Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Current Status of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) Project
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AI-Generated Summary
This 1953 memorandum details the transition of Project Bluebook from ATIC to the Air Defense Command and outlines the Air Force's efforts to reduce the project's profile. It highlights the reliance on ADC for field investigations and notes the impact of public-facing literature on the perceived mystery of UFOs.
This memorandum, dated December 17, 1953, provides a status update on the Air Force's Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) project, specifically Project Bluebook. The document outlines a significant shift in the management and priority of the project. Responsibility for the project was assumed by the Physics and Electronics Division of the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) in May 1953. The Air Force's interest is described as having decreased, with the project now confined to a cursory cognizance by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). Staffing at ATIC for this project is minimal, consisting of one officer, Captain Charles A. Hardin, and one airman. Field investigations are no longer conducted by ATIC personnel; instead, these duties have been delegated to the Air Defense Command (ADC) and the Airways and Air Communications Service. The memorandum notes that ATIC is in the process of transferring Project Bluebook to the Air Defense Command, as the ADC is already responsible for interceptor operations and radar reporting. The document details an attempt to improve data collection through the purchase of 35mm cameras for radar sites and control towers, though it notes that many of these cameras were distributed with faulty gratings. Furthermore, a comprehensive statistical study of sightings from 1947 to 1952, known as Project STORK, is expected to be completed by December 15, 1953. The memorandum also briefly addresses the involvement of other military branches, noting that the Navy maintains only one analyst for UFO matters, while the Army shows little interest. Finally, the document references recommendations made by consultants in January 1953 to strip UFOs of their 'special status and aura of mystery.' It attributes a drop in reported sightings to these recommendations and expresses concern over sensationalist literature, specifically books by Keyhoe, Leslie, and Adamicki, which the author characterizes as 'nonsensical and obviously fraudulent.'
The consultants who considered this problem in January 1953 recommended that UFO's be stripped of special status and aura of mystery.
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Official Assessment
The consultants who considered this problem in January 1953 recommended that UFO's be stripped of special status and aura of mystery.
The project has been reduced in scope, with field investigations largely delegated to Air Defense Command. A statistical study (Project STORK) is underway. Public interest is noted as being influenced by sensationalist books.
Key Persons
- Mr. ErantExec/SI
- Charles A. HardinCapt., officer in charge of project at ATIC
- Harry JohnstonLt. Col., Chief, Electronics Branch
- LeslieAuthor of book
- AdamickiAuthor of book
- Todor H. OdarenkoSignatory