Memorandum for the Director of Central Intelligence: Unidentified Flying Objects

This memorandum, authored by H. Marshall Chadwell, the Assistant Director of Scientific Intelligence, serves as a summary of the status of investigations into unidentified flying objects as of December 1952. The document was prepared in response to a request from the Director of Central Intelligence dated December 10, 1952. Chadwell outlines several recent incidents that prompted continued interest, including a sighting of ten unidentified objects near Tremonton, Utah, on July 2, 1952, which were described as unexplained by natural phenomena or known aircraft. Additionally, the report notes a brilliant light observed over the coast of Maine for approximately four hours on the night of October 10-11, 1952, which maintained an altitude significantly higher than any known device could sustain. A third incident involved an alleged ground contact in Florida during the summer that resulted in unexplained after-effects. Following these events and in accordance with action taken on December 4, the Office of Scientific Intelligence (O/EI) initiated collaboration with Dr. H. F. Robertson, a consultant and former Director of Research for the EOD. The objective of this collaboration, supported by the DI/USAF and ATIC, is to establish a panel of top scientists and engineers specializing in fields such as astrophysics, nuclear energy, and electronics. This panel is intended to conduct a comprehensive scientific review of the UFO phenomenon within a two-to-three-week timeframe.