ACUFO:

MUFON UFO JOURNAL

UFO SIGHTING OVER HANFORD NUCLEAR
REACTOR IN 1945

By Rolan D. Powell, Byron D. Varner, Walter Andrus

“There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.”
Rolan Powell as a McDonnell Douglas test pilot.

As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of ufology or what is known as the modern era of flying saucers, sightings by competent witnesses prior to 1947 become more significant. With the permission of the writer, Byron D. Varner, of the privately published book Living on the Edge: An American war hero's daring feats as a Navy fighter pilot, civilian test pilot, and CIA mercenary, and interviews with the author and principal, Rolan D. Powell by Walt Andrus, the following article was composed. Mr. Varner served as a Navy Public Affairs Officer during the last thirteen years of his naval career.

“There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.”

The U.S. Navy used slogans like these to emphasize the importance of flight safety when Byron D. Varner was an aviation cadet during World War II. That particular one stayed embedded in his mind throughout his flying experience because he saw many would-be heros kill themselves trying to be bold pilots. Mr. Varner hadn't thought of this slogan for a long time until he met Rolan D. Powell, the only “old” pilot he ever knew who totally disproved it. Mr. Powell retired as a Lt. Cdr. USNR after not only serving in World War II aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown, but also in Korea and Vietnam on other assignments. On November 29, 1996, Rolan celebrated his seventieth birthday.

The following narrative begins on page 72 of the Varner/Powell books.

His parents are relieved to learn that Rolan will be at Naval Air Station, Pasco, Washington, for the next few months. They try not to think about his going back to the war zone, and make him promise to come home as often as possible on weekends.

Several former shipmates arrive at NAS Pasco when he does, along with a number of new pilots untested by war. The Navy selected them to form a new air group and prepare for carrier operations in the Pacific. Rolan looks forward to imparting his expertise to the new pilots recently out of flight training. It will require daily practice in air tactics, maneuvers, bombing, strafing, dogfighting, gunnery, and other tricks of the trade necessary for air combat. A lot of flying. For certain he will try to impress upon them the importance of survival tactics.

The base has another mission for the experienced pilots, as well. About 60 miles away stands the Hanford plant, its atomic activities known to only a very few. These battle-scarred veterans are to protect that plant in the event of an air attack. Although they don't know what this is all about, they will follow orders, as military people are taught.

The standby aircraft are always armed and ready to defend the plant, although few pilots seriously believe it will ever come under enemy attack, given the current state of Japan's diminishing effectiveness. But, like the shark attack that Rolan never expected to face, an air emergency does occur.

It is noon time, and no planes are in the air. The bullhorn's jarring sound of General Quarters sends the pilots rushing to the

Living on the Edge by Byron D. Varner (pb, 197 pages) may be purchased from Rolan Powell, PO Box 1307, Round Rock, TX 78680 for $22.45 including Texas sales tax, plus $3.00 for shipping and handling.

ready room for a quick briefing and on to the aircraft for immediate takeoff.

Radar had detected a fast-moving object that is now in a holding pattern directly above the Hanford plant. It is extremely high and Rolan can't see it at first. As they rapidly increase altitude the pilots all spot it at about the same time and head directly for its position.

None of them can recognize it, but they can see it well from their vantage point. It has a saucer-like appearance, is bright, extremely fast, and very high. The F6F has an operating ceiling of 37,000 feet, but on this day they exceed that considerably and still can't get close enough.

“What the hell is that?” one pilot yells over the radio.

“Nothing I've ever seen before,” answers another.

Rolan calls the base to report the situation. They tell him to go higher.

“If we go much higher we can ruin these engines.”

“Blow the engines if you have to, but use full military power, full throttle injection, maximum, continuous. Go for it!”

Rolan wonders what the pilots will do when the engines quit and the tower operator tells them to “glide back towards the airport and hope that you make it.”

Even with the emergency settings, the F6F can't get close enough to determine the exact nature of this object. It doesn't make any overt moves, gives no signals, just hovers there as if observing, staying well enough out of reach. The pilots can't believe its ability to hover like this. When some of the engines begin to fail, and fuel consumption gets critical, the planes return to base one by one, and the strange craft disappears as quickly as it came. It doesn't return.

Although a number of people witness this incident, the local newspaper carries no report of it in the days that follow. Rolan can only surmise that the government stepped in and clamped a lid on the whole affair, according to war security measures. After this episode, the pilots return to their normal routine of getting ready for combat.

To obtain more details on this pre-Kenneth Arnold sighting and how such events were treated during World War II, Walt Andrus interviewed Rolan Powell, who now resides in Round Rock, Texas, with his lovely wife Donna.

The six F6F “Hellcats” made visual contact with the object described by Rolan as the size of three aircraft carriers side by side, oval shaped, very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and pinkish in color. Rolan reported that some kind of vapor was being emitted around the outside edges from portholes or vents. He speculated that the vapor was being discharged to form a cloud for disguise. The object was observed at noon in a clear sky at an estimated altitude of 65,000 feet.

