Friday, August 08, 2008

Kimball, Smith, Bush and MJ-12

MJ-12 Kimball Bush Smith
By Stanton Friedman
fsphys@rogers.com
© 8-2-08

Stanton Friedman     Paul Kimball has, for reasons unknown, become very upset about my claiming that he got things wrong about Wilbert Smith, Van Bush, MJ-12 in “Flying Saucers and Science”. He claims in various blogs that I have said that Wilbert Smith headed a major Canadian UFO group, that President Truman would never have appointed Dr. Vannevar Bush to head the MJ-12 project had there been one; that Smith was basically an individual not to be respected, a kind of nobody, that Truman didn’t like Bush., etc. Paul spent 6 hours at the Dalhousie University Library looking up comments in the Canadian Hansard (unclassified record of Parliamentary testimony)made about UFOs back in the 1950s. He apparently spent no time with Smith’s papers in an archive in Ottawa. He apparently didn’t look into Defense Research Board Materials at the National Archives in Ottawa. The 300+ page formerly classified DRB UFO file has been available for a number of years. He totally neglected what I have said about the comments made by George Elsey, who had responsible positions at the White House as noted below during Truman’s entire tenure there.

Nowhere did I,or anybody else besides Paul, claim Truman had appointed V. Bush to head Operation Majestic 12. The proof is the statement in the Truman Forrestal memo. It clearly authorized James Forrestal, the new and first Secretary of Defense, to proceed with Operation Majestic 12. He did not authorize Bush to proceed with Majestic 12. He did say “It continues to be my feeling that 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 Central Intelligence.”

Yes, Bush would be consulted. There was nobody more knowledgeable about developing new technology with national security implications. Bush had been head of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics pre-war, During the war he had directed the Office of Scientific Research and Development which covered such major areas as the development of the atomic bomb, the proximity fuse, radar, and many dozens of other devices. Literally billions of dollars were spent at a wide variety of Labs. There was nobody who knew more about who the best practitioners of advanced science and technology having security clearances were. On September 24, 1947.(The date of the Truman Forrestal memo) Bush and Forrestal were with Truman at the White House. He appointed VB to be head of the new Research and Development Board which had replaced the Joint Research and Development Board which had replaced OSRD.. all headed by Bush. We have unclassified notes made by Bush after the meeting. We furthermore know that Bush was also later appointed by Bush to head a classified committee to review data that might indicate the Soviets had exploded their first atomic Bomb. We know that he continued to be a member of the high security War Council, that he was in charge of another high security committee concerned with a possible Surprise Attack.. though the attackers were unspecified .To suggest that Truman would not have used him to look into Modus Operandi for saucers is absurd.

Furthermore the crucial statement in the Smith memo so disliked by Paul, is 3.

“Their Modus Operandi is unknown, but concentrated effort is being made by a small group headed by Dr. Vannevar Bush” Modus Operandi means manner of working. Note “small group”.

There is no suggestion anywhere that Bush was in charge of all aspects of effort dealing with UFOs or Majestic 12.Just working on technological aspects. Obviously the US government was also concerned with the origin and purpose of alien visitation, their interaction with other countries. There was nobody better equipped than was Bush to do look into “Modus Operandi”. Of course Truman and Forrestal would have picked him. Bush and Forestal had a long and close relationship even playing tennis together. There were six military and intelligence people and 5 scientific people on MJ-12. Forrestal as head of DOD would have been on top and report directly to Truman.

After sending Elsey, with his permission, a copy of the3 primary MJ-12 documents. I had specifically asked him, as I have reported, if he saw any reason to believe that the Eisenhower Briefing Document or Truman Forrestal or Cutler Twining memos were fraudulent. He said No. I asked if he had any reason, knowing all the people, to believe that, if a saucer had crashed, Truman would not have picked any of the 12 to be a member of an over-group. No. They were all people he trusted. I asked if the TF memo could have been typed elsewhere than at Truman’s office. He said more than 80% of what a President signs is prepared elsewhere. I noted that the numerical portion of the date is offset from the month and that there is a period after the date and that Bush’s office always put a period after the date. Could it have been typed in Bush’s office (or Forrestal’s?). He said certainly. Truman certainly trusted them. He also noted that often documents had to be put in a typewriter twice to put the right date on them as to when directives etc went into effect. I have examples from the National Security Council where the date and text are typed in 2 different fonts.

In case people are wondering why I place much reliance on Elsey,. here is some background: He was a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the duty officer at the White House map room from 1941 until 1946, that is the entire 2nd World War. He was assistant to the Special Counsel to the President (Clark Clifford) 1947-1949; Administrative Assistant to the President 1949-1951 and assistant to the Director, Mutual Security Agency 1951-1953.

