USAf Hi1toricol Archivn ASI(ASHAfA) Maxwell AfB, Alo 36 112 FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION COMMAND SECT ION CORRESPONDENCE ACTION FOLDER , STAFF SUWURY SHEET ..,. TDG Si nature ' Till Ill . I'll r,r uJo:,. Congressional Correspondence on the U.s. COnir:reaaan Carl Vinson de Jonckheere I 72111 Air Force UFO Program, 1. CoDgressional correspondence on UFO's received by this Deputy is routine; however, I believe that this letter to AFNIN from Congress- man Carl Vinson requires your personal attention since 1 t suggests the possibility of a Congressional hearing. 2. There have been two Congressional briefings on the program, one in the &UIIIa&er of 1958 and the other in the summer of 1960. During the summer of 1961, we were successful in preventing a hearing by briefing Mr. Richard P. Hines, a staff member of the House Space and Aatronautica Comaittee, on our method of handling the program and our findings. Mr. Hines was visiting FTD to gather background infor- ation on the program for Congressan Joseph Karth, a meraber of the coamittee. As a result of Mr. Hines report, Mr. Karth recoiiUiended to Chairman Overton Brooks that there be no hearings. 3. Earlier this year an article on unidentified flying objects was prepared for the Encyclopaedia Britannica by Dr. J. Allen Hynek of Northwestero University, consultant to our UFO progra, and Lt Col obert J. Friend. Mr. A. Francis Arcier aade aany suggestions and approved the final article which is to appear in the next edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. lllr. Arcier decided that the article should be prepa.red by Dr. Hynek to prevent unnecessary publicity for PTD and to gain the preatige which Dr. Hynek's naae carries. I sugcested to AFNIN that a copy of this article be attached to the letter to Mr. Vinson. 4. If you approve Y proposed reply to Congressman Vinson, I will send inforaation copies to SAFOI and to APSC(SCFA). s. The backcround section of this folder contains the following: a. APNIN letter to FTD b. Copies of the documents which established the UFO project c. Docuents related to Mr. Hines' visit to FTD d. Congressman Karth'a letter to Major Keyhoe e. UFO article which will appear in Encyclopaedia Britannica 6. It you desire any further inforaation, Lt Col Friend and I will be available. Am<or. AFNIN -DEPARTMENT OF THI: AIR FORCI: e HIAOQUAUIU UNITtO ITATtS All fOICI WASHINGTON 15, D. C. Unidentified Flying Objects Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio 1. The attached correspondence is forwarded for the preparation of a draft of a proposed reply to Honorable Carl Vinson. 2. Also attached for your investigation and analysis i s a letter from John P . Speights relative to udentified flying objects. 3. The suspense to AFNIN must be by 21 July 1963. FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF 1. Ltr Carl Vinson, July 8 Ltr John P. Speights, July 2 Copy furnished: AFSC (SCF) Andrews AFB FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY OfVISION Allll "OftCa tYST.._Id COMMAHll uoon.-o ~ ru too O'Dc.- HU Ill tl) ~ . u'ari.lcle appe 7l96l. u._ ot -.v .... k~ atattq 'tb. pc:i .. 1b1.Ut.y ot a ,coc.an1dooal. 1D.-eatipt.10A ot W U6N' 1.1"0 wQ. M 1aveat1pUoa. Rovever, 8Aft.t ,pobt.M oj,at U.at lmOffio.i&lly tbere V.ri 1o4ice.t1ou t:lla.t u2 fob i.Qv ... t.lp.t.loD ~ ~ ,pl.a~:e. O.erto lrtlok, Lo AQaelu Ola1ru.a1 1f0111d. bfltld. ~ uv .. 'Gip\t.Da t .. tM: i.DV.Itl.p'tt.ou t.o be directed toor4 bt.-r.:i.oi .. lftl.e~ bav tbe US'V ia baDdl.iQC '\lie UFO Procr-~ l~it1WlJ U.. ~Ui.Uea ot .P'Di,1o Ule ~h alJd ~Ueatlo_o area.a. l 8APtL 'a pNat e:ttorte are 41.-..ete4 t;.OWV4 beldU, oft '\he iJI"f' .. tJ. .. ~!-Aerial !raneb. 