3.2.2 Section II: The Government Speaks - Political, Military and Intelligence Figures

Dr. Carl Justav Jung

“A purely psychological explanation is ruled out...the discs show signs of intelligent guidance, by quasi-human pilots...the authorities in possession of important information should not hesitate to enlighten the public as soon and as completely as possible.”11

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, Ph.D.

In 1971, Dr. Mitchell became the sixth person to walk on the moon as part of the US Apollo

Space program.

“I am an American astronaut and a trained scientist. Because of my position people in high places confide in me. And, as a result, I have no doubt that aliens HAVE visited this planet. The American government and governments throughout the world have thousands of files of UFO sightings which cannot be explained. As a scientist, it is logical to me that at least some of these will have been witness of alien craft. As a former astronaut, the military people who have access to these files are more willing to talk to me than to people they regard as mere cranks. The stories I have heard from these people, who are more highly qualified than me to talk about UFOs, leave me in no doubt that aliens have already visited Earth…” … “when I learned that aliens really do exist, I wasn’t too surprised. But what did shock me when I started investigating extra-terrestrial reports a decade ago is the extent to which the proof has been hushed up. It isn’t just the US government which has kept quiet about alien visits. It would be arrogant of an American like myself to assume that ETs would only choose to visit my country. Indeed, I’ve heard convincing stories about governments all over the world that know of alien visits - including the British government.”12

3.2.2 Section II: The Government Speaks - Political, Military and Intelligence Figures

President Harry S. Truman

“I can assure you that flying saucers, given that they exist, are not constructed by any power on Earth.”13

President Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Beware the military-industrial complex.”14

President Gerald Ford

“...I have taken a special interest in these [UFO] accounts because many of the latest reported sightings have been in my home state of Michigan... Because I think there may be substance to some of these reports and because I believe the American people are entitled to a more thorough explanation than has been given them by the Air Force to date, I am proposing that either the Science and Astronautics Committee or the Armed Services Committee of the

House, schedule hearings on the subject of UFOs and invite testimony from both the executive branch of the Government and some of the persons who claim to have seen UFOs...

11 Jung, Carl: Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Sky (R.F.C. Hull translation), 1959. 12 Anonymous: “Yes, Aliens Really Are Out There, Says the Man on the Moon,” The People [a London Newspaper], October 25, 1998. 13 Truman, Harry: White House press conference, April 4, 1950. 14 Eisenhower, Dwight: Last speech as President, January, 1961.

In the firm belief that the American public deserves a better explanation than that thus far given by the Air Force, I strongly recommend that there be a committee investigation of the UFO phenomena. I think we owe it to the people to establish credibility regarding UFOs and to produce the greatest possible enlightenment on this subject.”15

President Jimmy Carter

“If I become President, I’ll make every piece of information this country has about UFO sightings available to the public, and the scientists. I am convinced that UFOs exist because

I’ve seen one...”16

President Ronald Reagan

“...when you stop to think that we’re all God’s children, wherever we may live in the world, I couldn’t help but say to [Gorbachev], just think how easy his task and mine might be in these meetings that we held if suddenly there was a threat to this world from some other species from another planet outside in the universe…”

“Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world.”17

J. Edgar Hoover

“I would do it [study UFOs], but before agreeing to do it, we must insist upon full access to discs recovered. For instance in the L.A. case, the Army grabbed it and would not let us have it for cursory examination.”18

General Nathan D. Twining

While he was the Commanding General of the Air Material Command he wrote the following:

“It is the opinion that: a. The phenomena reported is something real and not visionary or fictitious. b. There are objects probably approximating the shape of a disc, of such appreciable size as to appear to be as large as a man-made aircraft. c. There is a possibility that some of the incidents may be caused by natural phenomena, such as meteors. d. The reported operating characteristics such as extreme rates of climb, maneuverability (particularly in roll), and action which must be considered evasive when sighted or contacted by friendly aircraft and radar, lend belief to the possibility that some of the objects are controlled either manually, automatically, or remotely.”19

15 Ford, Gerald: Letter to L. Mendel Rivers, Chairman of the Armed Service Committee, March 28, 1966. 16 Carter, Jimmy: The National Enquirer, June 8, 1976; confirmed by White House media liaison Jim Purks, in a letter dated April 20, 1979. 17 Reagan, Ronald: 1) White House transcript of speech at Fallston High School, December 4, 1985; 2) Speech to the United Nations General Assembly, September 23, 1987. 18 Hoover, J. Edgar: Letter to Clyde Tolson, July 15, 1947. 19 Twining, Nathan: Letter to Commanding General of the Army, September 23, 1947.

