Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Office Memorandum: California Committee for saucer Investigation
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AI-Generated Summary
This memorandum reports on the activities of the private California Committee for Saucer Investigation (CSI), noting their rigorous screening process and a planned hoax experiment in the Los Angeles area to test public reporting reliability.
This February 9, 1953, office memorandum from the Chief of the Contact Division to the Assistant for Operations at OSI details information provided by Dr. Walter Riedel regarding the California Committee for Saucer Investigation (CSI). Dr. Riedel, a former Chief Designer at the German Experimental Rocket Center at Peenemunde and current project engineer at North American Aviation, described the CSI as a group of private individuals interested in saucer phenomena. According to the document, the CSI had received roughly 1570 reports, of which they eliminated 75% as unworthy of follow-up. The remaining reports were subjected to rigorous investigation, with 25 to 30 deemed 'reliable' and subsequently forwarded to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. The memorandum notes that the author was impressed by the scientific methodology applied by the CSI. Furthermore, the document reveals that the CSI intended to conduct a 'planned hoax' in the Los Angeles and Malibu area. This experiment was designed to test the reaction and reliability of the public regarding unusual aerial phenomena, specifically to observe how many people would report the event and to evaluate the consistency of report details.
So serious is CSI with respect to its investigation that Dr. Riedel indicated that they are going to execute a planned "hoax" over the Los Angeles area, in order to test the reaction and reliability of the public in general to unusual aerial phenomena.
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Official Assessment
The California Committee for Saucer Investigation (CSI) is a private group that has received approximately 1570 reports. They claim to have identified 25-30 'reliable' sightings, which are forwarded to Wright Field. Dr. Walter Riedel reported that CSI planned a hoax in the Los Angeles/Malibu area to test public reaction and reporting reliability.
Key Persons
- Walter RiedelFormer Chief Designer at the German Experimental Rocket Center at Peenemunde
- Hayden ChanninRecipient of memorandum