The Flying Saucers are Real | Page 2

maneuvering at high speed fifty miles above the earth. The Air Force
refused to comment.

On March 9, 1950, a large metallic disk was pursued by F-51 and jet
fighters and observed by scores of Air Force officers at Wright Field,
Ohio. On March 18, an Air Force spokesman again denied that saucers
exist and specifically stated that they were not American guided
missiles or space-exploration devices.
I have carefully examined all Air Force saucer reports made in the last
three years. For the past year, I have taken part in a special
investigation of the flying-saucer riddle.
I believe that the Air Force statements, contradictory as they appear, are
part of an intricate program to prepare America--and the world--for the
secret of the disks.
{p. 7}
CHAPTER I
IT WAS A strange assignment.
I picked up the telegram from my desk and read it a third time.
NEW YORK, N. Y., MAY 9, 1949
HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING FLYING SAUCER MYSTERY.
FIRST TIP HINTED GIGANTIC HOAX TO COVER UP OFFICIAL
SECRET. BELIEVE IT MAY HAVE BEEN PLANTED TO HIDE
REAL ANSWER. LOOKS LIKE TERRIFIC STORY. CAN YOU
TAKE OVER WASHINGTON END?
KEN W. PURDY, EDITOR, TRUE MAGAZINE
I glanced out at the Potomac, recalling the first saucer story. As a pilot,
I'd been skeptical of flying disks. Then reports had begun to pour in
from Air Force and airline pilots. Apparently alarmed, the Air Force
had ordered fighters to pursue the fast-flying saucers. In one mysterious
chase, a pilot had been killed, and his death was unexplained. That had
been seventeen months ago. Since then, the whole flying-saucer riddle

had been hidden behind a curtain of Air Force secrecy.
And now, an assignment from True magazine on flying saucers.
Twenty-four hours later, I was in Ken Purdy's office.
"I've had men on this for two months," he told me. "I might as well
warn you, it's a tough story to crack."
"You think it's a Russian missile?" I asked him. "Or an Air Force
secret?"
"We've had several answers. None of them stacks up. But I'm positive
one was deliberately planted when they found we were checking."
He told me the whole story of the work that had been done by the staff
of True and of the reports sent in by competent writers. The deeper he
delved into the mystery, the tougher the assignment got. The more I
learned about flying saucers, the less I knew.
"There's one angle I want rechecked," Purdy said.
"You've heard of the Mantell case?"
{p. 8}
I nodded.
"O.K. Try to get the details of Mantell's radio report to Godman Tower.
Before he was killed, he described the thing he was chasing--we know
that much. Project 'Saucer' gave out a hint, but they've never released
the transcript. Here's another lead. See if you can find anything about a
secret picture, taken at Harmon Field, Newfoundland--it was around
July 1947. I'll send you other ideas as I get them."
Before I left, Purdy wished me hick and told me that he would work in
closest harmony with me.
"But watch out for fake tips," he said. "You'll probably run into some

people at the Pentagon who'll talk to you 'off the record.' That
handcuffs a writer. Look out they don't lead you into a blind alley.
Even the Air Force statements and the Project 'Saucer' report contradict
each other."
For six months, I worked with other investigators to solve the mystery
of the disks. We checked a hundred sighting reports, frequently
crossing the trail of Project "Saucer" teams and F.B.I. agents. Old
records gave fantastic leads. So did Air Force plans for exploring space.
Rocket experts, astronomers, Air Force officials and pilot gave us clues
pointing to a startling solution. Many intelligent persons--including
scientists--believe that the saucers contain spies from another planet.
When this first phase was ended, we were faced with a hard decision.
We had uncovered important facts, We knew the saucers were real. If it
was handled carefully, we believed the story would be in line with a
secret Air Force policy.
It was finally decided to publish certain alternate conclusions. The Air
Force was informed of True's intentions; no attempt was made to block
publication.
In the January 1950 issue of True, I reported that we had reached the
following conclusions:
1 The earth has been observed periodically by visitors from another
planet.
2. This observation has increased markedly in the past two years.
"The only other possible explanation," I wrote, "is that,
{p. 9}
the saucers are extremely high-speed, long-range devices developed
here on earth. Such an advance (which the Air Force has denied) would
require an almost incredible leap in technical progress even for
American scientists and designers."

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