All language subtitles for UFO (1956).eng

♪

(MAN READING)

NARRATOR: On July 29th, 1952, at the
Pentagon, a press conference was held.

This is the actual official
transcript of that conference.

Amongst those
participating were,

Major General Roger M. Ramey,
Director of Operations, USAF.

Colonel Donald L. Bower,
Technical Analysis Division,

Air Technical
Intelligence Center.

And Captain Edward J. Ruppelt,

Aerial Phenomenon Branch, Air
Technical Intelligence Center.

This is Major General
John A. Samford,

Director of Intelligence,
United States Air Force,

who conducted the conference.

Why was the conference held?

It all began with an incident
which occurred in 1947.

On the afternoon of June 24th
of that year,

Kenneth Arnold made the first
report on flying saucers.

On this day, Arnold took off
from Chehalis, Washington,

and flew toward
the Rainier Plateau

at an elevation between nine
and 10,000 feet.

Over Mineral, Washington,

he observed a formation of very
bright objects to the north.

He radioed ahead that they appeared
to be close to the mountain tops,

and traveling
at tremendous speed.

When Arnold came in
for a landing at Pendleton,

airport personnel, and the local
press, were waiting for him.

Arnold counted nine objects
in echelon formation.

He observed that
they had no tails,

and described them as
"saucer-shaped" objects.

The story was picked up
by the wire services.

He saw what?

In the next 24 hours, virtually every
newspaper in the country ran the story.

♪

(INAUDIBLE)

The Arnold report precipitated an avalanche
of sightings from cities, towns, villages,

from every section
of the country.

The commercials aspects of the saucer
situation were not overlooked.

Alert businessmen and manufacturers
came up with all sorts of oddities.

The practical joker moved in.

Homemade saucers of all kinds and
descriptions began to turn up promiscuously.

Within a few months
of the original saucer report,

practically everyone in America
was conscious of flying saucers.

This man in the saucer,
can you describe him?

Well, sir,
he was small and skinny.

He had a...
His head was pointed.

He came to a very sharp point.

He had long green hair.

His eyes were a sort of
purplish red.

He had large ears that were
formed like an antennae.

His teeth were perfect,
but spread far apart.

And I noticed, too,

a jacket of some
sort of spun glass,

and bright red metallic shoes.

You say this all took place
in a few seconds.

Mr. Nagelschmidt, can you tell
me what color tie I'm wearing?

Sorry, sir. I didn't notice.

You mean to say you can remember everything
about this man from the spaceship,

his hair, the color of his eyes,
the clothing he was wearing,

and yet, after all this time, you
can't tell me the color of my tie?

But you didn't come out
of a flying saucer!

♪

NARRATOR: Then, at approximately
14:00 on January 7th, 1948,

the Kentucky State Police reported
to the Fort Knox Military Police,

that they had sighted an
unusual aircraft or object

flying through the air,
circular in appearance,

approximately 200 to 300 feet
in diameter, moving westward.

The Provost Marshal at Fort Knox
called the commanding officer

at Godman Air Force Base.

Call Flight Services
at Wright Field.

Determine if they have any
experimental aircraft in our area.

We have a report of an unidentified
aircraft south of the field.

It was about 13:15 when the tower
controller in the Godman Tower received

his instructions from
the commanding officer.

All right, Patterson?

NARRATOR: The PFC continued giving
routine instructions to a light plane

which was practicing
take-offs, and landings.

Flight Service.

Captain Hopper,
Flight Service.

Flight Service
is a clearing house.

The positions of all military
planes are carefully plotted

so a minute-to-minute check may be made on
their position, course, altitude and speed.

Flight Service
to Godman Tower.

We have no experimental
aircraft in that area.

However, we do have a B-29 and an
A-26 on photo mission in that area.

In the meantime,
Lieutenant Cowan, the AACS,

and the operations officer
had arrived in the tower.

They were joined by the intelligence
officer, and the executive officer.

Upon hearing the information
from Flight Service,

the executive officer called Colonel
Hix, the commanding officer.

-(MACHINE WHIRRING)
-Colonel Hix.

Colonel Hix, can you come over
to the tower, please.

At about 13:50, the tower controller
saw an object south of Godman Field,

and directed it to the
attention of the tower.

Lieutenant Cowan
was the first of the group,

after the tower controller,
to locate it.

He immediately directed it to the
attention of the operations officer.

After observing it
for a moment,

he picked up the telephone and put in a
second call to the commanding officer.

While he was putting
the call through,

Colonel Hix arrived
in the tower.

It was now about 14:20.

About 14:30,
a flight of four F-51s,

being ferried from Marietta, Georgia
to Standiford Field, Kentucky,

was sighted south of the base.

The commanding officer issued an
order to contact the flight leader.

Phone and find out
who's leading the flight.

Godman Tower to leader
of Flight 451.

Godman Tower to leader
of Flight 451. Come in.

(OVER PA) Captain Mantell, flight
leader of 451 to Godman Tower.

Over.

Standby for further
instructions.

Record of flight
into the area of the unknown.

Captain Mantell on a heading
of 210 degrees.

Godman Tower to Captain
Mantell, come in. Over.

(OVER PA) Mantell to
Godman Tower. Over.

Godman Tower
to Captain Mantell.

Investigate an unidentified
object in your area.

Your new course,
2-1-0 degrees.

210 degrees.

(OVER PA)
Mantell to Godman Tower.

Changing heading to 210.

Wilco, out.

NARRATOR: One of the ships
in Mantell's formation, NG336,

piloted by
Lieutenant Hendricks,

requested permission to land at Standiford
Field to refuel and get oxygen.

Permission was granted.

Captain Mantell and the other two planes
started to climb toward the object.

The second pilot made
a similar request.

Both wingmen refueled, and after getting
oxygen equipment, took off again.

Captain Mantell, flying
NG3869, continued climbing.

Outdistancing his wingmen.

At 14:45,
Mantell called the tower.

(OVER PA) Mantell to Tower. I see it. Above
and ahead of me. I'm still climbing.

NARRATOR: A few minutes later, one
of Mantell's wingmen was heard.

MAN: (OVER PA) What the hell
are we looking for?

After a moment,
Captain Mantell made a reply.

(OVER PA) Mantell to Tower.

The object is directly ahead
and above me.

Now moving at half my speed.

Godman Tower to leader
of Flight 451.

Godman Tower to leader
of Flight 451. Come in.

(OVER PA) Mantell to Tower.

It appears to be a metallic
object of tremendous size.

NARRATOR: The object now was in
visual view of the tower personnel.

(OVER PA) Mantell to Tower. I'm
trying to close in for a better look.

I'll go to 20,000 feet.

NARRATOR: Shortly after this, pilot Hammond,
the remaining wingman with Mantell,

called Mantell over his radio.

(OVER PA) Level off, Captain,
until I regain visual contact.

NARRATOR: The personnel in Godman Tower
waited tensely for Mantell's reply.

But he made no answer.

A moment later, pilot Hammond
made another report to the tower.

Mantell seemed
to have disappeared.

Mantell had apparently climbed
beyond his wingman.

At 15:25, the remaining wingman broke
off and returned to Standiford Field.

The object, which was in
visual sight from the tower,

as were the F-51s
during the chase,

disappeared at
approximately 15:50.

The F-51s were
first lost to view,

and then the object
went behind a cloud.

Godman Tower to Captain Mantell.
Come in. Over.

