Documents / FOIA release
This CIA memorandum for the record, dated 16 May 1958 and written by the Assistant to the Legislative Counsel, describes a meeting between CIA's Office of Scientific Intelligence and Air Force representatives about unidentified flying objects. The Air Force planned a press release to dispel the mystery around the 1953 flying saucer report and a reply to Dr. Leon Davidson, with references to CIA convening the panel deleted. The Air Force also raised concern about Admiral Hillenkoetter's association with Major Kehoe's group.
“Leon Davidson”1 page
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
# SECRET Approved For Release 2004/07/09 : CIA-RDP91-00965R000400050068-8 16 May 1958 Arthur Dixon MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT: Meeting with Air Force Representatives concerning Unidentified Flying Objects 1. At the request of of OSI, I attended an OSI meeting with representatives of the Air Force on the subject of unidentified flying objects. Present at the meeting were of OSI, Majors Burns, Boland and Tacher, and Dr. Francis Arcerir of the Air Force. 2. The Air Force representatives indicated that in view of the continuing public interest in the field of unidentified flying objects (flying saucers), and in view of the feeling of the Permanent Investigating Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Government Operations that the Air Force should dispel the air of mystery surrounding the flying saucer report of 1953, the Air Force proposes to prepare a press release on this subject. Major Tacher, who is with the Air Force Information Service, indicated that he is being badgered constantly by UFO groups and various individuals concerning the subject of UFOs generally and the 1953 report specifically. Among these individuals is a Dr. Leon Davidson who has recently written to Tacher, again making certain unfounded allegations concerning the 1953 report. 3. Major Tacher circulated to the members of the meeting a draft reply which he proposed to send to Dr. Davidson. With certain changes made, it was agreed by those present that the letter should be sent. A change requested by the OSI people was the deletion of any reference to the Office of Scientific Intelligence or to the fact that CIA had convened the panel which made this report. Other changes were relatively minor. 4. It was further agreed that Major Tacher would prepare a draft of a news release to be made by the Air Force in the near future. The release is to contain the strongest possible language on the subject which would dispel this air of mystery concerning the 1953 report and any sightings or developments in the field of flying saucers since that date. Major Tacher's draft release will be coordinated internally in the Air Force and then referred to CIA for coordination. At that time it will be reviewed by OSI, General Counsel, and the Office of Security.
FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 2 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.