He also filled me in on the close connection between James Lay, Executive Secretary to Eisenhower’s National Security Council, and Robert Cutler, Ike’s National Security advisor. This helped very much in evaluation of the Cutler Twining memo. The evidence strongly indicates this is also a genuine document despite the attacks of noisy negativists, armchair theorists. This is not only because Phil Klass paid me $1000. for proving him wrong about the type face on the memo.

Paul doesn’t mention that the public Hansard Question Period comments could not be classified. The Canadian Defense Research Board for some time was denying to anybody who asked that it had any concerns with UFOs, even though they had a committee meeting often to deal with them. There was no Access to Information act (Like FOIA) in Canada then. In the USA, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover wrote many letters, to people who had asked, saying the FBI is not now and never has been involved with the question of UFOs. He also lied. Dr. Bruce Maccabee obtained over 1500 pages of FBI UFO material using FOIA, There were many other government UFO lies as noted in a piece by that name at my website www.stantonfriedman.com.

Another point of the Smith memo helps explain the lies: “ The matter is the most highly classified subject in the United States government rating higher even than the H-Bomb.” I believe that this explains why Canada’s sort of equivalent to Bush, Omond Solandt, was so negative about Smith.. long after Smith was no longer around to defend himself. Solandt was very careful in what he said to me at his home in the manner of someone who is dealing with classified material and must be very careful. He knew I had had a clearance. He did admit that if the effort had been accountable only to the President, that he wouldn’t have been privy to details.

Paul is also unhappy with the role of Dr.Robert Sarbacher who supplied the info to Smith noted in his Classified memo of 1950. He suggested that Sarbacher, whose meeting with Smith was arranged by the Canadian Embassy, was passing on false information about alien technology to have it move up through channels, by some very mysterious means, and be passed on to the Soviets to get them to think, falsely, that the US had learned about alien technology. He calls Sarbacher a young scientist. He was 43 in 1950 and already had many major contributions to the US national security technology working on various high tech projects. He was featured in a Saturday Evening Post article ,as a boy genius. He was not some wet behind the years youth. It is an insult to Smith to suggest that he was a disloyal Canadian and would have passed on classified information (True or untrue)to the Soviets. What possible basis is there for this damning remark? Paul provides none. Sarbacher was concerned with advanced technology, not intelligence as such..

I should mention that I had visited Sarbacher and had phone and letter communication with him as well. I was very favorably impressed. He said the accounts given in the Smith memo sounded right to him. He appreciated that I had found an old R and DB colleague with whom he had lost touch.

Paul could have benefited from reading Chapter 16 of “Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience “ by myself and Kathleen Marden, Betty’s niece. It discussed Smith and Sarbacher and Solandt. Paul condemns Smith for being a contactee. The chapter covers others interested in contact including US Navy Admiral Knowles who, along with various CIA personnel, was also interested in contactees such as a Mrs. Swan. They were impressed when she told them to look out the window and they saw 3 UFOs.

Paul also, for reasons unknown, belittles Smith by showing a Canadian Government Organization chart and showing what a small fraction f of the budget Smith controlled and suggesting he would never have been let in on the most classified Information in the US. Funny there isn’t the slightest suggestion that he was. He certainly knew that the military, especially the Canadian Air Force was heavily involved in monitoring UFOs. Neither he nor Sarbacher said Smith was given the secret details, only told that there was some very classified material…. which is very different.

Of course, Paul has also insisted that I am really hurting ufology by championing MJ-12, The Flatwoods Monster work of Frank Feschino ( as shown in “Shoot Them Down”) by standing behind the Aztec crash and the 1947 Plains of San Agustin saucer crash. Art Campbell has added greatly to my early work on the Plains. I am very familiar with the outstanding research on Aztec done by Scott and Suzanne Ramsey. Paul isn’t, nor is he familiar with the work done by Frank. Clearly he is also not well versed about the Plains. He, of course, is free to believe whatever he wants to, regardless of the evidence or lack there of.

11 comments :

  1. "Of course, Paul has also insisted that I am really hurting ufology"

    How can you hurt ufology, you ARE Ufology.

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  2. If you think 1941-1946 is the entire WW2 then what other facts are you ignorant about ? 1939 was when WW2 started. The USA only officially joined in at the end of 1941 because of Pearl Harbour (or Harbor for the American readers).

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  3. Good Day adrianaitken,

    Thank you for you input; however, given the fact that Stan "lived through the war," it's safe to assume the time-line he was referring to was that of US involvement.

    Cheers,
    Frank

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  4. I applaud Dr. Friedman for having the knowledge, fortitutde and courage to support his position on the subject of MJ12. I appreciate his innumerable contributions and insight into the study of this phenomenon. He is a person with an impressive scientific background and I have no doubt that he does not make claims lightly.

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  5. Good Day keptycho,

    Although I won't pretend to speak for Stan, I'm sure he would "thank you" for your kind words; however, he would be the first one to point out that he doesn't have a doctorate.

