Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO: A. H. Belmont
FROM: W. A. Branigan
DATE: June 10, 1952
SUBJECT: WILLIAM ALBERT RHODES
MISCELLANEOUS - INFORMATION CONCERNING
FLYING DISCS
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PURPOSE
To recommend that Bureau Liaison contact OSI to determine whether photographs allegedly taken by the captioned individual of a flying disc in 1947 were furnished by OSI to the office of Drew Pearson.
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BACKGROUND
Bureau files reflect that on August 29, 1947, a Mr. George Fugate, Jr., called at the Phoenix Office exhibiting credentials reflecting he represented A-2, Fourth Air Force, Hamilton Field, California. He asked an Agent to accompany him to interview William Rhodes who previously reported the photographing of a flying disc in Phoenix on the afternoon of July 7, 1947.
The Phoenix Office contacted SAC Harry Kimball of the San Francisco Office and Mr. Kimball verified the fact that Fugate came to Phoenix as a representative of Colonel Donald Springer of Hamilton Field, and it was suggested the Phoenix Office assist Fugate not in investigating the matter, but in simply talking with Dr. Rhodes.
By letter dated September 4, 1947, the Phoenix Office set forth in four pages the results of this interview and stated Fugate had requested the negatives from Rhodes who did not have them in his immediate possession. Rhodes stated, however, he would deliver them to the FBI the following morning for transmittal to Fugate at Hamilton Field, California.
On the morning of August 30, 1947, Rhodes delivered the negatives to the Phoenix Office at which time they were accepted with the understanding they were being given to Mr. Fugate, a representative of the Army Air Force Intelligence, United States Army, and that there was little, if any, chance of his getting the negatives back. Mr. Rhodes turned the negatives over to the FBI with the full understanding they were being given to the Air Force and he would not get them back.
(62-83894-80, page 4)
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Handwritten annotations and markings:
- Left margin: "see 1/2"
- Right margin: List of names (Tolson, Ladd, Clegg, Olavin, Nichols, Rosen, Tracy, Harbo, Belmont, Mohr, Tele. Room, Reese, Candy)
- Right side: Checkmark and signature-like scribbles
- Bottom left: "61 JUN 21 1952", "EHM:elw", "memo from Mr. Keay 6/17/52", "RECORDED - 78", "INDEXED - 78", "62-83894-80", "JUN 18 1952", "5", "5-8", "EHM"
- Bottom right: "999" in red ink
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