Sign Historical Group

QUARTERLY BULLETIN   WINTER – 1954   VOL. I NO. IV   AND LAST ISSUE

The membership of CSI has come to the inevitable conclusion, after two most active years, that the orderly processing and analysis of available eyewitness UAO reports is a job of such proportions that it can be handled adequately only on a full-time staff basis. For this reason we are soliciting the interest of some established civilian research organization or company, or a recognized foundation which can take over the CSI files and carry on from the point at which we have now arrived.

The USAF and the Air Ministries of several foreign countries continue to look into the "flying saucer" phenomena, gathering their reports mostly "through channels" from active armed-service people. The resultant tendency to assume that one must be in uniform to rate as a "qualified observer" leaves the civilian observer of the objects out in the cold. Because there are more civilians than military people, and because millions of these civilians rate as "qualified observers" by reason of profession or educational background, CSI is more convinced than ever that a civilian research organization, to whom the civilian sighter can report with full assurance of anonymity, is quite necessary, if a large percentage of reliable UAO sightings are to be recorded and made available for scientific analysis.

It is true that no responsible agency would have dared to have risked the ridicule, had it wanted to set up such a project, only a couple of years past. However, times have changed. As more and more people have seen the objects, and more and more men of stature and integrity attested to their presence in our atmosphere, the ridicule bas given way to a healthy curiosity on the part of a large cross-section of our citizens.

People want to know what the UAOs are, and where they come from. They aren't particularly concerned whether the objects are finally proved to be natural phenomena or whether they may be coming from another planet. Just as long as brass curtains cut off from the public the findings of the various governmental investigations, and no other qualified agency is available to give part of the answers, these same people will continue to accept the irresponsible statements of those who would have us believe that the "little men" have landed, or that there is a Venusian living in Pasadena.

Since this Is the fourth and last edition of the CSI Quarterly Bulletin, refund checks are being returned on a pro-rata basis to all annual subscribers who have received less than four issues of this publication.

It appears at the present time that quantitative analysis of reliable UAO sightings offers the most immediate prospect of getting a firm grasp on the subject. The research organization with the time, the money, and the desire, beginning now, should, have a good chance of making an invaluable contribution to man's knowledge and certainly to his peace of mind.

To such a research organization, CSI offers its file of approximately 1000 eyewitness reports of sightings, together with

a large file of newspaper clippings sent us by correspondents all over the free world. In addition, we offer an almost world-wide network of associates who are eager to assist in obtaining information on UAOs in their own countries or communities. We are also in contact with several qualified foreign groups, which, we are sure, will be glad to cooperate in a coordinated civilian effort to track down and identify the elusive Unidentified Aerial Objects – or vehicles.

We have every reason to believe, from our own past experience, that the USAF will offer every cooperation to an accredited research organization, even to the extent of supplying instrumentation when the occasion demands.

The present CSI members will give their personal assistance, if this offer is accepted, by maintaining Box 1971, which is now well established and through which we expect to continue to receive a large number of UAO sighting reports. While we will be unable to carry on the volume of correspondence as in the past, we will try to acknowledge the receipt of each sighting, and will forward all reports for immediate analysis.

We invite interested parties to write to Box 1971, Main Post Office, Los Angeles 53, California.

The last half of 1953 saw Unidentified Aerial Objects reported in the press over most of the free world, according to reports received by the CSI. Although few of the more spectacular sightings were reported, the period has been interesting because of the steady, almost routine manner in which the objects appear to be probing our atmosphere.

Inasmuch as the CSI group is interested primarily only in eye-witness reports, we give you here only what we consider to be the more reliable of the first-hand reports received during the period through Box 1971, without reference to those reports covered in the press, which are available from other sources.

The fact that only a few sightings are listed each month, does not mean, in the opinion of CSI members, that there were not many, many times that number of the objects actually seen during the period. More, it is a result of the fact that the CSI group has avoided all publicity during the whole of 1953, because of the limited time that members could give to processing and acknowledging incoming reports. Most of the reports listed here came as a result of a note at the end of Gerald Heard's latest edition of "IS ANOTHER WORLD WATCHING?", in which the author requested that reports of UAO sightings be sent to Box 1971.

Reports of special interest, such as the repeat performance of the Lubbock Lights, are quoted following the chronological listing:

July 3, 1953

5:30 PM. Frankfort, Indiana; two discs, white until sun shone on them, then tilted to become silver colored. Seen by several and reported by press.

July 12, 1953

10:30 AM. Clark Fork, Idaho; Two large objects observed following jet planes. Looked like large mirrors turned on edge.

