Air Force Project Blue Book Special Report 14 (Hynek's annotated copy)

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

# DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION WASHINGTON 25. D.C.

19 June 1952

Mr. Leon Davidson 804 South Irving Street Arlington, Virginia

Your letter of June 12 to the Secretary of Defense has been referred by this office to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Dayton, Ohio, for any action they may deem fitting.

Dear Mr. Davidson:

This agency, as you know, is conducting the official investigation into "flying saucer" reports.

The data included in your correspondence may be of interest to ATIC inasmuch as considerable work has already been done on correlating reported sightings.

The Air Force does not concur with the theory outlined in your letter, which although interesting is hardly compatible with the Armed Services Unification Act.

For your information we are enclosing two recent releases which set forth the Air Force position to date on the status of "flying saucer" investigations.

Thank you very much for your interest in this matter.

Sincerely,

BENITT R. SEARLES

Lt. Col., USAF

Chief, Air Force Desk

Press Branch

(The two releases, enclosed in the letter of 19 June 1952, have been retyped below to enable clear reproduction. They are verbatim copies.)

IN ANSWER TO INQUIRIES ABOUT FLYING SAUCERS:

17 June 1952

Secretary of the Air Force Thomas K. Finletter and other Air Force officials were briefed on May 8 concerning USAF investigations of "flying saucer" reports over the past five years.

The Secretary summed up the briefing, which was conducted by Air Technical Intelligence officials, by stating:

"No concrete evidence has yet reached us either to prove or disprove the existence of the so-oalled flying saucers.

"There remain, however, a number of sightings that the Air Force investigators have been unable to explain. As long as this is true the Air Force will continue to study 'flying saucer' reports."

To this end, detailed reports and particularly photographs from people who sight unusual aerial manifestations will continue to be welcomed. Reports may be submitted to the nearest USAF installation and, to be of value, should contain as much detailed information as possible.

## END

(Author's note: On May 9, 1952, the day after the above-mentioned briefing, President Truman issued a revision to a Confidential memo to Executive Departments concerning public statements about new weapons, revising a memo dating back to 1950.)

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IN ANSWER TO INQUIRIES:

17 June 1952

The United States Air Force is continuing its study of unusual light phenomena, which are frequently reported seen in the skies over the southwestern part of the country.

This is a phase of the continuing study by the Air Force into the nature of the upper atmosphere. It is possible that such phenomena could be the result of natural occurrences in the upper atmosphere which as yet are not understood.

In New Mexico, where the lights are frequently seen, Air Force scientists have made attempts to photograph the phenomena simultaneously from three different locations. Such a series of photographs might enable the scientists to determine, by triangulation, the size, altitude, direction and speed of the light source.

Several of these phenomena were visible during the course of these camera studies. In a few instances, a single camera did obtain a record. The scientists were unsuccessful, however, in their efforts to secure simultaneous exposures from three different points.

The development of special photographic equipment may make it possible to gather data hitherto unobtainable by ordinary photographic methods.

This equipment consists of a grating camera which separates light into its component colors (spectrum) and registers them on different portions of a film. The principle involved is the same as that used by astronomers in determining the composition of stars.

In this manner Air Force scientists may be able to determine the composition of the light phenomena and consequently identify the source.

The cameras will be used by a number of Air Force units throughout the Southwest. It is anticipated that a year or more will be required to secure sufficient data on which even tentative conclusions can be based.