1P-I J.a att.e.ld.Uee. . It t.ba 1avuti..p.t1.0D is carrl..liC1 OVt at J"U) 1 bW:lid t.o haudle it .t*-1& Ute Depot,-UIIJ..eu O'tl:el'ViM 41'"'~ Depu\'J 1or -~ Dl..C~ JlFFICIAL FILE COPY Unidentified Plyin&' Objects l b JUL 1963 A7Hllf (Lt Col Deaaert) 1. AttachN 1a a propoaod reply to Coogreaeaan Car l Vinson' requeat tor 1nforaat1on o n tho u.s. Air Force UnidantUied Flying Objects prograa. Thi s actio n 1e in response to your letter to o n the uro subject, dated 10 July 1963. 2 . 8tronuoua ettorta by llajor Keyhos, a aelf-atyled UFO inveeUgator, and other a like hie to diacrudit tho Air Porcota bandlina: of the UP'O pro&'r&a have resulted in two Con.rroaaional briefiniJ& and nuaoroua queries tor 1nfor-t1on fro the aeaber a of Congress . The filat briefing wae in the au-or of 195 8 and tho .. cond took place durin& the week of 10 July 1960. The latter briefing given to aoabera o f the Senate Preparectneaa Sub-c~lttee, the House Ar-d Services Bub-Cc..U:t .. , tbe Houae Space and Aatronautice Sub- Cc..ittee, CIA, aod repreaeotativea trc. tbe Oftico of tbe lecretar.r of the Air J'orce. s . A later effort of llajor .leyboe'a to ioetl&ate a hearinc on UI'O' by the Hou-Space and Aatronauttc Co.aitt .. durin& tbe ~r of 1961 waa uoaucceaatul. Coaareaan Joaeph Iartb of thia co-lttee aent Kr. Richard P. Htnea, a ataff conaultan t to P'I'D to c ollect backaround tnforaation reearding the Air J'orce'a band lin& o f the proa-raa. l'roa Mr. Uinea' report, Mr. brtb deteratned that the Air Porce'a approch t o the proaraa waa proper aud that Major K.eyhoe'a cbara of aiabandUng wre without grounda. A c o p y of Coaarea ... u .larth' letter to Major Ieyboe ta 4 . Since it ta apparent tr011 llr. Bpet&hta' letter that Major Koyboe and otbera are atteapttog to force further CODireaatoa.al bearinga on the tJr0 pro(Craa, it ta ay opi.nion tbat thta rather long lette r t o M.r. Vinaon ia juaUfted. " 1 uaiJt tbat a copy ot tbe t1PO article by Dr. J. Allen J1:1oek wbicb 1 to appear in the next editio n ot =.:= c~:fi::~ Britanaica be attached to cooern ARTn, 1l J. f'lll!r!CE Con..rnand r 1. Ltr Carl Vlnaon, 8 Jul 63. 2. Ltr J.P. Spei&:bte, 2 Ju.l 63. s. Propo .. d reply to c. Vlneou. 4. 2 cy 1 tr Rep &arth to Maj Ieyhoe, 28 Auv 61. 5 . 2 cy eaerpt ta Bncyclopaedia Britannica. Date ?;f&f.s Date /8 Y'ry ~.3 Dear llr. Chairaan: I refer to your letter of 8 July 1963 requesting the latest Air Porce J)08itioo on unideotified aerial pbonoaena. Tbe Air Porce'a principal interest in theae object/phenoena ia in deteraining if thay are in any way a threat to our national aecurity or if they are a aource of new sclontific or technical infor .. tion. J'urther, the Air Porce attempts to determine the cauae of each aighting in order to allay public anxiety result1ug an incident involving unidentified aerial phanoona. Better than 90 per cent o f the aora than 7 500 cases inveatl- ifated aince 1947 have been attributed t o the aieidont1f1cat1on of auch failiar objects aa balloona , aircraft, a nd satellite&, and aucb unfailiar phenoaena ae parbelia and airagea. A aaall percentage of caaee reaaina unidentified duo, for the aoat part, to the liaited natu.re of the report. To date thoro baa boon no evideoce froa any caae to indicate that these objocta/phonomona are any type of apace craft other than earth eatollitee or apace probes of the Soviet Union or of the United 8tatea. In the United States there are aore than fifty private unidentified flying objec t (UFO) organizations . Collectively, tbeae organisation& boaat aore than 500,000 mo111.bora. During the 1960 Preaideotial election, the ... bera of these orifanization actually n0111nated their own candidate who allegodly threw bia aupport to Preaidea.t Kennedy durin& the final