This is Godman Tower to Captain Mantell.
Come in. Over.

NARRATOR: At 17:50, Standiford advised
Godman Tower that Mantell had crashed

five miles southwest
of Franklin, Kentucky.

The crash had occurred
at approximately 16:45.

Captain Mantell was killed.

♪

Statements were taken
from all who were present

in the tower during
the Mantell sighting.

The tower controller stated,

"It looked silver
or metallic."

The intelligence officer,

"It appeared to be
a bright silver object."

The executive officer,

"It was circular in shape."

The AACS,

"A small white object
in the sky."

The operations officer,

"It appeared round and white."

The commanding officer,

"It could be seen plainly
with a naked eye."

The statements were typed up
for the necessary signatures

as the interrogation
concluded.

There was one point on which
there was some disagreement.

Not everyone who had been present in the
tower had heard Mantell when he reported

over the radio that he was
moving in for a better look.

The more lurid sections
of the press reported

that fragments of Mantell's
plane were found

to be radioactive.

Some news sources reported
that an autopsy revealed

that Mantell had been killed
by some kind of death ray,

unknown to our men of science.

These reports were false.

Because certain publications persisted
in using a sensational approach

in reporting sightings,
there were increasing

demands from the public
for an explanation.

However, the air force
had already taken official

cognizance
of the flying discs.

Headquarters,
United States Air Forces,

issued a directive for a detailed
study of flying disc reports.

This project received
a secret classification,

and the code name of Sign.

Department of Air Force and
Department of Army Letters

directed all respected subordinate
units to report directly

to Air Materiel Command, all information
concerning unidentified flying objects.

And so Project Sign
was implemented.

Trained investigators were dispatched
to the exact scenes of the sightings.

After thorough
on-the-spot interrogations,

the reports were sent on
to ATIC for further analysis.

Utah.

Washington.

Norway.

Sweden.

Denmark.

South Korea.

Ohio.

New Jersey.

Oregon.

Philippine Islands.

Louisiana.

Alabama.

Tennessee.

Kansas.

Massachusetts.

As an example of the credible
type of sightings reported

by reputable,
trained observers,

was the report of
Captain Willis Sperry.

What is your full name,
Captain?

-Captain Willis Sperry. -How
long with American Airlines?

17 years.

-What was the date of sighting?
-May the 29th, 1950.

-And the time of sighting?
-9:30 in the evening.

-The origin of sighting? -60 miles
southwest of Washington, D.C.

-And the destination?
-Nashville, Tennessee.

-What was the visibility?
-It was unlimited.

-What was your altitude?
-7,500 feet.

Who of the crew
first saw the object?

A co-pilot called it
to my attention,

as I had turned
to reach for a map.

The object was flying
head-on at us.

It was 50 times the magnitude
of the brightest star.

I immediately made an abrupt
turn to avoid collision.

As I looked to my left, the object
appeared to come to a stop.

Can you describe the shape
of the object?

It appeared as a perfectly
streamlined object,

without wings or tail section,

as it was silhouetted against
the full moon.

At all times, it had a brilliant,
shimmering blue light in the nose.

It was traveling
at fantastic speed.

And although it had passed
off our left wing tip,

it circled us in a manner of seconds
and appeared off our right wing.

There again it stopped, and we
watched it for several seconds.

When again it started,
it reversed its direction.

We watched it for several
more seconds

until it disappeared
in the east out of sight.

Have you ever seen any
other similar object, Captain?

Never before or since.

♪

NARRATOR: On January 9th, 1950, the press
reported that Project Sign was closed.

From now on, the air force stated,
it's only similar activity

would be the routine, conventional
watch for unidentified flying objects.

MAN: This is the Daily News
building in Dayton, Ohio.

My name is Al Chop.

A short time after my discharge
from the Marine Corps,

I paid a visit to the newspaper
where I had previously worked

as a reporter for five years.

Well, hell! You rascal.

-Glad to see you.
-Good to see you.

The editor was a close friend,

and he tried to convince me to
take back my old job on the paper.

He was very persuasive.

But for personal reasons,
it didn't interest me.

Oh, but you remember the old days
here, now it's all different.

Three hours for lunch,
double time for over time.

Blonde copy girls.

Once he realized that my
mind was made up,

he made another suggestion.

It was due to this casual
suggestion that I walked

right into the middle
of the flying saucer story.

Ever since the
Korean situation,

there's a lot of activity out
at Air Materiel Command.

You could fit right in at the
public information office.

Who's the man
to see out there?

A friend of mine, Major Cross.
I'll call him now.

The idea appealed to me.

I'd always been intensely
interested in aviation.

Also, I liked the idea of
settling down in Dayton again.

Both Dee, my wife, and I had
a lot of friends there.

It would be like coming
home again.

The editor set up an appointment
for me at Air Materiel Command.

This is what I wanted.

When a man never knows
what he's getting into.

The next day I went out to
AMC and talked to the Major.

He seemed satisfied with my
newspaper background.

I was interviewed by a personnel official
who filled out the necessary papers

preliminary to an
Air Force security check.

-Full name?
-Albert M. Chop. C-H-O-P.

-Age?
-35.

Married?

-Wife's name?
-Dolores.

Children?

Girl, age 11. Boy, 5.

Take this to room D.

Thank you.

Shortly after, I went on the
AMC payroll on the PIO desk.

I soon shook down into the routine
of the public information desk.

There was a wide diversification of
projects for which I wrote material.

Most of it was released
as newspaper copy,

with an occasional article
published in the magazines.

I wrote a piece on a portable
printing press

that could be set up close
to the front line.

These presses
printed daily bulletins,

which proved the great value in
sustaining morale of front line troops.

I did a few pieces
on helicopters,

which were coming into
wide use in Korea.

Newsweek magazine
printed this,

and it also appeared in many of
the country's leading newspapers.

-Then, one morning about 10:00.
-(PHONE RINGS)

I got a call from a newspaper
editor in Boston.

The Boston editor wanted confirmation,
or official information,

on a flying saucer report out
of Sioux City, Iowa.

I told the editor that Project
Sign had been officially closed.

He was insistent.

So finally, I called Air
Technical Intelligence Center.

No, Chop, we haven't a report on
Sioux City, or any other sighting.

You people on POI desk ought to
know we closed Project Sign.

♪

For the next couple of
hours, calls came in from

newspapers all over America.

Gradually, I was able
to piece the story together.

On the previous evening,

a commercial airline DC-3
in Sioux City, Iowa,

had requested clearance
from the tower to take off.

The tower held them up,
informing the pilot

that there was a light in the west that
they thought might be a light plane.

The tower stated they were trying to
contact it, but were unsuccessful.

The tower was in contact with another light
plane that was coming in for a landing.

The DC-3, engines idling, stood
by at the end of the runway

until the light plane landed
and taxied off the strip.

The tower then gave the DC-3
pilot permission to take off.

(ENGINE RUMBLING)

As the DC-3 climbed
for altitude,

an unidentified light
suddenly closed in.

This was the object that the tower
unsuccessfully had tried to contact by radio.

The tower observed this
and radioed the DC-3.

But the light had already been observed
by both the pilot and co-pilot.

Suddenly the light accelerated and
made a head-on pass at the plane,

which swerved
to avoid a collision.

It zoomed past them,
close to their wing tip.

The pilot called the tower and described
the object as a B-36 without wings.

After being observed
by several passengers,

the object suddenly zoomed
straight up, and disappeared.

