My
thanks to Gildas Bourdais for this copy of the 3-page document. I
had misplaced or misfiled my copy. This reproduction is poor but
readable and is a copy
made from FUFOR's "U.S. Government Documents" package. The text
version presented below was provided by Brad Sparks. Robert Todd
obtained the release of the Bolender memo in Jan 1979. The
implications from this memo, issued just before
the shutdown of Project Blue Book, is clear, and is found on page
2: " reports of unidentified flying objects which could affect national
security are made in accordance with
JANAP 146 or
Air Force
Manual
55-11, and are not part of the Blue Book system." Although this
comment
has been made before in BB memos going back to 1958-9, this is the
document often cited. The Bolender Memo states that "in 1966 the Air Force Office of Scientific Research contracted to have the University of Colorado conduct an independent scientific investigation of unidentified flying objects. This study, directed by Dr. Edward U. Condon and made available as the "Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects," serves as a basis for evaluating the Air Force investigative effort. After an extensive study of this report as well as the review of the report by a panel of the National Academy of Sciences, past studies, Project Blue Book operations and other inputs, the Office of Aerospace Research concluded, and we agree, that the continuation of Project Blue Book cannot be justified, either on the ground of national security or in the interest of science." The flawed study was fully exposed in a May 14, 1968, LOOK Magazine article, Flying Saucer Fiasco, by John G. Fuller. (Brad Sparks: There were 16 Attachments to the Bolender Memo and Bob Todd spent years trying to get the AF to find and release them, but the AF totally stonewalled him. Several of the 16 Attachments are already known separately and have been released long before, but several are unknown and not released, several more are not described well enough to identify.) http://nicap.org/bluebook/bolender1_3.htm http://nicap.org/bluebook/bolender2_3.htm http://nicap.org/bluebook/bolender3_3.htm OFFICE ACTION SIGNATURE (Surname
and
Grade)
1 [AFRDDG ? Draft ? Espey ?] 6
AFCC
Coord [illegible]
2 AFRDC Appr Bolender
[?]
7 SAFRD Coord [illegible]
3 SAFOI Coord
Hogan
8 SAFCS Sig
4 SAFLL Coord Graves
[?] 9
5 AFCCS Appr
[illegible] 10
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SURNAME OF ACTION OFFICER AND GRADE SYMBOL
PHONE TYPIST'S INIT.SUSPENSE DATE
Major
Espey
AFRDDG 52181 vc
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUBJECT
DATE
Unidentified Flying Objects
(UFO)
20 OCT 1969
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
1. For more than twenty years the Air Force has had
the
responsibility
within the Department of Defense for the investigation of
unidentified
flying objects (UFOs) (Atch 2). As stated in Project
Blue
Book, this
investigative program has two objectives:
a. To determine whether UFOs pose a
threat to
the security of the
United States: and
b. To determine whether UFOs exhibit any
unique
scientific information
or advanced technology which could contribute to scientific
or
technical
research (Atch 3).
Procedures for Project Blue Book reporting are defined in
Air Force
Regulation 80-17. This regulation requires the
Commander of
an Air Force
base to provide a UFO investigative capability and for Air
Force
Systems
Command to continue Project Blue Book (Atch 4). In
response
to this
regulation most Commanders have appointed a UFO
investigating
officer,
usually as an additional duty. Project Blue Book has
two
officers, one
NCO and one civilian assigned on a full-time basis. In
addition, Dr. A.
J. Hynek served as a scientific consultant until 1 July 1969.
2. In 1966 the Air Force Office of Scientific Research
contracted to have
the University of Colorado conduct an independent scientific
investigation
of unidentified flying objects. This study, directed
by Dr.
Edward U.
Condon and made available as the "Scientific Study of
Unidentified
Flying
Objects," serves as a basis for evaluating the Air Force
investigative
effort (Atch 5). After an extensive study of this
report as
well as the
review of the report by a panel of the National Academy of
Sciences, past
studies, Project Blue Book operations and other inputs, the
Office
of
Aerospace Research concluded, and we agree, that the
continuation
of
Project Blue Book cannot be justified, either on the ground
of
national
security or in the interest of science (Atch 6).
3. The general conclusion of the Scientific Study of
Unidentified Flying
Objects is that "nothing has come from the study of UFOs in
the
past 21
years that has added to scientific knowledge." As to
what
the federal
government should do with the UFO reports it receives from
the
general
public, the authors add that they are "inclined to think
that
nothing
should be done with them in the expectation that they are
going to
contribute to the advance of science." A panel of the
National Academy
of Sciences concurred in these views, and the Air Force has
found
no
reason to question this
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 1969 BOLENDER MEMO PG. 2
conclusion. For example, it has been the Air Force
experience that although a
significant portion of the Air Force's environmental
research
program is
concerned with natural phenomena that could be associated
with
unidentified
flying objects (Atch 7), Project Blue Book reports have not
added
any
useful data to these research efforts (Atch 6). Thus,
we
concur with the
University of Colorado recommendation "that only so much
attention
to the
subject should be given as the Department of Defense deems
to be
necessary
strictly from a defense point of view."
