Major Keyhoe and the Book Intended

While looking through some old files last week, I happened upon a 1977 letter from the late Major Donald E. Keyhoe (USMC, ret.).  I forgot that Keyhoe had actually honored me with two letters -- quite a feat, since those close to Keyhoe often noted that expecting a personal written reply from the former director of the old National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) was often an exercise in disappointment.

I met the major briefly as a teenager in 1965 during a visit to the NICAP office in Washington, D.C., also occupied at that time by assistant director Richard Hall and faithful secretary Lelia Day.  For those who are unfamiliar with Keyhoe, he authored five books on UFOs and had also served as an aide to Charles Lindbergh (his earliest book, FLYING WITH LINDBERGH made six, and another called M-DAY, which I have never seen, would make seven -- but it's the UFO books for which Keyhoe will always be remembered).

My hope was to contact former NICAP secretary Day, to perhaps write an article about her time with NICAP. Unfortunately, she had passed on.

Fast-forward to today, when NASA and other government agencies still treat UFOs (UAP!!!!) like a hot potato which nobody really cares to eat.  Yet, back in Keyhoe's declining years, when he was still, often unfairly, accused by skeptics of sensationalizing the UFO subject in order to write a good story, he was "right on" about NASA and the Air Force.

I featured this Keyhoe letter many years ago in the blog, but this time I have my follow-up letter and corresponding news clipping to elaborate upon how right he was.

Too bad the major wasn't able to turn out another book.  Its relevance to the current government UFO atmosphere of hide-and-seek would have fit right in.