Documents / Official release
This U.S. Department of State file contains two memoranda dated July 28, 1952. A cover note tells Mr. Armstrong that Paul Nitze had asked for the Air Force view on flying saucers. The attached memorandum records General Samford's answer that the subject remained "a complete enigma" and that "credible observers are reporting the incredible." Samford linked the rise in reports to better radar and pilot reporting and to publicity. He also indicated that the saucers being man-made was a remote possibility.
From the source: Release of 2026-05-08 Incident: 7/28/52, N/A. NARA Record Group 59, catalogue id 64634. This two page memorandum, dated July 28, 1952, relates to increased reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Included in the record are possible explanations of increased sightings, such as technological improvements, historical records of UFOs, and U.S. Air Force opinions on UFOs.
.. . ... July 28, 1952 UE~.IORANDU?.'! Subject : Flying Saucers General Samford, 1- 2, in response to my inquiry, said that there is very little that can be said to clarify the flying saucer business : It is still a complete enigma. He did, hOivever, point out that phenomena falling ?athin the general description of flyin~ saucers have actually been known to exist and have been reported one way or another for over 100 years . The increase in observation and in reporting and publicity on the su~ject is probably attributable in the main to vastly inproved r.iethods of observation and reportin~, including not only radar but the reporting systems used bv civilian and military pilots . It is also attributable in some measure to the publicity which is given it, which takes on certain elements of a II fad . 11 There is no question, according to Samford, that "credible observers are reporting the incredible . 11 The radar observation may have elements of "electronic fluke , 11 but is sufficiently tied in with pilot observation so that it cannot be attributed entirely to this . The Air Force views the flying saucers as a threat only because they are not understood and ~ they are sufficientl; .:r.rtJquentas a phenomena to mean that they will give great attention to them until they understand them. General Samford did not say anything about the possibility that they were man- made or controlled, friend or foe , but the whole implication of his remarks 1"1"as that this possibility was ~ emote~ not te be se?iotmfy considered. tfM\. ,t F.H.DECLASSIFIED NND 852931
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Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 2 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.