July 14, 1953

3:00 AM. No town, Colorado; Brilliant moving object.

July 18, 1953

Copenhagen, Denmark; dumbbell shaped object with greenish glow at one end, orange at the other end, connected by reddish strip. Slower than meteor.

July 24, 1953

Douglasville, Pa., 11:00 AM; noiseless object hovered for an hour.

Aug. 5, 1953

4:30 PM. Baltimore, Md.; dark gray, whale-shaped object, no sound, observed 15 minutes, headed NE.

Aug. 6, 1953

12:00 PM, Kerrade, [sic: "Kerkrade"] Netherlands; two discs observed at close range. Shape well defined. More complete details elsewhere in this issue.

Aug. 14 1953

9:06 PM. Sharon, Pa.; pale yellow object, trailing sparks. No sound.

Aug. 16, 1953

9:30 PM. New Bedford, Pa.; pale yellow, slow-moving objects, also reported in local newspaper.

Aug. 20, 1953

9:30 PM Burlington, Vt.; large, round, black object with portholes stopped over radio station tower for three minutes.

Aug. 29, 1953

10:30 PM. Muncie, Ind.; strange light, changed colors. Stopped, then darted up, down, and sideways. No sound. 18 miles NE of Muncie.

Sept, 1, 1953

11:00 PM. Milwaukee, Wis.; Stationary object with colored flashing lights, observed twice, once for 45 minutes and again for 15 min. by ten members of Fire and Police departments.

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Sept. 6, 1953

Grants Pass, Ore.; watched bright lights move in several large circles over five-minute period -- sighting repeated the same day at 1:45 PM. Observed again Sept. 11, at 11:00 PM., and Sept. 13, at 1:30 AM. Direct quotes of observer elsewhere in this issue.

Sept. 17, 1953

11:15 PM. Butler, Pa.; blue-green fireball surrounded by halo. Appeared to hover several times, vertical ascents preceded by shower of sparks emanating from surrounding glow. Constant noise like diesel train.

Oct. 3, 1953

8:40 AM. Akron, Ohio; glowing, disc-shaped object observed traveling at high speed.

Oct. 8,1953

9:10 PM. Akron, Ohio; two reports of elliptical object with diffused edges which crossed horizon to horizon in approx. one and one half seconds. Faint humming sound.

Oct. 9, 1953

7:40 PM. Zaandam, Netherlands; two elliptical luminous spots of an orange color rushed across sky parallel to each other, followed by third object.

Oct. 9, 1953

11:35 PM. Haarlem, Netherlands; blue light descended slowly, phosphorescent hue increased as it swooped low over North Sea, then curved upward at greater speed .

Oct. 9, 1953

11:20 PM. South Gate, Calif.; amateur astronomer observed well-defined ellipse about 8 to 10 minutes of arc in diameter, of uniform pale blue color. In field of view one and one-half seconds.

Oct. 12, 1953

9:05 PM. Joliet, Ill.; six bright lights observed moving slowly and soundlessly.

Oct. 13, 1953

San Francisco, Calif.; glowing object, hovered over south bay area.

Oct. 13, 1953

Night. Irwin, Pa.; round, glowing object observed traveling at high speed.

Oct. 24, 1953

11:45 AM. Concord, Calif.; up to 2000 snow-white, gleaming objects observed tumbling on the breeze. Three settled on rancher's property. Suds-like in appearance, cold to touch. Soon disintegrated. Full report elsewhere in this issue.

Oct. 25, 1953

Lubbock (Texas) Lights repeat. Full report follows. Repeated on Oct. 31.

Oct. 28, 1953

Early AM. Brevard, N.C.; dirigible-shaped object traveling at high speed, no control surfaces observed. Surrounded by radiant glow of pink and blue light extending some distance on all sides.

Nov. 3, 1953

9:30 PM. San Lorenzo, Calif.; observed five round, slow-moving objects.

Nov. 3, 1953

8:25 PM. Westwego, La.; white object appeared followed immediately by two more, formed triangular formation, at which time first one took on red glow. Changed course several times, appearing to hover then changing directions. Observed approx. 10 minutes.

Nov. 20, 1953

1:10 PM. Orange, Texas; UAO reversed flight. "Not plane." Seen 10 mins.

Nov. 20, 1953

6:3O PM. Scranton, Pa.; two high flying bright objects reverse flight, then joined by six more amber colored lights, three on each side.

"During the last days of July and the first week of August I took a holiday and visited the Southern part of Holland. On August 6th I arrived in a small mining town, Kerkrade, in the south part of the province of Linburg. Kerkrade lies close to the German border, there is, in fact, a broad street divided longitudinally by barbed wire, the one-half being Kerkrade and the other half being German."

