau files, ‘
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that this memorandum be made
[ available to Supervisor R, Ge Fletcher of the Internal Security Section for
his information.
P '\
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--- page 189 ---
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--- page 190 ---
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