The New Project Bluebook

Cosmic Conspiracies were recently surfing the internet looking for new articles for this site when we came across some very interesting documents that were posted on the FBI Website (www.fbi.gov). We were all led to believe that Project Bluebook fronted by Dr. J. Allen Hynek was terminated on 17th December, 1969. However, as these documents reveal, it appears that it was re-opened in 1989.

Sypnosis
FBI File 62-83894 (1), released under the Freedom of Information Act, contains copies of high level correspondence about the role of various US federal agencies regarding the investigation of UFOs.   The file, from 1989, highlights the concerns of a seemingly well-placed individual from Arkansas, who alleges a high-level cover-up, and issues the Director of the F.B.I., William S. Sessions, a ‘challenge’ to personally investigate the allegation.  That the letter receives a reply from the Director himself indicates the esteem with which the correspondent is held.  The correspondent alleges that Project Blue Book was on-going at the time of writing, albeit unofficially, under the name ‘The New Project Blue Book’.  Copies of all the relevant pages of the file are reproduced here for further scrutiny by interested parties.





The FBI Director's Response





Mister X
Throughout the F.B.I. file, references to the identity of the correspondent alleging the cover-up have been censored with the familiar black marker. We know that this individual is male, as he is referred to as a third party in an anonymous note in the file.  Therefore, we will refer to him as Mr. X.  This note seems to outline an internal F.B.I. investigation into the matter, and provides a good summary of the correspondence between the two men:

“BLANK…who is not identifiable in Bufiles, writes to the Director referencing what appears to be a brief phone conversation he had with the Director while the Director was visiting his father in Fort Smith.  He says he wants to discuss UFOs and the role of U.S. Governments participation in particular, and he indicates the Director stated he was interested and suggested he write to him…BLANK…

He asks the Director if he would make inquiries at the highest levels of Government about what they really know about UFOs, whether or not there are alien bodies located anywhere, what happened to the crashed “flying saucers,” where are the photos taken by Air Force personnel through on-board gun cameras and similar questioning.
Above response reviewed by SSA…BLANK…Violent Crimes Unit, CID.  Substance of paragraphs 2 and 3 response previously provided to other inquiries on the investigation of UFOs.”

We can be sure Mr. X is from Arkansas, as this is the location of Fort Smith.  Also, the Director’s response is copied to “1 - Little Rock - Enclosure”: Little Rock being the state capital of Arkansas.  Furthermore, Mr X says of the Director’s visit; “I hope you had a nice visit with your Dad, and come back for a visit again, soon”, implying Mr X’s close proximity to Fort Smith.  The fact that Mr X was able to contact the Director whilst the latter was visiting his Dad implies privileged access, presumably through high social or political standing.  Alternatively, Mr X was a good friend of the Director’s Dad, but this is not alluded to in the correspondence.

During the phone conversation, the Director allegedly expresses an interest in pursuing the matter on Mr. X’s behalf, leading to the ensuing correspondence.  However, the Director’s written reply contains an official denial of FBI involvement in the studies of UFOs (a statement that has been shown to be false by researchers (2,3), and discloses the official stance of the US Government and its agencies.  This exchange of correspondence was then reviewed by several bodies, including, of all things, the Violent Crimes Unit.  The emphasis of this review appears to be on the Director’s response, noting that it falls in line with responses to previous, similar inquiries.

The Challenge
We have ascertained that Mr. X is a well-placed man from Arkansas, who was able to access the Director of the F.B.I. whilst ‘off-duty’.  Mr. X claimed to be involved in a continuing investigation of UFOs known as ‘The New Project Blue Book’, whose letterhead is apparent on his correspondence.  Of this organization he claims 148 members, comprising of personnel previously or currently employed by Air Force, NASA, and intelligence-gathering agencies, many of whom were involved in the original Project Blue Book.  He claims that their original investigation was denied access to many good UFO reports, which were forwarded instead to intelligence-gathering agencies.  He claims to have been personally contacted by the Pentagon with regard to President Carter’s declared interest in the UFO issue.

He then challenges the Director to ignore the official Government line regarding the investigation of UFOs, and dig deeper to expose the cover-up in the corridors of power, perhaps even asking then-President Bush himself.  The response he receives from the Director contains the official denials that he discusses in his initial letter, and his second letter cordially spells out his disappointment with this rehashed information.  He re-iterates his belief that the reports of the ‘real, hard “unknowns”’ were unavailable for scrutiny by the official Project Blue Book, instead remaining securely in the hands of the intelligence-gathering agencies.  We encourage readers to read these documents for themselves to verify our version of the correspondence.

