The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (Nicap)

# Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010001-0

On December 1, 1957 at about 3 p.m. Ralph Benn of Los Angeles, using a 3x telephoto lens, took about six and a half feet of Kodachrome film showing four of six objects—resembling those in the Tremonton, Utah film—which made repeated passes over the area.

Benn described the objects as dull white and oval shaped and said they moved slowly west at constant speed. Other passes one described as "very fast" were observed by Benn's children.

EXTRACT FROM NICAP MEMBERSHIP BULLETIN

Reported submitting 16 mm movie film to Air Force for analysis; film never returned. Dec. 1, 1957, Los Angeles, Calif. Ralph Benn: Reported several splices in his 8 mm film and two or three frames missing when returned by Air Force.

"There is no truth to allegations that the Air Force withholds or otherwise censors information vital to public understanding or evaluation of the nature of unidentified flying objects (UFO). (Lt. Col. William J. Lookadoo, USAF, Public Information Division, Office of Information, to Miss Miriam Brookman, 7-19-62).

Film Data reportedly analyzed by USAF, but never released to public [See Section VIII]: Apr. 27, 1950; White Sands, N.M., Cine-theodolite film of UFO, also observed visually. May 29, 1950; White Sands, Cine-theodolite films (2) of one or more UFOs, also observed visually. July 14, 1951; White Sands, Movie film (35mm) of UFO, also seen visually, tracked on radar. Sept. 20, 1952; North Sea, three color photographs taken on board an aircraft carrier. Aug.12,1953, Rapid City, S.D., gun camera film of UFO also seen visually, tracked on radar. Aug. 31, 1953; Port Moresby, New Guinea, movie film of UFO taken by aviation official. May 24, 1954; nr Dayton, Ohio, photograph of circular UFO taken by Air Force photo-reconnaisance plane.

"We are interested in the truth concerning reported sightings and are fully aware of our obligation to keep the public informed on such matters." (Hon. Richard E. Horner, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Research and Development, to Richard Tuttle, 7-3-58).

"It is my belief that one of the objectives of your organization [Air Research Group] is the public dissemination of data on unidentified flying objects... this is contrary to Air Force policy and regulations." (Capt. Gregory H. Oldenburgh, USAF, Information Services Officer, Langley AFB, Va., to Larry W. Bryant, 1-23-58).

THE 1947 & 1948 DOCUMENTS

"There has never been an Air Force conclusion that flying saucers were real and were interplanetary space ships. The Alleged 1948 document in your letter is non-existent." (Maj. Gen. W. P. Fisher, USAF, Director of Legislative Liaison, to Larry W. Bryant, 10-27-58).

"With regard to Mr. Maccubbin's reference to the 1948 top secret report which he states officially concluded that UFOs were 'real,' no such report exists. . There never has been an official Air Force report with the conclusion Mr. Maccubin indicates." (Colonel Carl M. Nelson, USAF, Congressional Inquiry Division, Office of Legislative Liaison, to Rep. Porter Hardy, Jr., 3-31-60).

Existence of 1948 Top Secret document reported by Capt. Ruppelt; described as a thick document on legal-size paper with a black cover. [Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, p. 62]

Existence of 1948 document confirmed by Dewey J. Fournet, former Major, USAF, Pentagon Monitor of the UFO investigation [See photostat]. Existence of 1947 letter by ATIC stating UFOs were real, reported by Ruppelt [p. 85].

Dewey J. Fournet (see photo stat for complete statement): "...I would like to confirm the existence of two USAF documents which were recently denied by an official USAF representative. These are: 1.

"It is believed that the documents you refer to are the first estimates of the UFO situation prior to the establishment of the project. These early documents did indicate that UFOs were probably real, in the sense that they were objects and/or phenomena, but did not in any way indicate that they were interplanetary space vehicles." (Major William T. Coleman, Jr., USAF, to George W. Earley, 9-7-61)

"There is no record of an alleged Top Secret document by (sic) the late Mr. Ruppelt, as suggested. It is true that an early estimate, probably 1948, of the UFO situation was prepared by the Intelligence Division of the then Air Materiel Command. It is not known exactly what this estimate consisted of in the way of conclusions or leads thereto. It cannot be positively stated that such a document existed." (Col. Carl M. Nelson, USAF, Chief, Congressional Inquiry Division, to Senator B. Everett Jordan, 9-20-61).

An intelligence summary on UFOs prepared in 1948 by the organization which later became the Air Technical Intelligence Center at WrightPatterson AFB. 2. An intelligence analysis on specific aspects of UFO data which I prepared in 1952 while acting as UFO program monitor for Headquarters USAF, Washington, D. C."

## DEWEY J. FOURNET, JR. BATON ROUGE, LA.

MR. FOURNET IS A FORMER AIR FORCE MAJOR WHO WAS AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS MONITOR OF THE PROJECT BLUE BOOK UFO INVESTIGATION DURING 1952. IN THIS CAPACITY HE ACTED AS LIAISON OFFICER BETWEEN THE DAYTON, OHIO, PROJECT AND THE PENTAGON.

IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, MR. FOURNET WAS INVOLVED IN ALL OF THE MAJOR UFO INVESTIGATIONS DURING THIS PERIOD. HE SUPERVISED THE ANALYSIS OF THE UTAH FILMS, AND WAS INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY OF UFO INVESTIGATION PRIOR TO THAT TIME. MR. FOURNET HAS SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE NICAP BOARD OF GOVERNORS SINCE 1957. HE HAS STATED THAT THE WHOLE UFO SUBJECT "SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND ANALYZED INTENSIVELY" AND THAT IT "IS INDEED WORTHY OF /SCIENTISTS' SERIOUS ATTENTION." ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE 112 HIS COMMENTS CONCERNING A RECENT AIR FORCE STATEMENT ALLEGING THAT THE UTAH MOVIE FILM IMAGES WERE IDENTIFIABLE AS SEAGULLS.