UFO Potpourri No 455

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: No. 455
Date: November 2004
Publisher: John F. Schuessler
Location: Littleton, CO, USA

This issue of UFO Potpourri, published by John F. Schuessler, focuses on historical documents related to UFO phenomena and government interest. The primary articles delve into a significant 1960 report by the Brookings Institution for NASA and the involvement of Lyndon B. Johnson in monitoring unidentified flying objects.

BROOKINGS INSTITUTION REPORT

The lead article discusses a December 15, 1960, issue of The New York Times that reported on a Brookings Institution study. This report allegedly warned that Earth's civilization could be jeopardized if faced with a superior race of beings from other worlds. The article suggests this report may have influenced government policy towards denial and cover-up of UFO sightings. A direct quotation from The New York Times details the report's findings, stating that the discovery of extraterrestrial life could lead to the collapse of civilization or sweeping societal changes. The report, prepared for NASA, recommended that the world prepare mentally for this eventuality. It noted that while immediate discovery was unlikely, it could happen, and that contact might occur through radio communications within twenty years. The authors, led by Donald N. Michael, also recommended further study of diplomatic and propaganda effects. The article speculates that the long-standing cover-up, involving numerous politicians, makes immediate disclosure unlikely, with leaks through groups using radio telescopes being a more probable scenario for releasing information gradually.

NASA reportedly paid Brookings $96,000 for this report.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON INVOLVEMENT

This section, referencing the August 6, 1960, issue of the Washington Daily News, highlights the role of Lyndon B. Johnson, then a Democratic leader and Vice Presidential candidate. According to the article, Johnson had ordered the U.S. Senate Preparedness sub-committee to closely monitor developments related to unidentified flying objects. He directed the subcommittee staff to report to him any 'significant' sightings and analyses of Air Force investigations. Congressional sources confirmed that the subcommittee was indeed conducting such checks. A letter from Senator Johnson to Major Donald Keyhoe, Executive Director of NICAP, is quoted, reiterating his directive to the Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee to keep a close watch and report significant sightings and Air Force investigation conclusions.

The author suggests that a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the records of this subcommittee under Johnson and subsequent presidents might reveal the government's true preparedness.

POLICE OFFICER REPORT

This article presents a typical report from the era, detailing an incident investigated by the Berkeley, Missouri, Police Department and the St. Louis Detachment of the Military Transport Service at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. An official Department of the Air Force letter from April 1960 by Lt. Colonel William Cook is cited.

Police Sergeant Bryon Schrismer, a former Navy Air Force pilot experienced in reporting UFOs, observed three UFOs from the south side of Lambert Field airport. The incident was corroborated by Officer Bobby Eades. Three round objects, approximately 9 feet in diameter, flew directly over Schrismer's patrol car. They were described as round with a flat bottom. For about two seconds, a bright light illuminated the entire airport area. The objects were observed moving northeast at an altitude of 5-10,000 feet. The entire observation lasted about six seconds. Eades confirmed seeing the same objects via radio shortly after.

An investigation, including a check of control tower logs by Radar Watch Supervisor Clark Tucker at Lambert Field, revealed no record of the event. A McDonnell Aircraft representative also reported no knowledge of the incident. The official Air Force report concluded that the identity of the objects could not be determined but suggested they might be unusual weather phenomena. The case was closed.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue appears to focus on historical government and military interest in UFOs, suggesting a pattern of investigation, reporting, and potential cover-up. The editorial stance seems to be one of skepticism towards official explanations and a belief that significant information regarding UFOs and potential extraterrestrial contact has been withheld from the public. The inclusion of the Brookings report and the mention of Lyndon B. Johnson's involvement underscore a theme of high-level awareness and potential strategic planning related to alien contact. The police officer report serves as an example of a documented sighting that was officially dismissed, reinforcing the idea of a systemic pattern of downplaying or explaining away UFO phenomena.