4. As early as 1953, the Robertson Panel concluded
"that the
evidence
presented on Unidentified Flying Objects shows no indication
that
these
phenomena constitute a direct physical threat to national
security" (Atch
9). In spite of this finding, the Air Force continued
to
maintain a
special reporting system. There is still, however, no
evidence that
Project Blue Book reports have served any intelligence
function
(Atch 8).
Moreover, reports of unidentified flying objects which could
affect
national security are made in accordance with JANAP 146 or
Air
Force
Manual 55-11, and are not part of the Blue Book system (Atch
10). The
Air Force experience therefore confirms the impression of
the
University
of Colorado researchers "that the defense function could be
performed
withing the framework established for intelligence and
surveillance
operations without the continuance of a special unit such as
Project
Blue Book."
5. The conclusion which follows is that Project Blue
Book
does not merit
future expenditures of resources. Accordingly, we
recommend
that it be
terminated and that the actions which follow from this
decision,
such as
cancelling Air Force Regulation 80-17 and not renewing the
consultant
contract, be initiated. Termination of Project Blue
Book
would have no
adverse effect on Air Force operations or research
programs.
It would
free manpower for useful purposes, eliminate the need for a
scientific
consultant and relieve base commanders of a minor
responsibility
and an
administrative burden.
6. Termination of Project Blue Book would leave no
official
federal
office to receive reports of UFOs. However, as already
stated, reports
of UFOs which could affect national security would continue
to be
handled
through the standard Air Force procedures designed for this
purpose.
Presumably, local police departments respond to reports
which fall
within
their responsibilities. Similarly, as to scientific
research, the
Colorado researchers conclude that, although they do not see
"any
fruitful lines of advance from the study of UFO reports, we
believe that
any scientist with adequate training and credentials who
does come
up
with a clearly defined, specific proposal for study should
be
supported."
We see no reason why the normal channels and criteria for
the
funding of
scientific research should not be adequate for UFO-related
research.
7. Some feel that a central reporting center should be
established, and a
proposal has been made to establish a Rare Atmospheric
Phenomena
Reporting
Center (Atch 11 and 12). Because the problem affects a
number of
agencies, this center might be under the auspices of the
Federal
Council
on Science and Technology. However, in the light of
the
University of
Colorado recommendation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 1969 BOLENDER MEMO PG. 3
that the federal government should not set up a major new
agency
for the
scientific study of UFOs, we do not favor this suggestion
and feel
that
UFO reports should be left to normal scientific and defense
channels.
If such a center is established, it should not perform an
investigative
function and should be initiated only on a trial basis for a
specified
lifetime.
8. Project Blue Book has accumulated records on over
13,000
sighting
cases. During his study, Dr. Condon expressed concern
about
the possible
loss of these records and their relative inaccessibility at
Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base. He was assured by Secretary
Brown
that we would
look into the feasibility and desirability of relocating the
files
in the
Washington area and that no action would be taken until the
Colorado
report was released (Atch 13). If Project Blue Book is
terminated, the
records should be transferred to an appropriate archive and
preserved for
historical value and to prevent charges that the Air Force
is
concealing
facts.
9. To receive the candor and cooperation essential to
the
successful
investigation of UFOs, the Air Force adopted a practice of
confidentiality;
witnesses were assured that their names would not be used
without
their
permission (Atch 14). Therefore, access to these
records and
the
publications [illegible] access must be carefully reviewed
and
controlled. SAFOI feels that an Air Force controlled
archive
away from
the Washington, D.C. area is the most appropriate storage
facility.
Considering the existence of local, privately sponsored UFO
investigative
organizations, the ready availability of these records in
the
Washington
area would result in an inordinate workload in clearing
investigators,
providing documentation, and reviewing and clearing
manuscripts.
Therefore, the Air University was queried about the
possibility of
storing these documents at the Air Force Archives (Atch
15).
Air Force
Air University will accept these records providing:
a. SAFOI will answer all requests about
Blue
Book, and not require AU
research to answer such queries.
b. SAFOI will rigidly limit the right of
access
to recognized,
legitimate researchers, and
c. SAFOI will screen researcher's notes
to
insure that
"confidentiality" is maintained (Atch 16).
10. Project Blue Book should be terminated, and Blue
Book
records should
be transferred to the USAF Archives at Air University.
The
attached
memorandum would initiate these actions.
RECOMMENDATION
11. That the memorandum be signed.
3 /s/ C.H. Bolender
C. H. BOLENDER, Brig Gen, USAF
16
Atch
Deputy Director of
Development
(Listed on Separate Page)
DCS/Research & Development
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