"The Flying Saucers Are Real" (1950) By Major Donald Keyhoe - A Personal Analysis.

This book has been mentioned quite a lot on these boards but I don't think anyone has really expressed why it's so good. This book is so important to the whole UFO subject, even more so today.

Absolutely fascinating read and if you haven't read this book, then read it: exopoliticshongkong.com...

In summary:

This book is the first in-depth, authoritative look at the flying saucer phenomenon and is considered to this day to be one of the best books on the subject ever written. Extremely well researched work with facts that were documented, containing none of the disinformation and hype that has crept into the field over time. The author was a retired Marine Corps Major who became an aviation writer, and was therefore perfect for the job of researching and writing this book. Using his own knowledge and information from friends in the military, Keyhoe came to the conclusion that UFOs originate from outer space and the U.S. military was engaged in a cover-up. He includes a number of documented cases whereby thousands of people witnessed strange objects in the sky all at the same time, in various parts of the country. Eyewitnesses are interviewed and much is done to show how and why the veil of government secrecy was enforced.

As soon as I started reading this, it kind of wrenched me in:

On February 22, 1950, the Air Force again denied the existence of flying saucers. On this same date, two saucers reported above Key West Naval Air Station were tracked by radar; they were described as maneuvering at high speed fifty miles above the earth. The Air Force refused to comment. On March 9, 1950, a large metallic disk was pursued by F-51 and jet fighters and observed by scores of Air Force officers at Wright Field, Ohio. On March 18, an Air Force spokesman again denied that saucers exist and specifically stated that they were not American guided missiles or space-exploration devices. I have carefully examined all Air Force saucer reports made in the last three years. For the past year, I have taken part in a special investigation of the flying-saucer riddle. I believe that the Air Force statements, contradictory as they appear, are part of an intricate program to prepare America--and the world--for the secret of the disks.

I have changed my views on various things within the UFO subject a few times, as anyone in the field should know, this subject is vast and mysterious with many obstacles (some deliberately planted) in the way. I used to think the Airforce were always liars but I tend to believe that they tried to do the "right" thing about this subject from the start... it just kind of went astray.

April 27th, 1949, USAF:

"The mere existence of some yet unidentified flying objects necessitates a constant vigilance on the part of Project 'Saucer' personnel, and on the part of the civilian population. "Answers have been--and will be--drawn from such factors as guided missile research activity, balloons, astronomical phenomena. . . . But there are still question marks. "Possibilities that the saucers are foreign aircraft have also been considered. . . . But observations based on nuclear power plant research in this country label as 'highly improbable' the existence on Earth of engines small enough to have Powered the saucers. "Intelligent life on Mars . . . is not impossible but is completely unproven. The possibility of intelligent life on the Planet Venus is not considered completely unreasonable by astronomers. "The saucers are not jokes. Neither are they cause for alarm."[

December of 1949 would then begin 63 years of denial, contradictions and misinformation, nothing has changed much since. This book pushes some of the best cases from 47-50 and to be honest, how anyone can deny the existence of interplanetary craft after reading these cases is beyond me. Keyhoe was sceptical when writing this book as Hynekk after him during Project Bluebook, both of these guys seem pretty smart to me and at the very least, you have to ask yourself, why go from sceptic to believer?

Simple answer is all the reports that have been recieved, then and now, thousands and thousands of witnesses reporting the same objects with the same performance. Such cases as the Mantell and the Gorman incidents are fascinating, as is the Eastern Airlines incident:

It was 8:30 P.M., July 23, 1948, when an Eastern Airlines DC-3 took off from Houston, Texas, on a flight to Atlanta and Boston. The airliner captain was Clarence S. Chiles. During the war, he had been in the Air Transport Command, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He had 8,500 flying hours. His first officer was John B. Whitted, a wartime pilot on B-29's. Both men were known in Eastern as careful, conservative pilots. It was a bright, moonlit night, with scattered clouds overhead. The DC-3 was twenty miles west of Montgomery, at 2:45 A.M., when a brilliant projectile-like craft came hurtling along the airway.

Description:

"The thing was about one hundred feet long, cigar-shaped, and wingless," he described it. "It was about twice the diameter of a B-twenty-nine, with no protruding fins."

These UFOs have been around for a while and there are hundreds of reports of these craft from before the above incident, even from before the turn of the century!