"I went for a walk along this street about midnight. All was quiet. Suddenly my attention was drawn to a blue-green light of moderate intensity, which ran through the sky in the East. It came down an elegant swoop, and then slowed down. At first I thought it to be a meteorite, but it left no trail of fire as these do. It was a light spot of nearly circular shape, and while it descended, it came in my direction. Then I saw what it was – a flying saucer. It came slowly towards me and so near that I could see it very clearly".

"I have made a test: if you want to know how big I saw it, take a dinner plate,

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hold it at arms length, then raise the plate somewhat higher than scalp level and look at it. That is exactly the relative size of the object I saw."

"Then it stopped and stood still in the air first at what I think was about 1000 feet. Then it came still further down. Not a sound was heard while it was in flight, or when it stood still. I had an opportunity "to study it. It must have been of enormous size, far bigger than the wingspan of any airliner."

"As I looked up I saw only its underside, but it started to hover around slowly, also changing its position, so that I could see it edge-on. Once I could look on it, when it took an inclined position and the moon shown on it."

"Its form was a disc, slightly dished in the center, and in the center (topside) a cabin with sloping walls, a cone. No doors or windows were discernible. Its color was grey. When it came down it was giving off a blue green light. As soon as it had stopped, the light vanished. In the dull grey color there were many black spots; it looked exactly as a grey-enameled pan, somewhat glossy when the moon shown on it, but not "polished".

"Two things impressed me much: firstly, when it stood still the rim of the disc was very clear and sharp, but as it started moving this rim became hazy, as if it had some motion, either rotating, pulsating or vibrating. I could not discern whether or not it rotated, it just because blurred. Secondly, after looking intently at it for some minutes I felt a very disagreeable sensation in my eyes; they felt irritated, the same feeling as after looking for a long time at a bad television screen."

"Suddenly I saw a second disc. It had come down from somewhere without my seeing it arrive. It stood much farther away. Its shape was slightly different. It, too, had a slightly dished disc, with a cabin, but this cabin protruded slightly from the underside as well as from the top. This one stood perfectly still, without any movement. The other kept hovering around slowly over the German country, as if it looked for something.

"Suddenly Number 1 leaped away. It shot away, making several very sharp angles. At the same time, the blue-green hue appeared again. After some wild leaps at speed I have never seen before, it shot up as a bolt of lightning and went off with one vertical flash into space. No sound was heard. The other disc remained for some seconds, then capsized on its edge and took one vertical leap, one fiery blue streak into space after the other – also without sound.

"During the following two days the papers did mention, in the briefest articles, that the objects were also seen in three other nearby cities."

    Mr. W. J. Design Engineer,
    Haarlem-N, Holland

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"I stepped outside at 1:30 AM. and immediately saw a very brilliant light directly east and about half-way up the horizon. This seemed to be quite close. I might compare the intensity of this light to the headlight of a car, but it looked more like a flare than a beam. It moved rapidly, but not exceedingly fast, to the south about 40 degrees, dipping and weaving slightly from side to side, hovered a few seconds, made a large circle then moved slightly higher and north to a point a little short of where I first saw it. This took about 45 seconds. It then circled and hovered there for about ten minutes before gradually receding and dimming out.

"From the way it circled and hesitated during its flight it gave the impression that it was looking for something such as a guiding beam, or, say, a line of magnetic force". Mr. FJV

EDITORS NOTE: The direction described with reference to Grants Pass, Oregon, would place the object directly above or close to the Oregon Vortex, a well known magnetic fault.

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"There have been numerous sightings of formations of "lights"; in this area and over a relatively short period of time. In every instance each sighting was observed by two or more Air Force Weather Observers. All the sightings took place at night. The first sighting was by accident, those following were during planned "Irregular Phenomena Watches", taken on by the Airmen themselves.

Sightings - (all times in Central Standard) Time; 2015 to 2030 25 Oct 53

First sighting: 2015 "V" formation passing N to S, five to seven lights (or glowing discs) shining with a dull white glow. Passed from approximate angle in sky, 90 degrees (straight up) to 30 degrees in two or three seconds. They seemed to be quite high, at least above 15,000 ft.

Second sighting; 2020 (approx) Two

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groups, no formation or number discernible, moving N to S one at about seventy degrees and the other at about 30 degrees high in the western quadrant. No heights ventured except the first group was higher yet closer to our observation point. The second group moved much slower than the first) to our vision.

Third sighting: 2025 (approx) One group of two discs moving N to S. 65 degrees high in western quadrant, high and moving fast. In view a total of two seconds.