About noon, two reporters came in asking for
information on the Sioux City sighting.

What's new on this
saucer story, Al?

We have nothing on it.

Project Sign is closed. ATIC is no
longer investigating these things.

How stupid can they get?

How can they drop an investigation
when there are things going on

like this Sioux City incident?

Look, George, I don't
make policy around here.

I've got a job, and I take my
orders just like everybody else.

They insisted I make another
call for verification with ATIC.

I indicated to one of the reporters
to pick up the extension,

and listen in,
so he too could hear.

Yeah, hello, Major?

Al Chop.

A couple of reporters here want
some information on Sioux City.

MAN: Look, Al, the answer is the same.
The project is closed,

I told you that before.

Yeah. Thanks, Major.

-You heard the man.
-This thing doesn't add up.

Those men saw something
up there.

Oh, there's probably some
simple explanation for it.

Don't tell me you guys believe
this saucer bunk?

You're just sittin'
on a story, Al.

Well, you believe
what you like. But personally,

I think this whole saucer business
is pure, unadulterated bunk.

One day, shortly after
the Sioux City incident,

I went over to get a story
on a former German scientist.

Area B was a maximum
security section.

The story appeared in
the New York Times.

I had obtained the background on
the scientist from the files.

He was formally one of the top
men at Peenemunde, Germany.

One of the key figures participating
in the successful development

of the B-2 rocket.

This scientist had succeeded in
developing a 98.8% pure aluminum oxide.

These crucibles were vital
to our nation's defense.

They were used to mount super hard
metals needed to build turbine blades

for our jet aircraft.

Tell me, young man.
(CLEARS THROAT)

What new reports are you getting
on unidentified flying objects?

Flying saucers?

Oh, they keep coming in every once in a
while, but we don't take them too seriously.

-Oh, no?
-Of course not.

It must be amusing to a man
in your line of work

to hear about all these
screwball reports.

It is my firm opinion,

that these sightings should be
investigated most meticulously.

You don't believe that these flying
saucers actually exist, do you?

And how can you be so certain
that they don't, Mr. Chop?

Well, I just don't believe it.

Our minds should be open
on all subjects.

Wrong conclusions
are usually the result

of lack of comprehensive
analysis.

Of course.

Well, thank you, Doctor. I won't
take up any more of your time.

And I'll let you read the
article before I send it in.

Thank you, Mr. Chop,
I'll be looking forward to it.

Later that same day,

I paid a visit to the public information
officer for Air Materiel Command.

It was his job to know
everything that was going on.

I brought up my interview
with the scientist.

-He's a top man, isn't he, Colonel?
-Good as they come.

We got on the subject
of saucers.

He seemed to lend credence to their
existence. At least he doesn't deny it.

He's not alone
in that opinion.

I don't understand, Colonel.

If a crack scientist thinks they
could exist, why not the Air Force?

Al, I'm going to let you in
on something.

Somehow security was breached
on the code name Sign.

Every news agency knew that
Project Sign meant saucers.

On top of it, we were up to our
bustle in screwball reports.

Serious investigation
was all fouled up.

Serious investigation? Then the Air Force
is still investigating these sightings?

We switched the code name
to Project Grudge.

And the investigations
continue.

-And what have they shown?
-Nothing conclusive as yet.

Could these saucers be some kind
of a secret weapon of ours?

No. If they were, Air Materiel
Command would be the first to know.

How about a device
from a foreign country?

We know they're not.

What is your opinion, Colonel?

I don't have any opinion, Al.

A short time later, I was promoted
to chief at the press section.

From then on, there wasn't a moment when
I didn't have at least one reporter

hounding me for information
on saucer sightings.

Got a question, Al. Boys down at the
office would like an honest answer.

-Project Sign is closed, right?
-That's right.

Has the Air Force set up
a new saucer investigation?

-No. -Thanks, Al. That's
all I want to know.

Come in here right away, Al.
And bring pencil and paper.

Line 3.

Colonel Godard's on the
phone, he's got a hot

UFO report. I want you
to listen in on it.

Okay, Colonel. Shoot.

ALBERT: Colonel Godard, Chief of the Air
Force Photo Reconnaissance Laboratories,

reported that three of
his men flying a B-29

were tracking a weather
balloon over Georgia.

Suddenly an unidentified flying object
appeared and flew alongside the balloon.

After a few moments, the object dived,
and made a pass at the balloon.

Then proceeded to disappear.

When the balloon was recovered,
it had a six foot rip in it.

Colonel Godard's men believe
this unidentified flying object

made the tear in the balloon.

Godard vouched for his men,
making the report,

stating that they were highly experienced
and reliable Air Force personnel.

Thank you, Colonel.

Think it could be
a lightning ball?

Godard wouldn't call about
a lightning ball.

Didn't any of his men
have a camera?

No. They were tracking it
with binoculars.

That's something
I don't get, Colonel.

Wouldn't you think that
somebody, somewhere,

would've shot a picture of one
of these things?

Oh, we've got plenty
of photographs.

But the trouble
with still pictures is,

they're too easily faked.

What about a motion picture,
could that be faked?

Well, trick shots
are possible.

But not without complicated and
expensive laboratory equipment.

And highly skilled men.

Even then, motion picture experts
could easily determine fakes.

That eliminates some joker faking a piece
of motion picture film in his garage.

Practically impossible
to get away with that.

Well, I guess that's why you
have no movies of them, Colonel.

♪

As chief of the press desk, my
work hours, my meals, my sleep,

became increasingly disturbed
and chaotic.

I saw little of my wife
and children.

Chip, my son, was at this time, making
periodic visits to a doctor in Dayton.

How's Chip?

I feel more hopeful
with the new specialist.

You look tired.

Since you've gotten this new job, the
children don't know their own father anymore.

Yeah, sometimes I wish I were
back on the newspaper.

I was talking with Mrs. Collins
today, she tells me her husband's

cousin works with a man who
swears he saw a flying saucer.

Uh-uh, I thought I told you that
term was taboo in this house.

Do you really think they might
be from Mars or some place?

Look honey, don't you get
like the rest of those

screwballs that I have
in my hair all day.

Every time some kid flies a kite,
50 different people see spaceships.

Come on, let's get to bed.

A few days later, the Colonel and I were
talking over routine press releases

on a new type
transport plane.

When suddenly, the Colonel
veered off on a tangent.

By the way, there's a magazine fellow coming
out here from New York to do a story.

I want you to set up appointments
with the people he'll want to see.

Right, what magazine
is he representing?

-Life.
-What are they after?

They're going to write a piece
about unidentified flying objects.

Are you serious?

Life was given clearance by the
Air Force commanding general.

How come?

When the general stamp
makes a plan,

they have the whole picture
in view.

We here at Dayton see only
a smaller section.

Pentagon has its reasons.

Very good ones, most likely.

When the Life story breaks, we're going
to have to fight our way in here through

through a milling mob
of inquisitive reporters.

No, Al, you won't.
You won't be here.

Colonel Sirrells of the Pentagon
has requested you by name.

He wants you to join his staff
in Washington.

Colonel, it's been swell
working with you.

But under the circumstances,

I'll be delighted
to get out of here.

Upon my arrival in Washington,

I was assigned to Air Force press
desk, room 2E 765 at the Pentagon.

My last official act at AMC

had been to arrange the conferences
and briefings for Life magazine.

I was in Washington only a short while when
Look magazine submitted the galley proofs

of their saucer article
to my desk.

