The Maury Island Incident

The Maury Island incident occurred just shortly after the significant date of June 21, 1947. On that particular day, seaman Harold A. Dahl, engaged in the task of scavenging for drifting logs along the shoreline, asserted that he witnessed an astonishing spectacle of six unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the vicinity of Maury Island. This area, which is now recognized as a peninsula of Vashon Island, is situated in the picturesque Puget Sound near the city of Tacoma, Washington. Maury Island lies directly across a narrow stretch of Puget Sound from the well-known Sea-Tac International Airport and Boeing Field, enhancing its significance in the realm of aerial phenomena.

Dahl, along with his son Charles, and his beloved dog, were out on the boat that day. During their outing, Dahl reported an astonishing sighting of what he described as four, five, or possibly six “doughnut-shaped objects” flying in an unmistakable formation over the very area where their boat was situated. He distinctly claimed that he could see the blue sky peering through the holes in the center of these mysterious discs and noted the presence of what appeared to be portholes lining the interior of each ring. Interestingly, Dahl reported that one of the craft seemed to be malfunctioning, and another craft edged up closely to it before retreating, almost as if attempting to assist. At this moment, the troubled craft began ejecting various sizes of objects through its inner portholes. Strangely, this slag-like material began raining down and striking the boat, resulting in damage to the windshield, the wheelhouse, and even a light fixture, tragically leading to the death of his dog that had been peacefully resting on the deck. In addition, he mentioned that his son sustained minor injuries due to the debris that fell around them. Dahl further claimed to have taken several photographs of these unidentified flying objects and even recovered some of the unusual slag that had been ejected from the malfunctioning craft. To add to the peculiarity, Dahl collected samples of lightweight white sheets of metal that had fluttered down from the inner ring of the troubled UFO, drifting to the ground like “newspapers” in the breeze.

The next morning, Dahl reported that a mysterious man arrived at his home and extended an invitation for him to join him for breakfast at a nearby diner; intrigued by the gesture, Dahl accepted the invitation without hesitation. He described the enigmatic man as wearing a sharp black suit and driving a shiny, new 1947 Buick, leading Dahl to assume he was a representative of the military or some government agency. During their meal, Dahl claimed the man revealed intricate details regarding the UFO sighting, even though Dahl had not publicly shared his own account at that point. Additionally, the man allegedly issued a vague but unsettling warning which Dahl interpreted as a serious threat, suggesting that his family might face harm should he decide to disclose any further details about the sighting.

There has been much confusion and considerable debate over Dahl’s statements have occurred in the years following his initial claims. Dahl later asserted that the UFO sighting was merely a hoax, yet he has also maintained that the sighting was indeed accurate. However, he further contended that he had originally claimed it was a hoax to protect his family from potential backlash or harm resulting from the revelation.

In spite of the looming threat, Dahl took the significant step of reporting the extraordinary incident to his trusted employee at his sawmill operation, Fred Crisman, who had long maintained that he possessed extensive experience with various unusual phenomena. Interestingly, Crisman was also later alleged to have ties to the infamous John F. Kennedy assassination, which adds another layer of intrigue to his character. Furthermore, Crisman was the owner, or co-owner, of the boat that was used by Dahl during this peculiar encounter. It is worth noting that Crisman and Dahl had also formed a joint venture aimed at retrieving drifting logs from the expansive waters of Puget Sound, which served as a vital source of raw lumber for their operations.

The very next day, Crisman set sail for the island and reported that he briefly spotted a mysterious craft, but it quickly vanished behind a cloud, eluding his sight. Following this, he meticulously gathered more of the slag that he found scattered across the beach area. He then decided to send a sample to Chicago along with a request for it to be tested for further analysis. According to the subsequent FBI report, there seems to be some ambiguity about the destination of the sample; Crisman either sent it directly to Ray Palmer, a renowned science fiction writer and esteemed editor of Amazing Science Fiction, or he initially sent it to a friend at the University of Chicago. This friend, unfortunately, possibly failed to identify the material and subsequently forwarded it on to Ray Palmer for further examination.

