U.S. Government UFO Document: “SUBJECT: Contemplated Action to Determine the Nature and Origin of the Phenomena Connected with the Reports of Unusual Flying Objects”

3 January 1952

(U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.)

Source: NICAP.org

Quote from the document (not written in U.S. Department of Defense document format):

“1. The continued reports of unusual flying objects requires positive action to determine the nature and origin of this phenomena. The action taken thus far has been designed to track down and evaluate reports from casual observers throughout the country. Thus far, this action has produced results of doubtful value and the inconsistencies inherent in the nature of the reports has given neither positive nor negative proof of the claims.

2. It is logical to relate the reported sightings to the known development of aircraft, jet propulsion, rockets and range extension capabilities in Germany and the U.S.S.R.

3. In view of the above facts and the persistent reports of unusual flying objects over parts of the United States, particularly the east and west coast and in the vicinity of atomic energy production and testing facilities, it is apparent that positive action must be taken to determine the nature of the objects and, if possible, their origin.

4. In view of the facts outlined above, it is considered mandatory that the Air Force take positive action at once to definitely determine the nature and, if possible, the origin of the reported unusual flying objects. The following action is now contemplated:

a. to require ATIC to provide at least three teams to be matched up with an equal number of teams from ADC for the purpose of taking radar scope photographs and visual photographs of the phenomena;

b. to select sites for these teams, based on the concentration of already reported sightings over the United States; (these areas are, generally, the Seattle area, the Albuquerque area, and the New York-Philadelphia area) and

c. to take the initial steps in this project during early January 1952.

W. M. Garland

Brigadier General, USAF

Assistant for Production

Directorate of Intelligence”

Brigadier General William M. Garland sent this letter to Major General (later promoted to Lieutenant General) John A. Samford, Director of Intelligence, U.S. Air Force.

Garland was Samford’s primary aide, according to the book, UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry (Page 132).

http://www.nicap.org/waves/garland1.htm

http://www.nicap.org/waves/garland2.htm

Brigadier General William M. Garland (who himself had seen a UFO) and Major General John A. Samford are mentioned in the book, UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry (Google Books). Just write “William Garland,” “Garland,” “John Samford” or “Samford” in the search box to get the text (click on the page link to get the whole page).

https://books.google.com/books?id=_Xab1hqwco0C&printsec=frontcover&hl=no&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

U.S. Air Force biography article:

“BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM M. GARLAND”:

https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107003/brigadier-general-william-m-garland/

U.S. Air Force biography article:

“LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOHN A. SAMFORD”:

https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105712/lieutenant-general-john-a-samford/

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2013/07/ufo-journal-issue-journal-of-ufo-history.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=John+A.+Samford

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1952

Brigadier General William M. Garland, U.S. Air Force

(project1947.com photo)

Major General John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force

(google.com image)

U.S. Air Force Major General John A. Samford's
UFO Press Conference, Pentagon, 29 July 1952

The press conference was held in response to the UFO incidents that occurred over Washington, D.C. on two consecutive weekends in July 1952:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcRtkA1Rmvw

The UFO incidents occurred on 19-20 and 26-27 (p.m. into a.m.) July 1952.

Major General John A. Samford was the U.S. Air Force’s Intelligence Chief.

Wikipedia article: “1952 Washington D.C. UFO incident”:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_Washington_D.C._UFO_incident

Samford retired as a Lieutenant General.

Major General John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force

(google.com image)

U.S. Government Film: “Maj. Gen. John A. Samford’s Statement on ‘Flying Saucers’, Pentagon, Washington, DC, 07/31/1952”

Published on 30 September 2013

(YouTube channel: US National Archives)

US National Archives text:

“Creator: Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. U.S. Army Audiovisual Center. (ca. 1974 - 05/15/1984) (Most Recent)

Series : Motion Picture Films from the Army Library Copy Collection, compiled 1964 - 1980, documenting the period 1950 - 1980

Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 - 1985

Production Date: 07/31/1952

Contact: National Archives at College Park - Motion Pictures (RD-DC-M), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001

Phone: 301-837-3540, Fax: 301-837-3620

Email: mopix@nara.gov

Shot List: MS, doughnut shaped piece of cloth suspended by a wire. MSs, CU, Gen Samford, USAF Intelligence Chief, discusses the "flying saucer" because he says it is an obligation of the Air Force to investigate anything in the air that might prove a threat to the nation. His findings are that the bulk of the 12,000 reports received are hoaxes. He credits others as being the result of aircraft or meteorological and astronomical phenomena. He reveals that there is a certain percentage of credible observations but there is not pattern or measurement for analysis. His conclusions are that they represent no threat to us. He adds that flying saucers are not the result of a secret development by any US agency. A civilian seated at the desk is addressed by off-screen interrogator as Maj Kehoe (?) [Keyhoe] and queried on the origin of his book, "Flying Saucers Are Real". Kehoe [Keyhoe] states his belief that "flying saucers are of inter-planetary origin and cites a report of pilots who encountered the objects.

