M." A. Jones to DeLoach •Re: LARRY W. BRYANT
By letter dated 9/17/63, Bryant advised he had been interviewed on that
date by SA Castles (Senior Resident Agent, Newport News, Virginia, assigned Norfolk
Office, EOD 2/2/48, GS-13) regarding Bryant's interest in reports of sightings of UFO.
According to Bryant, Castles stated he was contacting him in connection with his
inquiries and that he intended to prepare "a memorandum for the files." Bryant
requested a copy of SA Castles memorandum. Prior to responding to Bryant, the
Norfolk Office advised as follows: Bryant has directed a voluminous amount of corre
spondence to military officials in the area and as Bryant was employed by the Department
of the Army, Fort Eustis, Virginia, the G-2 Section of the Second Army, Fort Meade,
Maryland, was conducting a background check of Bryant. The Norfolk Office
was in receipt of several letters directed to other government agencies which were
subsequently forwarded to the Norfolk Office. This included a letter to the Commanding
Officer, Headquarters, Aircraft Fleet, Atlantic U. S. Naval Base, Norfolk, Virginia,
6/15/60; Commanding Officer, Cape Charles Air Force Station, Cape Charles, Virginia,
8/7/ 58; Commander, U. s. Naval Base, Norfolk, Virginia, 8/8/ 63; Sheriff's Office,
Sussex County, postmarked Fort Eustis, Virginia, 7/23/63.
Bryant was interviewed on 9A7/ 63 by SA Castles in order to obtain back
ground information concerning him in order to reply to the correspondence from the
Sussex County Sheriff's Office and the U. S. Naval Base, Norfolk, Virginia, mentioned
above. At the conclusion of the interview, Bryant wanted to know what would be done
about the information he furnished SA Castles at which time he was told that the infor
mation he furnished would be made a matter of record in FBI files.
Bryant was subsequently advised by in-absence letter of 9/27/63 that the
confidential nature of our files would preclude complying with his request (the copy of SA
Castles' memorandum concerning his interview with Bryant.)
It appears that the reference to the FBI on page 6 of Bryant's manuscript
is not completely true. However, it has the effect of leavililg the wrong impression; the
FBI was not investigating 1EryaIJ.t but was merely interviewing him in order to respond
to inquiries directed to us from other agencies. SA Castles did not interview Bryant
merely for the purpose of writing "a memorandum for the files" but that his interview
of Bryant would be made a matter of record in FBI files. Also, the phraseology used
by Bryant regarding SA Castles' reference to the confidential nature of FBI files could
be misleading. These points should.be brought to the attention of the Department of
Defense.
RECOMMENDATION:
That Bryant's manuscript on UFO be returned to the Department of Defense·
by our liaison representative with that agency at which time that agency can be informed
that the FBI does not agree with Bryant's portrayal of his interview by the FBI or his
misrepresentation of the Bureau's role in investigating of UFO. However, the Depart
ment of Defense should not attribute these comments to the FBI and we are deferring\ to their judgments as to authorizing publication of the article. (.#.> .. '- "' •(':)~' l_ -
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