I put the Look article through
to security review.

Now I felt free to settle
down in my new job.

I checked in with the press section
of the United States Senate,

House of Representatives,
and Department of State.

I paid the required visits to
the information departments

of the Army, Navy
and Marine Corps.

I covered the Civil Aeronautics
Administration, and other agencies

with whom I would be working
in close contact.

By now I figured I was through
with flying saucers for good.

But the Pentagon
had other ideas.

Because of my previous
experience,

I was assigned to
unidentified flying objects.

I was back in the flying
saucer business.

In the activity of setting up housekeeping
and getting adjusted to the new job,

I completely forgot about
the Life magazine article.

Also, I was able to spend more
time with Chip.

My son had been deaf
in one ear since infancy,

and it was difficult for him
to play with other children.

I had settled down
to a regulated home life.

But it was only a lull
before the storm.

♪

On April 7th, 1952,

Life hit the newsstands
with the saucer story.

The question, if anyone ever
had any doubt about it,

was forcefully answered.

The public,
America as a whole,

had an intense, avid interest in
the subject of flying saucers.

The first few days following
the Life story were chaotic.

Naturally my desk
was an exposed point.

And I was under incessant
barrage by newsmen.

Shortly after the
Life story,

Look's coverage of saucers
hit the newsstands.

Their story featured
a saucer map.

Including a statement by
the Commanding General

U.S. Air Force,
Hoyt Vandenberg.

Vandenberg stated...

HOYT: The Air Force is interested in
anything that takes place in the air.

This includes the aerial phenomena
commonly known as "flying saucers."

Many of these incidents have been
satisfactorily explained. Others have not.

ALBERT: Project Grudge was
expanded and augmented.

The classified name Grudge
was dropped.

The new code name for the UFO
investigative project was Blue Book.

The General appointed Captain Edward J.
Ruppelt of ATIC at Wright-Patterson

as officer-in-charge
of Project Blue Book.

Ruppelt's department was designated
as Air Phenomenon Branch,

Air Technical Intelligence.

At Ruppelt's disposal was a large
staff of distinguished scientists,

both military and civilian.

One day, Major Dewey Fournet of Current
Intelligence Branch sent for me.

Will you come in here
a minute, Al?

Major Fournet was an intelligence
technical analyst and UFO monitor.

Thanks, Captain.

Al, I just got a call
from Captain Ruppelt.

A Navy photographer named Newhouse has
made a sighting near Tremonton, Utah.

He got some UFOs on film.

-Motion pictures?
-Motion pictures.

This film should prove interesting
on a comparative basis.

-Comparative with what?
-With the Montana film.

ATIC's had it for some time
over at Dayton.

You mean ATIC's has had motion pictures?
Why wasn't I told about it?

-You're being told about it now.
-Can I see these films?

Ruppelt has the Newhouse film. It's back
at Dayton being processed and analyzed.

But I can show you
the Montana film.

This film was shot
August the 15th, 1950.

It was taken in Great Falls,
Montana by Nick Mariana.

Immediately after we were
notified of the sighting,

we went an intelligence man
to get a firsthand report.

(RECORDER PLAYING)
My name is Nick Mariana.

For the past six years, I've been the
general manager of a minor league baseball

club called the Electrics.

We play out of
Great Falls, Montana,

and are a farm club
with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

On August 15th, 1950,

at Legion Ball Park in
Great Falls, Montana,

after a couple of hours
in the clubhouse office,

I went up into the grandstand
to call the groundskeeper.

As I reached the top
of the stairway,

I glanced northward to the tall
Anaconda Copper Company smokestack

to check the direction of the
wind from the white smoke.

Force of habit, I suppose,
because our outfielders use

it as an indicator
on defensive play.

As I looked up, I saw two silvery objects
moving swiftly out of the northwest.

They appeared to be moving
directly south.

The objects were very bright and
about 10,000 feet in the air.

They appeared to be of a bright,
shiny metal. Like polished silver.

Both were the same size, and were
traveling at the same rate of speed,

which was much slower than the jets that
shot by shortly after I filmed the discs.

Suddenly, they stopped.

It was then I remembered the camera
in the glove compartment of my car.

I raced downstairs, yelling for my
secretary, Miss Virginia Raunig.

This distance from the top of the
stairway to my car is about sixty feet,

and I must have made that
in about six jumps.

I asked my secretary if she saw anything,
and she said, "Yes, two silvery spheres."

I unlocked the glove compartment
of my car, took out the camera,

turned the telephoto lens
on the turret into position,

set the camera at F-22,

picked up the objects in the
viewfinder, and pressed the trigger.

The discs appeared to be spinning, like
a top, and were about 50 feet across,

and about 50 yards apart.

I could not see any exhaust,
wings, or any kind of fuselage.

There was no cabin, no odor,

no sound except I thought I heard a
whooshing sound when I first saw them.

As the film clicked through
the camera,

I could see the objects moving southeast
behind the General Mills grain building

and the black water tank,
directly south of the ball park.

I filmed the objects until they
disappeared into the blue sky,

behind the water tank.

There's only a few feet of film,
it'll be over practically before

your eyes are focused on it.

Now remember, there's only a few
feet of film, so watch closely.

ALBERT: I still had my doubts.

But I must admit, I felt
an excitement about seeing

actual footage of unidentified
flying objects for the first time.

-Ready?
-Ready.

(PROJECTOR WHIRRING)

(WHIRRING)

-What do you make of it?
-You saw what I saw.

-What's your opinion?
-I'll run it again.

Do you have a transcript
on Mariana?

-It's at Dayton.
-Good.

Colonel Sirrells wants me to go to Dayton,
that is, if you'll give me clearance.

I'll have you cleared.

It's a good idea for you to get
acquainted with the history of UFOs.

When you get to Dayton,
you'll meet Captain Ruppelt.

The three of us are going to be
working closely from here on.

Ruppelt will give you a
complete briefing on Blue Book.

What's the story on him?

Ruppelt's an aeronautical engineer.
He knows about things that fly.

An excellent man to head up
Project Blue Book.

Okay. Once again, what's
your opinion on this film?

As far as I'm concerned, I'll have
to classify them as unknowns.

I'll run the film again,
this time in slow motion.

ALBERT: This time I strained
my eyes to study the film.

Well?

There was something up there
in that sky.

If they were not balloons,

I don't know what to think.

You better get going
to Dayton.

-Yes, sir, may I help you? -Al
Chop to see Captain Ruppelt.

-Captain's right over there, sir.
-Thanks.

Captain Ruppelt? I'm Al Chop.

Have a seat, sir.

Major Burnett alerted me
you were arriving.

You got the green light here,
where would you like to start?

ALBERT: As a springboard,
I suggested

that he brief me on the
general outline of how

the organization handled
reports on UFOs.

Ruppelt began to fill me in on
the battling saucer problem,

including a breakdown on the reported
sightings, supplemented by graphs.

There were literally hundreds of cases
where air defense command pilots

had attempted
to intercept UFOs.

There were sightings where UFOs
had been tracked by ground radar,

airborne radar,
ground observation,

and combinations
of all these elements.

I accompanied intelligence
officers on investigations.

I witnessed the difficulty in breaking
down, and gaining the confidence of those

who were reluctant to talk
about their experiences

for fear of personal ridicule
and embarrassment.

Others were cooperative.

I observed the technique
of thorough interrogation

used by Blue Book's analysis
and investigative staff.

