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Majestic 12 Documents

Leak

Controversial papers purporting to reveal a secret U.S. group investigating crashed UFOs

Disclosure Rating — 4/10

  Questionable Origins

Beginning in the mid-1980s, photocopies surfaced alleging that President Truman created a committee called Majestic 12 to recover and study alien craft.1 Researchers quickly noticed inconsistencies in typefaces and signatures, leading many to suspect forgery.23 Despite doubts, the documents continue to inspire conspiracy theories and FOIA requests.45

  Purported Roster

The supposed briefing named a dozen prominent officials from the late-1940s national-security establishment.6

Name1947 roleLater career
Lloyd V. BerknerNaval research physicistOrganized the International Geophysical Year
Detlev W. BronkJohns Hopkins University presidentLed the National Academy of Sciences
Vannevar BushJoint Research and Development Board chairShaped U.S. federal science policy
James V. ForrestalSecretary of DefenseDied in 1949 amid controversy
Gordon GrayAssistant Secretary of the ArmyNational Security Advisor to Eisenhower
Roscoe H. HillenkoetterDirector of Central IntelligenceJoined NICAP UFO lobby
Jerome C. HunsakerNACA chairMIT aeronautics pioneer
Donald H. MenzelHarvard astrophysicistVocal UFO skeptic
Robert M. MontagueSandia Base commanderKorea Eighth Army deputy commander
Sidney W. SouersNational Security Council secretaryTruman confidant
Nathan F. TwiningAir Materiel Command chiefJoint Chiefs chairman
Hoyt S. VandenbergAir Force chief of staff designateAir Force chief of staff

  Authenticity Verdict

FBI examiners labeled the mailed copies "completely bogus".2 No supporting orders or minutes exist in the National Archives, and some dates conflict with the known careers of the men listed.78

  References

  1. archives.gov ↩

  2. fbi.gov ↩ ↩2

  3. csicop.org ↩

  4. theblackvault.com ↩

  5. en.wikipedia.org ↩

  6. vault.fbi.gov ↩

  7. cia.gov ↩

  8. wired.com ↩

Published on June 1, 1987

2 min read