Rolan and his fellow pilots pushed their F6Fs to 42,000 feet, which was well above the aircraft's rated ceiling of 37,000, but they were unsuccessful in making contact with this large unknown craft above them. After hovering in a fixed position above the Hanford Nuclear Reactor for an additional twenty minutes, the object disappeared going straight-up as the six Hellcats limped back to the Pasco Naval Air Station (Washington). Mr. Powell does not know where the other five pilots now live or their full names. The squadron consisted of 12 veteran fighter pilots, survivors from a former squadron of 45 called Air Group III aboard the second U.S.S. Yorktown, fondly known as “The Fighting Lady.”

When quizzed about the exact date of the sighting, Rolan didn't have his flight log available as a reference, but estimated that it was six weeks before the Japanese surrender aboard the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. This would place the sighting during the middle of July 1945.

Library research disclosed that the Hanford Engineering Works Plant (Richland, Washington) was actually a large plutonium-production facility constructed adjacent to the Columbia River, using the water to cool the reactor piles. Opening for operation in September 1944, the Hanford site was a Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) to provide material for producing atomic bombs. This ultimately led to the dropping of bombs over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki, on August 9.

Hostilities ceased on August 14, 1945. It is conceivable that unidentified flying objects may have had an interest in our nuclear energy program in 1945. Now, Rolan and his fellow Navy fighter pilots know what they were guarding at Hanford, which at that time was part of the ultrasecret Manhattan Project.

1945 - June - Noon - Pasco NAS, WA, USA

[Photo caption:] WW II Pasco NAS Control Tower with F6F Hellcats

Witnesses:

Roland D. Powell and 5 other F6F pilots

Summary:

Sent to intercept a large high speed radar contact, then hovering over Hanford. Visual contact with a large object: Oval-shaped, very streamlined, like a stretched egg and pinkish in color. Vapor emitted by vents around the edge of the object F6Fs could not reach object's altitude of about 65,000 feet. It went straight up and disappeared.

Source: Chester, Strange Company page 188

Mid-July, 1945

Hanford Engineering Works Plant, Washington, USA

At noon, a fast moving object was detected on radar screen directly above Hanford nuclear plant. Rolan D. Powell and 5 other pilots of six US Navy F-6F Hellcats from Pasco Naval Air Station (Washington) took off and climbed rapidly. All of them saw a saucer-shaped object. It had no signal and was just hovering as it was observing out of reach. It was described of the size of three aircraft-carriers, oval-shaped, pinkish in color. It emitted a vapor from portholes or vents. The F-6F had an operaing ceiling of 37,000 ft but they can't get close enough. The planes reached 47,000 ft and the object was about 65,000 ft. It disappeared going straight up after 20 minutes.

Source: MUFON UFO Journal #344 p.14-15

545: 1945/07/15 12:00 10 119:24:00 W 46:35:00 N 3312 NAM USA WSH 7:7 HANFORD,WA:RDR-VIS:HUGE RED SCR/RDR/20km alt:6 6F6s CANT REACH:/LDLN#343+/r150 Ref#160 MUFON UFO JOURNAL (by issue no.) Issue No. 344:MIL. BASE

Huge Saucer Over Nuclear Reactor - Radar/Visual

Mid July of 1945
Hanford, Washington

Francis Ridge

Mid July of 1945; Hanford Washington

Noon & a clear sky. This is one of the earliest UFO sightings supporting a “nuclear connection”, but this report was not listed in the Blue Book Unknowns. Radar detected a fast-moving object that was in a holding pattern directly above the Hanford plant. It was extremely high and the pilots couldn't see it at first. As they rapidly increased altitude the pilots all spotted it at about the same time and headed directly for its position. None of them could recognize it, but they could see it well from their vantage point. It had a saucer-like appearance, was bright, extremely fast, and very high. The F6F had an operating ceiling of 37,000 feet, but on this day they exceeded that considerably and still couldn't get close enough. It didn't make any overt moves, gave no signals, just hovered there as if observing, staying well enough out of reach. When some of the engines began to fail, and fuel consumption got critical, the planes returned to base one by one, and the strange craft disappeared as quickly as it came. The six F6F “Hellcats” made visual contact with the object described as the size of three aircraft carriers side by side, oval shaped, very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and pinkish in color. The witness who filed this report said that some kind of vapor was being emitted around the outside edges from portholes or vents. The object was observed at noon in a clear sky at an estimated altitude of 65,000 feet. After hovering in a fixed position above the Hanford Nuclear Reactor for an additional twenty minutes, the object disappeared going straight-up as the six Hellcats limped back to the Pasco Naval Air Station.

UFO Sighting Over Nuclear Reactor

Hanford, Washington
July 1945

[Photo with caption:] Grumman F6F Hellcat

With the permission of the writer, Byron D. Varner, of the privately published book Living on the Edge: An American war hero's daring feats as a Navy fighter pilot, civilian test pilot, and CIA mercenary, and interviews with the author and principal, Rolan D. Powell by Walt Andrus, the following article was composed. Mr. Varner served as a Navy Public Affairs Officer during the last thirteen years of his naval career.

“There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.”