National Archives Identifier: 25738

Local Identifier: 111-LC-30875”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-MbGYAv7Cg

Major General John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force

(youtube.com image)

UFO TV News Report:
“Flying Saucer Mystery!”,

1952 (British Pathé News, London, UK)

This TV news report presents a UFO (photographs) case from France and the 29 July 1952 Washington, D.C., Pentagon UFO press conference by Major General John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force (Samford retired as a Lieutenant General):

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/flying-saucers/query/ufo

Video text:

“France.

American commentary, transcript on file.

MS. Men pointing up in the sky and on to photograph. CU's Photos of flying saucer (UFO) Unidentified flying object. LS. Man releasing meteorological balloon. LS. Balloon in air. CU's Photos of balloon and the flying saucer.

Washington, United States of America USA.

LS. Radar detecting equipment. LS. Interior of radar station. LS. Man checking radar screen. CU. Radar plotting chart. LS. Interior of lecture room. MS. General Sanford speaking into microphone. LS. Reporters listening in lecture room. MS. Sanford speaking (nat.snd.) ‘In pursuit of this obligation since 1947, we have received and analysed between one and two thousand reports that have come to us from all kinds of sources. Of this great mass of reports we have been able, adequately, to explain the great bulk of them, explain them to our own satisfaction. However, there have been a certain percentage of this volume of reports that have been made by credible observers, of relatively incredible things. It is this group of observations that we are now attempting to resolve. We have, as of date, only one firm conclusion with respect to this remaining percentage, that is that it does not contain any pattern of purpose or consistency and does not relate to any conceivable threat to the United States.’

(Comb. F.G.)”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoSogJ6vAEI
(Source: nutsandbolts ufo (YouTube channel))

Major General John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force
(google.com image)

UFO Articles (Blog):

“The Washington National 
UFO Sighting Press Conference”

by Kevin D. Randle

(A Different Perspective, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

U.S. Air Force Major General John A. Samford’s press conference dealt with the UFO incidents that occurred over Washington, D.C. on 19/20 and 26/27 (p.m. into a.m.) July 1952:

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/02/washington-national-ufo-sighting-press.html (Part 1, 11 February 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/02/washington-national-ufo-sighting-press_13.html (Part 2, 13 February 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/02/washington-national-ufo-sighting-press_15.html (Part 3, 15 February 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/02/washington-national-ufo-sightings-press.html (Part 4, 17 February 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/02/washington-national-ufo-sighting-press_22.html (Part 5, 22 February 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/02/washington-national-ufo-sighting-press_26.html (Part 6, 26 February 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/03/washington-national-ufo-sighting-press.html (Part 7, 4 March 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/03/washington-national-ufo-sighting-press_08.html (Part 8, 8 March 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/03/washington-national-ufo-sighting-press_12.html (Part 9, 12 March 2010)

http://kevinrandle.blogspot.no/2010/03/washington-national-sighting-press.html (Final, 15 March 2010)

U.S. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, director of Project Blue Book (1952-1953), also participated in the press conference.

The press conference was held at the Pentagon on 29 July 1952.

Wikipedia article: “1952 Washington D.C. UFO incident”:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_Washington_D.C._UFO_incident

Samford retired as a Lieutenant General.

Major General John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force

(google.com image)

UFO Article:

“SPOTLIGHT 1952: 

general samford meets the press”

(Saturday Night Uforia)

Daniel Ropkin informs about the July 1952 Washington, D.C. UFO incidents:

http://www.saturdaynightuforia.com/html/articles/articlehtml/samfordmeetspress.html

Quote from the web page:

“Note: This Spotlight 1952 entry focuses on the Air Force 

response to events related in In The News 1952 – Part Nine and 

In The News 1952 – Part Twelve, when radar-visual reports of 

unidentified aerial objects over the Washington, D.C., area 

occurred over two successive weekends in late July of that 

pivotal year.”

John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force, retired as a Lieutenant General.