Conclusion
It will come as no surprise to many that well-placed individuals continued to have an interest in the UFO subject as late as 1989.  That this individual is important enough to receive a personal written response from the Director himself is self-evident.  That this response was thoroughly scrutinized in-house is also of interest, an investigation that seems ‘over the top’ if official denials of continued investigations into UFOs are taken at face value.  The claim that many of the original members of the original Project Blue Book have unofficially continued this investigative work for the ensuing 20 years is also of tremendous public interest.  Finally, the identity of Mr. X, so carefully removed from the F.B.I. file, is a tantalizing mystery.  His writing style is quite unusual, and a hand-written word is seen in the 2nd Paragraph of the first letter, which may or may not be his own writing, offering clues to interested researchers.  Clearly, the claims of this individual are taken very seriously, and his geographical location is itself somewhat suggestive.  Nevertheless, we are unable to hazard a guess at this stage, and would encourage this individual to come forward.  That would facilitate further investigation into the Director’s alleged initial interest in this matter, and allow public scrutiny of Mr. X’s own remarkable claims.

UPDATE
Since researching this story we have made some interesting discoveries.Below we have printed  some information that has been released by the Director, concerning the New Project Bluebook.

Office of the Director:
William Pitts

506 North 2nd Street

Fort Smith, AR 72901

(501)-782-7077

Inspired, and name-approved, by the United States Air Force.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
The enclosed News-media release is to announce a new association of an old project, and which has been officially name-approved by the United States Air Force. The release gives certain basic information, but should you desire additional information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with this office.  Naturally, we are anxious to get the information to as many as possible, and as soon as possible, because some of those persons actively involved in UFO signting reports, or who made reports themselves, are reaching advanced ages - and it is our wish to get in touch with them as soon as we can.

For your further information, the new Project Blue Book, and those associated with it, are sworn to uphold any secret, or sensitive, information, which comes to our attention in the search for the UFO information, and to with-hold any information which could be considered to be detrimental to the security of our country. Therefore, any source may feel free to offer information to this
office, and know that the information will be confidential, and the reporter - anonymous.  Such information would be utilized only to the extent of helping to solve a sighting report.

The new Project Blue Book is not an Air Force-funded agency, but is, by design, a civilian agency - of former military personnel. Please feel free to contact the Director, at the above address, or phone, for interviews or additional information
 

                                                                                                                 Sincerely,

PROJECT BLUE BOOK

Bill Pitts,
Director



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROJECT BLUE BOOK, The United States Air Force Investigative Arm for Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO's), has been reorganized as a civilian research and investigative association, comprised of (but not limited to), present and former, Air Force and other U.S. government
agency personnel. The New Project Blue Book, officially name-approved by the United States Air Force, will study future UFO sighting reports, but devote further in-depth studies of the older, classic, sighting reports from the Mid-1940's through the 1960's. The original Project Blue Book closed its doors in 1969, but many of the investigators of the  earlier reports found that the most important cases were then, and still are to this date, listed as "Unidentified."  While

some possible answers were made on many reports at the time, most "answers" did not fit the actual reported sightings, and were later proven not to be the objects reported by reputable persons, including those  persons who were in high-level government positions when they made the reports.  The "Answers" did not fit the reports.

The New Project Blue Book will be directed by industrialist Bill Pitts, a veteran investigator for all civilian UFO organizations and various government agencies.  A high-level research team will re-evaluate the older reports and endeavor to determine whether the objects reported have been solid metallic-like structure and could be extra-terrestrial. An hypothesis long considered as the predominate answer.  In a statement released to the media, Pitts said: "We will be seeking first-hand information, and materials, from individuals personally involved in the earlier saucer-era sighting reports, and will greatly appreciate receiving from any such person,  or members of the immediate family, any copies of  government-agency correspondence, sighting reports, photo's and movies, (ESPECIALLY ON PLANE-GUN CAMERAS, IF AVAILABLE)."
Also, FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE, OR PROOF, OF ANY ALLEGED UFO "CRASH RETRIEVAL" SITUATION WOULD BE APPRECIATED.  Any such information that is received will be handled in strict confidentiality, and persons sending such materials will remain anonymous, and all materials will be returned in their entirety.  Any person who may have been under "GAG-Restrictions" of the past, should come forward immediately, while they are still able to do so to assist us in this investigative endeavor of the world-wide phenomenon, Pitts said.

Headquarters for the new Project Blue Book, will be at Pitts office, 506 North 2nd Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901.  It is this address, which is centrally located in the United States, to which all materials should be sent.

Cosmic Conspiracies would like to thank Bryon Smith of Paranet Tau and Jim Klotz of CUFON SYSOP (http://www.cufon.org/) for forwarding this information.


© “Cosmic Conspiracies” 21st October 2000
Written by Andy. Research by Martin and Dave.

1) FBI File Number 62-83894  “Project Blue Book” (available from www.fbi.gov, under the foia section)
2) N. Redfern  “The F.B.I. Files” Simon & Schuster, 1998

3) B. Maccabee  “UFO-FBI Connection”  Llewellyn 2000