The American Investigations Of Ufos

When people think about unidentified flying objects (UFOs), they tend to think of flying discs piloted by gray beings with large heads and enormous eyes. They tend to think that these sightings only started relatively recently and that belief in UFOs is some sort of modern religion brought on, perhaps, by the very justifiable fears of a nuclear age. But a study of the phenomenon quickly reveals that humanity has been seeing UFOs since the beginning of recorded history and perhaps a lot longer than that. Modern Ufology focuses on mysterious lights on Ceres or tales of alien abduction, but this wasn't always the case, and looking at how the beliefs in the UFO phenomenon have changed or stayed the same can shed light on how culture and belief changes over time. One does not have to believe humans are actually being visited by aliens from another planet to recognize the importance of UFOs in human society. Any widespread belief that endures for centuries is worthy of study, and as always, cases exist that can't be explained away simple superstition. Most everyone in America is familiar with theories about UFOs, or "flying saucers" as they were often called then, but even this name dates back only to 1947. Before that time, they were called "ghost rockets" or "ghost airplanes" or "ghost airships." Before the age of flight, the flying objects were called various things such as "flying chariots." No matter what terminology is used, every generation has clearly had its own belief that mankind is not alone. For example, few things in American history are as controversial as the Roswell Crash. The one undeniable fact is that something happened near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, but beyond that, the facts become unclear as memories and evidence lose their luster over the years. That said, the impact of an unidentified object continues to mystify residents, visitors and the curious, and it has not only put Roswell on the map but has kept it there for thousands of tourists. At the same time, skepticism about the official version of the incident prevails, and a countless number of people continue to believe the American government covered up a crash landing by aliens. As John B. Alexander, Ph. D., a former project manager at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and consultant to the CIA, put it, "Attempting to come to any complete resolution of the incident is a fool's errand, as whatever the truth may have been has become so distorted over time that facts have merged inextricably with fiction." The various flying saucer sightings got the attention of the governments of the United States and other nations. The world was gripped in a Cold War, and some officials wondered if the UFOs might be experimental craft from some hostile power, most likely the Soviet Union. The American government in particular wanted to investigate the phenomenon to find out if this might be the case, as well as to calm public fears over what was appearing in the skies. Another motivation was to quash all the calls flooding into Air Force bases and police stations. Communications were limited in the mid-20th century, and every wave of sightings clogged up communication lines that might have been needed to defend against more terrestrial security threats. The first large-scale, official investigation came during the UFO flap of 1947. On December 30, 1947, Major General L. C. Cragie, director of research and development for the United States Air Force, authorized the study of the flying saucer problem. His statement carried the line "by command of the chief of staff." The program was called Project Sign, and it would be the first of three known U.S. government studies of the UFO phenomenon.

Imagine . . . you're in the woods after dark. Eerie green lights appear in the distance. Then there's a sudden flash and everything is dark again. You decide to take a closer look. You come upon a saucer-shaped craft hovering silently just above the ground. You reach out to touch it, but the object suddenly shoots up into the sky. Have you just seen a UFO? Some people say they have had experiences like this. Are they telling the truth? To find out, Kelly Milner Halls investigated stories of eyewitnesses from around the world. She explored UFO sightings, landings, crashes, aliens, and even a few hoaxes. She also interviewed several of the world's UFO experts. Examine her findings and decide for yourself whether visitors from other worlds are real.

The government said it need Area 51 to protect America. They said they needed it for research. Now some say it has all been a terrible lie... In the annals of UFO controversies there has never been a place like this: sixty square miles of desert and scrub just north of Las Vegas, Nevada. Officially known as a U.S. Air Force testing ground, this area has accounted for more UFO sightings and more inexplicable activity than any other in the world. leading experts to dub Area 51 "Earth's unofficial UFO headquarters." Now UFO writer Susan Wright seeks to answer the riddle once and for all, delving into previously secret government documents, drawing on eyewitness accounts, and ripping the veil of secrecy off Area 51 and the research that really goes on there. The result is the most shocking and thoroughly documented UFO book you have ever read, a book that demonstrates that for fifty years the U.S. government has had one overriding policy on Area 51: whenever confronted with suspicions, facts, or photographs-conceal, deny and lie...

Are extraterrestrial beings trying to contact us? Is the government covering up evidence? What is the real truth about UFOs, close encounters, and alien abduction? In this fascinating guide, UFO expert William J. Birnes covers everything from theories about the nature of UFOs to where you're likely to find them; from case studies of alien encounters to the scientific studies of otherworldly visitors. Other topics include: The beginnings of modern "Ufology" in the age of rockets A history of military and pilot encounters with UFOs Twenty-first-century UFO sightings around the globe Types of equipment needed to capture UFOs on film or video With reports from credible witnesses and lists of government documents that actually admit to the existence of UFOs, this is the only guide you need to ground yourself in this exciting subject!

