SUN 65 (Sep 2000)

Magazine Overview

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter, dated September 2000, is edited by Philip J. Klass and is identified as SUN #65. The primary focus of this issue is the critical examination of documents related to the "New Majestic" and MJ-12 programs, particularly those promoted by Timothy Cooper and, to some extent, by Dr. Robert M. Wood.

Friedman Reports Some Of Cooper's "New Majestic" Documents Are Bogus Versions ("Emulations") Of Authentic Documents

The lead article details Stan Friedman's presentation at a recent MUFON conference, where he presented evidence that some of Timothy Cooper's "New Majestic" documents are "emulations" – slightly modified versions of authentic government documents. These modifications allegedly insert references to MJ-12 or crashed saucers and often feature a pasted-on "Xerox" photocopy of a President Truman signature.

Friedman provides specific examples of these emulations, comparing a genuine four-paragraph directive signed by President Truman on July 9, 1947, to Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer authorizing a visit to China, with a purported directive to Lt. Gen. Nathan Twining, also signed by Truman on July 9, 1947, authorizing a visit to New Mexico. The initial paragraphs of these directives are strikingly similar, with the "Bogus Twining" version altered to include references to "White Sands Proving Ground Command" and "reported unidentified flying objects being kept there." The article notes the irony that on July 9, 1947, Twining was already in New Mexico attending a nuclear weapons conference.

Further examples of "emulations" cited include a letter of transmittal from Wedemeyer to Truman dated September 24, 1947, and a similar letter from Twining dated September 26, 1947. Both documents have three paragraphs that begin identically.

More Bogus "Emulations" In Cooper's Majestic Documents

This section continues the discussion of Cooper's documents. It highlights a purported letter dated September 27, 1947, from Secretary of State George Marshall, which erroneously identifies Marshall as Secretary of Defense, a position he did not hold until two years later.

Wood Attempts To Ignore "Emulations" In Cooper Documents

Dr. Robert M. Wood and his son Ryan are presented as the main promoters of the Cooper documents. Wood's presentation at the MUFON conference is described, noting that he largely avoided addressing Friedman's criticisms of "emulated Wedemeyer memos." In his oral presentation, Wood briefly mentioned one example of an "emulated" document, a directive purportedly approved by Harry Truman on July 9, 1947, authorizing Gen. Twining to visit White Sands. Wood acknowledged the signature block's exact spacing matched that sent to Wedemeyer and speculated about "covert action for psychological warfare." However, he later dismissed the possibility of "psy-war" fakes.

The article emphasizes that Wood's attempt to explain these "emulations" was his sole effort at the MUFON conference.

Many Challenges To Authenticity Of Cooper Documents

Wood's paper in the MUFON Proceedings admits that about half a dozen individuals have challenged the authenticity of Cooper's Majestic documents on approximately 60 issues. Many of these flaws are found in the "MAJESTIC TWELVE PROJECT 1st Annual Report," which discusses events allegedly occurring in 1952, nearly five years after MJ-12 was supposedly created. The newsletter questions why MJ-12 would operate for five years before issuing its first annual report.

Thomas P. Deuley, MUFON's Corporate Secretary and a former NSA employee, is cited as a skeptic who doubts the authenticity of Cooper's documents and the "original" MJ-12 Eisenhower Briefing Document (EBD). Deuley believes that if the EBD is bogus, then all other MJ-12 documents are also of doubtful authenticity.

Wood's response to these criticisms is that there is no claim that the EBD is the generating document and that individual documents need to be evaluated on their own merits. He suggests that authors might have had limited access to classified data or received bad intelligence.

Wood Ignores "Elevated 8" In Majestic Document And Cooper Letters

This section focuses on evidence suggesting Cooper's typewriter was used for both his "Majestic 12 Project 1st Annual Report" and his 1991 letters to British UFOlogist Timothy Good. A mechanical flaw in the typewriter caused a slightly elevated "8" (relative to adjacent numerals) and also affected capital letters "G" and "N." The newsletter points out that while the shift key might explain the elevation of letters, it does not apply to numerals, thus providing a unique "fingerprint."

Wood's explanation, based on a Questioned Document Examiner, James Black, stated that the typewriter was a Royal bar typewriter, but that it was impossible to say more than it could be one of tens of thousands, and that fast typists might not uniformly depress the shift key. The newsletter notes that Wood did not mention the elevated numeral "8s."

Significant Discrepancy Between EBD And "1st Annual Report"

Neither Wood nor Friedman discussed a critical discrepancy between the "1st Annual Report of Majestic Twelve" and the Eisenhower Briefing Document (EBD) regarding UFO crashes. The EBD states that a crashed object was recovered on July 7, 1947, and that four small human-like beings were found dead. It also mentions a second object impacting the earth on December 6, 1950, in the Texas-Mexico border area.

