US: ATIC replies on Blue Book Report No. 14
Col. John Eriksen from ATIC responded to Rep. John E. Moss explaining limited copies of Blue Book Special Report No. 14 were made for agencies. USAF affirmed no intent to hide UFO data from citizens.
Background
Background
On June 25, 1956, Col. John Eriksen of the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) wrote on behalf of Secretary of the Air Force Donald A. Quarles to Rep. John E. Moss (D-California). This was in response to the congressman's enquiry about the distribution of Blue Book Special Report No. 14.
Details of the Letter
Eriksen explained that only 100 copies had been printed and distributed exclusively to government bodies. There were no plans for further editions for the general public. At the same time the USAF gave assurances that it was withholding no UFO data from the population. The report itself came from a scientific analysis of sightings by the Battelle Memorial Institute and was released in 1955, though critics stress that the unknowns differed statistically from the explained cases.
Witnesses and Evidence
Key figures: John C. Eriksen, Donald A. Quarles, John E. Moss. The primary evidence is the original letter of June 25, 1956 (cited in Swords 223). There was no sighting involved, but administrative correspondence in the context of Project Blue Book.
Significance
This exchange shows the USAF's efforts at transparency amid UFO scepticism. Project Blue Book reduced unresolved cases to 0.4% by the end of 1956 and served increasingly public relations purposes. The episode illustrates public enquiries and official responses on UFO reports in the Cold War era.