Fourth, sighting: 2030 One group of two discs coming from the NW then veering out of sight toward the east. Passed directly over observation point. In view a total of about one second.

Time: 2345 25 Oct 53

Sighted largest "v" formation yet, from eight to twelve glowing points moving from N then veering out of sight to the west. Extremely high if they were the same size of those previously sighted. In sight about three seconds.

Time: 2110 31 Oct 53.

Sighted large "V" formation from the NW veering to ESE, directly overhead, height and speed not discernible by observers.

Second sighting: 2115 (approx) Sighted largest "V" formation yet, nine to twelve glowing discs or lights of very dull white light. Low on west horizon, computed not to be too high and moving much slower than any other previous sighting. The "V" formation did not seem to be squeezed by the effects of perspective due to distance, it seemed that if this was the case then each "light" was at a different level and in formation much like World War Two strategic bombing formations.

This of course is a presumption but is based on what we saw.

Since these sightings the Observers of the weather station have been keeping their eyes open on all good observation nights for more of these Irregular Phenomena. These are all the sightings we have observed to date.

I would like to point out that all sightings in this letter were seen by one or more qualified Weather Observers who are familiar with Atmospheric Phenomena. All but one (the sighting on 25 Oct 53 at 2035) which is not reported in this letter, were definite sightings and no question as to confusion with natural phenomena is brought up.

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"Today at about 11:45 AM we observed a phenomenon that we should very much like to have explained:

"In the sky (it was a warm, sunny day) appeared several hundred (one estimate says 2000) foam like snow-white gleaming objects, floating and tumbling along on the breeze. Some were high in the sky, mere white specks, others traveled close to the ground and three settled in our garden; one about 4 feet by 3 feet draped itself over a rose bush, another about 10 feet by 3 or 4 feet hung in a willow tree. One small mass about 2 by 3 feet to the ground. They all looked like suds from a detergent (as one might see them in a washing machine). Snowy-white, shiny, consisting of tiny foam cells. It was 78 degrees in the sun as we examined the substances, yet the foam was icy cold to the touch, and it began to disintegrate immediately, leaving in our hands an invisible, sticky and somewhat gritty residue. It had absolutely no odor. Less than 5 minutes after settling on the leaves, the substances completely disappeared, but we saw tiny whitish flecks on the tree. While examining these, a huge mass of foam came floating and tumbling about 50 feet up – it was at least 20 feet long and about half as wide. B and L.P.

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CASH REWARD

A $5,000 cash reward "for proof that there are interplanetary machines piloted by beings from another world" has been offered by Dan Paul, publisher of FRAUDS magazine, La Crescenta, California – to which the writer has added a modest $100 as an endorsement of Mr. Paul's challenge aimed at the humbugry (sic) of those who originate irresponsible stories about "the little men from outer space".

Several people, to our knowledge, claim to have had long talks with various types of creatures recently arrived by "flying saucers" – but can't produce a shred of tangible proof! Others are still displaying the grisly picture of the small, grotesque creature being dragged along between men dressed in 1915 garb – with spine-tingling tales of Venusians living in nearby cities, and good citizens (including our CSI Secretary) who was reported abducted by 3 spacemen in long dark flowing cloaks being snatched up from the sidewalk. It would be encouraging to hope that these people might be reminded of Mr. Paul's offer from time to time.

In the meanwhile, Mr. Paul's $5,000 plus cash reward is available to anyone WHO DOES come forth with irrefutable proof of the interplanetary nature of the UAO. And, he assures us, that he will be the happiest man in the world to be able to pay it – upon proper proof.

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From Matt Weinstock's column in the Los Angeles Daily News, November 18, 1953.

Strange, elusive things are going on up in the heavens but even under cold, scientific analysis, no one has any idea what they are.

That's the word from Albert M. Chop, who spent a year and a half with the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Field, Dayton, O., then two years on the Air Force press desk in the Pentagon.

Part of his work was handling intelligence reports on unidentified flying objects. Chop, now with the public relations staff at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica, left the Pentagon last February but his interest in UFO remains keen.

He doesn't go along with the often-told tales of little green men from another planet being seen emerging from landed saucers. Despite rumors, no saucers or fragments of saucers, no bodies of these little men, have ever been recovered.

Nor does he go along with well-meaning mystics who report visions they interpret as flying saucers.

There is enough unexplained evidence without these.