The U.S. Navy used slogans like these to emphasize the importance of flight safety when Byron D. Varner was an aviation cadet during World War II. That particular one stayed embedded in his mind through out his flying experience because he saw many would-be heroes kill themselves trying to be bold pilots. Mr. Varner hadn't thought of this slogan for a long time until he met Rolan D. Powell, the only “old” pilot he ever knew who totally disproved it. Mr. Powell retired as a Lt. Cdr. USNR after not only serving in World War II aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown, but also in Korea and Vietnam on other assignments. On November 29,1996, Rolan celebrated his seventieth birthday.

The following narrative begins on page 72 of the Varner/Powell book.

His parents are relieved to learn that Rolan will be at Naval Air Station, Pasco, Washington, for the next few months. They try not to think about his going back to the war zone, and make him promise to come home as often as possible on weekends.

Several former shipmates arrive at NAS Pasco when he does, along with a number of new pilots untested by war. The Navy selected them to form a new air group and prepare for carrier operations in the Pacific. Rolan looks forward to imparting his expertise to the new pilots recently out of flight training. It will require daily practice in air tactics, maneuvers, bombing, strafing, dog fighting, gunnery, and other tricks of the trade necessary for air combat. A lot of flying. For certain he will try to impress upon them the importance of survival tactics.

The base has another mission for the experienced pilots, as well. About 60 miles away stands the Hanford plant, its atomic activities known to only a very few. These battle-scarred veterans are to protect that plant in the event of an air attack. Although they don't know what this is all about, they will follow orders, as military people are taught.

Rolan Powell as a McDonnell Douglas test pilot

The standby aircraft are always armed and ready to defend the plant, although few pilots seriously believe it will ever come under enemy attack, given the current state of Japan's diminishing effectiveness. But, like the shark attack that Rolan never expected to face, an air emergency does occur. It is noon time, and no planes are in the air. The bullhorn's jarring sound of General Quarters sends the pilots rushing to the ready room for a quick briefing and on to the aircraft for immediate takeoff. Radar had detected a fast-moving object that is now in a holding pattern directly above the Hanford plant. It is extremely high and Rolan can't see it at first. As they rapidly increase altitude the pilots all spot it at about the same time and head directly for its position.

None of them can recognize it, but they can see it well from their vantage point. It has a saucer-like appearance, is bright, extremely fast, and very high. The F6F has an operating ceiling of 37,000 feet, but on this day they exceed that considerably and still can't get close enough.

“What the hell is that?” one pilot yells over the radio.

“Nothing I've ever seen before,” answer another.

Rolan calls the base to report the situation. They tell him to go higher.

“If we go much higher we can ruin these engines.”

“Blow the engines if you have to, but use full military power, full throttle injection, maximum, continuous. Go for it!”

Rolan wonders what the pilots will do when the engines quit and the tower operator tells them to “glide back towards the airport and hope that you make it.”

Even with the emergency settings, the F6F can't get close enough to determine the exact nature of this object. It doesn't make any overt moves, gives no signals, just hovers there as if observing, staying well enough out of reach. The pilots can't believe its ability to hover like this. When some of the engines begin to fail, and fuel consumption gets critical, the planes return to base one by one, and the strange craft disappears as quickly as it came. It doesn't return.

Although a number of people witness this incident, the local newspaper carries no report of it in the days that follow. Rolan can only surmise that the government stepped in and clamped a lid on the whole affair, according to war security measures.

After this episode, the pilots return to their normal routine of getting ready for combat.

To obtain more details on this pre Kenneth Arnold sighting and how such events were treated during World War II, Walt Andrus interviewed Rolan Powell, who now resides in Round Rock, Texas, with his lovely wife Donna.

The six F6F “Hellcats” made visual contact with the object described by Rolan as the size of three aircraft carriers side by side, oval shaped, very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and pinkish in color. Rolan reported that some kind of vapor was being emitted around the outside edges from portholes or vents. He speculated that the vapor was being discharged to form a cloud for disguise. The object was observed at noon in a clear sky at an estimated altitude of 65,000 feet.

Rolan and his fellow pilots pushed their F6Fs to 42,000 feet, which was well above the aircraft's rated ceiling of 37,000, but they were unsuccessful in making contact with this large unknown craft above them. After hovering in a fixed position above the Hanford Nuclear Reactor for an additional twenty minutes, the object disappeared going straight-up as the six Hellcats limped back to the Pasco Naval Air Station (Washington). Mr. Powell does not know where the other five pilots now live or their full names. The squadron consisted of 12 veteran fighter pilots, survivors from a former squadron of 45 called Air Group III aboard the second U.S.S. Yorktown, fondly known as “The Fighting Lady.”

When quizzed about the exact date of the sighting, Rolan didn't have his flight log available as a reference, but estimated that it was six weeks before the Japanese surrendered aboard the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. This would place the sighting during the middle of July 1945.

Library research disclosed that the Hanford Engineering Works Plant (Richland, Washington) was actually a large plutonium-production facility constructed adjacent to the Columbia River, using the water to cool the reactor piles. Opening for operation in September 1944, the Hanford site was a Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) to provide material for producing atomic bombs. This ultimately led to the dropping of bombs over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki, on August 9. Hostilities ceased on August 14, 1945.

