59_64634_711.5612[7-2852
- Date
- 28 Jul 1952
- Record
- Pentagon file
- Assessment
- Not assessed
- Evidence strength
What was reported
A two-page memorandum dated July 28, 1952, records a State Department official's request to Air Force Gen. John Samford for the Air Force's view on flying saucers, relayed for circulation at a State morning meeting. Samford is quoted saying the subject is 'a complete enigma' but that phenomena resembling flying saucers have been reported for over 100 years, and that 'credible observers are reporting the incredible.' He attributes the 1952 increase in reports mainly to improved radar and pilot-reporting methods plus publicity, and does not endorse a man-made or foreign origin.
What officials concluded
No conclusion stated
Samford calls the subject 'a complete enigma,' attributes the increase in sightings mainly to improved observation/reporting methods and publicity, and says the Air Force treats it as unexplained rather than as a foreign or man-made threat.
- Agency
- Department of State
- Released in
- 123456
Evidence profile
- Yes: Visual
- No: Infrared
- Yes: Radar
- No: Video
- No: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
- No: Civilian
- No: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- No: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- Yes: Other
- No: Light only
- No: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Why this rating Contains no sighting or data of its own; it is an administrative relay of a verbal Air Force opinion with no described observation, sensor data, or case detail to evaluate.
As described in the file
- Witnesses
- None (administrative summary of Gen. Samford's verbal briefing, relayed secondhand)
- Sensors
- Radar, visual
Pentagon files
59_64634_711.5612[7-2852 (Samford flying-saucer memorandum)
Open the original on war.gov
What the file claims
- Unverified
Samford stated flying-saucer-like phenomena have been reported for over 100 years.
- Unverified
Samford did not consider it likely that the objects were man-made or foreign-controlled.