The Mantell case also says a lot about the Airforce mentality on the subject:

FOR MORE than two weeks, I checked on the Godman Field tragedy. One fact stood out at the start: The death of Mantell had had a profound effect on many in the Air Force. A dozen times I was told: "I thought the saucers were a joke-until Mantell was killed chasing that thing at Fort Knox." Many ranking officers who had laughed at the saucer scare stopped scoffing. One of these was General Sory Smith, now Deputy Director of Air Force Public Relations. Later in my investigation, General Smith told me: "It was the Mantell case that got me. I knew Tommy Mantell. very well--also Colonel Hix, the C.O. at Godman. I knew they were both intelligent men--not the kind to be imagining things." For fifteen months, the Air Force kept a tight-lipped silence. Meantime, rumors began to spread. One report said that Mantell had been shot, his body riddled with bullets; his P-51, also riddled, had simply disintegrated. Another rumor reported Mantell as having been killed by some mysterious force; this same force had also destroyed his fighter. The Air Force, the rumors said, had covered up the truth by telling Mantell's family he had blacked out from lack of oxygen.

Although we all have our opinions on the state of things now, I personally believe the USAF defintely have some form of UFO investigation team and have had for over 50 years. We can probably assume that they know a way lot more than what joe public does, how much more is open to debate. Going on the reports and alleged pictures they have, it's certainly substantial.

Being sceptical in this field is a good thing but seriously, you already know the answer as to what some UFO sightings truly are.

Major Keyhoe, is a personal hero of mine from my very beginnings with this mystery.
Anyone who has seen the Major as he struggles to warn the populace on national television the night they cut him off the air in mid sentence......
The courage of that dramatic moment has never left my imagination rest on the question of the saucers, and where they come from,what they mean to humankind.
This book is the very basis of my library of UFO phenomena, and is one of the must read primers if one intends to understand the roots of the separation that took place between the people and the new shadow goverment,
Which formed after the proof of the alien presence became undeniable to those in command.
Maj.Keyhoe, was the founding father of NICAP, and was indefatiguable till ousted by CIA coup of the whole organisation later on.....
I will always be grateful to this man for the illustration of an honest man who kept his oath, to the people of the country for which he served in war and in peace..........
S&F!

Yes a great read, as are all his books.

I believe they all are available for free at NICAP online.

Like Fox Moulder, I too want to believe. However, that being said, the story about how this was all made up during the cold war to make the Russians think we were reverse engineering off world craft sounds like the most believable. I can offer no proof one way of the other. One bit of evidence seems compelling then someone comes up with a rational believable explaination and its off to the next bit of evidence. Nothing ever seems to add up to a smoking gun to mix a few cliches. I just cant seem to get off of this fence no matter how much I peer down on either side of it. Help, this picket is getting very uncomfortable.
ET if you're out there, please phone home. Thats (757) i81-u812.

reply to post by stirling


Do you know if there is vid of that? I would like to see it if its available.

Interesting to ad:
Mike Wallace Interviews Major Donald Keyhoe.
Recorded: 3/8/1958



Mike Wallace has a very tough time, Keyhoe looks convinced and sincere.

reply to post by Zcustosmorum

I agree, he was a pioneer and is important to the history of the field, but:
Major Keyhoe was a pulp fiction writer and he injected a lot of melodrama into his coverage of the cases. He invented dialogue in order to dramatically portray the cases he discussed, and he took some artistic license in which facts he chose to present. Saucers were selling, and he sold saucers.

One of the first books I ever read on this. My Sister left a box of magazines and books on this in a closet when I was a kid. I read this around 1960 I think.

Definitely worth a read again. Thanks for the link. I no longer remember if it was one of the good accounts or not.

Originally posted by CardDown
reply to post by Zcustosmorum

 

I agree, he was a pioneer and is important to the history of the field, but:

Major Keyhoe was a pulp fiction writer and he injected a lot of melodrama into his coverage of the cases.

Specific examples please.

He invented dialogue in order to dramatically portray the cases he discussed,

Specific examples please.

and he took some artistic license in which facts he chose to present.

Specific examples please.

Saucers were selling, and he sold saucers.

oooOOO! How very damning!

Originally posted by karen61057
...Like Fox Moulder, I too want to believe. However, that being said, the story about how this was all made up during the cold war to make the Russians think we were reverse engineering off world craft sounds like the most believable.