It is conceivable that unidentified flying objects may have had an interest in our nuclear energy program in 1945. Now, Rolan and his fellow Navy fighter pilots know what they were guarding at Hanford, which at that time was part of the ultra-secret Manhattan Project.

Rolan D. Powell, Byron D. Varner, Walter Andrus
Source: MUJ-344

PROJECT 1947

UFO REPORTS - 1945 - Hanford Engineer Works, Washington

SECRET

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL
180 NEW MONTGOMERY STREET
SAN FRANCISCO 6 CALIFORNIA

(4AFGA-S&C)1

314.81/174

4 January 1945

SUBJECT: Daily Diary (Period 1600 3 January 1945 to 1600 4 January 1945).

TO: Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Washington 25, D. C.
(Attention: Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Training).

....

3. Japanese Balloon Incidents. RESTRICTED

In accordance with request from the Public Relations Officer, Western Defense Command, notified all subordinate headquarters this command directed that no publicity be released concerning the Japanese balloons which have been found at different areas of the Pacific Coast and further directed that local inquiries be referred to this command.

(PRO)

....

SECRET

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL
180 NEW MONTGOMERY STREET
SAN FRANCISCO 6 CALIFORNIA

(4AFGA-S&C)1

314.81/190

23 January 1945

SUBJECT: Daily Diary (Period 1600 22 January 1945 to 1600 23 January 1945).

TO: Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Washington 25, D. C.
(Attention: Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Training).

....

2. Air Defense Measures at Hanford Engineering Company SECRET

Resulting from an unidentified aircraft flying over the Hanford Engineering Company Plant at Pasco, Wash. on at least three nights in the past month (this Company is engaged in undisclosed projects for the War and Navy Departments) this hq was requested by WDC, about ten days ago, to move one Btry of searchlights from Seattle to the Pasco plant. The Thirteenth Naval District has made arrangements for Naval Air Station, Pasco, to employ both radar and fighter aircraft in attempting interception of these unidentified aircraft. The airspace over the Hanford Company is both a Danger area and a Restricted area. Our battery of searchlights has been in place since 15 January; one incident has occurred since that date in which a brief radar contact was made - attempted night interception again failed. It is understood that WDC has obtained permission from War Department in this instance for the Navy to fire on such unidentified aircraft as can be intercepted over this area. The U.S. Army Commanding Officer at the Hanford Project was called by this Division and agreed to release the searchlights this week, however, he desires to withdraw only approximately half of the battery; i. e. one platoon of six lights. This proposal was passed to both 4th AAA Command and WDC who concurred and instructions have been issued to withdraw one Platoon this date, the other platoon will remain approximately one week, depending on further incidents.

(D/O)

....

SECRET

HEADQUARTERS FOURTH AIR FORCE
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL
180 NEW MONTGOMERY STREET
SAN FRANCISCO 6 CALIFORNIA

(4AFGA-S&C)1

314.81/191

25 January 1945

SUBJECT: Daily Diary (Period 1600 23 January 1945 to 1600 25 January 1945).
Two-Day Period

TO: Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Washington 25, D. C. (Attention: Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Training).

1. 1. Commanding General's Office. UNCLASSIFIED

Major General Charles R. Parker assumed command of the Fourth Air Force effective 25 January 1945.

....

3. Security Measures, Pasco, Washington CONFIDENTIAL

a. “Danger Area” over Handford Eng Co.

At the request of G-3, Western Defense Comand, Hq Fourth Air Force has, through the Seattle Control Group, sent special notification to: (1) CAA, (2) Ferry Command, (3) ATC and (4) Navy, as well as to Fourth Air Force bases in the Northwest, re “Danger Area” to flying, over the Hanford Eng. Co, near Pasco, Wash. This same information is carried in Chart 2 of the “Weekly Notices to Airmen” for 11 January 1945. Naval Air Station, Pasco, Wash, has WD authority to fire on unidentified aircraft intercepted over this “Danger Area.”

b. Request for Night Fighters at Pasco, Wash.

Western Defense Command and Army Commands represented at the Hanford Eng Co, Pasco, have informally asked Hq Fourth Air Force for one or more night fighter aircraft to be based, temporarily, at Naval Air Station, Pasco, for employment against the alleged “bogie” which has been detected by radar on several nights in the past three weeks. Presumably, such night fighters as we might furnish would operate under Naval GCI Station at Pasco. Decision is being withheld pending more definite information regarding this incident.

(D/O)

....

PROJECT 1947 Comment: Commander R. W. Hendershot revealed his role in the Hanford incident many years after 1945. Decades after that some possible official confirmation was located at the National Archives.

The NICAP Subcommittee in Washington State indicated that Commander Hendershot had agreed to a tape recorded interview at some future date. We do not know if this occurred. However, among Richard Hall's' files were hundreds of tape recordings from various NICAP members and groups. Perhaps this interview is contained in this collection.

Further information on the Hanford incident is probably in the records of the Western Defense Command, Thirteenth Naval District, the Naval Squadron stationed at Naval Air Station, Pasco, Western Sea Frontier, Hanford Works, and in other records of the HQ Army Air Force.

