FBI file: Kenneth Arnold

this meeting. KENNETH ARNOLD, Captain EMIL J. SMITH, FRED CRISMAN, HAROLD DAHL, Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN of Army A-2 Intelligence from Hamilton Field, California, all met in ARNOLD's room at various times during the afternoon and evening of July 31, 1947 and discussed the flying disc story as related by CRISMAN and DAHL. The Army Intelligence Officers, Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN, left about 2:00 A. M. the morning of August 1, 1947 to return to Hamilton Field, California for Air Force Day in a B-25 and were carrying some of the reported disc fragments. The left engine on the B-25 burned an exhaust stack which in turn caught the left wing afire, the wing subsequently breaking off and tearing off the tail. The B-25 crashed, killing Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN. However, the Crew Chief and a hitch-hiker parachuted to safety. Intelligence Officers at McChord Field, Washington advised there was no indication of any sabotage. The plane crashed at Kelso, Washington approximately 2:50 A. M. August 1, 1947.

Five anonymous calls were received by a reporter, Tacoma Times, and the United Press Wireman, Tacoma, between 11:30 A. M., July 31, 1947 and 5:30 P. M., August 2, 1947. The first call was to a Tacoma Times reporter approximately 11:30 A. M., July 31, in which the caller stated that there was a meeting taking place at that time in room 502 of the Winthrop Hotel concerning the disc fragments found on Maury Island. The second call was received between 11:00 A. M. and 12:00 noon, August 1, 1947 by the Tacoma Times reporter in which the caller advised that at that moment a big meeting was taking place in ARNOLD's room number 502, Winthrop Hotel; that the B-25 which crashed was carrying disc fragments and that McChord Field officials had stated it was shot down or sabotaged. The third call was received Friday, August 1, 1947 at 5:30 P. M. by the United Press Wireman, Tacoma, in which the caller stated that the B-25 which crashed at Kelso, Washington was carrying flying disc fragments and that the dead officers were Captain DAVIDSON and Lieutenant BROWN, A-2 Intelligence Officers at Hamilton Field, California. This call was prior to the release of the dead officers' names by Army authorities and the caller indicated that when the names were released, it would verify the information he was furnishing was correct. The fourth phone call was received at approximately 6:45 P. M., Friday, August 1 by the United Press Wireman in which call the caller stated the B-25 was definitely shot down and that if he contacted Army Intelligence officers, they would not deny it. The fifth phone call was received by the United Press Wireman, Tacoma, at 5:30 P. M. August 2, 1947 at which time the caller stated the B-25 was shot down from the air with a 20 m.m. cannon; that the Marine plane found recently on Mt. Rainier had also been shot down and that Captain SMITH would be taken to Wright Field Tuesday morning. When the Army authorities released the names of the dead Intelligence officers which verified the information as given by the anonymous caller, the Tacoma Times printed this story on August 2, 1947 and carried several articles thereafter inferring that the B-25 had been shot down or sabotaged because of the fact that it was carrying disc fragments. DAHL and CRISMAN have admitted that the material which they sent to RAY PALMER had no connection with any flying discs and have given a signed statement to that effect which are being