In contrast, the "1st Annual Report," purportedly written earlier, claims that TWO UFOs crashed, one near the Trinity atomic-bomb test site, and that FIVE ET bodies were recovered. The report suggests the debris might have resulted from a mid-air collision with an X-plane from Holloman Air Force Base.

The newsletter questions why MJ-12, even after five years, could not determine if an experimental aircraft was involved in a collision. Friedman, despite endorsing the EBD, believes two ET craft crashed in New Mexico in July 1947, with the second crash-landing on the Plains of San Agustin, a location not mentioned in the EBD. It is also noted that MUFON's Tom Deuley investigated the Ei Indio Guerrero incident mentioned in the EBD and found it involved a small aircraft, not a UFO.

Woods Believe That Crashed ET Craft Was Recovered In 1941

The Woods believe the first crashed-saucer recovery occurred in the spring of 1941, near Cape Giradeau, Missouri, predating the Roswell Incident by over six years. This event is only cryptically mentioned in Cooper's documents. The account is primarily based on a 1991 letter from Charlette Mann, whose grandfather, a minister, allegedly administered last rites to three ETs at the crash site. The newsletter notes that few UFO researchers gave credence to this story.

The purported Twining report suggests that the U.S. military largely ignored the 1941 Cape Giradeau incident, and even the recovery of a 1941 craft did not create a unified intelligence effort to exploit technological gains, except for the Manhattan Project.

Wood Offers Possible Explanation For Identical Truman Signatures

This section addresses the challenge to the authenticity of the original MJ-12 documents, specifically the identical Truman signatures on a purported memo of September 24, 1947, to James Forrestal (calling for MJ-12's creation) and an authentic Truman memo of October 1, 1947, to Dr. Vannevar Bush. A Questioned Documents Examiner, Peter Tytell, concluded that the September 24 signature was a pasted-on "Xerox" photocopy.

The Woods' explanation is that Truman used an "Auto-pen" pantograph machine to sign both documents, waiting seven days to send the MJ-12 memo. The newsletter dismisses this as "NONSENSE," pointing out that a signature on a September 26 letter to Treasury Secretary John W. Snyder is not identical to the October 1 signature. The Woods had previously stated they would search for a third identical Truman signature to support their "Auto-pen" theory and presented a photo of Truman using an "Auto-pen" at a MUFON conference.

A Woods press release claimed that subtle facts from the Truman Library provided evidence for the Majestic-12 program, including the lack of telephone records for July 4-6, 1947, and a meeting with Senator Carl A. Hatch. However, they did not find a matching "Auto-pen" signature.

Short Shrift:

• Maccabee authors new book on UFO abductions: Dr. Bruce Maccabee, known for "nuts-and-bolts" UFO cases, is entering the field of UFO abductions with his new book, "Abduction is my Life." The book is described as "factional" and a "novel of alien encounters."
• Dr. Greer creates new group to reveal UFO secrets: Dr. Steven Greer has formed "Disclosure News Programming" (DNP) to disclose "definitive evidence and proof regarding extraterrestrial intelligence, UFOs and covert government projects." DNP plans to hold a news conference where "top-secret witnesses" will disclose their knowledge.
• Joe Firmage, Dr. Sagan's widow launch joint venture: Silicon Valley millionaire Joe Firmage is partnering with Carl Sagan Productions to create movies and internet programs for teenagers, focusing on science and exotic concepts like Zero Point Energy (ZPE).
• Schuessler takes over as head of MUFON: John F. Schuessler has succeeded Walter H. Andrus as head of MUFON after Andrus retired. Schuessler is known for his investigation of the 1947 Cash-Landrum incident and previously worked with NASA's manned-space operations.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Skeptics UFO Newsletter, under the editorship of Philip J. Klass, consistently adopts a critical and skeptical stance towards UFO claims, particularly those involving alleged government cover-ups and elaborate document-based conspiracies. The recurring themes in this issue include the rigorous examination of documentary evidence, the identification of inconsistencies and potential forgeries in purported UFO-related documents (such as the "New Majestic" papers), and the questioning of the authenticity of widely promoted UFO narratives. The newsletter emphasizes the importance of scientific methodology, factual discrepancies, and the scrutiny of claims made by prominent figures in the UFO community. The editorial stance is to debunk unsubstantiated claims and to present a rational, evidence-based perspective on UFO phenomena, often highlighting the lack of credible evidence for extraterrestrial visitation or government conspiracies.