These specific 4th Air Force documents, while addressed to the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Training at Washington, D. C., were found in the HQ, Army Air Forces, Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, at the National Archives II, Decimal File Number 319.1 Daily Diary. Note that the 4th Air Force documents give no clue as to what is going on at Hanford, which at the time was producing plutonium for the first atomic bombs.

---

Further confirmation of the Hanford aerial intrusions and emergency installation of radar coverage of the facility came from Colonel Franklin T. Matthias, Officer in Charge of the Hanford Engineering Works. One day after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Colonel Matthias convened a press conference to reveal the previously Top Secret activities undertaken at Hanford.

The Seattle Times carried the report of the conference by Times Associate Editor, Ross Cunningham. In an article published on August 8, 1945, it was publically revealed that there had been suspected aerial intrusions over Hanford, that radar was hastily installed to detect such intrusions, and that an arrangement was made with the Navy to intercept the intruders. This confirms that the plans described within the 4th Air Force documents were actually carried out, supporting the testimony of the Naval officers Hendershot, Clem, and Powell regarding encounters by Naval aircraft with intruders over Hanford. (see Hanford entry in Naval Chronology.)

Excerpt from the Seattle Times article:

“Throughout the war, the project has had no direct protection against external enemy action, no anti-aircraft, no protective troops, and no aircraft.” Colonel Matthias explained that radar was installed at the project hurriedly, “when we saw or thought we saw unidentified aircraft operating.” Defensive plans, not to be confused with internal security, rested on an arrangement with the Navy to send fighter planes if needed and arrangement with the 9th Service Command to “send us all the troops they had if we needed them.”

---

Seattle, Washington, The Seattle Times - 8 August, 1945

Hanford Made Material For Atomic Bomb That Hit Japs

By ROSS CUNNINGHAM
Associate Editor, The Times

HANFORD ENGINEER WORKS, Benton County, Aug. 8.-Stripping away another layer of the security secrecy shrouding this project, the Army took newsmen on an inspection of some of the hitherto restricted areas today after the project head, Col. F. T. Matthias, in a remarkably frank interview, made these revelations regarding atomic energy production and use:

1. The atomic material for the bomb which launched the “finish Japan” attack Sunday was produced in this project.

2. The Hanford project and its principal counterpart in Tennessee operate independently and if either were closed down the other could produce the material, although by a divergent process.

3. No plans have been made for the peacetime use of the Hanford Engineer Works.

4. It is probable that preliminary studies are under way for adapting atomic energy to peacetime use, but no work along that line is under way here.

5. Commercial representation is present on the top-flight committee studying the potentialities of the energy so that the greatest good possible may be accomplished.

After these statements by the Army officer here in the position to project the future of atomic energy, newsmen made the 30-mile drive north from Richland to the center of the production area, where the “ghost town” of Hanford lies virtually empty.

The newsmen stared at huge cement plants with smokestacks towering against the sky as workmen within them spin the dials to produce atomic energy to press forward the attack on Japan. They were not permitted within the plants, which are within wire inclosures and Colonel Matthias explained it thus:

“The disclosure of the nature of their work and its effect upon the enemy has had a stimulating effect and we must get on with production. It was a terrific relief to the staff to learn the details and they are proceeding, I'm sure, with renewed zip.

“Besides,” he added, referring to the decision not to allow internal plant inspection, “these men are working with delicately balanced force and I don't think there should be anything to distract them.”

Colonel Matthias' press conference - in which he stood for an hour on a raised platform behind a counter, snapping a cigarette lighter but never getting around to lighting his smoke - covered a wide range of subjects, even including the question as to whether the colonel's experience with atomic energy led him to conclude a projectile could be made of it in the United States and shot to any place on earth.

The colonel smiled, snapped the lighter a couple of times, and replied slowly:

“We have nothing to lead us to believe it could be done with any degree of certainty.”

Good nature was applied by the colonel when someone quipped about how he kept from revealing the secret while “talking in his sleep.”

“I don't talk in my sleep - and my wife was just as surprised as any one when she learned Monday what we had been working on,” the colonel smiled.

But the more serious questions were answered in rapid-fire order, the gray-haired colonel seldom avoiding an answer, and then only when security was involved, or the top committee in the East had ruled that the subject was not to be discussed.

Why Hanford Was Chosen

After discussing how the present Hanford site was selected because of the availability of huge quantities of electrical power, an abundance of pure water, isolation and cheap land, Colonel Matthias said that the late President Roosevelt was in close touch with the project from the beginning, as was Secretary of War Stimson.

President Roosevelt wanted to visit the project but decided against it because it would focus too much attention on it. The Truman Senate investigating committee, too, withheld visiting Hanford, the colonel said, for the same reason.

“The then Senator Truman probably had some inkling of it through Secretary Stimson.”

Reluctance to emphasize the project also prevented it from beginning with a triple-A priority for materials, he said, and work was begun with a third-rate priority. It later was raised when the pinch of materials threatened to slow construction and it was possible to increase the priority without emphasizing the project.

Actually, Colonel Matthias said, he didn't know the exact nature of the project when he and two other officers selected the site.