General Walter Bedell Smith CIA Director, 1950-1953

“The Central Intelligence Agency has reviewed the current situation concerning unidentified flying objects which have crated extensive speculation in the press and have been the subject of concern to government organizations... Since 1947, approximately 2,000 official reports of sightings have been received, and, of these, about 20% are as yet unexplained. It is my view that this situation has possible implications for our national security which transcend the interests of a single service. A broader, coordinated effort should be initiated to develop a firm scientific understanding of the several phenomena which apparently are involved in these reports...”20

H. Marshall Chadwell

Assistant Director, Scientific Intelligence, CIA

“Since 1947, ATIC has received approximately 1500 official reports of sightings plus an enormous volume of letters, phone calls, and press reports. During July 1952 alone, official reports totaled 250. Of the 1500 reports, Air Force carries 20 percent as unexplained and of those received from January through July 1952 it carries 28 percent unexplained.” 21

Captain Edward J. Ruppelt

Former head [1951-1953], U.S. Air Force Project Blue Book

“This report has been difficult to write because it involves something that doesn’t officially exist. It is well known that ever since the first flying saucer was reported in June 1947 the Air Force has officially said that there is no proof that such a thing as an interplanetary spaceship exists. But what is not well known is that this conclusion is far from being unanimous among the military and their scientific advisors because of the one word, proof; so the UFO investigations continue.” 22

Admiral Roscoe Hillenkoetter

First Director, CIA, 1947-1950

“It is time for the truth to be brought out... Behind the scenes, high-ranking Air Force officers are soberly concerned about the UFOs. But through official secrecy and ridicule, many citizens are led to believe the unknown flying objects are nonsense... I urge immediate Congressional action to reduce the dangers from secrecy about Unidentified Flying Objects...”23

Major General E. B. LeBailly

Director of Information, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force

20 Smith, Walter: Memorandum to National Security Council, 1952. 21 Chadwell, H. Marshall: Memorandum to Director of Central Intelligence, 1952. 22 Ruppelt, Edward: The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, Ruppelt, Doubleday, New York, 1956. 23 Hillenkoeter, Roscoe; Aliens from Space, Major Donald E. Keyhoe, 1975.

“...many of the reports that cannot be explained have come from intelligent and technically well qualified individuals whose integrity cannot be doubted. In addition, the reports received officially by the Air Force include only a fraction of the spectacular reports which are publicized by many private UFO organizations.”24

Congressman William Stanton (Pennsylvania)

“The Air Force failed in its responsibility in thoroughly investigating this incident [April 17, 1966 sighting, Pennsylvania]... Once people entrusted with the public welfare no longer think people can handle the truth, then the people, in turn, will no longer trust the government.”25

Wilbert Smith

Department of Transport - Canada, senior radio engineer, head of Project Magnet

“The matter is the most highly classified subject in the United States Government, rating higher even than the H-bomb. Flying saucers exist. Their modus operandi is unknown but concentrated effort is being made by a small group headed by Doctor Vannevar Bush. The entire matter is considered by the United States authorities to be of tremendous significance.”26

Lord Hill-Norton, Admiral of the Fleet, Great Britain (Five Star)

“I have frequently been asked why I am so keenly interested in UFOs; people seem to think it odd that someone who has been so closely involved with Defense for many years should be so simple. I am interested for several reasons. First, I have the sort of inquiring mind that likes to have things satisfactorily explained, and the one aspect of this whole matter which is starkly clear to me is that UFOs have not been explained, to my satisfaction. Indeed, so far as

I am concerned the U stands more for unexplained than unidentified. Second, there is a very wide range of other unexplained phenomena which may or may not be related to UFOs but which have come to my notice in the UFO connection. Third, I am convinced that there is an official cover-up of the investigations which governments have made into UFOs, certainly in the United States... The evidence that there are objects which have been seen in our atmosphere, and even on terra firma, that cannot be accounted for either as man-made objects or as any physical force or effect known to our scientists seems to me to be overwhelming.”27

Major-General Wilfred de Brouwer (Deputy Chief, Royal Belgian Air Force)

“In any case, the Air Force has arrived to the conclusion that a certain number of anomalous phenomena has been produced within Belgian airspace... Until now, not a single trace of aggressiveness has been signaled; military or civilian air traffic has not been perturbed or threatened. We can therefore advance that the presumed activities to date constitute a concrete menace... The day will undoubtedly come when the phenomenon will be observed with technological means of detection and collection that won’t leave a single doubt about its origin...”28

24 LeBailly, E.B. “Unidentified Flying Objects” (No. 55); hearing by Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, April 5, 1966. 25 Stanton, William: Quoted in Ravenna Record-Courier, Pennsylvania, April 1966, cited in Mysteries of the Skies, Lore and Deneault, Prentice Hall, 1968. 26 Smith, Wilbert: Memorandum on Geo-Magnetics, November 21, 1950. 27 Hill-Norton, 1988, Foreword to Above Top Secret, Timothy Good, William-Morrow, New York, 1988. 28 DeBrouwer, Wilfred: UFO Wave Over Belgium—An Extraordinary Dossier (original title in French), SOBEPS, 1991.