In almost every case, I heard the same
words used to describe the sighting.

These words were,
lights and metallic objects.

There were reports by reliable,
competent observers,

including high ranking
Air Force and Navy fliers,

civil engineers
and scientists.

I learned that the staggering total of
over 3,500 reports had been received.

Quite a few of these sightings
are unsolved.

Approximately 85% of the sightings
are designated as solved.

According to this document,
14.3% of all sightings

are officially designated
as unknown.

The newsmen keep hitting me
with the unsolved cases.

Anyway, "solve" is a big word.

How do you solve them?

There's nothing hit-or-miss
about it. I'll show you.

On December 1st, 1952, between
4:30 and 5:00 in the morning,

several major airports
in this area

reported seeing a round object
that was flashing.

First white, then
white-orange, then amber.

It was observed northwest
of this central point.

At an angle of 15 degrees
above the horizon.

Remember that 15 degrees,
it's important.

Reports arrived here from Teterboro
Airport, Westchester Airport,

Newark Airport,
LaGuardia Air Field,

Idlewild and Mitchell Field.

This flashing sphere of light was also
observed by an Eastern airline pilot,

who radioed in his report.

Various observers at all these
airports watched the object

through high powered
binoculars.

When the report arrived here, we
check the weather in that area

with Air Force Weather Bureau.

That night, at that time, there
was no temperature inversion.

We got in touch with Navy balloon project
center, at the University of Minnesota.

That gave us an exact schedule of
balloons released from that center.

We got similar information from every
other point where weather balloons

are released to Air Force balloon
plotting center at Lowry Field, Denver.

We contacted
Air Force weather,

for wind conditions and velocity
at the altitude of known balloons.

A precise computation
of balloons in the air,

and known wind conditions definitely
removed balloons from the picture.

We checked with Flight Service to determine
if any aircraft were in the vicinity,

on the bearing, at that time.

There were no aircraft.

And still this thing were up
there all the time,

being observed by various personnel
from airfields all over that area?

Correct, and they
were seeing it.

We checked with our contract
astronomer at a leading University,

and gave the astronomer the angle of
elevation, and bearing of the object.

Remember, the object was observed
at an angle of 15 degrees

above the horizon. And I
told you that was important.

It proved to be
the conclusive factor.

Our astronomer recorded that at
the time of the observation,

the planet Jupiter was
15 degrees above the horizon,

and on the angle of elevation
bearing at the object.

There's no doubt about it. What
all these people saw was Jupiter.

What made the light flash?

Atmospheric conditions. The same conditions
that make the stars appear to twinkle.

-People really go into these things.
-We try.

In over 80% of the cases, we come
up with the correct answers.

We don't get the correct
answers in all the cases.

What about the motion picture
made by this Navy man, Newhouse?

-We're working on that.
-How does it look?

-Impressive.
-Can I see it?

It's being analyzed.

When the film is available, will
I be able to take a look at it?

As soon as analysis is completed,
you'll see it. Satisfied?

Yeah. How long will that take?

About a week. We're doing an exhaustive
check on the Newhouse stuff.

Really putting it through
the ringer.

When we're through, we'll forward a
print to the director of intelligence,

with a complete report
of our analysis.

Fill me in on Newhouse. Do you
consider him a qualified observer?

He rates as a top flight observer,
an extremely competent one.

Immediately upon getting word
of his sighting,

we dispatched an investigator to the Travis
Air Force Base to interrogate Newhouse.

Exact date of his sighting was July 2nd
at 11:00 a.m., Mountain Standard Time.

NEWHOUSE: I was driving
on U.S. Highway 30 South,

with my wife, and our son,
Delbert, and our daughter, Anne.

We were on our way from Washington,
D.C., to Portland, Oregon.

On vacation.

Before reporting to my new duty
station at the Aviation Supply Depot,

Naval Supply Center,
Oakland, California.

About seven miles after we
passed through Tremonton, Utah,

my wife noticed a group of objects in
the sky that she could not identify.

I pulled over to the side
of the road,

we stopped, got up,
looked up and saw the objects.

There were about twelve
of them in a rough formation.

Proceeding in
a westerly direction.

They were like nothing
I'd ever seen before,

although I've logged some
2,000 hours in the air.

They were identical
in appearance.

How would you describe
these objects?

Like two saucers,
one inverted over the other.

I had no means of judging
the altitude,

but it appeared to me to be about
the size of B-29s at 10,000 feet.

Did you photograph them
immediately?

I watched the objects for a few moments
before getting my camera out of the suitcase.

Then I lost more time getting
film out of the second suitcase,

and loading the camera.

When I first saw the objects
they were almost overhead.

By the time I had the camera
ready to go, they had moved

to a considerably
greater distance.

What kind of a camera
did you use?

A 16 mm Bell and Howell.

Uh, the film I had loaded
with the three lens turret.

I selected three inch lens,

and set it on F8.

And focused at infinity.

Did you think of using
slow motion?

No, the camera was set on
16 frames per second.

And in the excitement
of the moment,

I didn't think to shoot
at a greater rate,

although that would have
improved the coverage.

I set the viewfinder on the
objects and made the first shot.

Then I decided if the sky were darker,
the objects would show up better.

So I stopped the lens
down to F16.

And continue photographing.

This prove to be a mistake as the quality
of the film would've been better

had I left it at F-8.

Did these objects remain together
in a group at all times?

No, toward the end, one
object reversed it's course,

and proceeded away from
the rest of the group.

I held the camera still,
and allowed this single object

to pass through
the field of view.

Picking it up again later
in its course.

Did this single object return
to the rest of the group?

No. I allowed it to pass through
the field of view of the camera,

two or three times
and then it disappeared.

-In what direction?
-Over the eastern horizon.

What did you do then?

I turned, swinging
the camera just in time

to see the rest of the group
disappear over the western horizon.

-What was the weather? -The weather
was bright, and cloudless.

-Visibility good?
-The visibility was excellent.

How did this film you shot compare
with what you saw with your naked eye?

You have studied the film.

Yes, I've studied it.
I'm very disappointed.

The film falls far short of showing
what I saw with the naked eye.

Due to the delay in getting
the camera started,

and my error in exposure.

If I had this camera on the seat
beside me loaded and ready to go,

they'd be no need
for questions.

The Air Force would
have the answer.

-What is your full name, please?
-Delbert Clement Newhouse.

-And you are on active duty with the Navy?
-Yes, sir, I am.

What is your official
Navy rank?

My title is Chief
Photographer.

I'm a commissioned warrant
officer, United States Navy.

-How long have you been in the service?
-21 years.

Now is there anything you can add to
the description of these objects?

They had a bright,
silvery color.

Can you describe some
particular detail?

It had a metallic appearance.

They seemed to be made of some
kind of polished metal.

The Newhouse film, as I told you,
is presently under analysis.

Sergeant, would you get me
the Fargo case?

The Fargo sighting was
October 1st, 1948.

A National Guard lieutenant,
thank you,

a National Guard lieutenant was about
to land his F-51 at Fargo Airport.

ALBERT: Captain Ruppelt gave me
the details from the record.

The pilot, after a routine patrol
flight, was third by the tower to land,

when he asked...

Anything in the way?

There's a Piper Cub below you.
Nothing else in the air.

I see the Piper Cub.

I see another light about
a 1,000 yards ahead of me.

Looks like the tail end
of a plane.

I can see you.

But I can't see the light
you're observing.

