Documents / Official release

Washington State ‘UFO’ Investigation, 1952-1960

Federal Bureau of Investigation · 1952 · 55 pages · text by GLM-OCR

This Federal Bureau of Investigation Seattle field office file (100-18945) gathers flying saucer material from 1952 to 1960. It holds newspaper clippings, citizen complaint forms and agent memoranda about sightings over Pasco, Kennewick, Seattle, Richland and the Hanford reservation, Spokane and other Washington locations. The file records 1952 agreements with military intelligence on passing reports to OSI and the Air Force. One Hanford sighting from 1953 was attributed to a meteorological balloon. The FBI itself carried out no investigations.

From the source:Release of 2026-06-12 Incident: July 1952-1960, Washington State, United States. This file details an investigation of various sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) in Washington state between July 1952 and August 1960. This file includes memoranda and correspondence between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Air Force regarding UFO sightings.

  • p. 4 …was held at the offices of Col. SPENCER RAYNOR, Commanding Officer, 20th District, Office of Special…
  • p. 10 …The above information was furnished to Colonel SPENCER RAYNOR, OSI; to SA SULLIVAN of IFO #3…
  • p. 15 # 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington August 10, 1953 Colonel Spencer Raynor Commanding Officer 20th District…
  • p. 24 …Sincerely, 1 Incl Newspaper Clipping Spencer H. Raynor SPENCER W. RAYNOR Colonel, USAF District Commander cc…
  • p. 25 …Dir OSI Sincerely, SPENCER W. RAYNOR Colonel, USAF District Commander
  • p. 27 …Sincerely, 1 Incl Newspaper Clipping Stunned 8 / 25 / 59 col Spencer H. Raynor Sry cc: Dir…
  • p. 33 …Raynor SPENCER W. RAYNOR Colonel, USAF District Commander oo: Dir OSI
  • p. 40 Colonel Spencer W. Raynor, USAF District Commander 20th District, OSI McChord Air Force Base, Washington Re…
  • p. 41 …Colonel Spencer W. Raynor, USAF District Commander, OSI Re: Unidentified Flying Objects Date: June 12, 1956…
  • p. 43 1015 Second Avenue Seattle, Washington October 17, 1956 Colonel Spencer W. Raynor, USAF District Commander 20th…
  • p. 45 # 1015 Second Avenue Seattle 4, Washington November 15, 1957 Colonel Spencer W. Raynor District Commander 20th…

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

he be furnished with any additional information on her subsequent to the report of SA JAMES R. HEALY, dated 1-18-52. Copies of subsequent reports are being furnished to Col. Raynor by separate letter.

ESTIMATE OF SUBVERSIVE SITUATION BY OSI

Col. Raynor stated that he had sent back to OSI Headquarters at Washington, D.C. his report prepared on the estimate of the subversive situation in this area. He said that recently when he had an inspection of his office it was suggested to him that the report be approved at Washington before it was disseminated locally.

COMIC BOOKS UNDERMINING MORALE OF ARMED FORCES

There was a discussion concerning the distribution of comic book type booklets to members of the armed services which undermined their morale. These books would emphasize the horrors of war. All of the armed forces are very much interested in these books and it has been reported that outdated copies have been distributed without charge to members of the services. Capt. FAHLE,of DIO 13ND, advised that instructions have been issued to all naval commands that servicemen were prohibited from having them. It was noted that this type of comic book has been received by the FBI Office and has been forwarded to the New York Office, the office of origin of the publishing company. Apparently they have not come within the sedition statute.

REPORTING AND EXCHANGING OF INFORMATION CONCERNING FLYING SAUCERS

Extended discussion was had concerning the reporting of information concerning flying saucers and the following understandings were reached.

1. Flying saucer reports received by the FBI from the USCG would be disseminated to (a) Regional Office No. 3, 115th CIC; (b) Security Office, AEC (this request for dissemination to the AEC was received from Mr. McHale at the last AEC conference). Both the DIO 13ND and OSI stated that the information concerning flying saucers would be received by them from the Coast Guard and therefore it would not be necessary to report to them directly unless some additional information was received from other sources.

Not linked to a story yet.

About this file

Official release, from the pursue 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. 55 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.