WHO WERE THE IMPERSONATORS?

 In 1967 there were stories of strange government looking individuals showing up, flashing credentials or wearing uniforms, interrogating eyewitnesses, claiming photographs and negatives, and generally adding a menacing aspect to reported episodes of reported sighting event.

Jenny Randles in her work THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MEN IN BLACK ( St. Martins, 1997) relates how the matter came to the attention of officials after letters requesting return of photos by witnesses left authorities with questions. They had no files, no photos, and digging into several stories learned that some impersonations had, apparently, been going on. Her book reproduced the memo:

                               DEPTARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
                                OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF
                                  UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
                                      WASHINGTON, D.C.
                                        1 March 1967
                             
REPLY TO   AFCCS
ATTN OF

SUBJECT    Impersonations of Air Force Officers

     To         

           Information,  not verifiable,  has reached Hq USAF that persons claiming to 
           represent  the  Air Force  or other Defense  establishments  have contacted 
           citizens who  have  sighted  unidentified flying objects.   In one reported 
           case an individual in civilian clothes, who represented himself as a member 
           of NORAD,  demanded and received photos belonging to a private citizen.  In 
           another, a person in an Air Force uniform approached local police and other 
           citizens who had sighted a UFO, assembled them in a school room and told them 
           that they did  not see what they  thought they saw and that they should  not 
           talk to anyone about the sighting.  All military and civilian personnel  and 
           particularly Information Officers and UFO Investigating Officers who hear of 
           such reports should immediately notify their local OSI offices.


           HEWITT T. WHELESS, Lt. General, USAF
           Assistant Vice Chief of Staff

The NORAD case was Rex Hefflin of Orange Co., California who had captured Polaroid images of an object while during his work as a highway repair surveyor in 1965.  He  claimed a visit from a strange man who said he was from NORAD (North American Air Defense). Later, he stated men who claimed to be Air Force Intelligence also visited him. 

This added, to rumors widely afoot, of strange men in dark or black suits warning, intimidating, or just showing up acting a little strange, gave the whole concept of "Men in Black" credence for many.

The first instance of strange men in suits showing up was in the narrative of the Maury Island Hoax in July 1947. In that era, the presence of "men in suits" was most often members of the FBI, who would interview people for government jobs and talk to their families and known associates for classified jobs. The military often, through its Intelligence network engaged the FBI for background work, reports can be found where this was the case, and the FBI was asked to provide some investigations into the motives of some early "flying disc" reports. This was done by Brid. General George F. Schulgen in a meeting with the FBI July 7, 1947.

So, there is a detailed report by the FBI into the Maury Island incident, the two main hoaxers, and events surrounding in that clearly states their actions in creating a hoax, perpetuating it and attempting to make money from the same. They apparently were in collusion with a local reporter and a newspaper. They used the crash of an Air Force plane, the death of two military personnel to try and add legitimacy and interest in the story they were trying to sell to publisher Ray Palmer. An action that resulted in souring the subject of flying discs even more for many military. 

However, the FBI was just one potential government group. There was also the CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP, until it was replaced in late 1947 with the CIA. There were several alphabet intelligence agencies operating in a manner similar to the NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY and a couple coming out of the Department of Defense. All falling within the realm of covert, government, and classified agencies. 

There were also, unfortunately, the potential that some of these may have been people from the fringe area of the UFO field itself. The same level of individuals who hoax haunting to prove the validity of the paranormal. A twisted, convoluted reasoning that might have been seeking to protect the "space brothers" in some contactee cult or who were acting out some fantasy of aiding the colonizing aliens. 

They, also, could have been merely a lie used by witnesses to ramp up the interest in their story and garner some publicity.

So, a word of advice, if you take those really great photos or that awesome video, do share copies of it with something like MUFON, do share a copy with local media, do post it online. Do not give away the original without a receipt.

Always check and verify credentials presented and have witnesses around for any discussions.