Government / Military

Harry Truman

1947–1972

33rd U.S. President (1945-1953); authorized Project Sign in 1948, the Air Force's first formal UFO investigation, after the 1947 wave of sightings including Roswell. When asked if he'd seen a flying saucer, he quipped, "Only in the newspapers."

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Connections (7)

confirmedRoswell Incident

his administration handled the immediate aftermath

confirmedDonald Keyhoe

Keyhoe wrote to him directly about UFOs

confirmedProject Blue Book

authorized its 1948 predecessor, Project Sign

Source: USAF Project Blue Book records; Ruppelt, Report on Unidentified Flying Objects (1956)

confirmedNathan Twining

his memo prompted Truman's authorization of Project Sign

Source: Twining memo, Sept 23 1947; Project Sign (USAF history)

confirmedDwight Eisenhower

successor continued his UFO investigation program

reportedMajestic 12 (MJ-12)

alleged in disputed documents to have created it

Source: MJ-12 documents (widely regarded as disputed/forged); Stanton Friedman analysis

disputedJames Forrestal

dismissed him in 1949 amid deteriorating relations

Part of The Red Thread Files — an independent, evidence-first investigation into the UAP, USO, and consciousness question. Confidence labels (confirmed / reported / disputed) are an automated approximation based on the wording and directness of each source, not a verdict. Corrections: [email protected].