Dr. Menzel's UFO Report (1963)

 The document is labeled "UFO SIGHTING BY DHM, September 8, 1963:

"From a jet plane flying at an altitude of about 30,000 feet over eastern Kansas, September 8 1963, I saw a remarkable and realistic UFO, quite unlike any that I had previously noted. I was seated on the northern side of the plane The time was around noon, local time, and the sun was shining very brightly at that altitude. I suddenly became aware of a bright object, broken in two by a  horizontal dark line. It closely resembled the Saturn shaped saucers frequently reported. It seemed to be pacing our plane at a distance of several miles and at an appreciably lower altitude, I almost immediately recognized it for what it later proved to be though its physical appearance was certainly very different. It was indeed a jet plane, the silver body brilliantly illuminated. There was no trace of wings.

The double line was a reflection effect between the double windows and I was actually seeing two reflections, themselves very bright, separated by a region in between that seemed dark by comparison. It did give the effect of a single Saturn -shaped ship following along. While I was trying to conform this by detection of the plane itself, to my amazement a second similar apparition came flying by at an enormous speed in the opposite direction. It was, of course, a jet and the relative speeds of the plan were about a mle in three seconds. Another jet, of course.  The saucer shaped illusion continued for at least ten minutes. And then, with gradual changing illumination or something, the brightness of the reflection must have concentrated rather sharply toward our plane, diminished and I could then see the form of the plane itself.  You will recall these windows are truly double with a considerable air spacing between them. This gives rise to the multiple effect. I could not help but think of the Chesapeake Bay Case in this connection and again keep wondering if you could not build up a reflection from outside in some such fashion by repeated reflection between the double windows. I do not know, however, whether there are actual double windows in the DC4 and if the spacing of them would give rise to such reflections."

---1963 09 9733827 EasternKansas.

One of the astounding things in this narrative is that this is a man, it is suspected, who left his impression on many, many case files by the presence of acerbic, sometimes slightly sarcastic, and imperative commands concerning the quality of witness statements, data collection, what was not asked, etc. The impression was those heavy, black, and sternly made notes and comments is of a man with little tolerance or patience and who did not suffer fools gladly. His multiple "??!!!" are very different from the notes left by others identified by name or initials. This individual NEVER left any sign of who he was.

If that man was this man, Donald H. Menzel, he had been involved with the "project" for many years, mostly in the shadows.  Had he been reading his own report I would expect those heavy, impatient, "!!!" because there is no mention of the type of plane he was in at the time, no clear indication about where he was over "eastern Kansas", there is no indication of which direction the plane was flying. Both of those details would have a lot to say about the quality of his sighting, the quality of his suggested explanation, and that seriously limits the ability to verify what other planes were in the air at the time to support his claims. 

In 1963, Menzel published his second book on the topic of "flying saucers" - a term he used as both label and laugh line - with Lyle G. Boyd. The book, THE WORLD OF FLYING SAUCERS (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1963) can be found in gallery format and photocopies in more than a dozen Project Blue Book files. It, literally, appears to have been the "bible" for assigning solutions to cases and probably contributed greatly to the shifting of cases from the "Unknown" columns into the "probable". He was, however, very selective in stories he presented, how much he presented, and how he formed the narrative about the people, the events, and the explanations. 

According to his 1963 book preface several things stand out:

"At a conference with Air Force officials in Washington in April 1952, He [Menzel} presented his idea that planetary mirages, sundogs, reflections and other atmospheric, and optical phenomena probably accounted for a large percentage of the mysterious UFO's.  This suggestion met with strong skepticism from some of the conferees who at that time were sympathetic to the interplanetary hypothesis."  I wonder if this was one of the planning meetings with the AF, CIA about the "study" then being planned, i.e., The Batelle Institute study (the results would not be published until 1955).

WHEN THE CHILDREN SQUABBLE: Menzel As Gadfly

Scanning the manuscript by Hector Quintinella Jr. regarding his experiences with the life, and death, of Project Blue Book, one is struck by the animosity he expresses regarding J. Allen Hynek. True by the last few years of the program Hynek was chaffing a bit as his personal views had shifted somewhat from his previous hubris driven role as official debunker to a scientist more often to fully and scientifically exploring the mystery of the "UFO". 

