Reply to your Note Regarding Gordon H. Scherer

This document consists of an internal CIA memorandum dated 31 August 1960, addressed to the Deputy Assistant Director for Collection/OEI, and an accompanying draft letter to Mrs. Catharine Carter Golden. The memorandum details the CIA's investigation into correspondence initiated by Mrs. Golden regarding UFO sightings. The CIA determined that Mrs. Golden had been in contact with the Air Force and the State Department regarding a specific photograph. The U.S. Naval Attache evaluated the photograph and concluded it was a fabrication, noting that it was produced by a freelance photographer known for creating trick photography. The memorandum explicitly states that the CIA does not concern itself with such matters and that the Air Force is the designated government component responsible for UFO-related inquiries. The author of the memorandum suggests that the agency should continue its policy of referring all such matters to the Air Force when they do not directly implicate the CIA. The document concludes with a sarcastic comment from the Naval Attache regarding the absurdity of the report, specifically referencing the island of Trinidad. The draft letter to Mrs. Golden, also dated 31 August 1960, serves as a formal response to her inquiry, clarifying that the CIA is not involved in UFO investigations and that all such reports are referred to the Air Force for evaluation and reporting.