Major General John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force

(google.com image)

UFO News Article:

“Special Cameras May Help Solve Saucer Mystery”,

30 July 1952 (Spokane Daily Chronicle, Washington)

The article (includes comments by U.S. Air Force Major General John A. Samford) reports on the July 1952 Washington, D.C. UFO incidents:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qfJXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZPYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4770,5113802

In this issue, the Spokane Daily Chronicle also presents five other UFO articles.

In the article, “Plane Attack Reported,” U.S. Air Force Captain Charles Tracy (former Assistant Wing Operations Officer of the 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Lawson Air Force Base, Columbus, Georgia) reveals that a veteran USAF pilot flying a F-51 fighter jet was ‘attacked repeatedly by a flying saucer’ in the summer of 1951. The incident occurred over Augusta, Georgia.

The pilot was Lieutenant George Kinman.

Earlier post on George Kinman’s UFO encounter:

ufo-news-articles-is-it-real.html

Major General John A. Samford, U.S. Air Force

(google.com image)

U.S. Government UFO Document: “FLYING SAUCERS”

14 August 1952

(Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C.)

Quote from the document:

    “During the past weeks, with the phenomenal increase in the number of Flying Saucer reports (my emphasis) there has been a tremendous stimulation of both public and official interest in the subject.  Requests for information have poured into the Air Force, including an official inquiry from the White House.  Finally on July 29, General Samford held a press conference in which he stated, that analysis showed ‘no pattern of anything remotely consistent with any menace to the United States;’ that recent Washington sightings were possibly due to ‘temperature inversions,’ others to ionized clouds, ice formations, etc.; that instrumentation would be emphasized henceforth in the Air Force Study.  He emphatically stated that the unexplained sightings could not have resulted from any experiments or tests conducted by the United States.

     At this point, OSI felt that it would be timely to make an evaluation of the Air Force Study, its methodology and coverage, the relation of its conclusions to various theories which have been propounded, and to try to reach some conclusion as to the intelligence implications of the problem (my emphasis) – if any.  In view of the wide interest within the Agency (my emphasis), this briefing has been arranged so that we could report on the survey.  It must be mentioned that the outside knowledge of Agency interest in Flying Saucers carries the risk of making the problem more serious in the public mind that it already is, which we and the Air Force agree must be avoided (my emphasis).

     In order to supply both breadth and depth to the survey we have reviewed our own intelligence, going back to the Swedish sightings of 1946; reviewed a large number of individual official reports, recent press and magazine coverage and the main popular books.  Indexes of the Soviet press were scanned.  We interviewed a representative of the Air Force Special Studies Group.  Following this, we spent a day at Wright Field in a thorough discussion with the officers conducting the ATIC study, and finally we took the problem to a selected group of our own consultants, all leaders in their scientific fields.

     From all this, we have come up with facts, theories, explanations and some conclusions, which we will cover in a brief summary of Flying Saucers history, an analysis of the ATIC work, and a discussion of the explained sightings and of possible theories regarding the unexplained (my emphasis).  We make no recommendations of action.  We would ask that questions be held until the end.”

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP81R00560R000100020013-6.pdf

Wikipedia article: “John A. Samford”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Samford

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2013/10/us-government-film-clip-maj-gen-john.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1952

(wikimedia.org image)

UFO Short Film: “The March of Time” – The July 1952 Washington, D.C., UFO Incidents

1952

(Time Inc., New York City, New York)

Source: GettyImages.fi

Text by GettyImages.fi:

“1952: ROUTE CONTROL CENTER: CAA radar expert James Richey w/ LIFE Military correspondent Clay Blair Jr. SOT saying he hasn’t talked to [Samford, not Sanford], however, they’re going to try to explain it, Blair saying military says light refraction.”

Transcript of CAA radar expert James Richey’s statement:
“I haven’t talked to General Samford. I am sure he knows a lot more about this stuff than I do. However – I can’t think that that explains the lights that we see appearing across the sky – that these pilots have reported – the pilots seeing lights. However, I have no doubt that it can be explained as some kind of weather phenomenon, too. I am sure the Air Force is gonna try to do it. They are gonna try to point things out – and make everybody satisfied that that’s what they’re seeing – something caused by weather inversion.”

My comment: The important sentences here are: “However – I can’t think that that [weather inversion] explains the lights that we see appearing across the sky – that these pilots have reported – the pilots seeing lights.” “They are gonna try to point things out – and make everybody satisfied that that’s what they’re seeing – something caused by weather inversion.”