hours. Tho principal clatu of tbeae organizations are that unidentified flyin& objects are interplanetary apace craft and that tho Air Porce la wltbboldlnc the 1nforaat1on. Tbe aoat active and influential of these organizations is the ltational Inveattaatton C~ittee o n Aerial Phonoena (NICAP). Tbia ori&Di&atlon ia headed by Major Donald E, Keyhoo, u.s. Marine Corps (!let). RICAP, through ita publication the "\JPO Investigator, " baa aade constant appeals to ita -bera to write to their congreas- aan requeatln& a bearing to investigate tho Air Porcea handling of the tJPO proer It is our opinion that this appeal propted Mr. 8~1&bta letter to you. ll.r, Speights, a youth o f about 19, baa written to us on two preYiou.a occaaiona and baa receivecl an an ... er to each of bia two lettera. J"r<M~ co-pariaoo o f the lancuage in his provioua lettors with that in the letter to you it ia obvious tbat r. Speigbte bas had aaaiatance with the aajority of the inforation contained in tbia aoat r~eot letter. It ia probable that he c opied 1t fro a011e JIICAP publication. :rollowintc are &0818 observations regarding atatu.euta in Mr. Speights' letter. Tbe Air Porco baa no record o f the nuber of attepta which bave .,..n ada by our pilots to intercept UFO'a; however, aucb action la not unusual nor does it prove that tbeae objecta/phe- a011ena are anything other than aa cla1ed by the Air Force. Tho Air Force att .. pta to intercept any object which i& unidentified and baa preacribed perforance pa.raetera. In aany inatancea the pilot, upon returning to the ground, realisea that be baa been attew.pti ng t o close on aa-e co-on objec t auch aa a planet. The Ryan caae which occurred in the atate ol lfew York o n 8 April 1956 was due to the 1a1dentit1cat1on of the planet Venue. Our recorda reveal that Captain Ryan was not directed by the Air Forc e t o investigate tho object nnd that, accordin:: to h 1s own atateent, he did not deviatv from course for tbia or any other purpoae. The tact that Captain Ryan arrivod at Schenectady, hie deatination, on schedule tenda t o aubatantiato the clai that be did not deviate frCNI course. Scientiata and en&ineera, thoug h expert i n thoir own field, can t .. porarily iaideotify eo .. object or pben011ena thua report- iDa: 1t aa an unidentified flying object. It ia, in fact, po811ible for a ecientiat t o be toole d by an occurrence cloaely aaaociated with hia apecialized field aa evidenced by the experience of Dr. Donald H. lensel of Harvard, a noted aatronoaer. Dr. Menzel was tooled for a t1e by the refracted iage ot the s tar Siriua . This experience h related in Chapter IV, pa&e 60 of hia tortbcomiDK book, 111& WORW OP PLYING SAUCBRS, publiahod by Doubleday. There are ai&btinga in the Air Force filea which indicAte ball ligbtoina: or 80118 aiilar electrCNiagnetic pbenoeua aa the probable caue. Due to tbe infrequent occurrence and the transient oaturo of ball lightning , it ta iaposaible to have good docuaented reports on tbia phonoena. In aoat of these caaea, witneaaoa have reported interference with vobtcla ignition, lights, radio, etc. Such inter- ference, if actually occurring , could be due to the presence of tho lightning or to the tact that the wttueas in his excitement aay accidentally atall the car. Because ball lightning usually 1-.cttately following a severe thunder storm., such factors as wot ignition, at~Mtaphertc static, etc., aay bo tbe cause for the reported The Air Force baa taken geiger counter roadtnga i Aediately alter atgbtinc a but has yet to find any reading& whic h vary B1i- n1f1cantly fr'* the noraal background of tho aroa tested. Radar atchting a are often aupportod by vieual a i ghtinK because the aaae ataoaphoric conditions which