“As long as such unidentified objects continue to navigate through the earth’s atmosphere, there is an urgent need to know the facts.  Many observers have ceased to report their findings to the Air Force because of the seeming frustration—­that is, all information going in, and none coming out.  It is in this area that NICAP may find its greatest mission.

“We are in a position to screen independently all UFO information coming in from our filter groups.

“General Albert C. Wedemeyer will serve the Committee as Evaluations Adviser and complete analyses will be arranged through leading scientists.  After careful evaluation, we shall release our findings to the public.”

Donald Keyhoe, a retired Marine Corps Major, and author of three top seller UFO books, was appointed director.  The mere fact that another civilian UFO investigative group was being born was neither news nor UFO history because since 1947 well over a hundred such organizations had been formed.  Many still exist; many flopped.  But none deserve the niche in UFO history that does NICAP.  NICAP had power and it raised a storm that took months to calm down.

NICAP got off to a fast start.  Dues were pegged at $7.50 a year, which included a subscription to the very interesting magazine The UFO Investigator, and the operation went into high gear.

With such names as Fahrney, Wedemeyer, Hillenkoetter, Del Valle and Knowles for prestige, and Keyhoe for intrigue, saucer fans all over the United States packaged up their seven-fifty and mailed it to headquarters.  Each, in turn, became a “listening post” and an “investigator.”

Keyhoe set up a Panel of Special Advisors, all saucer fans, to “impartially evaluate” the UFO reports ferreted out by the “listening posts,” based on facts uncovered by the “investigators.”

Even though the “leading scientists” Fahrney mentioned in his statement never materialized NICAP was cocked, primed, and ready.

To get things off to a gala start Keyhoe, as director of NICAP, wrote to the Air Force and set out NICAP’s Eight Point Plan.  In essence this plan suggested (some say demanded) that the Air Force let NICAP ride herd on Project Blue Book.

First of all, NICAP wanted its Panel of Special Advisors to review and concur with all of the conclusions on the thousands of UFO reports that the Air Force had in its files.

This went over like a worm in the punch bowl.

First of all, the Air Force didn’t feel it was necessary to review its files.  Secondly, they knew NICAP.  If every balloon, planet, airplane, and bird that caused a UFO report hadn’t been captured and a signed confession wrung out, the UFO would be a visitor from outer space.

The Air Force decided to ignore NICAP.

But NICAP wouldn’t be ignored.  They bombarded everyone from the Secretary of the Air Force on down with telephone calls, telegrams and letters.