Oddly, in that same swan song time of the project another name, usually seen only in the shadows or through massive copies of his gallery sheets or photocopied sections of his book, comes forward.  Dr. Donald H. Menzel, who many believe was one of the early consultants, from a distance, used by the Pentagon when the "flying discs" first showed up.

Stanton T. Friedman, in his book, TOP SECRET/MAJIC: Operation Majestic-12 and the United States Government's UFO Cover-up (NY: Marlowe, 1997).  Among the information Friedman had found, regardless of where one stands on the truth or hoax of the MJ-12 papers, were some fascinating tidbits of background missing from most official bios of Menzel. 

-According to Friedman, he had been an acquaintance of Vannover Bush since the mid-1930's Bush was the man who would head up what would become the Atomic Energy Commission. He was a firm believer in the use of compartmentalization for security issues.  The AEC grew out of the Manhattan Project and would eventually become the Department of Energy. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that as a young man getting his degree, earning his "spurs", and making a name for himself, he might have become associated with clandestine government work.

- According to Friedman, that is what he did, and his association was with agencies who were so secret their very existence was largely unknown for many years. 

It is interesting that General George F. Schulgen was in Massachusetts in 1930 within driving, rail, or walking distance of MIT, Harvard, and other offices and specialists. Menzel. himself, in the summer around that time was doing internship work at Harvard.  Schulengen was with Intelligence for the Air Force. What he was doing there is unknown, but he stayed at a very respected hotel; his career is all fairly mysterious until he pops up post the Roswell debris debacle and is enlisting the "help" of the FBI. Subsequent records indicate he was paving the way for the FBI to do the leg work while the Air Force followed a separate agenda regarding the "flying discs."

Indeed, one source does outline his involvement with Naval intelligence: "During the years before World War II, Menzel began teaching at Iowa, Ohio, and Harvard. During the war, Menzel was asked to join the Navy as Lieut. Commander, to head a division of intelligence, where he used his many-sided talents, including deciphering enemy codes. Until 1955, he improved radio-wave propagation with the Navy by tracking the Sun’s emissions and studying the effect of the aurora on radio propagation for the Department of Defense." (Source: Donald Howard Menzel and the UFOs - SciHi BlogSciHi Blog)

It is interesting to note that Menzel wrote a book on "UFO's" called "Flying Saucers" (Cambridge: HArvard Press, 1053) and it has been mostly or intentionally forgotten. He preferred that term, apparently, for its minimizing and demeaning aspects.  The Wikipedia article on him does not mention his later work with Boyd at all. Oddly, he mentions that the "official Air Force report recounts Arnold's story in some detail" (pg. 7) and presents the questions for a "Report Sheet for Saucer Observers" with instructions to send it to ATIC at Wright Field or to him and if he felt it contains significant information, he wouold forward it to the Air Force (pg. 297). Nowhere, however, in preface material, content, or notes does he list the Air Force as the source of help, information, or access. A startling oversight in a book written by an academic and published by an academic publishing house.

It appears that his book "The World of Flying Saucers: A Scientific Exploration of a Major Myth of the Space Age" , written with Lyle G. Boyd (1963, Doubleday) was a rehash with some updated examples of the explanations he provided in the earlier book. 

With all that in mind, it makes the appearance of more prominent and informal communication with PBB Head Quintinella in 1968 seem a bit - interesting. He seemed particularly upset by the times Hynek used - or allowed go be used - the term "Air Force Consultant." Quintinella seemed extremely disturbed by the fact he was a "Project Blue Book Consultant" NOT the Air Force. To the majority of the population they were one and the same, unless Quintinella knew something we do not.  

In the August 15 file for events at Xenia and Yellow Spring, Ohio ( a 72 pgs file) there are portions of two letters between Quintinella and Menzel. It was obvious that Quintinella was running cases by Menzel because they were commenting about Hynek's interpretation of the case. Menzel's tone is scathing and professionally insulting.