I think if you research the facts of history you will discover it does not sound like the most believable.

It comes in 2nd to the nazi ufo as the most UNbelievable.

reply to post by A51Watcher

Check out the comments on Major Keyhoe in
Report on Unidentified Flying Objects
Free e-book from Amazon.

reply to post by CardDown


Ok, I read the page.

I see NO specific examples of the claims you make.



Please don't point me to any more web pages.

Provide the specific examples yourself.


Thanks

reply to post by A51Watcher


Another free version of the book The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt. I've pulled some quotes that I feel support the opinions I gave.

He took each sighting, detailed the "facts," ripped the official Air Force conclusions to shreds, and presented his own analysis. He threw in a varied assortment of technical facts that gave the article a distinct, authoritative flavor.
...
Keyhoe had based his conjecture on fact, and his facts were correct, even if the conjecture wasn't.
...
Donald Keyhoe reports on the press conference and the events leading up to it in detail in his book, Flying Saucers from Outer Space. He indicates that before the conference started, General Samford sat behind his big walnut desk in Room 3A138 in the Pentagon and battled with his conscience. Should he tell the public "the real truth"—that our skies are loaded with spaceships? No, the public might panic. The only answer would be to debunk the UFO's.

This bit of reporting makes Major Keyhoe the greatest journalist in history. This beats wire tapping. He reads minds. And not only that, he can read them right through the walls of the Pentagon.
...
That the interest is still with us is attested to by the fact that in late 1953 Donald Keyhoe's book about UFO's, Flying Saucers from Outer Space, immediately appeared on best seller lists. The book was based on a few of our good UFO reports that were released to the press. To say that the book is factual depends entirely upon how one uses the word. The details of the specific UFO sightings that he credits to the Air Force are factual, but in his interpretations of the incidents he blasts way out into the wild blue yonder.
...

But not all of his comments are negative:

NICAP Director Don Keyhoe has taken a beating, being accused of profiteering, trying to make headlines, and other minor social crimes. But personally I doubt this. Keyhoe is simply convinced that UFO's are from outer space and he's a dedicated man.

Originally posted by CardDown
reply to post by A51Watcher

 

Another free version of the book The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt. I've pulled some quotes that I feel support the opinions I gave.


He took each sighting, detailed the "facts," ripped the official Air Force conclusions to shreds, and presented his own analysis. He threw in a varied assortment of technical facts that gave the article a distinct, authoritative flavor.

Oh no! That's a serious charge! We certainly don't want any books that sound authoritative!

And he ripped the Air Force conclusions to shreds?? Oh NO!! You mean kinda like the weather balloon explanation? What a horrible thing to do!


...

Keyhoe had based his conjecture on fact, and his facts were correct, even if the conjecture wasn't.

Oh, and I suppose you can provide proof the conjecture wasn't? Please do.

...

I'll guess this is the one that constitutes the -

Major Keyhoe was a pulp fiction writer and he injected a lot of melodrama into his coverage of the cases

He invented dialogue in order to dramatically portray the cases he discussed.

accusation -

Donald Keyhoe reports on the press conference and the events leading up to it in detail in his book, Flying Saucers from Outer Space. He indicates that before the conference started, General Samford sat behind his big walnut desk in Room 3A138 in the Pentagon and battled with his conscience. Should he tell the public "the real truth"—that our skies are loaded with spaceships? No, the public might panic. The only answer would be to debunk the UFO's.

This bit of reporting makes Major Keyhoe the greatest journalist in history. This beats wire tapping. He reads minds. And not only that, he can read them right through the walls of the Pentagon.

I'm sure that no reader ever realized that whilst reading it. What an underhanded sneaky thing to do. That certainly invalidates everything he ever published.

In looking at the nervous General, how would you choose to point out his only available options.

Obviously no reader would conclude he was using ESP to explore the options, but instead common sense.

Have you done much reading? That method of exploring availible options is a rather common vehicle.

...

That the interest is still with us is attested to by the fact that in late 1953 Donald Keyhoe's book about UFO's, Flying Saucers from Outer Space, immediately appeared on best seller lists.

Oh no! Interest in UFO's! How very dispicable!

The book was based on a few of our good UFO reports that were released to the press.

Uh oh! This sound bad!