“We had only an approximate idea,” he explained.

“We knew that we had to have firm ground for massive buildings,” he said.

These were the towering buildings which newsmen saw from a short distance.

The looming chimneys cast their shadows in points toward the old construction town of Hanford, where row on row of Quonset huts; large square dormitories which once housed tens of thousands of men and women; the commissary which once fed thousands of the employes (sic), and the research and administrative buildings spread over scores of acres.

No Workers to Remove Town

Officers explained that they were left standing for two reasons. Construction changes might at any time up until a few weeks ago have necessitated their being used again to house more workers. The second reason was the reluctance to divert essential manpower to their demolition, although much of the critical electrical materials have been stripped of and shipped to the South Pacific. To get on with Colonel Matthias' revelations, he spoke of the independence of the Hanford and Oak Ridge, Tenn., plants in response to a question.

“Could the material for the atomic bomb be produced in either Oak Ridge or Hanford?”

“Yes, all of the essential materials,” the colonel replied, adding that the processes employed in the two projects differs.

“Have you had any trouble with sabotage-spies?” “The word spies needs defining - but I can say that when the project was in its early stages we had some people here who were here to try to find out something.”

“And I can add with certainty we haven't any now,” Colonel Matthias said with emphasis.

“You know, when some of them applied and found they had to have their fingerprints taken before they came to work they didn't show up again.

Low Rate of Injury

“The project,” he said, “had a low rate of injury among workmen, and only 16 of the thousands of men and women who worked on the project were injured fatally - 11 in two accidents, the collapse of a big tank and a train-wreck.

“Its unusual but we are not eligible for the E award given by the Army and Navy,” the colonel said. “We're too far along - 90 per cent - with the construction to win a construction award and not far enough along to get an award through comparison with other plants.

“Throughout the war, the project has had no direct protection against external enemy action - no anti-aircraft; no protective troops and no aircraft.”

Colonel Matthias explained that radar was installed at the project hurriedly, “when we saw or thought we saw unidentified aircraft operating.” Defensive plans, not to be confused with internal security, rested in an arrangement with the Navy to send fighter planes if needed and arrangement with the 9th Service Command to “send us all the troops they had if we needed them.”

“Do you see any peacetime use of the plant?” he was asked.

“Well, they used to say that there was no future for the horseless carriage, but you know what happened,” he laughed. “I can't answer that question and I don't think anyone else can because no one knows.

“The project was not built with the idea of being part of any projected Columbia River development.”

He said that the project was a round-the-clock operation, meaning that it is like an aluminum plant in necessity of continuous operation, which brought out that for a time there was an outside chance electrical power interruption by an accident might break off production. But precautions have been completed now to insure against this.

Other Atoms May Be Used

“I cannot over-emphasize the importance to the nation of security on this project,” he said.

“On the committee working with the future of the process there are commercial interests because it is hoped that it can be handled to the best interest of the country.”

Colonel Matthias said that it is common belief that atoms other than of U-235 uranium - which is used in the present process - can be utilized as research progresses.

“I did not think that the public could so quickly realize the importance of the development of atomic energy,” Colonel Matthias replied in response to a question as to whether it was being over-emphasized.

“I think it is the biggest thing that has happened in many years.”

“The project was financed at first from President Roosevelt's special fund to exploit war production,” Colonel Matthias said. “But later the funds were obtained from a regular congressional appropriation. This involved letting key members of the appropriations committees know of the importance of the development, but the key secret was withheld.”

Richard Dolan Blogsite
Author of UFOs and the National Security State, A.D. After Disclosure, and UFOs for the 21st Century Mind

Dolan CHD Statement 3: UFOs and Nuclear Tampering (I)

I was asked to participate in the panel concerned with UFOs and nuclear tampering. In fact, I was asked to prepare two statements, although as it turned out, the Panel decided to combine the two separate sessions into one, and therefore I only delivered the one below. (The second statement, although not delivered orally, remains part of the record of the proceedings.)

Richard Dolan, April 30, 2013

From the beginning of the atomic age, there have been good reports of unknown objects with extraordinary capabilities being in the vicinity of our most advanced nuclear facilities. They certainly appear to be interested.

We are fortunate in having obtained a few items of interest via the Freedom of Information Act. It is obvious that much remains beyond our reach, but what we have is certainly of interest. I'm going to describe a few of these documents for you, but first I want to describe an event that is not in a declassified document, but a written account from a credible witness that really is quite fascinating.

This is from a U.S. Navy officer named Byron D. Varner, who wrote a privately published book called Living on the Edge: An American war hero's daring feats as a Navy fighter pilot, civilian test pilot, and CIA mercenary. [link to [nip2]].

This book includes a UFO encounter by another Navy Pilot, Rolan Powell. Both of these gentlemen was interviewed at length by the then-head of the Mutual UFO Network, Mr. Walter Andrus.

Here's what happened:

In July 1945, near the close of the Pacific War, the Hanford Atomic Facility, located in the State of Washington, was one of the key elements of America's new nuclear infrastructure. Although by now no one thought the Japanese could threaten it, there were still standby aircraft, armed and ready at all times, just in case.

