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This declassified document is a March 22, 1949 letter from the Security Operations Branch of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Santa Fe Directed Operations. It forwards a transcript of a Conference on Aerial Phenomena held at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory on February 16, 1949. At the conference, Dr. LaPaz described the green fireballs, including his own Starvation Peak sighting of December 12, 1948, and argued that they were not conventional meteors. Dr. Teller and others discussed why the fireballs made no sound, and no conclusion was reached.
~ - ,~COE'BREliCE On AERIAL PHENOMENA Held a.t 1300, 16 February 1949, 1n conference room P-162, Los Alamos Scientific La.boi."'atory, Lo& Alamoa, Bew Mezico. Present: 4th Any: Major Winn Major Oodsoe C~ptain Reef l!anima,naer Mo.lldelkorn t1n1versity ot XevMenco: La.Paa~- !'BI: Mr.Maxlrell. USAEC, 81"00: Mr. Morgan Mr. Bevburger University ot California: Dr. Bradbury D.r. Holloway Mr. Hoyt Dr. Me.nl.ey Dr. Reines Dr. Teller 1-1r. Ilelfburger opened the contereD.Ce and s~ted that the subJect ot Aerial Phenomena was olassifie4 Secret 11'1tbia the mean111g of AR 380•5 mld canparable appropriate regulations o~ the Navy and A11: J'orce~, and tba.t oil penonnel at this meeti?Jg vere properfy cleared. Mr. !l&wburger th<m 1nt1'0dueed Captain Beef, who briaf'ly outlined the purpoe" of tbia meet;ing. Captain Beet: It aU start d back 1n DecGmber, 1948, when w first received 8Ql1i.e reports from same airline pilats tha.t these 6NCJ1. :firebe.lls vere sisb.ted. At this s~e v~ bad no idea what to do with it or vhat it ,ran. We e.pprooobf:d Dr. LaPaz 'Who has been aqsisting us, gratis, since tbat date. Almost over two " months now that he hao been assisting us, oo in order to have you get the tacts _·' as they ue to a sc1en-tiet, I'll let Dr. IaPaz q:plain these tbings as we have ~ :found t.hem. Then you ~ give ua your opinion trom. theft; that 18 what we are '" interosted in. Dr. La.Paz: I would like to ·rev1ev ubat is observed in the ca.ee ot a. conven tiol'l&l. meteorite fall. Rot that I bave e.n7 )lopes of saying anytb1113 10u don't a,l.ready kncnf, but because I regard the observational ev14ence observed by tm, conventional meteorite falls as providine tbp necessary bac~ for tlhat is ?1,0t,J ob3erved. Meteorite falls (tor next minute or two, Dr. L&Paz'a cet!Jments on recoi-d drowned out by noise trcm ditell digger immediately outeide conference roQm) • • • • • • • Bece.uae of eou:nd phenomena ~, the hll ot a large me·lreor1te wiU cQWJe great frisht among button beings neceasar1.1.y but primari~ among animals, o~ all kind~. 'Ihe tact toll~, by- a meteorite falling into the • DECLASSIFIED ..... All1fladlJ HM R 5 8 2J8 • BJ '.}Jl.1f · r fCARA, 8atf fp/3/ ~ fj(,
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