There was no Ufology as we know it in 1949. There were not yet any UFO non-fiction books, newsletters, clubs or organizations, and therefore, no saucer celebrities. Yet it was a pivotal year in UFO history, transforming flying saucers from a novelty newspaper topic into a legitimate scientific mystery. The flying saucer fever that began with Kenneth Arnold in 1947 nearly died out several times in the following two years, but sightings or manufactured publicity kept stoking the flames. On April 27, 1949, the second-biggest saucer story to hit newspaper headlines was generated by a press release. The U.S. military’s Office of Public Information published a 22-page statement from the Air Force, “a digest of preliminary studies made… on ‘Flying Saucers.’" It emphasized that while the majority of sightings reported were caused by misidentifying planes, stars, birds, balloons, etc., not all reports could be explained, “there are still question marks in the ‘Saucer Story.’" The press seized on it and quoted out of context that, “The ‘saucers’ are not a joke.”
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| The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 27, 1949 |
That sets the stage for what happened a few months later in Alexandria, Louisiana
The Flying Saucer City
Alexandria sits in the center of the state of Louisiana, and in 1949, the city had a growing population of about 34,000. On July 5, two witnesses reported a flying saucer sighting, the city’s first of many.
Alexandria sits in the center of the state of Louisiana, and in 1949, the city had a growing population of about 34,000. On July 5, two witnesses reported a flying saucer sighting, the city’s first of many. Mrs. Edward Wolf and her sister, Mrs. V. Dardeau, were sitting outside July 5 at 9:30 p.m. when they saw an object fly by, lower and somewhat slower than a plane would go. Mrs. Wolf told the Air Force investigator that she spotted a disc-like object the size of auto tire, gray with luminous amber center. She observed it for about 30 seconds as it flew or drifted like a balloon, then it was lost from sight by trees.
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| The Town Talk, July 6, 1949 |
The second sighting was reported in The Town Talk, July 8, 1949.
Saucer Takes Peek at City
Five persons today reported another mysterious flying saucer took a peep at Alexandria at 9 o’clock last night. Mrs. G. S. Hart, who made the discovery, said she had no idea how big it was. She said she and four others watched it almost five minutes.
“At first, I thought it was a falling star,” she said. “It was all lit up. Then it stopped or changed course and drifted toward the east, then it moved toward the west and changed its course once more and disappeared in the east.”
Mrs. Hart, who lives at 1414 Military highway, Pineville, was visiting Mrs, S. E. Pool 1823 Warshauer street. They were sitting on the lawn with Mrs. Georgie Smith, 1822 Warshauer street, when the object first appeared. Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Hart’s niece, was the first to dub it a flying saucer and the other agreed. They went across the street and called Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Phillips, 1819 Warshauer street and they also saw the object.
“It grew brighter as it came down,” Mrs. Hart said, “Then it began drifting. I couldn’t give you any guess as to how high it was. No, we did not hear any noise.”
Mrs. Phillips confirmed the report. She said the most puzzling thing about it all was the fact the object disappeared behind the trees, then apparently made a 180-degeree turn and came back.
This sighting was also investigated, and a report was filed by Troy R. Sherman, S/A, of Barksdale AFB, 7/15/49.
The National I-Have-Seen-A
Flying-Saucer Convention
At this time, Adras Paul LaBorde was 34, and wrote for the Alexandira newspaper. During World War II, LaBorde served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and wrote the 1944 book, Roger Wilco: ABC of Radio for Flyers. LaBorde started with The Town Talk in 1945 and wrote the column, "The Talk of the Town," also working as a reporter, and later the editor.
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| The Town Talk, March 17, 1958 |
LaBorde was president of Alexandria’s Young Men’s Business Club, which was formed in 1947 to “encourage the advancement of material prosperity and progress” of the city. The club hosted luncheons, talks, tours, and other civic-minded events, mostly with the underlying purpose of stimulating the town’s economy. LaBorde and many of the other YMBC members had served in the military during WW II, and they were comfortable cooperating with government officials and agencies.