The pilot told the tower
he could see it,

and was going to close in and
try to make identification.

I can see it clearly now,
a small, white light.

It keeps blinking on and off.

As he approached it, the blinking
light became clear and steady.

Suddenly, it pulled into
a sharp, left bank.

I think this thing is going
to make a pass by the tower.

I see it now. I see it.

The pilot dived on the light, and
although he brought his manifold

to 60 inches, he reported,

I can't seem to catch up
with the thing.

It's gaining altitude and just
made an impossible turn,

a 90 degree turn to the left.

You're right.
It's gaining altitude on you.

And it's still
on a very tight left turn.

By that time they were at
7,000 feet when suddenly,

the light made a 90 degree
right turn.

It's headed straight at me.

The light passed directly
over your canopy.

At, I estimate,
about 500 feet.

The object suddenly shot
straight into the air.

The pilot followed it to 14,000 feet,
but his plane went into a power stall.

The object disappeared.

The chase had last
approximately 27 minutes.

The officer in the tower was the
airport traffic controller.

The lieutenant was an instructor for the
French during the Second World War.

He said he was sure there was an intelligence
behind the movements of the lights.

He stated, too, that no earth-born
pilot could've withstood

the G-factor inherited in the
object's turns and speed

without blacking out.

Was there radar at the field?

-No, there wasn't. -Too bad, radar
would've made it air tight.

Not necessarily.

I thought a radar return
was indisputable evidence.

-No, it isn't.
-Are you a radar expert?

No, I'm not,
but I have one on tap.

Give me extension 361.

We have a team of three radar analysts
here in Air Phenomenon Branch.

I want to talk to Wen Swanson.

All radar reports received here pass
through this radar analysis division.

Swanson?

I have a man here from the Pentagon.
He's cleared. Wants to know about radar.

Uh-huh, okay.

Field's socked in solid with fog,
but he'll take you over to GCA.

♪

This is Ground Control
Approach.

With zero visibility,

GCA picks up the aircraft coming in
by means of the pips on their scope,

can talk them into a landing.

Now this scope here gives
the aircraft in the area.

This scope here tells you whether you're on
the right or the left of the landing strip.

And that one there tells you whether
you're too high, or too low.

And the next scope is the same as this
one, except it gives you more accuracy.

MAN: (OVER PA) Patterson GCA,
this is Air Force 2162.

Past Fairfield landmarker in-bound.
Request landing instructions.

There you can see him
on the screen.

Then you can track him all
the way in, he's flying by.

Steer right to heading 20 degrees
and begin descent to 1,500 feet.

This is Air Force 162,
steering 20 degrees,

descending to 1,500. Over.

Air Force 162, the weather at Patterson
Field is 100 feet ragged ceiling.

Visibility one half mile,
light rain.

Wind, southwest six,

altimeter, 9-9-8...

If you can see it on radar, there can
be no question about misinterpretation.

In this case, no, these
are good sonic blips.

This is Air Force 162. Roger on
the weather at runway. Over.

Air Force 162, steer left
to heading three-five,

turning downwind leg.

Range, eight miles south.
Over.

This is Air Force 162,
steering three-five. Over.

Sometimes the temperature
inversion will cause trouble.

Ionized clouds,

or equipment malfunction will
cause false blips.

Can you tell a false blip
from one made by aircraft?

Yes, any experienced operator
can tell in a minute or so.

Air Force 162,
steer left to heading 2-1-5.

This will put you
on final approach.

This is Air Force 162. Roger.

Steering 2-1-5. Over.

Air Force 162,
this is your final director.

How do you read me? Over.

This is Air Force 162,
you are loud and clear. Over.

Air Force 162, Roger.

Your range is seven miles.

Slow aircraft to descending
speed, make final flap setting.

Maintain altitude of 1,200.

Heading 2-1-5.

Do not acknowledge any further
transmission unless unable to comply.

If you do not hear GCA
for any five second interval,

climb to 1,000 feet on a heading of
1-2-5 and contact approach control.

Steer right to heading 2-1-0.

Range, five miles.

You are now approaching
the light path.

Start normal rate of descent
at 600 feet per minute.

Entry to glide path, good.

Steer left to heading 2-1-2.

Range, four miles.

Go above glide path,

10, 15, 25 feet high.

Increase your rate
of descent slightly.

Heading 2-1-2.

Holding you on
the center line.

Holding two feet high
on glide path.

Check that descent.

Steer right to heading
of 2-1-3.

Range now three miles.

Holding glide path very well.

Go below glide path,
10, 20, 30 feet.

Level off slightly.

Steer right to heading 2-1-4.

Coming back nicely
to glide path.

25, 20, 15 feet low.

Heading 2-1-4 had you lined up
with the center line.

Range, two miles.

Holding 15 feet low
on glide path.

Bright it up slightly.
10-5. Now on glide path.

Range, one and a half miles.

Heading 2-1-4 on glide path.

Steer left to heading 2-1-3.

Over the end of runway
on center line,

on glide path as you approach
point of touchdown.

Touchdown in three seconds.

If you cannot see the runway,
pull up and climb to 1,000 feet.

Heading, 1-2-5.

♪

He's safe at home.

Well, that's it.

-Coffee?
-Yes.

What exactly is your job here,
Swanson?

I'm one of a group of three radar
specialists employed by the Air Force.

Report radar contacts
of unidentified objects

are sent in to us from all
over the world for analysis.

-How long you been in Air Force
Intelligence? -Two years.

Ever come across any cases
you couldn't solve?

We have unsolved cases, yes.

Cases where good solid blips appeared
and no known objects in the area.

Then, too, we have cases
of fantastic speed.

Exactly what do you mean
by fantastic speed?

I mean speeds greater
than any achieved by man.

How much greater?

-Thousands of miles per hour.
-Thousands of miles!

-What's your idea of what they are?
-All I can say is unknown.

You must remember that I've been
restricted to only radar contacts.

I have no experience
with visual contact.

What do you think about
the chances of these objects

having intelligence behind
their control?

All I can say is,
I have an open mind.

What do you think about the
theory of interplanetary source?

I have an open mind. Period.

ALBERT:
I spent a full week at Dayton.

I had hoped to see the Newhouse film
before returning to Washington.

But it was still under analysis
by the Wright Field Photo Lab.

When the analysis
was completed,

the film was taken by an Air Force
courier and hand carried to Washington

to be viewed by the Director
General of Air Force Intelligence.

At ease.

-All set, Major?
-Yes, sir.

Air Technical Intelligence has reported
that this film could not be produced

under simulated conditions.

Let's go.

There'll be several feet of blank
film before the pictures come on.

(PROJECTOR WHIRRING)

The film, as Newhouse had
predicted, was in bad condition.

But the chief interest was in
movement, speed and light source.

After a moment, the General
asked to see it again.

(WHIRRING)

How about that.

ALBERT: Those were the only
words spoken in the room.

"How about that."

A few days later, Major
Fournet had some news for me.

We got the analysis of the Newhouse
film from Air Materiel Command.

What does it show?

Not birds, not balloons,
not aircraft, not faked.

"With a telephoto lens used,

"weather balloons within five miles distance
could've been determined on the film.

"At a greater distance
than five miles,

"they could not attain
the speeds calculated.

"Within a five mile range,

"an aircraft of 40 foot wingspan
could've been clearly determined.

"In excess of five miles,

"the speeds of the objects are
greater than aircraft could achieve.

