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NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
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BRIEFING DOCUMENT: OPERATION MAJESTIC 12
PREPARED FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER: (EYES ONLY)
18 NOVEMBER, 1952
_WARNING_: This is a TOP SECRET - EYES ONLY document containing
compartmentalised information essential to the national security of the
United States. EYES ONLY ACCESS to the material herein is strictly
limited to those possessing Majestic-12 clearance level. Reproduction in
any form or the taking of written or mechanically transcribed notes is
strictly forbidden.
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SUBJECT: OPERATION MAJESTIC-12 PRELIMINARY BRIEFING FOR
PRESIDENT-ELECT EISENHOWER
DOCUMENT PREPARED 18 NOVEMBER, 1952
BRIEFING OFFICER: ADM. ROSCOE H. HILLENKOETTER (MJ-1)
NOTE: This document has been prepared as a preliminary briefing only.
It should be regarded as introductory to a full operations briefing
intended to follow.
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OPERATION MAJESTIC-12 is a TOP SECRET Research and
Development/Intelligence operation responsible directly and only to the
President of the United States. Operations of the project are carried
out under the control of the Majestic-12 (Majic-12) Group which was
established by special classified executive order of President Truman on
24 September, 1947, upon recommendation by Dr. Vannevar Bush and
Secretary James Forrestal. (See Attachment "A".) Members of the
Majestic-12 Group were designated as follows:
Adm. Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter
Dr. Vannevar Bush
Secy. James V. Forrestal*
Gen. Nathan P. Twining
Gen Hoyt S. Vandenberg
Dr. Detlev Bronk
Dr. Jerome Hunsaker
Mr. Sidney W. Souers
Mr. Gordon Gray
Dr. Donald Menzel
Gen. Robert M. Montague
Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner
The death of Secretary Forrestal on 22 May, 1949, created a vacancy
which remained unfilled until 01 August, 1950, upon which date Gen.
Walter B. Smith was designated as permanent replacement.
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On 24 June, 1947, a civilian pilot flying over the Cascade Mountains in
the State of Washington observed nine flying disc-shaped aircraft
traveling in formation at a high rate of speed. Although this was not
the first known sighting of such objects, it was the first to gain
widespread attention in the public media. Hundreds of reports of
sightings of similar objects followed. Many of these came from highly
credible military and civilian sources. These reports resulted in
independent efforts by several different elements of the military to
ascertain the nature and purpose of these objects in the interests of
national defense. A number of witnesses were interviewed and there were
several unsuccessful attempts to utilize aircraft in efforts to pursue
reported discs in flight. Public reaction bordered on near hysteria at
times.
In spite of these efforts, little of substance was learned about the
objects until a local rancher reported that one had crashed in a remote
region of New Mexico located approximately seventy-five miles northwest
of Roswell Army Air Base (now Walker Field).
On 07 July, 1947, a secret operation was begun to assure recovery of
the wreckage of this object for scientific study. During the course of
this operation, aerial reconnaissance discovered that four small
human-like beings had apparently ejected from the craft at some point
before it exploded. These had fallen to earth about two miles east of
the wreck- age site. All four were dead and badly decomposed due to
action by predators and exposure to the elements during the
approximately one week time period which had elapsed before their
discovery. A special scientific team took charge of removing these
bodies for study. (See attachment "C".) The wreckage of the craft was
also removed to several different locations. (See Attachment "B".)
Civilian and military witnesses in the area were debriefed, and news
reporters were given the effective cover story that the object had been
a misguided weather research balloon.
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A covert analytical effort organized by Gen. Twining and Dr. Bush
acting on the direct orders of the President, resulted in a preliminary
consensus (19 September, 1947) that the disc was most likely a short
range reconnaissance craft. This conclusion was based for the most part
on the craft's size and the apparent lack of any identifiable
provisioning. (See Attachment "D".) A similar analysis of the four dead
occupants was arranged by Dr. Bronk. It was the tentative conclusions of
this group (30 November, 1947) that although these creatures are
human-like in appearance, the biological and evolutionary processes
responsible for their development has apparently been quite different
from those observed or postulated in homo-sapiens. Dr. Bronk's team has
suggested the term "Extra-terrestrial Biological Entities", or "EBE's",
be adopted as the standard term of reference for these creatures until
such time as a more definitive designation can be agreed upon.
Since it is virtually certain that these craft do not originate in any
country on earth, considerable speculation has centered around what
their point of origin might be and how they get here. Mars was and
remains a possibility, although some scientists, most notably Dr. Menzel,
consider it more likely that we are dealing with beings from another
solar system entirely.
Numerous examples of what appear to be a form of writing were found in
the wreckage. Efforts to decipher these have remained largely
unsuccessful. (See Attachment "E".) Equally unsuccessful have been
efforts to determine the method of propulsion or the nature or method of
transmission of the power source involved. Research along these lines
has been complicated by the complete absence of identifiable wings,
propellers, jets, or other conventional methods of propulsion and
guidance, as well as a total lack of metallic wiring, vacuum tubes, or
similar recognizable electronic components. (See Attachment "F".) It is
assumed that the propulsion unit was completely destroyed by the
explosion which caused the crash.
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A need for as much additional information as possible about these
craft, their performance characteristics and their purpose led to the
undertaking known as U. S. Air Force Project SIGN in December, 1947. In
order to preserve security, liaison between SIGN and Majestic-12 was
limited to two individuals within the Intelligence Division of Air
Material Command whose role was to pass along certain types of
information through channels. SIGN evolved into Project GRUDGE in
December, 1948. The operation is currently being conducted under the
code name BLUE BOOK, with liaison maintained through the Air Force
officer who is head of the project.
On 06 December, 1950, a second object, probably of similar origin,
impacted the earth at high speed in the El Indio -Guerrero area of the
Texas - Mexican border after following a long trajectory through the
atmosphere. By the time a search team arrived, what remained of the
object had been almost totally incinerated. Such material as could be
recovered was transported to the A. E. C. facility at Sandia, New
Mexico, for study.
Implications for the National Security are of continuing importance in
that the motives and ultimate intentions of these visitors remain
completely unknown. In addition, a significant upsurge in the
surveillance activity of these craft beginning in May and continuing
through the autumn of this year has caused considerable concern that new
developments may be imminent. It is for these reasons, as well as the
obvious international and technological considerations and the ultimate
need to avoid a public panic at all costs, that the Majestic-12 Group
remains of the unanimous opinion that imposition of the strictest
security precautions should continue without interruption into the new
administration. At the same time, contingency plan MJ-1949- 04P/78 (Top
Secret - Eyes Only) should be held in continued readiness should the
need to make a public announcement present itself. (See Attachment "G".)
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