To say that the book is factual depends entirely upon how one uses the word. The details of the specific UFO sightings that he credits to the Air Force are factual, but in his interpretations of the incidents he blasts way out into the wild blue yonder.

Oh no! His interpretations were way off the mark? I'm sure your interpretations will set us all straight!
...

And as to your earlier accusation -

Saucers were selling, and he sold saucers.

Books were the only media available to him to present his material.

He had no resources to make TV shows or Movies.

...


I have -still- not seen any specific evidence from you OR Ruppelt to support your slanderous charges.


All I HAVE seen is a lame attempt to stain the reputation of a United States Marine.

A lot of time debunkers are right. I actually consider myself a debunker.

But the thing is... not everybody is daft or lying. Some witnesses and government people are top of the line and honest. The only thing they don't have is conclusive proof. And that's why we have the UFO topic.

My confidence would only go down a bit if I hadn't met a navy man that told me they were real. That's because I've met other people. And this is just me. I'm one person in hundreds of millions in this country.

Tell this police officer that he saw swamp gas or a star or a blimp:

There's an older unsolved mysteries episode about that encounter.

What about this guy:
He served in WW2. Is he just a crazy loon?

These aren't all fake people. They might be wrong, but they're not deliberate liars.

None of his proves anything. Ufology never has. But it suggests something.

My own feeling is that if these're aliens then the reason we don't know it's because of the same kinds of things that kept the church in power during the middle ages. We're in a sort of denial. The aliens or whatever they're might in fact be helping us but can't tell us because if they did we would reject their help just like a animal that panics when humans try to help it. They're not god and cannot solve all our problems. All of this assumes that they're real and that they're here. Maybe they're not here anymore or maybe they were never here. Something was here, I believe that. I'm not sure what it was or is.

reply to post by Regenstorm


This is a great three video selection of Major Keyhoe.

Striking is the inclusion of the reply of Major Keyhoe at :
3:49 to 4:30 but the beginning part of that section were he states that ufo's are more in abundance when mars is closest to earth !

Then I refer back to Gary Wilcox's testimony when he stated that two martians visited him on his 300 acre farm in Newcastle New York and told him they come around about every two years. Interesting because every two years is when mars is closest to earth. (April 24th, 1964)

Then on the same day April 24th 1964 during that evening Lonnie Zamora (respected police man) see's two men in what appears to be the same type of white colored uniforms, same shaped oval craft.

Mixed that with the TONs of images that appear to be not natural from Nasa and Esa.

Mix that with the famous tube on top of tube with a rib stretching to the tub below it, (CLEARLY) showing that it is NOT natural.

Mix that with Ernest Norman's amazing telepathic communication with a leader from mars underground civilization. (if true)

What do you get, even more evidence that there is really and truly a civilization that indeed does as I type this live underground.

Methane detected underground on mars surface, another clue of mass life underground.

Originally posted by CardDown

He took each sighting, detailed the "facts," ripped the official Air Force conclusions to shreds...

CardDown, if a person actualy examines many of the official USAF conclusions about specific UFO cases then some of them do deserve ripping to shreds - there are some examples here but I suspect there are many others out there.


As for Major Keyhoe,there's an interesting letter of commendation below from Pentagon/USAF spokesperson Albert Chop in which he describes him as 'a responsible and accurate reporter' and 'a leading civilian authority' on the UFO subject -some of the government documents and scientific papers in his archived material is also worth a look if you're interested in that sort of thing.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3035d6921500.jpg[/atsimg]

Major Donald Keyhoe's UFO Archives

Cheers.

reply to post by A51Watcher


Thank you, my sentiments exactly, and saved me a bit of research too......
I was getting geared up to start in on that.......

reply to post by stirling





I might add he had good reason to be authoritative.

First off he had lived through the 1947 "saucer scare period" as he later dubbed it. He was referring to the massive wave of saucer sightings all across the nation starting in May and winding down in September.

(Obviously Roswell was not an isolated saucer incident.)

Secondly he had good cause to have important material to present the public. Although he was retired while writing his books, he still had many active duty friends in the Pentagon and elsewhere, as well as pilots and many others.

Also many friends who were also now retired, most of his contacts and friendships being made during the war years.

...


I suggest all members unfamiliar with his great contributions give them a read and decide for yourselves.

reply to post by karl 12


Oh there goes that Karl bothering us with the facts again.


Cheers mate!