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Debris Found From 1947 Air Force Crash Adds To Ufo Mystery

Wreckage from the first crash of an Air Forcethe next twenty-four hours. According to
Aircraft on August 1, 1947 seems likewitnesses, Captain Davidson and Lt Brown
something that only the military might beboarded a B-25 with a box of material from
interested in. Or maybe not. Much of thetheir investigation and took off from McChord
original wreckage was left to rust in theField with two other crew members. Shortly
forest and no recent attempts have been madeafterward, their left engine caught fire and
to relocate or recover it by any branch ofthe fire fighting system malfunctioned. After
the Military. Instead, civilians have beenordering the other crew members to bail out,
looking for pieces from the crashed B-25 forDavidson and Brown were trapped when the
years. That's because the crash site nearaircraft began to collapse around them. Both
Kelso, Washington, may contain materialperished in the crash. This was the very
that's simply out of this world After tenfirst crash of an Air Force plane because it
years of searching, Jim Greer located pieceshappened on the day that the Air Force
from the B25 in a ravine near Goble Creekofficially separated from the Army. It's
east of Kelso. He has turned some of theironic that the crash may have been directly
material over to the Museum of Mysteries inlinked to the UFO phenomenon. An article in
Seattle. Their interest is in the paranormalthe Tacoma Times claimed that the B-25 was
aspects of the crash. That's because theshot down by a 20mm canon or sabotaged to
aircraft was carrying two Officers thatkeep the material salvaged from the Maury
participated in the investigation of aIsland event from being examined at Fort
Washington UFO incident and material fromHamilton. After the B-25 crash and the Men in
that investigation. 1947 is a memorable yearBlack incident involving Dahl, the two
for UFO enthusiasts. The saucer sightings bywitnesses became concerned for the safety of
Kenneth Arnold in the State of Washington andtheir families. When Arnold and Smith came to
UFO crash or crashes in New Mexico tend toview the boat that Dahl said was damaged by
dominate our attention. It's easy to forgetthe falling debris, Captain Smith expressed
that over 850 sightings of a credible naturesome doubts. He felt that repairs on the
were reported by U.S. Newspapers. Thesevessel were inconsistent with the kind of
include amazing events alleged to havedamage that was originally reported. Rather
occurred near Maury Island in Washington.than explain that whole sections were
Real or imagined, those events and theirreplaced, Dahl simply told Smith that he was
aftermath reveal a stunning cover-up that hasno longer going to cooperate with the
never been fully investigated or explained.investigation and just wanted to be left
Harold Dahl, his son Charles, the family dogalone. Some reports say that the two
and two crew members were on a patrol boatwitnesses admitted it was all a hoax, but
looking for salvage logs in the Puget Soundneither Dahl or Crisman ever admitted making
on June 21, 1947. They were just off Maurysuch statements. Another report said that the
Island (today called Vashon Island) when thematerial Dahl and Crisman presented to the
UFO incident began. The group witnessed sixinvestigators was just worthless slag from a
'donut-shaped' craft above their position.local smelter. Apart from the fact that there
Harold said that the objects were about onewas nothing in it for Dahl or Crisman to
hundred feet in diameter and had a 'brightcreate a hoax and both had more to lose than
metallic' appearance. Five of the crafts weregain, there is some evidence to support their
circling a sixth which Dahl said wasside of the story: - FBI Teletype from J.
'wobbling' and seemed to be in distress.Edgar Hoover, 8/14/47: "It would also appear
After some sort of an explosion, the sixththat Dahl and Crisman did not admit the hoax
craft discharged a large quantity of debris.to the army officers..." - Return Teletype to
The debris resembled cooled volcanic lava,Hoover from Special Agent George Wilcox:
had an aluminum-like appearance and fell in"Please be advised that Dahl did not admit
the form of large flakes. These flakes hitthat his story was a hoax but only stated
and damaged their boat, injured Charles andthat if questioned by authorities he was
killed the family dog. Afterward, all thegoing to say it was a hoax because he did not
objects rose rapidly into the sky and tookwant any further trouble over the matter." -
off in the direction of the ocean. DahlIn the January 1950 edition of FATE Magazine,
headed to Maury Island where he stopped toFred Crisman called allegations that he
assess the damage to his boat and takeadmitted the case was a hoax a "bald-faced
photos. Finding more debris, he collected itlie." - Neither Ray Palmer or Kenneth Arnold
and then proceeded to Tacoma. After takingever said the case was a hoax. Even stranger
his son to the emergency room, Dahl reportedwere the events that occurred after the
the entire incident to Fred Crisman, theinvestigation by Arnold, Smith, Davidson and
harbor patrol supervisor. Crisman didn'tBrown: - The crash of the B25 is surrounded
believe him, so he returned to the area onby allegations of sabotage or downing by
Maury Island which Dahl described. Crismanfriendly fire. - The crash of Kenneth
found what seemed like tons of the strangeArnold's airplane under mysterious
