CIA responds UFO letters

Summary

In May 1958, a CIA officer met with F. M. Chapin to discuss how to respond to two letters from Leon Davidson about UFO sightings. Davidson had first written to the CIA director and then to an executive officer. Chapin agreed to draft a brief reply, following a previous style, that would merely acknowledge the letters and explain that the matter was the Air Force's responsibility. After the meeting, contact was made with a USAF major, who confirmed he had already replied to one of the letters and that copies had been sent to the CIA. Chapin also agreed to forward copies of both incoming and outgoing correspondence to the major for further action.

The CIA officer was also asked if he could contact Admiral Hillenkoetter, but he was unsure and promised to look into it. This document shows how the CIA handled public communications about UFOs, delegating responsibility to other agencies and keeping internal records of actions taken. Although the responses were generic, the process demonstrated coordination between different government levels to manage reports of unidentified flying objects.