Since 1946, when the Air Force began paying attention to UFO, something like 4000 sightings have been officially reported. Donald E. Keyhoe, retired Marine major, states in his book, "Flying Saucers From Outer Space," that 80 per cent of the 1952 sightings and 90 per cent of the 1953 sightings were solved as balloons, planes, atmospheric reflections or hallucinations. Chop, who figures prominently in Keyhoe's book, sometimes unhappily out of context or in a misleading inference, questions the high percentage of these figures.

Pentagon opinion on flying saucers is sharply divided. Some officers remain unshaken in their opinion that no such things exist. Others are ,just as positive, as is Keyhoe, that they are interplanetary.

Every sighting is scientifically analyzed, to separate the hallucinations from the real. The ATIC doesn't talk out loud about it but they can spot a phony at a glance. The fact remains that 10 percent or perhaps more of the sightings remain unexplained.

How, asks Chop, can you write off as a mirage an object that appears on a ground radar screen, then is seen being chased by a jet interceptor equipped with radar, then maneuvers at speeds up to 5000 mph, making sharp angle turns that are impossible in any craft that engineers can conceive?

ATIC is really baffled, however, by what are known as the Tremonton Pictures. Shortly before noon in July a Navy warrant officer and his wife were driving seven miles from Tremonton, Utah, when they saw a formation of 12 or 14 bright objects maneuvering in the blue sky. The officer got out his 16mm camera, put on a telephoto lens and shot 40 feet of color film. He sent the film to Project Bluebook, the saucer investigation agency. The film was subjected to every test and fraud was completely ruled out. The conclusion: Unknown.

Of these and other unexplained phenomena, Chop says "We Just don't know." Even so, it seems to us the Defense Department should make public the classified information it's sitting on.

**********

October 10, 195[blank] – Two observers

"We had just spotted our trajectory flight and were approaching (in a small plane) from the north at an altitude of 4,000 feet. We started to climb towards the balloon on a course of 230 deg. At 6,000 feet I noticed a strange object crossing the skies from the east to west, a great deal higher and behind our balloon. I estimate that our balloon was at approximately 20,000 feet at the time.

Using our balloon for comparison, this object appeared to be about 1/4 the size of the balloon. We were climbing and about six miles northeast of the balloon. The object had a peculiar glow to it, crossing behind and above our balloon from east to west very rapidly, first coming in at a slight dive, leveling off for about a minute and slowing down, then into a sharp left turn and climb at an angle of 50 to 60 degrees into the southeast with a terrific acceleration and disappeared.

J.D. and I observed this object for approximately two minutes and it crossed through an arc of approximately 40 to 45 degrees. We saw no vapor trail and from past experience I know that this object was not a balloon, jet, conventional aircraft or celestial star." J.J.K.

October 11, 1951 – Four witnesses

"D.R. and I were flying at 10,000 feet observing the grab bag balloon when I saw a brightly glowing object to the southeast of the University of M. Airport. I pointed it out to D and we both made the following observations:

The object was moving from east to west at a high rate and very high. We tried keeping the ship on a constant course and using

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reinforcing member of the windshield as a point. The object moved past this member at about 5 degrees per second.

"This object was peculiar in that it had what can be described as a halo around it with a dark under surface. It crossed rapidly and then slowed down and started to climb in lazy circles slowly. The pattern it made was like a falling oak leaf inverted. It went through these gyrations for a couple of minutes. I called our tracking station at the University of M airport and the observers there on the theodolite managed to get a number of glimpses of the object, but couldn't keep the theodolite going fast enough to keep it in the field of their instruments. Both D.S. and D.D. caught glimpses of the object in the theodolite after I notified them of its presence by radio. This object D and I watched for approximately five minutes.

I don't know how to describe its size, because at the time I didn't have the balloon in sight for a comparison.

"Two hours later we saw another one, but this one didn't hang around. It approached from the west and disappeared to the east. Neither one left any trace of vapor trail."

    J. J. K.

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The Civilian Saucer Investigation has now spent over two years closely scrutinizing all phases of the Unidentified Aerial Objects. During this time we have been favored with approximately 1000 first-hand, eye-witness reports from sighters; we have enjoyed the courtesy of two frank and open discussions with officers from the Analysis Section of the Air Technical Command, in charge of the Air Force UAO investigations; we have followed up on countless reports at local levels, and we have heard just about every story from the innumerable "flying saucer rumor factories.

Because this is the last issue of the CSI Quarterly Bulletin, and because we feel an obligation to all those who have helped us gather the material on hand, we give you here the conclusions we are able to draw, as of January, 1954.

1. It is an irrefutable fact that unidentified objects or unknown phenomena are being seen almost daily in our skies. In the words of an Air Force spokesman, "credible people are seeing incredible things". We expect that popular prejudice against the "flying saucer" will diminish as more and more people observe whatever may be coursing through our atmosphere.

