#132
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
copartmentalized 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 PRLIMINARY 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 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 F. Twining
Gen Hoyt S. Vandenberg
Dr. Detley 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 civillian pilot flying over the Cascade Mountains in the
State of Washington observed nine flying disc-shaped aircraft travelling 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 independant 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 utilizee
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, serial reconnaisance discovered that four small human-like beings
had apparently ejected from the aircraft before it exploded. These had
fallen to earth about two miles east of the wreckage 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".)
Civillian 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 concensus
(19 September, 1947) that the disc was most likely a short range
reconnaisance 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 anaylsis of the four dead occupants was arranged
by Dr. Bronnk. It was the tentative conclusion 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 form those observed or postulated in
homo-sapiens. Dr. Bronk's team has suggested the term "Extra-terrestrial
Biological Entities", or "EBEs", 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 centred around what their
point of origin might be and how they got 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 and method of
transmission of the power source involved. Research alnog 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, liason 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
liason 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 - Gurrero 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 remained 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 begining in May and continuing through the Autumn of this year
has caused considerable concern that the 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 the 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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RENUMERATION OF ATTACHMENTS:
*ATTACHMENT "A"........Special Classified Executive
Order #092447. (TS/EO)
*ATTACHMENT "B"........Operation Majestic-12 Status
Report #1, Part A. 30 NOV '47.
(TS-MAJIC/EO)
*ATTACHMENT "C"........Operation Majestic-12 Status
Report #1, Part B. 30 NOV '47.
(TS-MAJIC/EO)
*ATTACHMENT "D"........Operation Majestic-12 Preliminary
Analytical Report. 19 SEP '47.
(TS-MAJIC/EO)
*ATTACHMENT "E"........Operation Majestic-12 Blue Team
Report #5. 30 JUN '52.
(TS-MAJIC/EO)
*ATTACHMENT "F"........Operation Majestic-12 Status
Report #2. 31 JAN '48.
(TS-MAJIC/EO)
*ATTACHMENT "G"........Operation Majestic-12 Contingency
Plan MJ-1949-04P/78: 31 JAN '49.
(TS-MAJIC/EO)
*ATTACHMENT "H"........Operation Majestic-12, Maps and
Photographs Folio (Extractions).
(TS-MAJIC/EO)
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MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Dear Secretary Forrestal:
As per our recent conversation on this matter, you are hereby
authorized to proceed with all due speed and caution upon your undertaking.
Hereafter this matter shall be referred to only as Operation Majestic
Twelve.
It continues to be my feeling that any future considerations relative
to the ultimate disposition of this matter should rest solely with the
Office of the President following appropriate discussions with yourself,
Dr. Bush and the Director of Central Intelligence.