    Cheers,
    Frank

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  6. Frank and Stanton,
    Thank you for a great "Just the facts" piece. Stanton's integrity and research -- priceless. Thank you.

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  7. Hi Regan!

    Of course I am but the messenger; however, methinks Stan would give you a heart-felt "thank you" for the kind words . . .

    Cheers,
    Frank

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  8. Good Morning to all. My first time writing on the subject of UFO's and I'm not sure if this is the correct avenue although my gut feeling tells me that you will be able to assist me with the answers I'm looking for at this time. My good friend and I have discussed UFO's on and off for the last two years and quite frequently lately. He is 52 and I am 50, both currently living in Arizona--yes we both saw "something" on more than one occasion over the last 15 years at least. In fact many many people did although for some reason most refuse to even talk about the subject, let alone even admit to it. My reason for writing this morning has to do with the recently aired (March 25 I think) show about the Presidents and their stories relating to UFO sightings. For reasons unknown, I completely altered my daily schedule and actually just watched TV that day which is not the norm for me and that show came on (which I enjoyed). Both my friends Father and my Dad were AF pilots-his during WWII era and mine during Vietnam, Korea, etc.
    My Dad, Major Lawrence L. Friedman (Ret.) served between 1951 and 1972 and passed away at the age of 52 in February of 1986. Daddy was always gone on secret missions, TDY, Vietnam, Korat AFB, Itazuke, Alaska, Ramstein, etc. but Arizona was always the "home base". He flew out of Williams AFB, Luke AFB and Davis Monthan (sp?) in Tucson.
    F4's and F105's--I believe Black Panther Squadron at Willie. Anyway, back to my question now that you have a little history on him. During some of the actual footage that was filmed at Holloman AFB about a crash of a UFO the cameraman was filming an AF Capt. who was on TDY there who was filming "something" from the passenger side of a vehicle. I nearly jumped out of my skin! I was looking at my Dad I'm sure. I have not been able to shake this feeling off that it was him in the car. On various occasions and for various reasons since his sudden and untimely death and that of several other immediate members of my family, I have felt (for lack of a better word) their presence and or received "messages" (sometimes in the form of dreams/nightmares/premonitions or just a voice that comes out of nowhere and lately actual body contact in which myself and one of my daughters were "slapped" at precisely the same time as we were walking out the door to go somewhere and we were the only ones in the house. I've always "listened" to these "warnings" and each time a possible tragedy was avoided. I'm feeling that again and was so prior to seeing that presidents/ufo show a few days ago which like I said earlier, was totally out of my normal daily routine. Who was that Officer in the car? Someone is trying to tell me something and it all has to do with that Capt. who had the camera poking out the car window from the actual footage aired. Can you help me with this? or send me in the direction I need to go? Another odd thing...my friend was able to pull his dad up on the internet, etc. but I have not been able to get anything on my dad other than his obituary which I thought was very strange because he was "well known" and had been featured in AF Magazine (I have the original copies) and had accomplished many things during his life including developing for the AF the lighted map/board used by pilots during flight missions (approx. 1959-62)while stationed in Japan. He also flew 100 missions over Vietnam. I'm able to pull up some info on two of his brothers who also served in the AF-- Herbert and Milton, I think--they were much older than my Dad and lived in NY so I never actually met them having lived in AZ most of my life. I find this very odd? How do I get a copy of that footage to compare to the footage I have of him during his 100th mission celebration, taking off and landing at Korat AFB? Thank you in advance for any assistance--it is greatly appreciated! I also served in the Air National Guard and Army Guard 30 years ago and my only son is currently in the Navy in addition to my oldest daughter who served in the AF and went to Kuwait in 2002 but has since gotten out-- although she is considering re-enlisting. Any information you can give me will help ease my mind. Daddy's trying to tell me something!
    Debra Friedman Thomas, Chandler, AZ

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  9. I would like to ask Stan Friedman directly:

    Do you still believe the 3 primary MJ-12 documents as first published in May/June 1987 are genuine government documents written in the 1947-54 period, bearing in mind that the USAF has labelled them as bogus and that the GAO has likewise? The GAO, I should add, were specfically charged with locating any documents relevant to the Roswell 'crash' of 1947.

    Do you give any credence to my strongly held view that these (bogus) documents were inspired and derived from Wilbert Smith's 1950 memo in which Vannevar Bush's name first appears? This memo was publicly available long before the MJ-12 papers were first published.

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  10. Greeting CDA,

    Thanks for taking time to make comment; Stan sends the following reply:

    Frank:
    Marilyn and I are in Xxxxxxxxxxx and will be home Monday when I will give a full and detailed answer. Yes I still believe EBD,TF and CT are genuine. Has he provided some specific reasons anywhere or is this just another proclamation? Has he dealt with my specific refutations of the false claims that have been made?

    Stan

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  11. As I have made my comments on the MJ-12 stuff on the "Debunkers at it again" forum, I shall add nothing further here.

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