Flying Saucers Over the White House is the story of Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, a US Air Force officer who researched UFO sightings in the 1950s and made a concentrated effort to convince the United States Air Force that UFOs exist. Ruppelt, who coined the term 'UFO', headed "Project Blue Book," an assignment designed by the United States government to investigate and report on the existence of unidentified flying objects and their link to extraterrestrial beings. Ruppelt dissected the evidence, separating chance sightings of ordinary objects from true UFO sightings. He eventually wrote The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, summarizing his findings. In Flying Saucers Over the White House, Bennett examines the life of this "founding father" of ufology, analyzing the evidence and the U.S. government's reporting of this phenomenon for a new generation of readers. COLIN BENNETT has written several books, including The Entertainment Bomb, *Looking for Orthon*, and Politics of the Imagination, which won the Anomalist Award for Best Biography in 2002. After leaving school to become a professional musician, Bennett returned to college to study English at Balliol College at the University of Oxford. He wrote several plays that were performed in London before reinventing himself as an electronics engineer and founding a consulting agency. Bennett currently resides in London where he continues to write and discover new interests.

Does the U.S. government know more about UFO and alien life than it admits? Are eyewitnesses telling the truth? What does the historical record say? Former intelligence officer and retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel Kevin Randle takes an objective look at evidence for alien life and UFOs and presents his findings in The UFO Dossier: 100 Years of Government Secrets, Conspiracies and Cover Ups. The author reviews the documents, scours government databases, and interviews witnesses, unearthing details on UFOs, mysterious crashes, sightings, encounters, and related phenomena. The UFO Dossier presents plots, cover-ups, misleading statements, and documented connections to government intrigue—as well as hoaxes and problematic authentications. Following leads and digging into the files of the CIA, the FBI, the FAA, NASA, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and other U.S. government and international agencies, Randle lets the facts guide him. From a short history of UFO projects and the Condon Committee to the complete COMETA report and UFOs in the 21st century, investigations include … • Asteroids, meteors and UFOs (Tunguska, Battle of LA, Whitted Sighting, …) • Photographs (McMinnville, Tremonton UFO Movie, Bear Mt. St. Park, …) • Injuries by UFOs (Fort Itaipu; Cedar City, Utah; Leominster, MA; …) • Lights in the Night Sky (Lubbock Lights, Belgium Triangle, New Jersey Lights, …) • Scientists and UFOs (Agoura, CA; Artesia, NM; University of Brazil, …) • And more ...

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading When people think about unidentified flying objects (UFOs), they tend to think of flying discs piloted by gray beings with large heads and enormous eyes. They tend to think that these sightings only started relatively recently and that belief in UFOs is some sort of modern religion brought on, perhaps, by the very justifiable fears of a nuclear age. But a study of the phenomenon quickly reveals that humanity has been seeing UFOs since the beginning of recorded history and perhaps a lot longer than that. Modern Ufology focuses on mysterious lights on Ceres or tales of alien abduction, but this wasn't always the case, and looking at how the beliefs in the UFO phenomenon have changed or stayed the same can shed light on how culture and belief changes over time. One does not have to believe humans are actually being visited by aliens from another planet to recognize the importance of UFOs in human society. Any widespread belief that endures for centuries is worthy of study, and as always, cases exist that can't be explained away simple superstition. Most everyone in America is familiar with theories about UFOs, or "flying saucers" as they were often called then, but even this name dates back only to 1947. Before that time, they were called "ghost rockets" or "ghost airplanes" or "ghost airships." Before the age of flight, the flying objects were called various things such as "flying chariots." No matter what terminology is used, every generation has clearly had its own belief that mankind is not alone. Various flying saucer sightings got the attention of the governments of the United States and other nations. The world was gripped in a Cold War, and some officials wondered if the UFOs might be experimental craft from some hostile power, most likely the Soviet Union. The American government in particular wanted to investigate the phenomenon to find out if this might be the case, as well as to calm public fears over what was appearing in the skies. Another motivation was to quash all the calls flooding into Air Force bases and police stations. Communications were limited in the mid-20th century, and every wave of sightings clogged up communication lines that might have been needed to defend against more terrestrial security threats. The first large-scale, official investigation came during the UFO flap of 1947. On December 30, 1947, Major General L. C. Cragie, director of research and development for the United States Air Force, authorized the study of the flying saucer problem. His statement carried the line "by command of the chief of staff." The program was called Project Sign, and it would be the first of three known U.S. government studies of the UFO phenomenon. Project Sign was renamed Project Grudge in February 1949. This incarnation of the government's investigation of UFOs was the least productive at least in the sense of actually investigating UFOs. Minimal research time was given to each case, and the easiest answer was quickly ascribed to each one. A perfect example of this was the "radar kite" explanation trotted out for the Rogue River incident. The Air Force investigator thought this was a possible explanation and ignored the fact that the explanation didn't fit with the testimony of two experienced observers or even the easily available weather data. It was a good enough explanation, and therefore, it was the only explanation. Project Grudge was replaced in 1952 with the famous Project Blue Book, which took UFO sightings much more seriously and was actually given the funds to properly investigate some of the more promising sightings. Instead of following Project Grudge's recommendation that "the investigation and study of reports of unidentified flying objects be reduced in scope," this secret study amassed a huge amount of data.

Given the vastness of the universe, it is not difficult to imagine the possibility of life—even intelligent life—beyond Earth. Yet whether any extraterrestrial beings have ever made contact with us and if any evidence of this contact exists, remains widely debated. Evaluating tales of alien encounters and UFO sightings with a critical eye, this absorbing volume considers the possibility of extraterrestrial life by carefully separating scientific fact from fiction, hoaxes, and the unprovable. It also examines “ufology” and alien life in popular culture, surveying the books, movies, TV shows, and more inspired by the idea of intergalactic contact.