2. There is no reason to believe that the Unidentified Aerial Objects are of terrestrial origin. We are satisfied that they are not manufactured by the USA or any friendly nation, and certainly we cannot believe that any other nation or group of nations is technically advanced to achieve the reliability, speeds and aerodynamic characteristics exhibited by the UAOs. Historically, the UAOs, in the same forms being seen today, predate our own conquest of the air.

3. Some reservations must be held that the things being seen may be as yet unknown natural phenomena. Undoubtedly a good percentage of current flying saucer sightings are natural phenomena, which can be explained in terms of the scientific knowledge of today, however, no theory so far advanced can explain all the sightings. Mirages cannot be picked up by radar. Electro-magnetic vortexes do not travel from horizon to horizon in formation. (Donald Keyhoe discovered that Doctor Menzel of Harvard, who has marketed a book explaining away all UAOs as mirages, etc., is also a writer of science fiction.)

4. If the things being seen are not natural phenomena, as yet incomprehensible to present day science, then they must be of interplanetary origin. Actually it would be difficult to peruse the reports in the CSI files and not reach the personal conclusion that the UAOs can only come from another planet of unknown distance. There is little spectacular material in these reports, but the constant repetition of descriptions of well-defined configurations and types of phenomena, the repeated reports of the same flight characteristics, and the global spread of the sightings all point definitely to the interstellar possibility.

The closely viewed disc, the cigar-shaped object (viewed from side or beneath), the strings of lights (seen both night and day), the bicycle-tire shape (which are usually reported in pairs), the globes (of various sizes) and the monster green fireball (which reverses its course) are reported from a monastery in the interior of South America, by National Park employees, by Air Force personnel, by astronomers in charge of well-known observatories, by officers in the Swedish Navy, by scientists in charge of high-altitude cosmic ray research, by a typical cross-section of people on every continent.

Repeated reports confirm the ability of the disc to fly on edge, to make sharp right-angle turns, to hover, and generally repeal most of our laws of gravity and aerodynamics. High speeds, beyond our present limits, are common to most reports, and there is a universal absence of vapor trails. (Even our application of atomic power to aircraft would still produce a vapor trail.) The matter of sound seems to

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be related to the distance of the object from the viewer – ranging from that of a swarm of bees to a ripping, tearing sound as an object speeds overhead.

5. There is no factual evidence to support any claim that a flying saucer has ever landed or set down on the ground, even momentarily. There is no record of such in the Works of Charles Fort, who catalogued numerous sightings of the UAO phenomena. (There does seem to be an aquatic case, however, with approximately 14 sightings being reported by Fort and others between 1850 and 1938. All of these instances were recorded in ships' logs. The typical sighting reported has been of a vast revolving wheel of light which descended upon the water and sank below the surface.)

Historically, it must be said that stories of "flying saucer" landings and conversations with space people date back only to 1947, and appear to be an irresponsible by-product of the general interest in the phenomena. Recommended action: be sure to talk the next space man you see out of his wrist watch.

It is easy to understand that a man can toss a 1947 Ford hubcap. (these make the best "flying saucer" pictures) into the air, snap it with his Brownie camera and pass out a few prints to his friends, only to find himself suddenly in the newspapers, and so forced to back up his story to keep from losing face.

It is also easy to understand how a tall tale recounted in a friendly circle can spread until it is accepted as authentic "flying saucer" lore. (During the past two years we have followed such a story of a "captured flying saucer" from March Field, where it was kept under a tarpaulin, progressively through three southern California aircraft plants. This is the one made of the transparent metal, which cannot be machined with a diamond fly-cutter. At last report it had been loaded on a truck at the Hughes Aircraft Company plant and was headed for some unknown destination.)

6. We believe that the USAF has done a good job as it sees it. The Air Force is first of all a responsible arm of the military, and, as such, must parry every threat to national security which might appear in our skies. If they do not, as yet, know what the UAOs are, or where they come from, there is nothing they can say. Until they are completely satisfied that the UAOs do not pose a threat to our security, there is little they can divulge, the demands of those interested in "flying saucers" notwithstanding.

We do know that the Air Force is equipped with a number of diffraction gratings for spectrographic examination of the apparent corona discharge frequently reported. But having a camera, and getting a picture of one of the elusive objects are two different things. It may be most difficult. We know that the Air Force has motion pictures of the objects in flight, but these, in all probability, do not furnish information not already available. Just how much the Air Force knows about UAOs we do not know, but we do know that they now attest to the presence of UAOs in our skies, and we also know that there are those at the working level in the investigation who are definitely inclined toward the interstellar case.

