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From: jan@cyberzone.net (Jan Aldrich)
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 18:06:51 -0700
Fwd Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 01:36:30 -0400
Subject: FUFOR: Washington, D. C., 1952 Documents

"Spaceships or Mirages over Washington National Airport, 1952?"

The Fund for UFO Research's (FUFOR) latest offering gives
Ufologists access to two important historical documents about
the events over Washington, D. C. during the 1952 UFO wave.

"Minutes of the Press Conference Held by Major General John A.
Samford, Director of US Air Force Intelligence 27 July 1952"
has generally not been available.  Along with MG Samford,
the USAF Director of Intelligence, participating in the press
conference were Major General Roger M. Ramey, Director of
Operations, USAF, COL Donald L. Bower, Technical Analysis Div.,
ATIC, CPT Roy L. James, Electronic Branch, ATIC, CPT Edward
J. Ruppelt, Aerial Phenomena Branch, ATIC, and Mr. Burgoyne
L. Griffing, Electronics Branch, ATIC.

Statements by Stamford and the others shows that they did not
have the complete story at their fingertips.  The questions
from the press were pointed and inquiring.  Stamford uttered
his famous line about "creditable people reporting
incredible things."  Attendence at this press conference
was the highest since World War II.

During the rather long press conference, MG Samford, in many
answers, made carefully qualified remarks.  His comments distilled
down by the press in large headlines reported the conference
as a debunking session.  While there is not question that the Air
Force wanted to regain control of the situation, the
conference was not the complete debunking session that was
later reported.

CPT Ruppelt, in his private papers, would later record Samford's
disappointment with the press and especially Keyhoe.  Ruppelt
speculated that the latter was the cause of later withholding of
UFO information.

It will be obvious from the text that Samford, Ramey, and the
others were not well prepared to handle specific questions about
the Washington, D. C. sightings.  It is my impression that the
temperature inversion explanation was just being floated as a
trail balloon to give the Air Force a respite from constant
press inquiries.  Later, the explanation would be carved in stone.

The second paper prepared by the USAF Environmental
Technical Application Center (ETAC) in April 1969 examined
the inversion explanation in detail.  UFO proponents will be
shocked at the paper's conclusion.  "Report #6112, Qulantitative
Aspects of Mirages" by 1LT Frederick V. Menkello consulted a
long list of publications on optics and UFOs.  The Foreign
Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio,
requested this report from ETAC.  ETAC placed the following
disclaimer on the report which almost invited further studies:
"This report addresses a specific problem and is not intended
to have application beyond that problem.  We recommend that any
questions on this or related problems be referred to USAF ETAC
for further study."

Unfortunately this recommendation was not followed.

ETAC's conclusion included:  "[Dr. James E.] McDonald was
right...."


"Spaceships or Mirages?" is available from the Fund for UFO
Research, P. O. Box 277, Mount Rainier, MD 20712 for $15 plus
$2.50 for postage and handling.

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Index: UFOs Over Washington
Index: FUFOR
Index: Official Government Investigations of UFOs