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."

Explore Harry Truman in the live connections board → Open the case file

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: sddgfeedback@gmail.com.