Documents / FOIA release

FBI file: UFO, UFO Part 01

Federal Bureau of Investigation · 69 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This is the first part of an FBI file on flying discs, made up of internal memoranda, teletypes, letters from the public and news clippings from July and August 1947. Field offices report sightings and several objects that were recovered, including a disc found at Black River Falls, Wisconsin, and a North Hollywood device that Army G-2 called a hoax. Other items cover a Norfolk boy's photograph and the Tacoma plane crash tied to Dahl and Crisman. Director Hoover forwarded several letters to the War Department.

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

Office Memorandum . UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

TO : D. M. LADD

DATE: 7/10/47

FROM : C. G. Pitch

SUBJECT: FLYING DISKS

the Requirements Intelligence Branch of Army Air Corps Intelligence, Special Agent discussed the above captioned matter with him on July 9, 1947. General Schulgen indicated to that the Air Corps has taken the attitude that every effort must be undertaken in order to run down and ascertain whether or not the flying disks are a fact and, if so, to learn all about them. According to General Schulgen, the Air Corps Intelligence are utilizing all of their scientists in order to ascertain whether or not such a phenomenon could in fact occur. He stated that this research is being conducted with the thought that the flying objects might be a celestial phenomenon and with the view that they might be a foreign body mechanically devised and controlled.

General Schulgen also indicated to that all Air Corps installations have been alerted to run out each reported sighting to obtain all possible data to assist in this research project. In passing, General Schulgen stated that an Air Corps pilot who believed that he saw one of these objects was thoroughly interrogated by General Schulgen and scientists, as well as a psychologist, and the pilot was adamant in his claim that he saw a flying disk.

general Shulgen advised that the possibility exists that the first reported sightings of the so-called flying disks were fallacious and prompted by individuals seeking personal publicity, or were reported for political reasons. He stated that if this was so, subsequent sightings might be the result of a mass hysteria. He pointed out that the thought exists that the first reported sightings might have been by individuals of Communist sympathies with the view to causing hysteria and fear of a secret Russian weapon.

General Schulgen indicated to that he is desirous of having all the angles covered in this matter. He stated that reports of his scientists and findings of the various Air Corps installations will be available in his office. He advised that to complete the picture he desired the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in locating and questioning the individuals who first sighted the so-called flying disks in order to ascertain whether or not they are sincere in their statements that they saw these disks, or whether their statements were prompted by personal desire for publicity or political reasons. General Schulgen assured that there are no War Department or Navy Department research projects presently being conducted which could in any way be tied up with the flying disks. General Schulgen indicated that if the Bureau would cooperate with him in this matter, he would offer all the facilities of his office as to results obtained in the effort to identify and run down this matter.

advised General Schulgon that his request would be made known to the Bureau and an answer made available to him as soon as possible.

Cases discussed

About this file

FOIA release, from the fbi-vault 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. 69 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.