7. We of the Civilian Saucer Investigation readily admit that we do not know the origin, the identity, or the ultimate purpose of the UAOs. We believe that it will require long time research, and expensive instrumentation to establish what they are and where they come from. We believe that the public release of facts, as they are produced by the various governmental agencies of the world, will remove the "fear of mass hysteria " which has resulted in the hush-hush attitude of the military.

8. The popular explanations which have been given for the UAOs to date have been classified into the groups listed below. The extent of their applicability to the sightings reported to CSI is shown by percentage.

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Some of the eye-witness reports received by CSI are reprinted in their entirety elsewhere in this bulletin. Some of these reports have special significance because of the unusual backgrounds of the viewers, and because we consider the objects seen to be typical of each type. We have also included two reports of close-up views of discs as close to the ground as we can conclude that the objects have come.

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1949 SIGHTING -- ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING
REPORTS RECEIVED BY CSI

"The writer is a college graduate who has had several years graduate study as well. For five or six years I have been a cattle breeder on a farm a couple of miles from G. An article in LIFE magazine, which I read last week, has brought to mind again an experience which took place in 1949. I have debated with myself for sometime as to writing about it. At the time it happened I mentioned it to my wife, and to my wife alone. I had not then, nor do I have any desire to be considered now an ass, so please do not publicize my name. However, on the chance that this information may be of use to you, here is what happened:

I had run an expectant cow into the barn lot for her delivery, since she has always had trouble delivering without aid. That night, a clear, rather chilly fall evening, I had stayed up past one a.m. reading until time to go make a check on her before retiring. Our house faces south and the barn is to the north, and some distance away from the house. With a bucket of warm water, some soap and twine, I left the house and stopped to look at the stars, because it was such a clear evening, I suppose.

To the south, in the form of an equilateral triangle, I noted three lighted bodies which I knew in an instant were not stars. For a moment I thought them to be airplanes, but then they moved too rapidly for even the jet planes. Suddenly one (the leading one) peeled off from the formation and seemed to be coming directly at me. I was frankly terrified. I threw myself onto the ground beside the gasoline drums and remember thinking what a poor place to be if it struck. I guess I was praying and shaking at the same time. Suddenly, I had a feeling that I had nothing to fear, and I guess my curiosity was very great; so I rolled over.

There it was, a little to my left (east) seemingly stationary. It was a few hundred feet off the ground. (my guess) I would also guess that it was between 300 and 400 feet in diameter. There appeared to be windows which seemed about twice as high as they were wide. These windows were evenly placed and were on the edge, where the over and under curved surfaces came together. I noted that the other two had moved north, but had become stationary. This close one did not revolve. However, the longer I looked at it, the more I had a feeling of undulation. The thickness, I would guess to be a minimum of 75 feet and a maximum of 100 feet. It was absolutely without sound, but I had a very deep feeling that it embodied terrific energy.

The light coming from the windows, I would describe as being a blue-white, much as the color of a welding light. Then I guess it was (after my feeling of undulation) that I became aware of (this is very hard to describe) a very, very powerful vibratory force. Everything, myself included, seemed to respond to this vibratory force. I can dimly recall the most extraordinary thoughts which seemed to be engendered by this vibratory force (that's the best way I can describe it). One such thought was that with the aid of this force, gravity meant nothing. Most of the rest were even more asinine. I don't know how long I lay there, wet from the spilled bucket, but peculiarly not at all afraid. Just as inexplicably, the thing took off with amazing speed to the north, the vibratory feelings seemed to slacken and disappear. It took its lead position in the triangle, and all three zoomed off at the same rate of terrific speed. In regard to the light – after the thing left I was aware that I had a reddish glow before my eyes, as though I had been staring at a light bulb. Had the light been as in welding, I feel that the length of time I looked would have ruined my eyes.

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It left me with an overpowering feeling of humility, and insignificance. I sincerely hope this above will be of use to you. S.E.

This report was followed by a second letter six weeks later:

"I received your acknowledgment to my earlier letter and was reminded of a plea which I heard when I sent the first letter off to you. I had taken the draft of my letter to G to a close personal friend for his criticism of an attempt to recount a very personal experience to strangers. My friend insisted that I take the draft to a Dr. B in that city. Dr. B. is an advisor to the Atomic Energy Commission in Bio-physics and bio-chemistry and served with the U.S. government as a Scientific Consultant. He is also a representative for the People's Division of the United Nations. He read it through very carefully, and when I asked him whether people would think it assinine to mention the impact of thought I was subjected to; he smiled and said no, that it had long been recognized that sudden and great exposure to Gamma rays had an effect such as I tried to describe. He urged me to tell all that I could.

