The Prelude to Modern Ufology

On June 21, 1947, Harold Dahl reported encountering UFOs that dropped strange debris near Maury Island. The case preceded Kenneth Arnold’s famous sighting by three days and introduced elements that would become UFO staples: physical debris, men in black, and mysterious deaths.

The Date

Significant timing:

• June 21, 1947
• Before Kenneth Arnold (June 24)
• Before Roswell (July 4)
• Very early UFO era
• Historical importance

The Witness

Harold Dahl:

• Harbor patrol
• Puget Sound area
• On patrol boat
• With son and crewman
• Dog aboard

The Sighting

What happened:

• Six donut-shaped craft
• High altitude
• One descending
• Expelled material
• Fragments fell

The Debris

Material dropped:

• Hot slag-like metal
• White metal sheets
• Hit boat deck
• Injured son’s arm
• Allegedly killed dog

Fred Crisman

Supervisor:

• Collected samples
• Contacted researchers
• Later strange connections
• JFK investigation mentioned
• Complex figure

Men in Black Origin

First MIB report:

• Man visited Dahl
• Black suit, black car
• Morning after sighting
• Warned silence
• Before anyone knew

The Investigation

Kenneth Arnold:

• Already famous pilot
• Came to investigate
• Collected samples
• Called Air Force
• Became involved

The Deaths

Investigators killed:

• Captain Davidson
• Lt. Brown
• B-25 crashed
• Returning with samples
• August 1, 1947

Sabotage Theory

Questions raised:

• Why the crash?
• Samples destroyed?
• Convenient timing?
• Murder theory
• Never resolved

The Confession

Dahl later:

• Said it was hoax
• Under pressure
• Then recanted
• Crisman denied
• Truth unclear

Significance

Early UFO case with debris, deaths, men in black, and unresolved mystery.

Legacy

Maury Island established templates that would repeat throughout UFO history—physical evidence, mysterious warnings, and deaths that silenced witnesses.