1952 UFOs: Biggest Events in Human History?

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>Aubrey:

>Since you gave away your age,  I ask you this:

>Did you catch the news releases of a series of events over Washington D.C.,

>between July 20-27, 1952, that not only shook up our nations capital, but

>the world? It is one of the biggest events in human history and ended with

>the biggest news conference in history. It shook up our government from

>President Truman, on down. Winston Churhell, was another who was shaken by

>these events. 


ADNAN
I searched the web for "1952" and found some articles about UFO. Are such
stories "the biggest" events in human history? 

Here is one article from a web site.

****************************
"Washington Invasion," Washington, DC 1952 Several fast-moving objects
appear on radarscopes at three separate installations, including Andrews
AFB. Interceptors scrambled, but don't find anything. Same thing happens
the next night, this time objects confirmed by ground observers. Largest
peace-time press conference in govt. history called to explain to reporters
that radar traces were caused by thermal inversions, despite absence of
proper weather
conditions on the nights in question. 

I received this piece below in the mail the other day. It is a short
summary written by Jan Aldrich of the FUFOR article 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to two important historical documents about the events over Washington, D.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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