While the unusual “rock formation” was being discussed and passed around among various circles in Chicago, an equally famous and significant sighting by Kenneth Arnold took place against the stunning backdrop of Mount Rainier in Washington state. This remarkable event caught the attention of many, leading Palmer to reach out and contact Arnold directly. He requested that Arnold investigate the incident for the story he was crafting for one of Palmer’s renowned publications. Interestingly, the FBI report notes that Palmer was serving as the editor of the magazine known as Venture and Fantasy at that time. However, it is worth mentioning that both Venture Science Fiction Magazine and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction appeared long after Arnold's sighting. Additionally, Palmer inaugurated the first issue of Fate magazine in January 1948, which prominently featured a cover showcasing flying disks along with the article he financially compensated Kenneth Arnold to write.

Arnold flew from Boise, Idaho, to Tacoma, where he met with Crisman, Dahl, and at least three military intelligence officers at the historic Winthrop Hotel located in the heart of the city. Over the course of these critical meetings that spanned several days, an unknown individual—believed by the FBI agent who compiled the main report on the incident to be Crisman—began surreptitiously leaking sensitive information regarding the UFO sighting that had occurred at Maury Island. This included not just the specifics of the meeting that took place in the hotel room, but also intricate details of the conversations that unfolded there. Reporters from the Tacoma Times, as well as from United Press, who concurrently contributed to the Tacoma News Tribune, were the recipients of this leak. Moreover, the anonymous caller also reached out to journalists at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, as well as those from the Boise Statesman, expanding the reach of the information even further.

The two United States Army Air Corps investigating officers who arrived at Arnold’s urgent request, Captain William L. Davidson and Lieutenant Frank M. Brown of Army A-2 Intelligence, made the decision to fly back to Hamilton Field the very same day they arrived in Tacoma after conducting a thorough interview with Crisman in the hotel room. Dahl, feeling increasingly uneasy, had chosen to leave the scene, citing potential danger to himself if the story were to get out, presumably due to the ominous warning he received from the mysterious man in black earlier. The two intelligence officers expressed the necessity of returning to Hamilton Field in California quickly, as they were aware that the following day would mark Air Force Day—an important occasion when the Air Force formally became a new service branch, separate from the Navy, Marines, and Army. As the investigators were preparing to depart, Crisman unexpectedly produced several samples of the peculiar “rock formation” from his automobile and handed them over to the investigators to take back with them to California for further analysis. Tragically, the plane carrying the two investigators and the collected slag crashed near Kelso, Washington, shortly after taking off from Tacoma, resulting in the untimely deaths of both men.

In April 2007, it was significantly reported that the crash site of the infamous incident had been rediscovered and that some material had been recovered from the location. This revelation, while intriguing, came with the understanding that the initial military investigation had indeed managed to recover various exhibits and successfully remove the bodies from the scene. The detailed FBI report notes that investigators from McChord Field, located near Tacoma, conducted a thorough investigation of the wreckage and were firmly convinced that there was no sabotage involved in this tragic event. Furthermore, the FBI report elaborates that two other individuals, who were on board the airplane at the time of the incident, survived by parachuting out of the aircraft after it notably lost its left wing and the tail section due to a catastrophic fire that originated in the left engine. One of the survivors was identified as a member of the flight crew, while the other individual was referred to simply as “a hitch-hiker.” In a subsequent investigation, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer identified them as Sergeant Elmer L. Taft and Technical Sergeant Woodrow D. Matthews, both of whom displayed incredible bravery. Initially, the Air Force categorically denied the assertion that the men had been carrying any secret cargo, but as the years progressed, they eventually admitted that they had indeed been officially investigating the Dahl report at the time of the incident.

It is incredibly hard to truly grasp the unsettling fact that this plane, which was transporting mysterious debris from a UFO incident, after the witness was allegedly threatened by a shadowy figure, often referred to as a Man in Black, and also having an unknown Hitchhiker aboard the plane, tragically came crashing down. This unfortunate accident resulted in the death of both investigators on board, while astonishingly, the hitchhiker appears to have walked away unscathed. In my opinion, there is far too much involved here to dismiss as mere coincidence. Additionally, it raises significant questions about why it took so long to locate the crash site and the debris from the UFO. These are all critical questions that, in my opinion, demand immediate attention and thorough investigation.