Tacoma, 1954: um policial e um motorista de ônibus contam aos jornais o que viram, e a Força Aérea não investiga

Office Memorandum - UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. TO: SAC. FROM: SA Joseph P. Mac Farland. DATE: 6-4-54, 8.03 AM. SUBJECT: FLYING SAUCERS. [Handwritten: 100-18945; 100-11333 struck.] Colonel Raymer, Mc Chord Field by telephone advised that in last nigts edition of the Tacoma News Tribune an artice appears about the observatioh of three policemen of Tacoma of flying saucers. The article stated that Oliver Tiedeman stated to the paper that he was much impressed about the closeness of the saucers. His observation apparently was made while en route from Doty--Mc Chord Field to Chehalis. These saucers, five or six having been observed by other persons, travelled at a terrific speed in northerly direction. The Colonel stated that he would have the news article typed and forwarded to this office. No report of the incidence was made to the Air Corp and no action is going to be taken by the said Corp. [Stamp:] JUN 3 1954 FBI - SEATTLE; 100-18945-49.

[Label:] THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1954. Policeman Sees Flying Saucer. "Three Tacoma policemen have now seen flying saucers, so they must be 'real,' they say." [...] "It seemed to be traveling northward at a terrific speed and then was suddenly slowed to a stop. It seemed entirely motionless for a few seconds and then sped suddenly eastward, disappearing over the foothills." [...] [Stamp:] JUN 1954 FBI - SEATTLE; 100-18945-51.

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE, HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, WASHINGTON. THE INSPECTOR GENERAL USAF, 20th DISTRICT OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, McCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, McCHORD FIELD, WASHINGTON. PVH:ms. 20D OSI 24-0. 10 June 1954. Mr. R. D. Auerbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1015 Second Avenue, Seattle 4, Washington. Dear Sir: Re: (Unclassified) Reporting of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOB) SPECIAL INQUIRY. Attached is a copy of a newspaper article reference subject, which appeared in the Tacoma News Tribune, afternoon edition, 3 June 1954. Major EUGENE L. ZECHMEISTER, Director of Intelligence, 25th Air Division (Defense), McChord AFB, was queried on 4 June 1954 as to the information contained in this newspaper article. Major ZECHMEISTER stated that no report on this UFOB had been received by his office and that information contained in the newspaper article was not of sufficient substance to warrant investigation by the USAF. On 4 June 1954 at 0810 hours, the information contained in the newspaper article and the information received from Major ZECHMEISTER was telephonically reported to the Duty Agent, Seattle Field Division, FBI. The above is for your information and no investigation of this matter is contemplated by this district office. Sincerely, SPENCER W. RAYNOR, Colonel, USAF, District Commander. 1 Incl: Newspaper Clipping. cc: Dir OSI. [Stamp:] JUN 1954 FBI - SEATTLE; 100-18945-52.

[Handwritten on clipping:] 8 June 54. Saucer Again Is Reported Over Tacoma. "Flying saucers returned to Tacoma at midnight Monday, according to at least seven persons who reported watching an orange ball appear, then shrink and disappear." [...] the glow "shrunk to the size of a grapefruit, then to the size of an orange, and disappeared," Hirist reported. [...] [Stamp:] JUN 1954 FBI - SEATTLE; 100-18945-54. [Handwritten:] 1 Incl.

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE, HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, WASHINGTON. THE INSPECTOR GENERAL USAF, 20th DISTRICT OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, McCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, McCHORD FIELD, WASHINGTON. PVH:ms. 20D OSI 24-0. 10 June 1954. Mr. R. D. Auerbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1015 Second Avenue, Seattle 4, Washington. Dear Sir: Re: (Unclassified) Reporting of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOB) SPECIAL INQUIRY. Reference is made to the attached newspaper article which appeared in the afternoon edition of the Tacoma News Tribune of 8 June 1954. Major EUGENE L. ZECHMEISTER, Director of Intelligence, 25th Air Division (Defense), McChord AFB, was queried with reference to the article and advised that no report on the UFOB had been received by the 25th Air Division (Defense). Major ZECHMEISTER further advised that the telephone number of the McChord Air Force Base Tower is restricted and cannot be obtained through the McChord Air Force Base Operators. Major ZECHMEISTER advised that the information contained in the newspaper article was not of sufficient substance to warrant investigation by the USAF. At approximately 1930 hours, 8 June 1954, the information contained in the attached newspaper article and information obtained from Major ZECHMEISTER was telephonically reported to the Duty Agent, Seattle Field Division, FBI. The above is for your information and no investigation of this matter is contemplated by this district office. Sincerely, SPENCER W. RAYNOR, Colonel, USAF, District Commander. 1 Incl: Newspaper Clipping. cc: Dir OSI. [Stamp:] JUN 14 1954 FBI - SEATTLE; 100-18945-55. [Handwritten:] Stripped 8/25/59.

Rough Draft. Memo. To: SAC. From: SA Robt. E. Mason. Flying Saucers. Misc. Colonel Raynor, McChord AFB telephoned at 7:45 P.M., 6/8/54 to advise no action is being taken by O.S.I. re report of Flying Saucers appearing in Tacoma News Tribune, front page, column 3. This message is a follow-up to his earlier phone call to SA Ducommun this date. He stated the base tower received no complaints or calls relating to "saucers" as alleged in the article. A Mr. RICHARD K. HIRIST (may be misprint) of [address omitted], Tacoma was one of seven persons allegedly observing this phenomenon, according to the newspaper. [Stamp:] JUN 1954 FBI - SEATTLE; 100-18945-56.

Office Memorandum - UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. TO: SAC. FROM: S.A. L.A. Ducommun. DATE: June 9, 1954. SUBJECT: Flying Saucers. At approximately 7:30 PM on 6/8/54 Colonel Raynor, OSI McChord AFB telephoned that an item in the Tacoma News Tribune indicated that a transit driver for the Tacoma bus company had seen a flying saucer on the previous night over Tacoma. Colonel Raynor said that he was checking with the Operations Office at McChord to see if it had been reported to them. I called Major Robinson R-3 and passed on Colonel Raynor's call. [Stamp:] JUN 9 1954 FBI - SEATTLE; 100-18945-56a.