23857122-0457-180273-0028

ML At fT TT VAT 45 LRU Vl LUN rerhaps the most bizarre post-wer phenomenon was the sudden barrage of reports, in the summer of 1947, deseribinz unidentified objects in the sky. ne incident which evidently triggered the vy lley was the now-famous account by Kenneth Arnold, in which he claimed ¢ have seen “nine peculiar-looking aircraft" s without tails, which flew ‘ eed . tt 4 : : ea oe 3 in &@ chain-like line and “swerved in and out of the high mountain - * % 2 e P ’ 3 ’ f 3 - 2 , peaks. The handling of this inoident by the press led to the unfor- © : ‘ " : ae See 1 ~ ; ‘ tunate but descriptive term "flying saucer," which caucht the public imagination. From that time on, there has been a fairly steady ~ = mt s 3 ae tio 174 Wh %1172 a | stream of similar reports, including some of "flying saucers" seen prior to the Arnold incident, which presumably otherwise would have Pree. re ‘ ‘a ae ea oo Pee oe oe “ee i he 5 on i in 1 ot art ~~ gone unreported. (it is pertinent, therefore, to speculate whether a at he Suan it nant raya i . } ~ a nwt an 4 £ ig ~ “Mla han a+ any olf the incidents would have been reported if Wr. Arnold had not reseed. ; r, of course, we deal here with an if 7% 4 P phen at de4.e Aafaneé 4n the interests of the Gerense be en = a @ c 5 ¥ } - v¥ 5 * * 4 cro a : excellent example of mass hyster Pe ears, mas ROE Ss & } 7% dos cea S 3. , moadaui anh > of whe country, however, it would be highly inadvisable to ignore the or ~iawn4 . - > I. mas ehh Ae Lm a} wy } . ae +o +-io 4 ~ me xy In es accounts, even twnouen the chance be remote Cnat they contain anys 4 Fee aoe eee Ee ; te, be} ae al i BMAGLOAL LO Ui investigator, 6liminate the patently monical incidents and to indicate which A 1 : 4 ° Se rhe hara S117 Aan exynlianatian rs MmiLent nave sucn an CXPiée nNatlone eres ttle _ o pene r % g 4] as tay 4 ; f-- 4 i' a | j ' 2, Declassification Authority: NND 57565