"Except in a straight line
speed run.

"No bird is sufficiently
reflective

"as to cause the film to react
as strongly as it has done."

Not birds, not balloons,
or aircraft.

And the film isn't faked.

What can these things be?

The official conclusion is,

unknowns.

♪

ALBERT: The Newhouse film
was only the overture.

A few minutes before 1:00
a.m., July 20th, 1952,

the curtain on the first act of
the Washington drama went up.

The unknowns moved in for the first
time over the national capital.

I had always regarded myself as a man
with an intuitive nose for news.

So, through the first
Washington sighting,

while the saucers
hovered over the city,

I was in bed, sleeping
soundly through it all.

When I reached my desk
that morning,

we were flooded
with newspaper queries.

Telephones were jangling
throughout the day.

Irate editors from all over
the country were incessantly

demanding more
specific information.

Newsmen from
the wire services,

reporters from local and out-of-town
newspapers were hemming me in,

belaboring me with questions
for which I had no answers.

For the first couple of hours,
we at the press desk

had a terrible time getting
the story straight ourselves.

But bit-by-bit, I managed
to piece it together.

There had been both visual
and radar contacts.

Andrews Field, the Air Force
installation, had radar returns similar

to those on the CAA radar.

Jets had been scrambled in an attempt
to make an intercept with the UFOs,

but they had not
been successful.

The week after the Washington saucer
sighting was a mad and chaotic one.

The story was headlined
from coast to coast.

As the PIO man assigned
to answer questions,

I had been under an incessant barrage
of inquiries day and night by newsmen.

I could get no sleep.
No rest at all.

Among other things,

The Washington Daily News published
an interview with Harry G. Barnes,

Senior Air Traffic Controller,
Civil Aeronautics Administration.

Barnes stated,

(ALBERT READING)

Then, exactly a week later,
it really broke loose.

-It was the night of July 26th, 1952.
-(PHONE RINGING)

At 10:30 p.m., I received a phone
call from Ray Nathan at CAA.

Hello?

-(OVER PHONE) Al?
-Yeah.

-Ray Nathan, get down here right away.
-What's up?

The radar at Washington National
is picking up unknowns.

-Again? -The press is
hounding me for a statement,

and I don't know
what to tell them.

Dee, bring my coat
and the car keys.

Stall 'em off,
I'll be right over.

A couple of guys from Life
magazine are here with a camera.

Stall them too.

What's a matter?

Radar is picking up unknowns
over the Capital.

Don't wait up.

(PHONE RINGING)

At 11:10 p.m., Major Fournet received a
call from Lieutenant Colonel Thomas,

Air Force Intelligence Duty
Officer at the Pentagon,

informing him of what was going
on at Washington National.

As I raced to the airport, I kept
glancing up through the windshield,

expecting to see the things.
But everything seemed normal.

Chop, am I glad to see you!

They tell us we need your okay
to get into the radar room.

You can't get in, boys,
I'm sorry.

We want some pictures
of that scope, Al.

-You can't photograph the scope.
-Why not?

It's under security measures, classified
wavelength, classified code names.

Here we are in the biggest story in
history, and you're keeping us out.

I'm sorry, but that's
the way it's got to be.

Then we're going
over your head, Al.

Colonel Dick Sirrells. You can
reach him at Metropolitan 89898.

♪

-Another one.
-Look at 'em go.

MAN 1: Well, that was an airline.
It's a slightly different shape.

Did you alert the Air Force?

I called Air Defense Command.

-What'd they say? -They're
scrambling a couple of jets.

-Same as last week?
-Uh-huh.

Could this be caught up
by temperature inversion?

Inversion?
That isn't inversion.

That is different than the
ground clutter we pick up.

Did you call the Air Force
command post at Pentagon?

No, we work through
a filter center.

I better call them.

Get me the Pentagon Air Force
command post.

This is Al Chop.

I'm at Washington National.

Have you heard about
the unknowns here tonight?

(MAN OVER PHONE)
We've been alerted.

There's a blue flight on the
way there right now.

Okay.

Washington Control
to Flight 639. Come in.

(OVER PA) Flight 639 to
Washington Control. Over.

Washington Control
to Flight 639.

You're approaching
traffic on your left.

Can you see it? Over.

(OVER PA) Andrews Tower
to Washington Control.

We show an unknown next
to Flight 639.

Flight 639 to
Washington Control.

We can see that traffic
on our left. Over.

Washington Control
to Flight 639.

What does the traffic
look like? Over.

Flight 639 to
Washington Control.

It's a light,
a blue-green light. Over.

Washington Control
to Flight 639.

Can you make out what type
of craft it is? Over.

Flight 639 to
Washington Control.

We can just see a light.

A blue-green light. Over.

Washington Control
to Flight 639.

Roger. Out.

(OVER PA) This is Blue Bird One
to Washington Control. Come in.

The jets are coming on now.

Washington Control
to Blue Bird One.

Change course to 225 degrees.

Blue Bird Two, hold your course.
Over.

Blue Bird One
to Washington Control.

Wilco. Out.

Blue Bird Two
to Washington Control.

Wilco. Out.

MAN 2: They're gone!

Andrews Tower to
Washington Control.

All our unknowns vanished shortly
after the jets appeared.

Do you still have any
of the unknowns? Over.

Washington Control
to Andrews Tower.

The same thing
happened here. Out.

Washington Control
to Blue Bird One.

All the unknowns
have disappeared.

Say those returns are the same
as those you got last week?

The same as last week.

ALBERT: At this point,
Major Fournet arrived

with a Navy electronics
intelligence officer.

-Gone?
-Like that.

As soon as the jets came on
the scope, the unknowns left.

(OVER PA) Blue Bird One
to Washington Control.

We're going back to the base.

Can't see anything around up here.
Visibility is good. Over.

Washington Control to
Blue Bird One. Roger. Out.

-Were they good returns?
-Good returns.

Has the set been checked
for malfunctions?

The radar equipment is in
perfect operating order.

MAN 3: They're back!

Andrews Tower to Washington Control.
They're back!

Just as the jets
left our scope.

They dropped back in again out of nowhere.
You got 'em? Over.

-Those blips are solid.
-They're good and solid.

Washington Control to Andrews Tower.
Same thing happened here.

Give me the Pentagon
Command Post.

They're all over the scope.

Two in the northeast quadrant,
four in southeast quadrant,

three in southwest quadrant,
three in northwest quadrant.

Over.

This is Major Fournet calling
from Washington Control.

Radar's picking up fourteen
unknowns again.

The chief controller tells me the
unknowns disappeared from the scope

as soon as the jets came in, and were
picked up again when the jets left.

The Navy electronics
intelligence officer confirms

that the unknown blips
are good and solid.

I recommend a couple of more jets be
sent up immediately to investigate.

Yes, sir.

(OVER PA) Andrews Tower
to Washington Control.

That's the way we had 'em.

One just moved from the northwest
quadrant into the southeast quadrant.

It stopped over
the White House.

They're scrambling
a couple of more jets.

Washington Control to Andrews Tower.
Roger on the change.

Now it's moving back.
Do you get it? Over.

It's back in the
northwest quadrant. Over.

Washington Control
to Andrews Tower. Roger.

We got a scramble out.

What are those?

Slight temperature inversion.

You can see the difference
in the returns.

One's strong, the other weak.

These unknowns
are solid objects.

Red Dog One to
Washington Control.

We're approaching the area.
Over.

