65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_001

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FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
COMMUNICATIONS SECTION

AUG 6 1947

TELETYPE

CARBON COPY

Plutus
vivis
vivis

FBI PORTLAND

8-5-47

8-50 PM

HHS

DIRECTOR AND SACS SEATTLE AND SAN FRANCISCO URGENT FLYING DISCS, SM DASH X. RE TELEPHONE CALL FROM MR. LADD, ONE PM TODAY REQUESTING TELETYPE SUMMARY CONCERNING NEWSPAPER REPORTS OF RECENT REPORTED FLYING DISCS IN PORTLAND AREA AND A REPORTED CONFERENCE OF ARMY OFFICIALS IN PORTLAND CONCERNING FLYING DISCS. LEAVERITT C. RICHARDS, AVIATION EDITOR THE OREGONIAN, ADVISED THAT A CAPTAIN WILLIAM L. DAVIDSON AND LT. FRANK M. BROWN OF FOURTH AAF HEADQUARTERS, SAN FRANCISCO WERE IN PORTLAND JULY TWENTYSEVEN LAST AND INTERVIEWED DICK RANKIN, AN EXPERIENCED PILOT, WHO HAD REPORTED JUNE FOURTEEN LAST SEEING A FORMATION OF TEN FLYING DISCS OVER BAKERSFIELD, CALIF. ACCORDING TO RICHARDS THEY HAD ALSO INTERVIEWED FOLLOWING FOUR EXPERIENCED PILOTS WHO WERE AMONG FIRST WHO REPORTED SEEING DISCS - KENNETH ARNOLD, BUSINESS MAN, BOISE, IDAHO, CAPTAIN E. J. SMITH AND CO-PILOT RALPH STEVENS, UNITED AIRLINES, AND DAVE JOHNSON, AVIATION EDITOR, IDAHO STATESMAN. TO ASCERTAIN THE PURPOSE OF THE INTERVEWS RICHARDS CONTACTED MAJOR GENERAL TWINING OF WRIGHT FIELD, OHIO BY PHONE AT ALBUQUERQUE, NM, AND FROM HIM GAINED THE IMPRESSION THAT THE AAF INSTITUTED THIS INVESTIGATION TO WASH OUT THE DISC REPORTS, SINCE THEY ARE DEFINITELY NOT OF AAF ORIGIN. ON FRIDAY, AUGUST FIRST, THE PLANE IN WHICH AAF INVESTIGATORS CAPTAIN DAVIDSON AND LT. BROWN WERE RIDING, CRASHED AT KELSO, WASH. AND BOTH