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TOP SECRET / MAJIC 001 EYES ONLY 
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION 
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EYES ONLY


COPY _ONE_ OF _ONE_. 


BRIEFING DOCUMENT: OPERATION MAJESTIC 12PREPARED 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-12) 

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. 

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 Mensal 
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 a permanent replacement. 

On 24 June, 1947, a civilian 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 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. 

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 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. B Ronk. 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. 

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".) 


THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON 
Sep

tember 24, 1947MEMORANDUM 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 CentralIntelligence. 

/s/Harry Truman 


July 14, 1954 

_TOP SECRET RESTRICTED_SECURITY INFORMATION_MEMORANDUM FOR GENERAL TWINING SUBJECT: NSC/MJ-12 Special Studies Project 

The President has decided that the MJ-12 SSP briefing should take place _during_ the already scheduled White House meeting of July 16, rather than following it as previously intended. More precise arrangements will be explained to you upon arrival. Please alter your plans accordingly. Your concurrence in the above change of arrangements is assumed. 

ROBERT CUTLER 

Special Assistant to the President 


Declassified COPY Authority: NND 857013 from by 912/TH Date 1/12/87THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Record Group No. RG341 Records of the Headquarters, United States Air Force


THE PRESIDENT'S APPOINTMENTS
FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1954.

8.50 - The President will receive the Governor of the Farm Credit Administration and the Members of the Federal Farm Credit Board
9.00 - Cabinet Meeting

11.00 - The President will sign S. 3291, An Act "Authorizing the President to present a gold medal to Irving Berlin"

12.15 - The President will receive a group of Congressmen, who wish to pay their res- pects and pledge their continuing support of the President's program.

1.00 - (LUNCH)


NATIONAL ARCHIVES Washington, DC 20408

Date: July 22, 1987
Reply to
attn of: Military Reference Branch


Subject: Reference Report on MJ-12

To: The Record

The National Archives has received many requests for documentation and information about "Project MJ-12". Many of the inquiries concern a memorandum from Robert Cutler to General Nathan Twining, dated July 14, 1954. This particular document poses problems for the following reasons:

1. The document was located in Record Group 341, entry 267. The series is filed by a Top Secret register number. This document does not bear such a number. 

2. The document is in the folder T4-1846. There are no other documents in the folder regarding "NSC/MJ-12". 

3. The Military Reference Branch (Edward Reese) has conducted a search in the records of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Headquarters US Air Force, and in other related files. No further information has been found on this subject. 

4. Inquiries to the US Air Force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Council failed to produce further information. 

5. The Acting Director of the Freedom of Information Office of the National Security Council informed us that "Top Secret Restricted Information" is a marking which did not come into use at the National Security Council until the Nixon Administration. The Eisenhower Presidential Library also confirms that this particular marking was not used during the Eisenhower Administration. 

6. The document in question does not bear an official government letterhead or watermark. The NARA conservation specialist (Mary Ritzenthaler) examined the paper and determined it was a ribbon copy prepared on "dictation onionskin". The Eisenhower Library has examined its collection of the Cutler papers. All documents created by Mr. Cutler while he served on the NSC staff have an eagle watermark in the onionskin carbon paper. Most documents sent out by the NSC were prepared on White House letterhead paper. For the brief period when Mr. Cutler left the NSC, his carbon copies were prepared on "prestige onionskin".

7. The Judicial, Fiscal, and Social Branch searched the Official Meeting Minute Files of the National Security Council and found no record of a NSC meeting on July 16, 1954. A search of all NSC Meeting Minutes fro July 1954 found no mention of MJ- 12 nor Majestic. 

8. The Judicial, Fiscal and Social Branch (Mary Ronan) searched the indices [sic] of the NSC records and found no listing for: MJ-12, Majestic, unidentified flying objects, UFO, flying saucers, or flying discs. 

9. The Judicial, Fiscal, and Social Branch (Mary Ronan) found a memo in a folder titled "Special Meeting July 16, 1954" which indicated that NSC members would be called to a civil defense exercise on July 16, 1954. 

10. The Eisenhower Library states, in a letter to NNMR, dated July 16, 1987: 
"President Eisenhower's Appointment Books contain no entry for a special meeting on July 16, 1954 which might have included a briefing on MJ-12. Even when the President had `off the record' meetings, the Appointment Books contain entries indicating the time of the meeting and the participants.... The Declassification Office of the National Security Council has informed us that it has no record of any declassification action having been taken on this memorandum or any other documents on this alleged project.... Robert Cutler, at the direction of President Eisenhower, was visiting overseas military installations on the day he supposedly issued this memorandum -- July 14, 1954. The Administration Series in Eisenhower's Papers as President contains Cutler's memorandum and report to the President upon his return from the trip. The memorandum is dated July 20, 1954 and refers to Cutler's visits to installations in Europe and North Africa between July 3 and 15. Also, within the NSC Staff Papers is a memorandum dated July 3, 1954, from Cutler to his two subordinates, James S. Lay and J. Patrick Coyne, explaining how they should handle NSC administrative matters during his absence; one would assume that if the memorandum, to Twining were genuine, Lay or Coyne would have signed it." 


JO ANNE WILLIAMSON
Chief, Military Reference Branch
Military Archives Division