Washington Control
to Red Dog Two.

Change course at 265 degrees.

Washington Control
to Red Dog One.

Change course
to 114 degrees. Over.

Red Dog One to Washington Control.
Wilco, out.

ALBERT: About 4:30 a.m., Major Fournet
received a long distance telephone call

from Robert Gina
of Life magazine.

He wanted permission for his people
to interview the pilots of the first

scramble at New Castle.

Major Fournet decided that
under the circumstances,

it would be wise for him
to take the call.

Washington Control
to Red Dog One.

Change course
to 315 degrees. Over.

Red Dog One to
Washington Control.

Wilco, out.

Washington Control to
Red Dog One. Come in.

Red Dog One to
Washington Control. Over.

Andrews Tower
to Washington Control.

Our scope shows Red Dog One is right
in the middle of the unknowns.

Washington Control
to Red Dog One.

Can you see anything on either
side or to the front of you? Over.

Red Dog One to
Washington Control.

Can't see anything.

Wait a minute.

I see 'em.

♪

Yeah, I see 'em.

They're all around me.

They're moving in on me.

They're coming closer.

They're coming closer.

They're coming right at me.

Hold it.

They're moving off.

I'm at maximum speed.

They're going away.

They're gone.

I can't see 'em.

♪

Red Dog One to
Washington Control.

I've been given permission
to return to base.

Over.

Washington Control to Red Dog One.
Roger, out.

ALBERT: At 6:00 a.m. that same morning,
I called Lieutenant William Patterson,

the pilot of Red Dog One, who had made
visual contact with the unknowns.

He could add nothing more to what he
had reported to us over the intercom.

Later that same morning, the White
House placed a call to the Pentagon.

Captain Ruppelt, who had flown
in from Wright-Patterson,

and who was only beginning

to get news of the sighting, got
the call from the White House.

Yes, sir. It appears to have been
caused by temperature inversion.

Yes, sir.

We've had cases where radar blips have
been caused by temperature inversion.

This was Captain Ruppelt's
report to President Truman.

But Captain Ruppelt had not been
present at the Washington sighting.

It wasn't until later that he learned
there been both visual and radar contact

on that night.

On Monday morning, an avalanche
of calls from newspapers

about the nation jammed the
trunk lines at the Pentagon.

The relentless
pressure continued.

We admitted radar contacts from
the three surrounding air fields.

-When did the saucers first appear?
-9:00 p.m.

-How long were they under observation?
-Six hours.

-How many were there?
-Fourteen.

-Could the pilot see any details?
-No.

♪

In an interview which appeared
in the Washington Times Herald,

Lieutenant William Patterson,
pilot of Red Dog One...

(ALBERT READING)

Under the insistent demands
from the nation's press,

and the accumulating pressure
with the public,

the Chief of Staff set up a press
conference at the Pentagon.

I was present when General Samford
spoke for the newsreel cameras.

Air Force interest
in this problem,

has been due to our feeling
of an obligation to identify,

and analyze, to the best of our
ability, anything in the air

that may have the possibility of
threat or menace to the United States.

In pursuit of this obligation,
since 1947,

we have received and analyzed
between one and 2000 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.

We've been able to explain
them as hoaxes,

as erroneously identified
friendly aircraft,

as meteorological or electronic
phenomenon, or as light aberrations.

However, there've 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 now are attempting
to resolve.

We have, as of date, come
to only one firm conclusion

with respect to this
remaining percentage.

And that is that

it does not contain any pattern
of purpose, or of consistency,

that we can relate to any conceivable
threat to the United States.

What we can say is that the recent
sightings are in no way connected

with any secret development,

by any agency
of the United States.

ALBERT: Leaving the
Pentagon that evening,

General Samford's
words came to mind.

Credible observers of
relatively incredible things.

The theories of the skeptics
could not stand up

to the actual experiences of
high-ranking military personnel,

radar experts, airline pilots,

and other responsible witnesses
referred to by General Samford as,

"Credible observers."

I started to walk through
the streets of Washington.

The words remaining with me.

"Credible observers of
relatively incredible things."

I recalled, when I first
joined the project at AMC,

how I regarded with disbelief the
whole subject of flying saucers.

But piece by piece, the
evidence had been put in place

until now, in my opinion,

there was no doubt
as to their existence.

Now, so far as I
was concerned,

it was no longer a question of whether
or not there were unknown objects

flying in our atmosphere.

For me, the only questions
that remained were,

what are these objects?
Where do they come from?

To me the evidence indicated
intelligence behind their control.

And by now, the belief that their
source was interplanetary,

was no longer incredible.

♪

NARRATOR:
This is the Montana film.

Projected exactly
as it was photographed.

The objects are moving against
a 25 to 28 mile an hour wind.

This is the film
in double frame,

or slow motion.

A slight bounce in the
movement of the objects,

as well as the tower,
is perceptible.

This is due to the
hand-held camera.

The film,
analyzed frame by frame,

shows the movement
of the objects

to be horizontal and steady.

We will now vary the action
and size of the objects,

and also stop the action
to allow time for your study.

We have just made
a jump cut in the film

to an enlarged size
and reversed the action.

You are now seeing
the objects exactly

as they were photographed.

But from a closer perspective.

Analysis reveals that
the objects are not balloons,

nor any kind
of known aircraft.

The images are very different

from those produced
by any kind of birds

at any distance.

The shape, brightness,
speed, rectilinear paths,

steady motion and separation,

rule out various forms of
optical atmospheric mirages

or cloud reflections.

Comprehensive analysis
has eliminated meteors,

and other known
natural phenomenon.

The possibility of a plane reflection
has been carefully studied

and ruled out.

This is the Utah film as it
was originally photographed.

The image structure and maneuvers
definitely eliminate any kind

of known aircraft.

This photographer, Newhouse, in
his excitement, changed exposure.

He believed that by changing density
and giving the film more exposure,

he could clarify the objects.

The single object that
reversed its course.

The bounce is due
to hand-held camera.

Now we study the action
of one section of the film.

We stop the action,

we move in.

Within a five mile range,
aircraft could be determined.

In excess of five miles, the speeds are
greater than aircraft can achieve.

Except in straight line
speed runs.

The movement follows an
elliptical, or circular pattern.

Microscopic examination reveals
that the objects are well focused.

Their size varies from
one-sixth to one-tenth

the size of the moon,

as it appears
to the naked eye.

Their form is circular,
and sometimes elliptical.

This fits the commonly used
flying saucer description.

Observe the object
in the upper left corner.

We move in
to study the action.

The object, upper left, will go out
of frame on widescreen projection.

Observe the motion of the
two objects, upper right,

as we rock them
back and forth.

Now we move up on the frame

for a closer study of the object
in the upper left corner.

Examine this object closely.

Compare it with those objects
you saw in the Montana film.

These films were taken
approximately two years apart.

Hundreds of miles apart.

We drop back to the original
perspective and resume.

Now the section of the film
where photographer,

Newhouse, changed exposure.

Weather conditions together
with the persistence

and motion of the formations,

eliminate the possibilities
of atmospheric mirages.

Photogrammetry
exposure condone

that the images cannot
be associated

with any kind of birds
at any distance.

Stop.

Now forward again.

Stop.

We drop back to
original perspective.

Now, once again, and for the
last time, the Utah film.

The objects cannot be associated
with any known balloon observations.

For the last time,
the Montana film.

(NARRATOR READING)

♪