In the process, he clarifies his own presumptions and attitudes, concerning the value of eyewitnesses and their ability to see and report with any accuracy.  He dismissed Hynek's acceptance of witness statements. "I simply don't share Hyneks' faith in the reliability of human beings." (Nov. 8, 1968, letter written by Donald H. Menzel in PBB Archive file 1968 08 9676993, August 1968, Xenia and Yellow Springs, OHIO). In an October letter to Quintinella he recommended terminating Hynek's consultancy agreement (contract).

Just as exploring the back issues of the NICAP newsletter, "UFO Investigator" discloses a lot of targeted attacks against NICAP and the UFO field in general from the Pentagon Press Office of the Air Force, the presence of these 'shadow' influencers in the Project Blue Book files are hard to explain. There was apparently no secret project of a magnitude to warrant the attacks, the false presentation of report facts, and other tactics.

It was clear in the time right after the 'flying disc' in 1947 there was extreme competition between the three "children" of the U.S.: The Navy, the Air Force, and the Army.   It was clear that there was some competition between the FBI and the Air Force. Was there an equal amount of in-fighting in the clandestine ranks as well?

There is an almost ironic twist to things in one section where he explores how a Denver university class dealt with a "expert" (renowned hoaxer-conman Newton of Aztec NM fame). The instructor developed a set of criteria for judging authenticity and reliability of information. It is humorous because the first is apparently one he was not following later in life (as expressed by the letters in the file) and others were indicators of just the Air Force Project Blue Book failed as an investigative effort. 

"Criteria for judging authenticity and reliability of information:

1.  First-hand account.
2.  Free from all prejudice
3.  Information carries more weight from trained vis untrained observers
4.  Data should be available for double checking 
5.  Statements must be signed. Unsigned statements carry no implied responsibility for correctness." (pg. 149, Menzel. Flying Saucers. 1953)

1968: Dueling Giants

August 15 - Zenia to Yellow Springs, Oh . 4 witnesses observed the object(s) for 30 minutes.

Gold and white object, "piece of pie" shape with corners rounded off, flying tip up, plate or round, light bright enough to illuminate road and surround, It was observed directly overhead, later it moved to the east. 

The case contains comments from Dr. Donald H. Menzel pushed the moon explanation, as he pushed any and every explanation that was not one that accepted the concept of UFO's as craft from another world. He was stridently opposed to the extraterrestrial hypothesis. In later years, as if evident in these and other documents, this created a rift between Dr. J. Allen Hynek and Menzel. Hynek had a tendency to follow the science, even when the science suggested things that were a little hard to accept and recognized the need to continue to ask questions and challenge assumptions. Menzel, as he displays in his book The World of Flying Saucers, articles, and in the statements he makes in these documents, had a more narrow view that viewed science as more set in stone than open to ongoing revision as new data was found.

Menzel explained away the apparent erractic movement as "auto kinesis", dismisses as imagination witness descriptions of events, and discounts as standard practice the full statements of witnesses to make the theory fit his presumptions of the events. He chides Hynek for accepting that it was not the moon, as Menzel affirmed, simply because a witness said what they saw was not the moon "because the moon doesn't do that."  For Menzel, he did not even need to investigate because he did not believe in UFO's as craft of other worlds and thus could speak authoritatively that the witnesses had mistaken the moon for something more.

Menzel dismissed Hynek's acceptance of such witness statements : "I simply don't share Hynek's faith in the reliability of human beings." (Nob. 8, 1968, Menzel to PBB). Earlier in October he had advised PBB head Quintinella to terminate Hynek's consulting agreement. With the same tenacity that he pressed for "ball lightening" as the explanation for events in one Texas series of sightings, he was no doubt behind later explanation for the October Minot AFB events were the still ill-defined and much questioned "plasma" rationale had replaced the ball lightening of an earlier day.  The fact that plasma had been pushed by another individual of questionable intent, Phillip Klass is worth noting. Both men shared an unprecedented, and often unidentified, connection to the back room workings of Project Blue Book. Both, most probably (to use PBB terms), were working to serve the hidden agenda of the project and provide debunking as needed. The arrival of both Klass and the appearance of Menzel in the pages of the project both occur at roughly the same time that Hynek is becoming more vocal about the possibilities behind the whole UFO subject and the continued need to address with unbiased scientific inquiry the totality of the subject. The timing is very interesting.