On top of that – one can see from Richey’s body language (my interpretation) that he does not buy the “weather inversion” explanation for one second. It is always good to see an honest person.

https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/video/radar-expert-james-richey-w-life-military-correspondent-news-footage/513284989?adppopup=true

Wikipedia article: “1952 Washington, D.C. UFO incident”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_Washington,_D.C._UFO_incident

Quote from the above Wikipedia article:

“The 1952 Washington, D.C. UFO incident, also known as the

Washington flap, the Washington National Airport Sightings, or

the Invasion of Washington, was a series of unidentified flying

object reports from July 12 to July 29, 1952, over 

Washington, D.C. The most publicized sightings took place on

consecutive weekends, July 19–20 and July 26–27.”

Wikipedia article: “The March of Time” [Time Inc. short film series]:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_of_Time

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=July+1952+Washington,+D.C.

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=John+A.+Samford

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=July+1952

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=1952

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Radar

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Radars

(greyfalcon.us image)

The Washington Post headline, 28 July 1952:

“ ‘Saucer’ Outran Jet, Pilot Reveals”
(3.bp.blogspot.com image)

Aerial view of Washington, D.C. (2.bp.blogspot.com)

(2.bp.blogspot.com photo)

Satellite photo of Washington, D.C. (tageo.com)

(tageo.com photo)

UFO News Article: “ ‘Abnormal Radiation’ Reported By Author”

19 January 1956

(Wilmington Morning Star, North Carolina)

The article reports on retired U.S. Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt’s UFO book (published in early 1956):

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19560119&id=_V5gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4XENAAAAIBAJ&pg=4090,3046850

Quote from the article:

“A new book on flying saucers said today some atomic scientists have detected ‘abnormal radiations’ at the times and in the areas of sighting of unidentified objects in the sky. But it says there is no proof the phenomena are connected.

The author, former Air Force Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt, was for two years chief of the Air Force project for investigation of flying saucer reports.

He said that the data which he gathered on the radiation reports was rejected by the Air Force as containing ‘not enough conclusive evidence.’

‘No one could explain the sudden bursts of radiation, but there was no proof that they were associated with UFO’s,’ Ruppelt said in ‘The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects,’ published by Doubleday & Co.

1. A panel of scientists in January 1953, rejected an unofficial Air Force analysis prepared by a staff headed by Maj. Dewey Fournet, that UFOs were interplanetary space ships. Ruppelt said the space ship conclusion was supported by some air officers ‘at command levels just a notch below’ Maj. Gen. John A. Samford, at the time Air Force director of intelligence.

3. While the Air Force has said officially there is no proof that space ships exist, ‘This conclusion is far from being unanimous among the military and their scientific advisers.’ ”

(nicap.org image)

UFO Journal Issue: 

“Journal of UFO History”, 

Volume II, No. 4, September-October 2005

(NICAP.org)

The issue contains the articles, “COVER STORY & 1952 NOTE,” “Pentagon 1952 Press Conference on UFOs: MAJ.-GEN. JOHN A. SAMFORD, DIRECTOR OF AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SAYS WEATHER IS CAUSE” and “August-December 1952 Sighting Chronology”:

http://www.nicap.org/jufoh/JournalUFOHistoryVol2No4.pdf

Major General John Samford, U.S. Air Force

(google.com image)

UFO Interview (Transcript): “Oral History Interview with Albert M. Chop”

November 1999

(Sign Oral History Project, Thomas Tulien, Project Coordinator,

Minneapolis, Minnesota)

The late Albert M. Chop was a U.S. Air Force and NASA Public Affairs Officer.

Chop was initially very sceptical of UFOs, but after being promoted to Chief of the Press Section at Air Materiel Command (AMC) he changed his view on the UFO issue.

At the request of Major General John A. Samford and Major General Sory Smith of the Office of Public Information at the U.S. Defense Department, Chop was transferred (by U.S. Air Force Public Relations Office Chief Colonel DeWitt Searles) from Dayton, Ohio, to the Pentagon’s Press Section in Washington, D.C., in 1952.

When the 26 July 1952 Washington, D.C., UFO incident occurred, Chop was present in the radar control room at Washington National Airport.

http://sohp.us/interviews/pdf/Chop-Albert-1999.pdf

Wikipedia article: “Air Materiel Command”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Materiel_Command

Related posts:

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2019/02/google-searches-focus-on-albert-m-chops.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/2019/02/ufo-article-biography-albert-m-chop.html

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=Albert+M.+Chop

realtvufos.blogspot.com/search?q=July+1952+Washington,+D.C.

Albert M. Chop, MSC Deputy Public Affairs Officer, is shown at

his console in the Mission Control Operations Room at the NASA

Headquarters in Houston, Texas (project 1947.com photo)