produce visual anoaaliea aay also effect radar. It ia Air Porco policy to provide newe edh with inforation roKardinc IJPO aigbtinaa which roach national pro;ainonco and to provide inforaatio o to individuals in response to tboir specific requeata. Purther, the next edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica will carry an articl e on unidentified flying objttcta. This article, approved by the Air Porco, waa prepared by Dr .J. Allen Hynek, Chair-a. of tho Departont of Aatronoay na Northweetorn University, who baa served aa Air Porce consultant to the tWO prograa since In order that tho public be provided with as uch 1nforaat1ou aa poaaible, every effort i -de t o ll:oep UFO aightinca unclaaa1t1ed. lupportina inforaation indicates the claaalfication of a atahtina: and not the aig:ht1ng itaelf. Since 1959, 184 caaea of 2167 are claaeified and only 4 of the 53 unidentified caaea tor thia period are claaalfied. Tbe nut..r of foreign reports that have coe to our attention do not dUfer aaurably fro thoae orlginatin& ib the u.s. neither in the preaeotation of the data nor in the deterMined probable The Air Porce baa no knowledge of a 1948 docufloot by ATIC which atatea that UFO'a are interplanetary apace ships. One o f the ortainal docuenta eatabUabing the project atatea that an objective would be to detenllne if any evidence fro aight1nga au&aeata that UPO'a are of interplanetary o r igin. It ia possible that the niDB' of tbta docuaent waa lainterpreted. Tho Air :rorcea open ainded attitude atill peraiata, and invoatigatora and analyata have no preconceived notion aa to the co.uae for a aiahting but rather fora tbeir coocluaiona fro tho evidence. To date no evidence baa been found to lead u.s to oven auapect that tbeae object are interplanetary apace abipa. Unidentified aerial phenoaena conatitute only a part o f the noiae which our detenae detection eyat uat take into account in preventing accidental war. ScientU'ic atudiea too extenaive to be diacuaaed here, are being conducted to detereine the &Jltent and nature of tbia noiee for integration into our defenaive net- It 1a hoped that thia 1nforat1on answers all o f your queaUona regarding the Air :rorcaa Unidentified Aerial Pha- no.ena Progr... We stand ready to &1 ve you any further coopera- tion which you dee neceaeary. <ffiCIAL FJLE COPY &equeat for UPO lnforaatlon(.John P . Speigbta) Hq UBAP SAJ'-oJ 3b (lira. Welle) Waab 25 DC 1. a.terence tbe attached letter fro Pvt .John P. Speights requeatinK inforaatlon on unidentified flyiol objecta. Tbia latter 1a forwarded to your office for whatever action you de .. neceaaar,.. 2. The un1dantU1ed flying objecta in the photographs taken at Sa lea, llaaaachuaatta on July 16 t 1952 have been evaluated aa light reflectiona on tbe window throug h which the pbotoa were taken. JrOII Tllll COIIIIAJID8R UIC T. de J'OIICUIKJ.U Colonel, USAr Deputy for Technology and Subayete- Ltr f Pvt J.P . Speig:hta, dtd (i'vt ' J1h 1 srei~hte, OFFICIAL FILE COPY Unidentified Plying Objec t s Uq UBAJ' IAI"-01 3b (lira. Wells) Waah 2 5 DC 1. Conereaaaan Carl Vinson requested intoraatton f rom the UIAJ' recarding the Unidentified Flying Objects progra. Attached la a copy ot the proposed reply to Congreaaaan Vinaon which we torward4td to AFJHH tor paaaillg to SArLL. 