CHAPTER TWO

The Era of Confusion Begins

On September 23, 1947, the chief of the Air Technical Intelligence
Center, one of the Air Force's most highly specialized intelligence
units, sent a letter to the Commanding General of the then Army Air
Forces.

The letter was in answer to the Commanding General's verbal request
to make a preliminary study of the reports of unidentified flying
objects. The letter said that after a preliminary study of UFO
reports, ATIC concluded that, to quote from the letter, "the reported
phenomena were real." The letter strongly urged that a permanent
project be established at ATIC to investigate and analyze future UFO
reports. It requested a priority for the project, a registered code
name, and an over-all security classification. ATICs request was
granted and Project Sign, the forerunner of Project Grudge and
Project Blue Book, was launched. It was given a 2A priority, 1A being
the highest priority an Air Force project could have. With this the
Air Force dipped into the most prolonged and widespread controversy
it has ever, or may ever, encounter. The Air Force grabbed the
proverbial bear by the tail and to this day it hasn't been able to
let loose.

The letter to the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces from the
chief of ATIC had used the word "phenomena." History has shown that
this was not a too well-chosen word. But on September 23, 1947, when