Page 18 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - September 2021

18 A Different Perspective on UAP Report

UAP Report and a Mini

Estimate of the Situation -

A Comparison

Continued from Page 17

This response, in 1947, provides a hint as to
what Garrett and the others were thinking. They
believed that the solution rested in terrestrial
technology, or in other words, this was
something of Soviet manufacture. Given the
sightings, first in Canada and then in Alaska, the
theory was that the Soviets were flying
something along the great circle route. While the
sighting itself is interesting for the photographs,
it was important because it seemed to suggest
the Soviets rather than aliens.

The original investigation had excluded meteors
or fireballs as the possible explanation. Later, as
Blue Book officers became more interested in
solutions than facts, the case was written off as a
meteor.
seems curious that he thought enough of it to witnesses, had the opportunity to get a good
include it in his Estimate. There is no record of look at it. Blue Book had no information on it,
The final case that Garrett cited was from
it in the Project Blue Book files, and no one and it wasn’t reported until after Arnold made
Elmendorf Field in Anchorage, Alaska, on July
seems to know anything more about it. As his sighting, which weakens it somewhat.
11, through Garrett dated it July 12. Colonel
evidence, it is useless.
Bruce H. Perry and Major William E. Geyser,
This reflects the sort of sightings that Garrett
both in the Army Air Forces said that they
But there is another aspect to this case. There is favored. Those that were multiple witness, and
watched an object that resembled a grayish
a Blue Book file labeled June 14, 1947, from those sightings where the object, or objects,
balloon as it followed the contours of the
Bakersfield. Included in it at a number of were under observation for more than a minute.
mountains some five miles away. They said the
newspaper articles that mention a “veteran The sightings were those that were not fleeting
object was small, maybe two to three feet in
pilot,” who saw a formation of objects over flashes of light or indistinct blobs. The one thing
diameter, or maybe as much as ten feet. It was
Bakersfield on June 23. Several of the that sticks out is that most of the witnesses had
traveling at high speed, at three to four thousand
newspaper clippings are dated as July 1 or July flight experience of some kind, including
feet, based on the cloud cover at ten thousand
2, though in the text they all report the June 23 military officers, commercial pilots, Civil Air
feet. Geyser said that the object paralleled the
date. Patrol pilots, or who had some other connection
course of a C-47 that was landing on the airfield.
to the military and aviation.
(Sparks; Lara Elliott/NICAP website; FBI files;
The witness, Richard Rankin was described as
BB files; McDonald list; FOIA;
having over 7000 hours of flight experience, but The same thing can be said for the next case
Saunders/FUFOR Index)
didn’t provide any information about his from Oklahoma City. Garrett provided little
training or if he had been a commercial or about it, but other sources were able to expand
With these sixteen reports, and two added later,
military pilot. It did mention that he had been a on the information. In the end, it was single
Garrett composed his study. It might be said that
stunt flyer in the past. witness, but importantly, Savage’s wife thought
he drew on these specific cases because he,
that he might have seen a flash of lightning.
along with Schulgen, believed they most
He said that he couldn’t see wings or propellers From the available information, it seems that
accurately described the objects seen, the
on the craft and thought they were almost round. this report was included because the man was a
maneuvers they performed, and they would
He saw ten objects heading to the north. They civilian pilot.
most likely lead to the conclusion that these
turned, heading south but there were only seven.
sightings were of a classified project then in
He thought he was looking at the Navy’s The next case, that is from Massachusetts, might
development in total secrecy. They thought they
XFU51, known as the “Flying Flapjack” have been included because FBI Special Agent
would be told to end their investigation because
because of its bizarre shape, but the “Flapjack” Reynolds had “secretly” investigated the case.
of that. The answer they received, after they had
had only flown on the east coast. At the time of The information about the sighting isn’t all that
forwarded their report to the Air Materiel
the sighting there was only one in existence. spectacular when it is examined in a
Command and to Lieutenant General Nathan F.
dispassionate way. It is a small, silvery object
Twining, must have surprised them. It was not at
Other than the date, this fits the description of that seemed to be moving faster than a jet at
all what they had expected.
the sighting that Garrett had reported. It is single about a thousand feet. Again, it is single witness
witness, but one with flying experience, and to and there is very little information about
Analysis Garrett that was an important factor. The Air witness’s background or education.
Force later explained the sighting as birds.
In today’s environment, there is access to so The real take away here is that the case was
much more information that was available to The first case in Garrett’s Estimate which has secretly investigated by an FBI agent at a time
those working in 1947. These cases, in Garrett’s almost no information, is from Colorado, again when the FBI was questioning the importance of
Mini-EOTS, that seemed so strange then, aren’t something of a bare bones report can be looked these sightings. J. Edgar Hoover might have
particularly interesting today, except for the at again. The names were printed in the local wanted to “empire build” by adding this
context in which they were made. One of them newspaper. Garrett didn’t include names and his dimension to the FBI’s responsibilities, but he
has virtually disappeared from any known Estimate mentioned only three witnesses. They was being cautious about it. This wasn’t the only
database. All that is known about it is that a watched it maneuver, but importantly, observed indication that the FBI wanted in, but didn’t
civilian pilot, on the ground in Bakersfield, it through binoculars which would tend to rule want anyone to know about.
California apparently saw something he couldn’t out conventional aircraft. It was in sight for
identify. Garrett had no other information which twenty minutes, which mean all seven of the (Continued on Page 19)