Scholarly Commentary on LIFE article of April 7, 1952
[NICAP Comment: Although the Monroe picture no doubt attracted a lot of
readers it also had the tendency to make the UFO subject seem somewhat frivolous.]
readers it also had the tendency to make the UFO subject seem somewhat frivolous.]
HAVE WE VISITORS FROM SPACE?
The Air Force is now ready to concede that many saucer and fireball sightings still defy explanation; here LIFE offers some scientific evidence that there is a real case for interplanetary saucers.
LIFE Magazine, April 7, 1952
by H. B. Darrach Jr. and Robert Ginna
For four years the U.S. public has wondered, worried or smirked over the strange and insistent tales of eerie objects streaking across American skies. Generally the tales have provoked only chills or titters, only rarely, reflection or analysis.
Last week the U.S. Air Force made known to LIFE the following facts:
- As a result of continuing flying saucer reports the Air Force maintains constant intelligence investigation and study of unidentified aerial objects.
- A policy of positive action has been adopted to find out, as soon as possible, what is responsible for observations that have been made. As a part of this study, military aircraft are alerted to attempt interception, and radar and photographic equipment will be used in an attempt to obtain factual data. If opportunity offers, attempts will be made to recover such unidentified objects.
[NICAP Comment: These new efforts at instrumented investigation of UFO's, note even the phrase "unidentified objects," stem from the initiative of the deputy to Maj. Gen. John A. Samford, the Director of AF Intelligence, beginning in January 1952. The deputy, Brig. Gen. William M. Garland, was Samford's Assistant for Intelligence Production. Both had received a series of briefings on UFO's from AF staff.]