First of all, the 'thing’ represented energy -- powerful and elemental, but still controlled. There was nothing haphazard about it whatever. The perfect proportion of the equilateral triangle in which the three moved, the regular spacing of the ‘windows’, the graceful and beautiful proportions of the ‘thing' itself as well as the undulating, vibrational pattern I felt all pointed to wonderful thought coupled with careful planning and execution.

The length of time which I spent on the ground could not have been long, but I honestly do not know how long I was there. I felt a desire growing in potency to join myself to the 'thing'. It was somewhat like hypnosis from what I have observed – although I have never been a successful subject for hypnosis. It seemed to have a much greater power than gravity. I had an impression that gravity was a cold magnetic action and that it was inferior in power to the "hot magnetic action" of the thing.

When I went to the barn, which has its opening on the east, I was startled to see my cow. An Angus, like the rest, she had two marked characteristics. First, she was definitely "antisocial" as far as humans were concerned, and second, she had never had a calf without aid. When I got to the barn I was reading, after the experience I had been through, roping her and helping her calve. She was standing facing the entryway, with her hide shaking all over like a horse trying to shake off a swarm of flies. But she was not afraid. Her eyes showed no white whatsoever. She would let me touch her anywhere, and when I examined her I knew I did not need to go back for more water. She was back in appearance to a point weeks from calving. I turned her out, and as I recall, she had her calf unaided the next day.

Many of the mental impressions which I received were new to me. At least I do not recall ever having come across them before. However, they "charged my mental battery', so to speak, so that I got into encyclopedias and other books, and found that all had been expressed before. In every case, which I can recall, the seemingly simple truths had been called to peoples' attention long ago. One result – after many years away from it – I returned to church when the full impact of realization finally struck me. It took two years and has changed a "cocky guy" into a very humble person.

I do not feel in any way that I deserve any credit for this experience. I stumbled into it both figuratively and literally. I again renew my request for anonymity. S. E.

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"Back in 1924 I saw a strange object in the sky while riding horseback in Oklahoma. Another cowboy and I were returning to the ranch about 1 a.m. in January, when a white light, shining from above, shone on the snow between our horses. Upon looking up we saw an oval shaped object hurtling across the winter sky. There was a hissing noise and a blue flame at the rear of the object. It was as large as a silver dollar held at arms length, and crossed from horizon to horizon in less than three minutes." P.G.P.

"This took place at Rich Field, just outside of Waco, Texas. It was in the first few months of 1918, but I don't recall the exact date. It was just after sunset. There was no wind and no afterglow from the sun; just a twilight and no clouds.

As we were coming from the mess hall after our meal we suddenly saw approaching the camp what seemed to be a Zeppelin at first glance. It was at least 100 or possibly 150 feet long. It came directly

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overhead and was not more than 500 feet high, so we got an excellent view of it. It had no motors, no rigging, and it was noiseless. It seemed to know where it was going, steering from SW to NE. It was not white, but a rose or sort of flame color. It could be said to have been cigar shaped. I saw no windows although there could have been some." E.T.B.

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"During World War II as a B-29 pilot in the C.B.I., I was on a mission from Ceylon, bombing Palembang, Sumatra.

The date was August 10, 1944, time shortly after midnight. There were 50 planes on the strike going in on the target at about 2 or 3-minute intervals. My plane was the last one in on the target and the assignment was for us to bomb, then drop photo-flash bombs attached to parachutes, make a few runs over the target area, photographing bomb damage from the preceding planes. The weather was broken clouds, with an overcast above us. Our altitude was 14,000 feet, indicated air speed 210 mph.

About 20 to 30 minutes after we left the bombing area my co-pilot reported a strange object pacing us about 500 yards off the starboard wing. At that distance it appeared as a spherical object, probably 5 or 6 feet in diameter, of a very bright and intense red or orange in color. It seemed to have a halo effect.

My gunner reported it coming in from about the five o'clock position at our level. It seemed to throb or vibrate constantly. Assuming it was some kind of radio-controlled object sent to pace us, I went into evasive action, changing direction constantly, as much as 90 deg. and altitude about 2000 feet. It followed our every maneuver for about 8 minutes, always holding a position of about 500 yards out and about 2 o'clock in relation to the plane. When it left it made an abrupt 90 deg. turn, up and accelerating rapidly it disappeared into the overcast." A.M.R.

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Mistaken weather balloons explain only a small percentage of UAO reports, because they are released only from widely separated spots, at regular hours, and remain airborne for only a matter of minutes.