CSI NEWS LETTER

Magazine Overview

Title: CSI NEWS LETTER
Issue: No. 2
Volume: 11
Date: February 29, 1956
Publisher: CIVILIAN SAUCER INTELLIGENCE OF NEW YORK
Price: 15¢

Main Cover Story: Why The Pussyfooting?

The lead article addresses the common omission of witnesses' names in CSI's News Letter reports. The author, Ted Bloecher, explains that this is done to comply with witnesses' requests for anonymity, assuring readers that CSI does have the names on record and verifies the reports. However, Bloecher suggests this trend of requesting anonymity indicates an unhealthy situation where people are intimidated into silence due to nine years of press ridicule and the Air Force's non-committal stance on the subject. He argues that this official silence has allowed the 'lunatic fringe' to dominate the discourse with misleading stories. Bloecher concludes that anonymity is not the solution and that responsible witnesses and researchers must come forward to state their cases clearly without fear of ridicule.

Recent CSI News

Members' Meeting

A CSI members' meeting was held on February 11th at the home of the Sec'y-Treasurer, Lex Rebane, with 26 members present. Marty Meyerson, who had returned from a trip to the west coast and Hawaii, was scheduled to discuss his investigation of UFO incidents, but was unable to attend due to job pressures. He did, however, share some details about material he had collected, including first-hand data on Hawaiian cases mentioned in the January News Letter. Members also discussed other recent UFO observations. The results of CSI's investment in Burrelle's Clipping Service were reviewed, indicating a gradual increase in reported sightings since January 20th, with newspapers carrying more reports. Currently, about 8-10 news clippings of sightings are received per week, though many are deemed questionable.

New Projects

Discussions also covered the practicability of organizing a lending library for members, with Maurene Chenoweth volunteering to head a committee. Another project considered was a telephone alert system for intensified UFO visitations, especially as 1956 is anticipated to be a significant year for UFO appearances. Ted Bloecher will develop a plan for this system.

Upcoming Meetings

Members will be notified of a March meeting, which could be either a public meeting with a speaker or another members' meeting.

Other News

Forthcoming Books

Details were provided on Frank Edwards' book, "My First Ten Million Sponsors," to be published by Ballantine Books on March 12th. Gray Barker's "They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers" has been postponed to May 10th.

Recent Books

Ruppelt's "Report On Unidentified Flying Objects" is highlighted as a unique and important work, offering an insider's account of Air Force UFO investigations. The book is recommended for everyone. Both Ruppelt's and Keyhoe's books are available to CSI members at a 40% discount.

Miscellaneous

A March issue of the Saturday Evening Post will feature an article by John Kobler, likely an attempt to debunk UFOs. The New York Daily Mirror published a series of articles on UFOs in February. The New York Times Book Review on February 26th included letters protesting a review of Ruppelt, Keyhoe, and Wilkins, with contributions from CSI members Lex Rebane and Professor Charles A. Maney, as well as Harold Fulton from New Zealand. Siegfried Mandel's review in the Saturday Review is also mentioned. The newsletter advises listeners to tune into Paul Harvey's broadcasts for UFO reports.

Additional Reports

Summary Reports of recent meetings, including those by Keyhoe and Ted Bloecher, are available for purchase.

Reports of Recent UFO Sightings

This section details numerous UFO sightings from late 1955 and early 1956:

