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FBI file 62-HQ-83894 Flying Discs, section 3

Department of War · 2026-05-08 · 190 pages · text from the file's own layer

This section of FBI file 62-HQ-83894 on flying discs collects 1947 FBI memoranda, teletypes and Army Air Forces intelligence papers. It includes F. M. Johnson's report of discs near Mt. Adams on June 24, 1947, the Maury Island claims of Harold Dahl and Fred Crisman, the fatal B-25 crash at Kelso, Washington that killed investigators Davidson and Brown, MIT findings that New Hampshire fragments were ordinary cast iron, and A. C. Urie's Twin Falls sighting. It ends with the Bureau discontinuing its disc investigations.

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August 19, 1947
S..!ITH and ARNOID went to the Tacoma Times Office where a reporter met them
and took them to '!ORRELLO in the United Press Office. There they read the
latest press releases and had a discussion with ~ORR.ELLO regarding the anony
mous phone calls . In the course of this discussion 1iORRELI..O mentioned the
name of ~fajor GEORGE 3ANDERS, Public Relations Officer at !.~cChord Field. as
being one of the officers interested in the investigation.
Following this discussion with VORRELLO, at which time
S'.ITH states they still refused to divulge any further information, ~ ITH and
ARNOID returned to the Hotel for the night .
On Sunday morning, August 3, 1947, DAHL aupeared at the
Hotel room and told them that he had received a letter from CRISMAN which said
in effect, 11Take care of my business . 1 111 be out of town for three or four
days. 11 DAHL had a letter with him but he did not show it to S..ITH or ARlJOLD.
The three men then drove to DAHL 1 s secretary ' s house in South Tacoma and
picked her up and the four of them then went to breakfast on the South Tacana
highway. ,'lhile the four of them then went to breakfast SMITH excused himself
and called 'fo.jor SANDERS at u!cChord Field and arranged an appointment to meet
him at the Hotel lobby at 11:00 A. ~. They then took DAHL 1 s secretary to her
home where DAHL picked up a typewriter and then drove Si.ITH and ARNOLD back
to the Hotel. They asked him if he was going to take them to l~aury Island that
day and he replied that he was not . He further stated that he was sick of the
entire business and that if he was ever contacted by the Army or the authorities
he was going to deny ever having seen anything and claim to be 11the biggest liar
that ever lived" . Shortly after returning to the Hotel, S!.Tl'H met Hajor SANDERS
in the lobby and they went in S: CTTH I s car to a coffee shop in South Tacoma ,,here
s:.iITH proceeded to tell !!ajor S..-.!TI)ERS the entire story of the incidents which
had occurred in Tacoma regarding the CRISl.:AN and DAHL story since Thursday
afternoon. Following this, S!HTH took :fajor SA.'IDERS back to the Hotel and intro
duced him to ARITOID and suggested to .~RNOI.D that he also tell Major SAI'!JERS the
entire story of what had occurred. ARNOID did so. 'fajor SANDERS after looking
at the fragJnents ,:hich were still in the room suggested that they drive out to
the Smelter near Tacoma as he believed the slag at the Smelter would bear a
distinct resemblance to these fra&nents . The three nen then drove to the ::melter
and t'1e slag was noted to be definitely si j lar to the fragments ,1ri cl-J. CRISMAN
and DAHL had left in the Hotel room. They then r~turned to the Hotel room and
:!ajar SANDERS left them. After packing their bags, S''ITH took JdJJOID to Berry I s
Airport where his plane was parked and then S:ITTH drove himself back to Seattle.
About an hour after his arrival in Seattle, which was
approximately 7:30 F'. 1'. , LANTZ of the Tacoma Times appeared at S::IT'T's home
with the newspaper containing the \ssociated Press story which had originated
in Boise, Idaho in the .ooise Statesman and which was written by JOHNSON following
.::, ITH' s admission to him that fragments had been carried by Lieutenant BRC, ,1T and
Captain DAVIDJON on the fatal B- 25 flight . o"TTH at this time continued to
refuse to give any statements for the Press and told L.~.TZ that he had placed
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