2. Mr. Vinaon'a letter was proapted by an appoal tor a COn1reaaional hearing which waa aade to hill by John PourUoy lp&ilbta of 2811 Bedford Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina. llr. lpeighta requeated iotoraation on UPO'a troll t he Air Force on two previoua occaaiona and was pro.ptly answere d each ti 3 . Apparently Major Ieyhoe'a appeal to the meabera of BICAP, thrOUKh the organization bulletin "t1PO Investigator," to wrlte to their Concreaaaan requesting hearinga baa at leaat one reapon... We belteve that the SAPLL atatf should be appraiaed of this and previoua atteapta by Major l:eyboe to d1acred1t the UBAP and bring about Congreas1onal haar- 1n& on the UFO proara. PO& Tim COIIIL\JfWR &RIC T. de J'OifCKHKKU Colonel, UIAP Deputy tor Technology and Subsyate a Cy ltr f Tl1l(TDG) to AP'MIIf(Lt/Col Deaaert) dtd 18 Jul 63, Subj: UPO, w/atch 3 only. OFFICIAL FILE COPY UoideotUted J'lying Objects APSC(SCPA) And rewa An, lid. 1. Attach~ ta a copy of our proposed reaponao to a request tor ioforaatlon on the USAP' Unidentified Plying Objocta pro- graa froa Congraaaaan Carl Vinson. This proposed reply was aant to APJUH tor forwarding to SAPLL. 2. Partly due to the ettorta of private UFO organizations there have been two briefinga on tho UFO program for Co n- eraaatonal aub-c~1tteea. One waa bold in the su~:amor of 19S8 j the other, during the week of 10 July 1960. A hoar- ina: waa averted during the auaaer of 1061 when we briot od llr. atcbard P. Hlnea of the Rouae Space and Aatronaut1ca Co..ittea durinlf hie visit to f'l'l). llr. Htuea waa gatherin g backcround tnforaattou for Coogreaaaan Joaeph kartb a ao- ber of the coaaittee. Aa a reault of Mr. Hiuea report, Con- &Teaeaan Xartb reco.aendltd there be no hearin&" A copy ot Ill'. hrtb'a letter to Kajor Keyhoe o f the Rational Iuveati- l'ationa Co.aitt .. on Aeri a l Pbenoaeoa, a private UPO or&"ani- sation, atatin& the Congresaaan'a position regarding a hearin&" h attached. 3 . Also attacbK is a copy of an article which will appear in the next edition of the Kncyelopaedia Britannica. Tbu article was written by the consultant of the OfO prograa, Dr .1. Allen Hynek of lfortbweatern University, and approved by the Air Force. Dr. Hynek baa been consultant t o the UPO prograa ainee 10 4 8 . We have suggested that a c opy ot this article accoapaoy the letter to Congreaaan Vinao n . FOR 'I'D COIUIAKDBR IRIC T de JOJfCDDIIRI Colonel , U8AP Deputy for Technology and Subsyatoma 1. Cy pro posed reply 1) CongreHaaon Carl Vinson. 2. Cy ltr Rop Karth to Maj Jteyhoe, 28 Aug 61. Cy oxerp t f next ed Bncyelopaedia Britannica. ' 1""ntit1tHJ rlJLn8 O~jeete l. At~,.,h,.) u. a. J 'I'"'O['O.C r~plr tQ C :: .. ftaan Cul 'irGou~ r Q\ ot 'o 1&:1or~tt1otl OD ~o.ho iJ.8. A~r J'orce ltnl ent:d. aa lylch. O~J~-eta }Jrotrail. Jili a.r.tJ OA la .h rp.,n&l t. ,g\.'.r h tter to ce nu thn l.l'l\1 1iJjft<"\, rJUH lO ,J -..y 1'tJS . a. 3rtlu.uu~ -.ffo~t > h)' bjor leyh,HJ, "31"1lt-trl~ 1':70 i.lY.fetlQAi.r. t And Q\.ber8 11kc bi ~.J d.l.<:l'' loKUt hll.nAUnr o f the t.'fO lll"Oi;l'aa .: v r~ultu~ 1 ;, . <"Oti,r fl'ioaal ~l"lof1ll' .nd anabr n e U.Hit ')r '>i1u-: .t.a h. t b .. ft.t.toa\' ,~ HHIS ad l.h .. cond tc,.;,t. s-h.:a 4:J ucr tl111 ~k of tn Ju.ly 1\lGO. laU.m ~rlf.ln w~s ~S.TeLl t. 111b-ra of u .... De:aate Vt-p-ar uft,.'l '-'0--COil'-it ,. ttoe l\l)UJ> }J> (lerv a Sub-~ltle, tloe t 1!1-l!t e a~tt lilD.CJ AiltranAnt1clf Oub- ~U. ~. CIA, ll>ld repr nh.ttvee l t:b.e Oftlae &l ;Jw (klcr,nrr of t Atr floroo. 3. .'. later olfort ol All'tjor !.yhoo' to lMU~t a eui11g Oil VJ"O' bf tho ae Dpaco ~ Actronau.tle Ca=.\Uh 4urice: tbe ar.u.t~l' of 198 1 ill naeuccuuful. COGp'o~u Jo.eph l.ar'tb. of tt.i a c 1tt~ ~nt a.r. Rlc;har!t P, Hln a atat.f C!QD~Ullt.aat \.:> Fl'D to eoll.c\ b.vllc;.roand lllf~raatloo r-et dh.J tha Aa.r J'orr.ee bat'41Unoll ot Uw ro~ sa.. J"rOA Xr. UJ.Hf'O.' 'C'e rt. llr. hrtn dt.er inN that the Ai..r o.rc' app1oacb to tt.. propato .,... froper and Chal J01' yhoo'a ~hrn-a o f aub.adlb& 'ftlr wltJ.aout l'f'tJunch.. A t:<JP7 of CoJlB.t'Otl" nn K:3r"th.' leUelt to ICaJOl' llO)'hoe' t. "'ttaabct. 4,. 81ac tt h appa.rrat froa~ JU. llpeicht lotte