• September 22, 1955 (Oahu, Hawaii): A cylindrical object, described as 'sausage-shaped,' was visually tracked and radar-confirmed at 7:30 p.m., traveling at an estimated 1700 mph at 32,000 feet. Details were brought back by Marty Meyerson.
• December 9, 1955 (Boonton Township, New Jersey): A bright blue-white, elongated object was observed descending toward the New York skyline and then 'blinked out.' The report was confirmed by a woman who saw it with her husband.
• December 17, 1955 (Fort Worth, Texas): An object streaked across the sky, appearing as two white lights, and then exploded in a brilliant blue-white flash with a dark red-orange after-glow. The observer, Miss Sidonie Coryn, reported no sound.
• January 7, 1956 (Honolulu, Hawaii): Army Sgt. William Wannall and six family members witnessed a colored disc-shaped object hovering for twenty minutes. It later descended to the ground, remained motionless for twenty minutes, and then shot into the air. The object was seen by Marty Meyerson.
• January 11, 1956 (Oahu shore, Hawaii): A disc-shaped device was seen hovering near Hickam-International Airfields, with radar confirmation. Jets were scrambled, but the object had departed.
• January 18, 1956 (Plainfield, New Jersey): Mrs. Betty Allen saw a red-orange, oval-shaped object that appeared very large and disappeared on a WNW course.
• January 21, 1956 (Walden, New York): Mrs. Jessie Fleury observed a disc or globe-shaped object, described as a 'big orange moon,' gliding northwesterly. Military and defense agencies had no knowledge of any flying object in the area.
• January 21, 1956 (Fort Worth, Texas): A witness reported seeing a streak with two white lights that seemed to 'squash' and explode.
• January 21, 1956 (Baltimore, Maryland): An elongated object, 'like a V-2,' appeared brilliant green and trailed a yellowish exhaust.
• January 21, 1956 (Clifton, New Jersey): Two bakery workers reported a 'large blue ball of fire with a white flashing tail.'
• January 22, 1956 (Clearwater, Florida): A bright white object flashed in from the Gulf, leveled off, and disappeared eastward.
• January 22, 1956 (Largo, Florida): Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth C. Walker saw a bullet-shaped object with a white head and a body colored like a fire hydrant.
• January 22, 1956 (Near New Orleans): Pan American Airlines flight engineer Robert Mueller saw a long, cylindrical object with blue luminescence and a bright yellow flame or light emitting trailing yellow wisps.
• January 24, 1956 (Bayou Lafourche, Louisiana): A 'balloon' hovered for 18 hours, moving only slightly.
• January 26, 1956 (Mobile, Alabama): A 'mysterious phenomenon,' described as a 'streak' or 'flash,' was reported.
• January 26, 1956 (Pulaski Skyway, New Jersey): A two-pound chunk of 'clinker' smashed a windshield; CSI member August Roberts determined it was not meteoritic.
• January 26, 1956 (Toledo, Ohio): Mrs. Leslie Harroun reported a silvery, silent, pancake-shaped object larger than an airplane.
• January 30, 1956 (Long Island Sound): A bright light hovered for 45 minutes on a stormy night. Reports came from North Shore residents and Stamford, Conn.
• February 3, 1956 (Great Barrington, Massachusetts): An object, tentatively identified as a weather balloon, 'shot off' over the horizon in about two seconds.
• February 3, 1956 (Somers Point, New Jersey): A couple saw a bluish-grey luminous disc with brighter spots, hovering and darting. Teen-agers described it as 'round, fuzzy at the edges, and had a dark hole in the center, like a doughnut.'
• February 8, 1956 (St. Petersburg, Florida): A silvery-white object crossed the sky east to west, then returned west to east, followed by jets. MacDill Airbase denied knowledge.
• February 9, 1956 (Redondo Beach, California): A 'ball of fire' fell into the water offshore. Divers found a small Army battery-operated signal light.
• February 8, 1956 (Pleasureville & Harrisburg, Pennsylvania): Three or four bluish-luminous objects were seen circling.
• February 22, 1956 (East Rockaway, Long Island): A 'tremendous disc' was seen, appearing as a 'slanting dark line' then a thin disc with a darker edge, moving in a semi-circular arc and shooting off toward N.Y.C., leaving a red-luminous trail.
• February 23, 1956 (Bushwick, Brooklyn): Army Sgt. George Pierce watched a blue-luminous disc emitting a 'loud rumbling noise' and leaving a white smoke trail.
• February 17-18, 1956 (Paris, France): Radar at Orly airdrome tracked an unknown object for four hours, making 2000 mph bursts of speed. A pilot of an airliner reported a visual sighting.

The Operators of the Saucers

Lawrence Barth, using a pen name, discusses the 'creatures' aspect of the saucer problem. He suggests using terms like 'creatures' or 'beings' instead of 'little men' to avoid associations with mythical figures. Barth posits that the fear of discussing these creatures stems from the potential need to adapt our understanding of life and psychology. He argues that if extraterrestrial saucers exist, they are likely piloted by intelligent beings, and the probability is high that these beings would travel in them personally, likening it to a car needing a driver. Barth emphasizes the need to carefully examine 'creature' tales for authenticity, focusing on detailed, non-obvious details that a hoaxer might not invent. He also suggests comparing authentic cases for insights into the physical details, times, places, and behavior of these beings, and considering scientific data on human physiology and potential extraterrestrial development.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the reporting of numerous UFO sightings from various locations, the challenges faced by UFO investigators and witnesses due to public skepticism and official reticence, and the ongoing efforts of organizations like CSI to collect and disseminate information. The editorial stance, particularly in the cover story, advocates for greater transparency and courage from witnesses and researchers, pushing back against the prevailing atmosphere of ridicule and secrecy surrounding the UFO phenomenon. There is a clear emphasis on the importance of detailed, verifiable reports and a critical examination of evidence.