65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_004

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STAT:rs- GOVE NMtENT.
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DIRPL"l'OR FBI
Bt;ECT! ~ "FLlING SAUO~" OESl!RVED O'Vm
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OAK RIDGE AREA
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INrEmlAL SlOOURITY - X
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There are beine submitted herm.th two photographs of ropu
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saucers"which were seen at Oak Ridee, Tennessee, sometime during Jul,y'fe(' .
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All of the 1.nf'ormation contained in this letter was received from Mt-. a;
RNmMAlf, Chief Investigator, Security Division, Atanio En«rS7 Ccmnias
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Colonel c. D. GASSm1 Resident Jlnsineer, Air Material Carnrnarn1_., United States
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1_who ie tho principal army "technioian at the Nuclear ~ ..far__tb.e Pro­
pulsion of Aircraft Research Center at Oak Ridee_, Tennessee.
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Mr. RATHMAN advised that the attached photogr:e.phs were taken by w. R.
/ PRl!SLEY in July of 1947. He stated that interview with PRE3LEY revealed that he
had been snappine photographs of bis f'amil.y in front of hie residence at 218
Il11no1s Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, late in the e.f'ternoon, when he l.ooked
into the sky and observed the vapor trail as emibited by the photograph numbered
"l." PRESLEY stated that he took a snap of this trail, was winding the film to
the next number, when he looked into the sky and"observed the ball of fire as
shown in photograph 2. Upon observine the unusual phenomena, he used his last
lfilm in tald.ng photograph #2.
P.RllSLEY made these photographs available to re­
,iportere of the Knoxville News-Sentinel and a story concerning them was run 1n
that paper; however, as shown by the photostatic copy of the newspaper clippine,
whioh is also being submitted herewith to the Bureau, the print was very indis­
tinot; the news story did not contain an:r .factual information; and 1t was regarded
generally by the public at the time as a
' ,◊se ~L~le tt-ick.
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Later, it w.a learned by Mr. RA~llDL.• ....nd Colonel G.ASS:HE that PRllSLEY
had made several copies of this photograph and had distributed them 8lllOJl8 his
acquaintances at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Upon Colonel GASSl!R'e finding tbat the
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pho"toei:apha had received some distribution, he requested Mr. RA'IBMAN as Head of
the Can:pllance and Investigations DiVision, to recover as many as possible of
the photographs, advise the persons in whose possession they were found to say
nothing to aeyone concernins them, and to retm-n the said photographs to him
f'or traDSmission to the United States Air Foroe Yii'teD..fgence 'Servica. Mr. RAmMAN
advises tnat7fe- sucoee'a.ed inrounding up twenty-four copies of these photographs,
and that, ac~ordins to the statements of P.RFSLEY, no more copies were made or
distributed. RATHMAN further stated that GASSm had appeared extremely concerned
over the matter and seemed to be quite emphatic that the mtter should be given
no more publloity than was absolutely necessary. RA'lEMAN also advised that he
studied the negatives from which the reproductions were mde, and th y appee.red
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to be authentic in that trick photography should have been apparent, ut from the ~
RECORDED •}4 i(a ~
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NOEXED.- 121 /. 3~·JA'149
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