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e Mary Hyre's office； had been a focal point for strangers ever since Linda； Roger； and another couple had seen the 〃Bird〃…the preposterous winged man of Point Pleasant…the year before。
Now there was a steady flow of friends and neighbors stopping by to look at the new baby； one of the few joyous occasions that bleak December。 When Jack Brown's noisy white car pulled into the McDaniel driveway he was weled as so many reporters； monster hunters； and UFO researchers had been before him。 He 'announced himself as a friend of Mary Hyre； Gray Barker； and John Keel and entered the house hauling a large tape recorder which he set up on a kitchen table。 It became immediately obvious that he was unfamiliar with the machine and didn't know how to thread or operate it。
The McDaniel family was used to reporters and tape recorders； and answering the same tiresome questions。 But Brown's questions were not just tiresome。 They were vague； detached； and unintelligent。 He obviously knew nothing whatsoever about the plex subject of flying saucers； and he was totally disinterested in the legendary 〃Bird。〃 His main interest seemed to be me…my present whereabouts and the nature of my relationship with Mrs。 Hyre。
Not surprisingly； he asked the McDaniels how they thought Mary Hyre would react if someone ordered her to stop reporting flying saucer sightings。
Friends and neighbors dropped by all evening to view the new baby。 Although the baby was the center of all attention； Brown totally ignored the child； not even bothering to show polite interest。 When Tom C。； a next…door neighbor； was introduced Brown extended his thumb and two forefingers for a handshake。 He said he was from Cambridge； Ohio； a small town just outside of Columbus； Ohio。 Later a reporter for the Columbus； Ohio； Dispatch arrived and in the course of their casual conversation it became apparent that Brown had never heard of the Dispatch； one of the state's largest newspapers； and； in fact； did not even know where Cambridge was。
His general demeanor made everyone unfortable。 His inability to converse intelligently and his hypnotic； piercing gaze bothered everyone。 Despite the growing coolness； he lingered for five hours； leaving about 11 P。M。 Early in the evening he denied knowing me personally。 Later on he said he and I were good friends。 He seemed surprised that I had not rushed back to Point Pleasant after the bridge disaster。 Perhaps he expected to find me there。
Among other things； he said 〃Gray Barker told him that a UFO had been seen over the Silver Bridge just before it collapsed。 Later when I spoke to Barker about this incident he denied emphatically knowing Brown or anyone matching his description。 Gray had phoned me the night of the disaster and mentioned hearing a radio interview in which a witness reported seeing a flash of light just before the bridge went down。 Afterward it became clear that this was a flash caused by snapping power cables strung along the bridge。
Jack Brown was never seen again。 He did not turn up in other UFO flap areas。 He just got into his white car and rattled off into the night； joining all the other Smiths； Joneses； Kelleys； and Frenches who seem to serve no purpose except to excite the latent paranoia of the UFO enthusiasts and keep one set of myths alive。
IX。
In room 4C922 of the Pentagon building in 1966 there was an L…shaped cubicle occupying about fifty square feet of area。 A gray…haired； grim…visaged lieutenant colonel named Maston M。 Jacks held forth there； sitting behind a cluttered desk and jangling phones。 His job in those days was to handle reporters inquiring about the UFO situation。 His opening line was a show…stopper。
〃There's nothing to it； Mr。 Keel。 It's all a lot of hearsay。〃
On another desk there was a large red folder with the words Top Secret emblazoned in big black letters。 While we talked； a secretary entered and put a newspaper clipping into the folder。
My first conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Jacks quickly turned into an argument。 He parroted the well…known air force anti…UFO line and I explained gently that I had seen some of the damned things myself。 At one point he pulled himself up and glared at me。
〃Are you calling an officer in the U。S。 Air Force a liar？〃
Later on the phone rang and from his inflection it was obvious he was talking to a superior officer。 I discreetly strolled to the far end of the room and stared out the tiny； prisonlike window。 He mumbled something about some movie film and then in a very low voice he added； 〃I'll nave to call you back。…There's somebody here in my office that I've got to stop。〃
After he hung up we resumed our argument。 He had clearly gone through this many times before。 It was all an act。 His moods changed abruptly from rage to politeness to chumminess。 Finally he escorted me down the hall to a library and dumped me。
Jacks told me several times that the air force did not have any kind of a UFO photo file。 A year later； however； a science writer named Lloyd Malian was given over one hundred pictures from that nonexistent file。 Jacks also informed me that no UFO reports were stored in the Pentagon。 They were all at Wright…Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio。 I didn't visit Wright…Patterson but Mort Young of the now…defunct New York Journal…American did。 I asked Mort to write his experience for this book。
〃Records of UFO reports； I was told at the Pentagon； are all kept at Wright…Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton； Ohio；〃 Mort explains。
So I went to Dayton。 There I was told that UFO reports are filed at the Pentagon； and I could have seen them in Washington。 I later learned that not only are UFO reports filed at the Pentagon and at Project Blue Book headquarters in Dayton； but are also forwarded to at least two other addresses where； presumably； they are also filed。 One might hope that at these other places； the files are in better order than at Blue Book； where individual sightings are inplete。 Files I asked for were either handed to me with pages missing； entire parts missing； or the file itself was missing： the air force having 〃no information〃 on the sighting in question。 Some files were in disreputable state： page upon page jammed into brown folders。 The information that was there would have to be sorted chronologically； at least； before one could sit down； read it through and e out the wiser。 I would rather try to explain a UFO than make sense out of an air force UFO report
Some of the allegations of the UFO believers had merit。 The air force was struggling to keep the issues confused。 They did lie； and on occasion they lied outrageously； to reporters。 Photographs sent to them by well…meaning citizens often disappeared forever into the maw at Wright…Patterson。
But from my own investigations I could not honestly accuse them of having a wing of Oriental officers whose assignment was to squelch witnesses。 Other writers such as Lloyd Malian were reaching similar conclusions。 By 1967； Lieutenant Colonel Jacks had retired and been replaced by Lt。 Col。 George P。 Freeman。 Fre