At noon, an alert was sounded. Radar had detected a fast-moving object that was now in a holding pattern directly above the Hanford plant. It was extremely high, and no one can see it at first. Six pilots, flying Grumman F-6F Hellcats, were sent up. Finally, they saw it and flew to intercept it. It was estimated to be at 65,000 feet. Extremely high.

No one could recognize it. It had what the book described as “a saucer-like appearance,” bright, extremely fast, and very high. The pilot Rolan Powell later described the object to be as large as “three aircraft carriers side by side, oval shaped, very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and pinkish in color.” It emitted a kind of vapor, he said, around the outside edges, from portholes or vents. He speculated that the vapor was being discharged to form a cloud for disguise.

The pilots were baffled and told to go higher. They replied, “if we go much higher we can ruin these engines.” The answer came back: “Blow the engines if you have to, but use full military power, full throttle injection, maximum, continuous. Go for it!”

They were told that if the engines quit, they were to “glide back towards the airport and hope that you make it.”

Even so, no one could get close enough to the object. It didn't seem to do anything. It merely hovered there, as if observing, staying well enough out of reach. The pilots could not believe its ability to hover like this. Finally, some of the engines did begin to fail, fuel consumption got critical, and the planes returned to base. After this, the strange craft disappeared as quickly as it came. It did not return.

The pilots had pushed their aircraft up to 42,000 feet, well above their maximum ceiling of 37,000 feet. A rather serious event.

Not surprisingly, there was no press coverage of any of this.

Now, some might quibble that this is just a story, unconfirmed by any government or military document. But this was a detailed story from an experienced World War Two pilot, and you can take from it what you will. We do, however, have a number of declassified government documents that describe UFOs being seen over America's nuclear facilities during the early atomic era.

[... other cases over atomic installations...]

And yet, the events which took place so long ago not only demand a scientific analysis, but also cry out to be understood for what they were: a key component in the implementation of secrecy so profound, so serious, that they contributed to the creation of a state within a state, not bound by the traditional American goals of public openness and responsiveness to the people.

One might argue that such events are so serious that the public really doesn't have a need to know. Well, I beg your pardon, but I do think that citizens in a free republic, if they are to govern, which is the basic idea, do have a need to know the important things in their world.

Thank you.

MAY 15, 2013

Mid-July 1945; Pasco NAS / Hanford Nuclear Plant, Washington

Noon. Roland D. Powell and 5 other F6F pilots. Object was very bright and had saucer-like appearance; was the size of three aircraft carriers, side-by side, oval shaped, very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and, and pinkish in color; Hovered in fixed position and then went straight-up and disappeared. (Chester, Page 188 Ref.1 / MUFON UFO Journal)

Mid-July - Noon. Pilot Rolan D. Powell and five other F6F Hellcat pilots at Naval Air Station Pasco, Washington, are scrambled after radar reports a fast-moving object over the nearby Hanford facility. They see a bright object with a saucer-like appearance at. It is the size of three aircraft carriers, side-by side, oval shaped, very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and, and pinkish in color. It hovers in a fixed position at 65,000 feet and then goes straight up and disappears. (NICAP, “Huge Saucer over Nuclear Reactor-Radar/Visual” [link to https://www.nicap.org/45XXXXhanforddir.htm]; Strange Company 188; Patrick Gross, “Alleged UFO Intercept Attempt at Hanford Nuclear Plant, July 1945”)

August 7 - During a press conference with the Seattle Times, Col. Franklin Matthias, officer in charge at the Hanford Engineer Works in Washington, admits the plant has had problems with aerial intrusions, but that radar has been installed and an arrangement made with the Navy to intercept any unidentified aircraft. (Project 1947, “UFOs over Hanford: Commander R. W. Hendershot”)

Date: Mid-July 1945

Location: WA

Time:

Summary: Object was very bright and had saucer-like appearance; was the size of three aircraft carriers, side-by side, oval shaped, very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and, and pinkish in color; Hovered in fixed position and then went straight-up and disappeared.

Source:

Date: Mid-July, 1945

Location: Hanford Plant, Washington

Time: Noon

Summary: Radar detected a fast-moving object that was in a holding pattern directly above the Hanford plant. It was extremely high and the pilots couldn't see it at first. As they rapidly increased altitude the pilots all spotted it at about the same time and headed directly for its position. None of them could recognize it, but they could see it well from their vantage point. It had a saucer-like appearance, was bright, extremely fast, and very high. The F6F had an operating ceiling of 37,000 feet, but on this day they exceeded that considerably and still couldn't get close enough. It didn't make any overt moves, gave no signals, just hovered there as if observing, staying well enough out of reach. When some of the engines began to fail, and fuel consumption got critical, the planes returned to base one by one, and the strange craft disappeared as quickly as it came. The six F6F “Hellcats” made visual contact with the object described as the size of three aircraft carriers side by side, oval shaped, very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and pinkish in color. The witness who filed this report said that some kind of vapor was being emitted around the outside edges from portholes or vents. The object was observed at noon in a clear sky at an estimated altitude of 65,000 feet. After hovering in a fixed position above the Hanford Nuclear Reactor for an additional twenty minutes, the object disappeared going straight-up as the six Hellcats limped back to the Pasco Naval Air Station (Washington).