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| The Town Talk, Nov. 11, 1949 |
From his newspaper job, Laborde saw the huge public excitement over the local flying saucer sighting reports. Almost on a lark, he was inspired to suggest idea of the YMBC holding a convention, a national conference for flying saucer witnesses. The story ran in the local papers, then it was picked up and spread nationwide.
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| The Town Talk, July 8, 1949 |
A “deluge” of letters from interested parties started to arrive, from sincere witnesses, and also jokers and crackpots. The YMBC replied, inviting the witnesses to attend. Meanwhile, more people in Alexandria were reporting UFO sightings. Two separate reports, an hour apart: Mr. C. S. DuPree. Also, Miss Bobbie Owens (14) Witnesses eight & nine.
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| The Town Talk, July 9, 1949 |
The Times (Shreveport LA) July 15, 1949, reported that, “Delegates are coming from New York, California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Kansas and Louisiana.” It also reported that, “at least two government agencies will have official observers to hear stories and take notes.”
Alexandria has a smaller neighboring town, Pineville, which sits just across the Red River. The Pineville News, July 15, 1949, reported details of two recent saucer sightings in the area, and concluded, "It's becoming harder and harder to be skeptical about these mysterious discs." When the Air Force investigated, three newspaper employees confessed to concocting the story “purely as fun.”
On July 17, Mrs. Andrew Rino, her husband, and two neighbors reported seeing a stationary object too bright to be a star, stationary for about ten minutes total before it disappeared.
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| The Town Talk, July 18, 1949 |
By late July, the YMBC the had organized a committee, with “Earl Bordelon chairman of the flying saucer witness conference.” The date was set for Saturday and Sunday Dec. 10-11, 1949, at the Hotel Bentley.
The FBI, The Army and the Air Force were Watching
With all the media attention, the local interest from sightings, and especially the volume of mail received, the YMBC’s prospects of bringing witnesses together looked good. The CNS article of July 22, 1949, stated, "It may have been a big joke when it started, but it’s serious business now, this business of a convention for flying saucer witnesses." Government files show that the flying saucer convention was a matter of some concern.
YMBC officer A.M. D’Angelo invited FBI Special agent Walter E. Moehle to the convention and told him about their many letters from potential attendees. The info was forwarded to headquarters, and the FBI was concerned about potential fraud. The FBI document stated: “This information is being furnished the Bureau, as it is possible such an enterprise may cause people to falsify that they have seen flying discs or flying saucers. Such falsifications might be made so that they might attend such a convention or become official delegates thereto.”
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| FBI Memo, July 21, 1949 |
The FBI also got a tip from the Army. Someone from Military Intelligence in the G-2, Fourth Army alerted the FBI’s SAC of San Antionio, Texas, on July 15, 1949, that he’d seen a newspaper (AP) story on the YMBC’s convention plans. The information was forwarded to the FBI director.
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| FBI Memo, July 26, 1949 |
In mid-July, an investigators from Barksdale Air Force Base were in town interviewing local witnesses and preparing case reports. Apparently, one also talked to A.M. D’Angelo of the YMBC, who briefed him on the convention’s progress. The YMBC wanted to include officials and investigators from the U.S. government and planned to invite representatives from the FBI, the Air Force (Office of Special Investigations), the Office of Naval Intelligence, the Army, and investigators from Wright-Patterson AFB. A memo dated Aug. 9, 1949, from Major Edward R. Ford of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, revealed, “A representative of the 9th OSI District will attend the convention.” The information was passed up to the brass, classified under “Subversive Activity.”
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| Air Force document, Aug. 9, 1949 |
The Air Force and FBI may have regarded the convention as trouble since it would spotlight witnesses as celebrities. To be included in the events and publicity, attention-seekers might make false flying saucer reports. A reservation was made for Lt. Col. John C. McClendon to attend. He was from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Barksdale AFB.
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| Carlsbad Current Argus, Oct. 3, 1949 |
The Last Month before the Convention
In mid-November, the Associated Press reported the “Club officials said invitations have gone out to more than 50 persons in a dozen states who have reported they saw the mysterious flying objects.” However, the YMBC had only received one confirmed registration from out of state. It came from Mrs. Eliza Taylor of Valdosta, Georgia, whose sighting had been reported in The Atlanta Journal, July 15, 1949. Her case had also been investigatedby the Air Force.
