Documents / FOIA release
This is a copy of "The UFO Evidence," a report published in May 1964 by the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) in Washington, D.C. and edited by Richard H. Hall. The CIA released its copy in 2001. The report draws 746 sightings from more than 5,000 signed reports and argues that unexplained UFOs are real, artificial objects under intelligent control. It criticizes Air Force secrecy and calls for a Congressional inquiry into Project Blue Book and a larger scientific investigation.
“Sea”27 pages
# SECTION VII Officials & Citizens The reports of technically trained observers, military and civilian pilots, in themselves are sufficient to make a strong case for UFOs. However, when we also realize that a broad cross-section of reputable citizens has described identical phenomena, it seems incredible that UFOs are not an acknowledged fact. The disc-shaped, elliptical and other main types of UFOs observed by pilots and scientists have been reported with great frequency by such responsible persons as judges, civil defense officials, professors, lawyers and clergymen. Some of these individual observer categories could fill another complete section of this report. From the hundreds of cases on file, the following have been selected to provide a survey of what has been seen by officials and private citizens of various backgrounds. ## LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS Police switchboards normally and logically are the first to be swamped with calls during concentrations of sightings, since there is no established procedure for citizens to follow when they see a UFO. Examples abound of cases in which police responded to citizens' reports of UFOs, and saw the objects for themselves. Police Officers on patrol duty, too, have observed unexplainable objects maneuvering overhead. During a six-day concentration of UFO sightings in northern California, August 13-18, 1960, at least 14 police officers were among the numerous witnesses. At 11:50 p.m. (PDT) August 13, State Policeman Charles A. Carson and Stanley Scott were patrolling near Red Bluff when they noticed an object low in the sky directly ahead of them. (Their report of the sighting was put on the police teletype, a copy of which was submitted to NICAP confidentially by a police source. Later, NICAP Adviser Walter N. Webb contacted Officer Carson and was sent another copy of the teletype report, a sketch of the UFO, and a letter giving additional information.) Verbatim text of the police teletype report to the Area Commander: "STATEMENT MADE BY OFFICER CHARLES A. CARSON CONCERNING OBJECT OBSERVED ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 13,1960. Officer Scott and I were E/B on Hoag Road, east of Corning, looking for a speeding motorcycle when we saw what at first appeared to be a huge airliner dropping from the sky. The object was very low and directly in front of us. We stopped and leaped from the patrol vehicle in order to get a position on what we were sure was going to be an airplane crash. From our position outside the car, the first thing we noticed was an absolute silence. Still assuming it to be an aircraft with power off, we continued to watch until the object was probably within 100 feet to 200 feet off the ground, when it suddenly reversed completely, at high speed, and gained approximately 500 feet altitude. There the object stopped. At this time it was clearly visible to both of us. It was surrounded by a glow making the round or oblong object visible. At each end, or each side of the object, there were definite red lights. At times about five white lights were visible between the red lights. As we watched the object moved again and performed aerial feats that were actually unbelievable. At this time we radioed Tehama County Sheriff's Office requesting they contact local radar base. The radar base confirmed the UFO - completely unidentified. Officer Scott and myself, after our verification, continued to watch the object. On two occasions the object came directly towards the patrol vehicle; each time it approached, the object turned, swept the area with a huge red light. Officer Scott turned the red light on the patrol vehicle towards the object, and it immediately went away from us. We observed the object use the red beam approximately 6 or 7 times, sweeping the sky and ground areas. The object began moving slowly in an easterly direction and we followed. We proceeded to the Vina Plains Fire Station where it was approached by a similar object from the south. It moved near the first object and both stopped, remaining in that position for some time, occasionally emitting the red beam. Finally, both objects disappeared below the eastern horizon. We returned to the Tehama County Sheriff's Office and met Deputy Fry and Deputy Montgomery, who had gone to Los Molinos after contacting the radar base. Both had seen the UFO clearly, and described to us what we saw. The night jailer also was able to see the object for a short time; each described the object and its maneuvers exactly as we saw them. We first saw the object at 2350 hours and observed it for approximately two hours and 15 minutes. Each time the object neared us we experienced radio interference. We submit this report in confidence for your information. We were calm after our initial shock, and decided to observe and record all we could of the object. Stanley Scott 1851 Charles A. Carson 2358." Extracts from Officer Carson's letter of November 14, 1960, in answer to Adviser Webb's questions: "We made several attempts to follow it, or I should say get closer to it, but the object seemed aware of us and we were more successful remaining motionless and allow it to approach us, which it did on several occasions. "There were no clouds or aircraft visible. The object was shaped somewhat like a football, the edges (here I am confused as to what you mean by edges, referring to the outside visible edges of the object as opposed to a thin, sharp edge, no thin sharp edges were visible) or I should say outside of the object were clear to us . . . [the] glow was emitted by the object, was not a reflection of other lights. The object was solid, definitely not transparent. At no time did we hear any type of sound except radio interference. "The object was capable of moving in any direction. Up and down, back and forth. At times the movement was very slow. At times it was completely motionless. It moved at high (extremely) speeds and several times we watched it change directions or reverse itself while moving at unbelievable speeds. "When first observed the object was moving from north to south [patrol car moving almost due east]. Our pursuit led in an easterly direction and object disappeared on eastern horizon. It was approximately 500 feet above the horizon when first observed, seemingly falling at approximate 45 degree angle to the south . . . "As to the official explanation [See Section IX.], I have been told we saw Northern lights, a weather balloon, and now refractions. "I served 4 years with the Air Force, I believe I am familiar with the Northern lights, also weather balloons. Officer Scott served as a paratrooper during the Korean Conflict. Both of us are aware of the tricks light can play on the eyes during darkness. We were aware of this at the time. Our observations and estimations of speed, size, etc. came from aligning the object with fixed objects on the horizon. I agree we find it difficult to believe what we were watching, but no one will ever convince us that we were witnessing a refraction of light. /s/ Charles A. Carson Calif. Highway Patrol." [1]
FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. The text was read from the page images by an OCR model; expect the odd misread word. 186 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.