Source: Case report from NICAP files

Chronology of sightings drawn up by Dr. Domenico Pasquariello of CEIFAN (Centre for Investigation of Anomalous Phenomena).

[... other cases...]

- In the summer of 1945, while he was based at the U.S. Naval Air Station Ensign Rolan D. Powell in Pasco, Wash five pilots were used together with their planes to intercept an unknown aircraft noticed by the radar of the basic. The military at the time was concerned with protecting a top secret site in Handford where engineers worked near large plutonium stockpiles. The UFO was about 60 kilometers in flight from the depot. The Americans they suspected it was a Japanese spy plane and expected an attack, hence the planes Grumman Hellcat F6F intercepted the aircraft, but to their surprise they found anything but something known and hostile. The UFO was flying at 65,000 feet in the air and was as big as 3 aircraft carriers side by side. It was shaped like a luminescent pink elongated egg and had some vents from which a sort of steam came out, this is what the former technical instructor stated after 50 years Walter Andrus retired soldier. The pilots failed to identify the object and from the base it was ordered to climb to 42,000 feet, while their maximum altitude was 37,000, but they failed to reach it. The UFO remained above the Handford plant for a good 20 minutes and then disappeared vertically, to everyone's amazement.

[... other cases...]

* Fuel Processing Facilities (initially Oak Ridge Tennessee then Hanford Washington -in my backyard). Hanford was the second facility built to support the Manhattan Project. The fuel for the weapons used in Japan came from this facility. It would be an obvious target for surveillance and demonstration. An event occurred at this facility on or around the date of the Trinity Test.

Hanford, WA: Radar picked up a fast moving oval object the size of three aircraft carriers side by side which then began to hover over N-Plant at 65,000 ft altitude. Six F6F's were scrambled to the object but reached a maximum altitude of 42,000 ft, 5,000 ft above the rated ceiling of the F6F. The pilots were forced to go back as their engines began to fail and fuel became dangerously low. The object then disappeared as quickly as it came. At least twenty minutes elapsed during the event. The object was described as “very streamlined like a stretched-out egg and pinkish in color” and emitting vapor from the outer edges. The date of the occurrence was described by Rolan Powell, one of the pilots, as “six weeks before the Japanese surrendered aboard the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.” This places the sighting in the middle of July. Living On The Edge: An American war hero's daring feats as a navy fighter pilot, civilian test pilot, and CIA mercenary by Byron D. Varner, privately published. Also interviews with the author and principal, Rolan D. Powell by Walt Andrus. Thanks to Francis Ridge – NICAP Web Site.

Long duration sightings at or near these facilities close to such important dates can interpreted as demonstrations. The timing of these demonstrations often occur about significant atomic/nuclear related events. Do they want our leaders to be cognizant of these incursions and their importance? It is as if they are applying pressure. The sighting over the Oak Ridge facility September 18 of 1944 occurred on the same day as the Hyde Park Accord, a secret accord between the US and Britain [F. D. Roosevelt and W. Churchill] deciding atomic bombing of Japan. There are many events that have occurred over the weapons material manufacturing facilities and much opportunity to learn the historical significance.

A side note:

In a search for information relating UFO to Hanford, documents relating to the cleanup efforts at Hanford turned up with information on a waste dump area officially titled “UFO Landing Area.” It is in one of the oldest dump areas of the reservation and adjacent to the main security facilities. It appears, based on another person's review of recent aerial photos, that the cleanup is complete at that location. That was an interesting find. The titles of these various cleanup areas do not show a theme of humor or sarcasm. The underground plume of contaminants at the reservation is slowly working its way toward the Columbia River. At this time, there is not much we can do to halt this progression.

Lt. (jg) Byron D. Varner, 1311 24th, Lubbock, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Smith, Lubbock, husband of Bonnie Guthrie, graduate at Texas U.. Entered at N.A.C., 1942, training in California, Georgia, Texas and Kansas. Served in AP. Awarded AT, AP, Victory and Occ Ribbons. Discharged in 1946.

“One external threat was the launching of Japanese balloon bombs. Following a United States raid on Tokyo after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the Japanese produced about nine thousand rice paper balloon bombs. Easterly winds carried them to the North American mainland, including some in the Hanford area. One of the balloons tangled in a power line that stretched between Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams resulting in a power outage at the Hanford Site. Although the power outage was shorter than a minute, it took 3 days to restore the reactors to full power (Jones 1985, Sanger 1995). For more information, see also McDowell (1993) and the Tri-City Herald (1995).”

“The Japanese balloon bombs were a real worry. Everybody at the plant was always looking up because of the statistical chance of one falling. I remember seeing 40 at one time going over. The Navy planes at Pasco chased them regularly but they had poor luck. Matthias and I went over to prod them about getting better protection. They never managed to shoot one down, although a number came down on the project, but away from buildings. The bombs never went off, but the balloons blew around and the military were a great sight trying to round these up without being blown up themselves.” - Walter O. Simon quoted in Sanger 1995, p. 155”