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| The Tuscaloosa News, Nov. 17, 1949 |
Preston McGraw’s interview of LaBorde was a widely published United Press article. Here’s how it appeared in The Daily Herald, (Provo, Utah) Nov. 18, 1949:
Flying Saucer Witnesses Hard to
Find
Alexandria, La. Nov. 18 (UP) - A young businessman who wants to find out whether flying saucers are fact or mirage said today he is having a hard time getting 10 witnesses together for a convention. Adras Laborde got the idea of a ‘flying saucer witness’ enclave last Summer and began writing letters to people who say they saw the peculiar objects flitting across the sky. Laborde set December 10 for the meeting here and said he would hold the convention if he could get 10 people to come. So far he has only two reservations.
“My idea is to get as many witnesses as I can together, compare their stories and try to determine whether flying saucers are facts or mirages,” Laborde said. But the way things look now, he may have to postpone the meeting and work up more saucer enthusiasts.
Laborde said that he is getting a show of interest from air force intelligence. One of the reservations is from Lt. Col. John C. McClendon of the air force training command at Barksdale Field, La. The air force made McLendon’s reservation, Laborde said, “so it appears that G-2 (intelligence) is just as anxious as we are to find out what people are seeing.”
The other reservation came from Mrs. Eliza Taylor of Valdosta, Ga. Laborde said Mrs. Taylor just wrote and told him she would be glad to compare notes with other observers. Otherwise, Laborde said, the biggest response has been from middle-aged widows. They seem interested but don’t see how they can get here for the meeting. One widowed letter-writer said she would come if Laborde would pay her expenses. He said he couldn’t do that.
Most witnesses are serious, Laborde said. “They are convinced they saw mysterious flying objects and what they want to learn all they can about them. There is a chance that many of them will attend.” Two of the less serious witnesses who wrote that they could not come were Charles and Greta Carpenter of Wilmington, Ohio. But they did send Laborde good wishes, along with a paper plate equipped with wings which could be used to decorate the convention hall.
Laborde admitted that his interest is not entirely in flying saucers. He is president of the Young Men’s Business Club, here and secondarily, he said, he hopes to get publicity for the club. Just on the chance that 10 witnesses won’t appear, Laborde is also organizing a “witnesses club” which limits the expenditure to the price of a postage stamp for an application. So far he has received membership applications from 2 states and the United Kingdom.
Failure to Launch
The Town Talk, Dec. 1, 1949, carried news for
the YMBC meeting: “President Adras LaBorde told the club that Life Magazine was
interested in covering the proposed convention of flying saucer witnesses. But,
he said, the convention may be postponed because of lack of advance
reservations.”
The YMBC was co-sponsor of a big annual event for fisherman, the Garfish Rodeo held Aug. 8-14. We can only speculate, but it’s reasonable to think that planning and promoting the flying saucer convention wasn’t given their entire attention that summer. Their model for events was to invite people to show up, hosting gatherings like dinners, award ceremonies, competitions, and so on. There had never been a flying saucer convention before, so the YMBC didn’t have a model to follow. All they announced was that witnesses would exchange and compare stories. There was nothing said about any programming, speakers, presentations, entertainment or attractions. Guest were being asked to travel at their own expense for hundreds of miles south, then provide the program themselves.
Maybe the plan for the convention was doomed from the start, anyway. They intended to be exclusive, inviting only witnesses and investigators, not the general public. That’s just not how show business is done. The convention was officially called off on Dec. 7, 1949.
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| The Town Talk, Dec. 7, 1949 |
The next week, Alexandria’s Young Men’s Business Club hosted their annual banquet and for them, life went on without flying saucers.
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| The Town Talk, Dec. 19, 1949 |
Bad timing? Maybe in more ways than one. Scheduling the convention in December two weeks before Christmas was a poor choice to attract people with families. Maybe the YMBC was just too early. Just a few weeks later in December, True magazine published an explosive bestselling article that turned the UFO topic into an enduring enterprise, “The Flying Saucers are Real,” by Donald E. Keyhoe.
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