material along the shoreline. While pickingcircumstances on August 3, 1947. He was
up some of it, he said that an objectalmost killed and later claimed his aircraft
appeared and dropped more. Meanwhile, Dahlhad been sabotaged. - The untimely and
was visited by a "man in a dark suit" themysterious death of Paul Lance, the Tacoma
next day. The man told Dahl that he sawTimes Reporter who claimed that the B25 might
something he was not supposed to see andhave been purposely brought down by
warned him not to discuss it. Just three daysgovernment operatives. He died two weeks
after the Maury Island incident, Kennethafter the article appeared in print. No
Arnold reported seeing a formation of strangeactual cause of death could be determined. -
looking objects traveling at incredibleThe sudden death of Ted Morrello, the United
speeds near Mount Rainer, Washington. BecausePress reporter who called Arnold just after
Arnold was a former military aviator andthe Dahl Meeting claiming full knowledge of
well-respected private pilot, the pressthe proceedings. - The closing of The Tacoma
jumped all over his sighting. Arnold wasTimes which went out of business shortly
later contacted by Ray Palmer, editor ofafter the article about the B25 was
Amazing Stories. The two discussed hispublished. Unlike most hoaxes, the Maury
sighting, became friends and forged a workingIsland UFO incident is not unique among
relationship. United Airlines Captain E. J.sighting or physical evidence cases. The
Smith was a friend of Kenneth Arnold, butscene originally described by Dahl has been
initially skeptical of his sighting until herepeated many times. Several objects are seen
had one of his own. During a flight fromtogether, one crashes or is in distress and
Boise, Idaho, to Tacoma, Washington on Julyothers assist. Strange material is ejected,
4, 1947, Smith noticed a formation ofdropped or simply deposited. The material can
saucer-shaped objects near his aircraft. Theybe metallic, fibrous or even biological.
first appeared just after 9pm, then vanishedThere are many reasons for anyone interested
and reappeared several times for overin UFOs to take a second look at this case.
forty-five minutes. Captain Smith, Co-PilotIncluding the military response to the crash.
Ralph Stevens and Stewardess Marty Morrow allRobert Davenport of Kelso, Washington, was
saw them. The importance of the Arnold andone of the first people to view the B-25
Smith sightings cannot be stressed enough.crash site. He said that small fires were
These witnesses were experienced pilots, notstill burning due to all the unused fuel when
starry-eyed civilians looking at something inhe and a few others found the wreckage. When
the sky that a trained observer mightthe military arrived they expelled everyone,
immediately recognize as commonplace. Thatsealed 150 acres around the crash site and
would make any opinions they had about thetook over the area for about a week. They
Maury Island UFO incident all the moreused part of Davenport's land as a base camp.
important. Their involvement began with aDespite combing through debris and moving
letter to Ray Palmer from Fred Crisman.some larger pieces to an open field for
Palmer quickly contacted Arnold and asked himfurther inspection, the bulk of the crash
to investigate the Maury Island story. Arnoldmaterial was left behind. This seems strange
agreed, but asked Smith to help. He alsofor an investigation involving the very first
contacted the military and requested thatcrash of an Air Force plane. It appeared that
they send investigators to be present duringthey were more interested in looking for
the initial interviews. Arnold and Smithsomething in the aircraft than trying to
arrived in Tacoma and met with Harold Dahl atdetermine the cause of the crash. It's
the Winthrop Hotel on July 31, 1947. Alsodoubtful that the validity of the Maury
present were a Captain Davidson and 1st Lt.Island UFO incident will ever be resolved to
Frank Brown. Crisman showed up with cerealanyone's satisfaction. It's also unlikely
boxes filled with material from the Islandthat any of the material from that event will
which he presented to the Military Officers.ever be recovered from the B-25 crash site.
In a hurry to return to Hamilton Field forHowever, it's important to remember that
Air Force Inauguration Day, Davidson andMaury Island occurred before the Arnold
Brown left the hotel just after midnight. Airsighting, before Roswell and is certainly
Force Inauguration Day was the day that thesurrounded by unusual circumstances and
Air Force officially became a separate branchunresolved issues. Whether the actual
of the military. After the session with Dahlsighting occurred or never happened, you have
was completed, Arnold returned to his hotelto be amazed by the response of the
room. He almost immediately received a callgovernment within a government. Visit for
from Ted Morello, a United Press reporter.more UFO and Paranormal News, Information and
Morello seemed to know everything that wentCommentary.
on in the hotel room where the impromptu
investigative had taken place and wanted aAuthor: Bill Knell Author's Website: Terms To
comment about it. Arnold was upset andUse Article: Permission is granted to use
suspected a hidden microphone had been usedthis article for free online or in print with
to obtain the information. That wasn't thethe addition of a link to or that URL
only surprise Arnold was to experience duringprinted with the article.



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