GERALD FORD & UFOs
Prior to becoming President Gerald Ford was a Representative representing
Michigan in the U.S. Senate, and also Minority Leader in the Senate. In 1966 Michigan experienced hundreds
of UFO sighting. The reports of weird dancing light produced quite a furor. To handle the demands for an explanation
the Air Force held a quickly arranged news conference where J. Allen Hynek, an astronomy advisor to Project Blue
book, made a statement he would regret the rest of his life. He declared that a sighting made by Frank Mannor
on March 16, 1966, in Dexter, Michigan was probably "swamp gas."
The comment made Hynek an instant celebrity. It did not, however,
calm the calls for answers to the mystery, or for Hynek’s head. In fact, it made the calls for an investigation
louder. One of those who came to the help of the public in their demands for answers from the government was House
Republican leader Gerald Ford, who would later become President.
Dexter, the town involved in the sighting declared to be "swamp
gas" by Hynek, happened to be in Gerald Ford’s district. Like any good Congressman Ford came to
the defense of his constituents.
"In
the firm belief that the American public deserves a better explanation than that thus far given by the Air Force,
I strongly recommend that there be a committee investigation of the UFO phenomena. I think we owe it to the people
to establish credibility regarding UFOs and to produce the greatest possible enlightenment of the subject."
" I have taken special interest in these
(UFO) accounts because many of the latest reported sightings have been made in my home state of Michigan...Because
I think there may be substance to some of these reports and because I believe The American people are entitled
to a more thorough explanation than has been given them by the Air force to date, I am proposing either the Science
and Astronautics Committee or the Armed services Committee of the House, schedule hearings on the subject of UFOs
and invite testimony from both the executive branch of the Government and some of the persons who claim to have
seen UFOs...In the firm belief that the American public deserves a better explanation than that thus
far given by the Air Force, I strongly recommend that there be a committee investigation of the UFO phenomena.
I think we owe it to the people to establish credibility regarding UFOs and to produce the greatest possible enlightenment
on this subject."
Ford’s
letter were passed on to the House Armed Services committee and the House Science and Astronautics Committee in hopes
that one of the two groups would hold hearings. Neither would do anything to start. One member of the Science and
technology Committee explained that as he knew the Air Force didn’t come under his jurisdiction. Ford
then asked the committee if flying saucers were under their jurisdiction and received no reply.
The Armed Services Committee on the
other hand thought that there might be troubles holding hearing. It had been tried before and never took place.
The House Committee on
Foreign Affairs did take up the issue in response to the call for hearing made by Ford. It was not the hearing full
hearings that Ford had asked for but it was an airing of the issue in public.
He questions were raised by committee representative
Cornelius E. Gallagher who had questions for President Johnson’s Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and the
Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Earle G. Wheeler.
The
Director of the U.S.A.F. Project Blue Book, Lt. Col. Hector Quintanilla, viewed Ford’s involvement in a different
light. He expressed his bitter view of Ford’s action in an unpublished manuscript written prior to Gerald Ford
becoming president.
"Congressman Gerald Ford
got on the UFO bandwagon. It just so happens that Dexter was in Congressman Ford’s district. It was pure
politics and he made the national news by demanding that either the Science and Astronautics Committee or the Armed
Services Committee schedule hearings on the subject of UFOs....Congressman Ford did get his wish, a
congressional hearing was imminent. Someone should ask Congressman Ford what it cost the American taxpayer to hold
that hearing and ask him if he would like to reimburse for the expense; because that hearing was totally unnecessary."
Once Gerald
Ford became President following the resignation of Richard Nixon on August 9, 1974, Ford never spoke again about
UFOs, until he left office, and then only on one occasion. The commitment to UFOs seemed to be gone.
Why Ford changed is not
certain. After all he did raise the NASA budget after years of cutbacks, and did restore the post of Science Advisor
to the President. Perhaps I was because he did not have any space role while Vice-President under Nixon, as other
Vice-Presidents had performed. Maybe he had become overwhelmed by the post war and economics that he inherited
following President Nixon’s resignation.
Ford’s actions as congressman, senator, Vice-President, and President became the subject
of a letter written to Ford after he retired. The letter, asking Ford what he had done about the UFO problem during
his various government roles, was addressed to him by George Filer, UFO researcher and former Air Force Intelligence
officer.
In
his response to the letter Ford stated that if the UFO secrets had been given to some Presidents, he was not one
of them:
"During my public career in
Congress, as Vice President and President, I made various requests for information on UFOs. The official authorities
always denied the UFO allegations. As a result I have no information that may be helpful to you."
Ford did not
identify who he was referring to by "official authorities" who he claimed to have asked. The reference
to "official authorities" is also very strange in that as President, one would assume that Ford would,
or should, be the top official authority.
Ford’s comments and actions as a congressman to get an official investigation into UFOs
probably didn’t do much to encourage those who might have the official answers to the UFO mystery to be giving
them to Bush. Ford’s questions about UFOs prior to becoming president probably made him a poor risk for keeping
the "Most highly classified secret" should he be told the truth about the UFO situation.
The same situations may
have existed with the heads of the various agencies that Ford appointed. Chances are that if "officials"
did not trust President Ford they would have held back critical information from his head of the CIA appointed by
Ford.
The Presidents
UFO Web Site
