Letter from Gordon David Thayer to Forrest Perkins
23 July 1976

Dear Forrest:

First of all, please allow me to apologize to you on behalf of the University of Colorado UFO Project, of which I am one of the few surviving members. The "kook" questionnaire was entirely uncalled for - in fact, I did not even know it had been sent to you until I received a copy of your letter to Stan Friedman written in August of 1975. That stupid questionnair was sent to everyone who contacted the UFO project; it was entirely Dr. Condon's idea, and it was his decision that it should be made up in such a demeaning manner. I don't blame you one bit for being upset by it, nor for still resenting it. I don't like to speak ill of the dead, but I'm afraid I must admit I think Condon was nothing but a pompous ass, and so far as UFOs' were concerned, he was about as scientific as Alley Oop!

I am writing you this letter because I still feel that Lakenheath is one of the best UFO incidents we have to work with, and as I now have time on my hands (I, too, am retired), I should like to work some more on this intriguing UFO case. I am currently engaged in a dialogue with Phil Klass, who, as you know, thinks he has disposed of the Lakenheath incident as just another case of mistaken identity, ghosts, meteors or what-have-you. I disagree with him. I am hoping that through correspondence with you, and perhaps with some of the others who worked with you at Lakenheath (as listed in your letter to Stan), I can shed some more light on this case.

The particular point that prompted me to rwite this letter to you is that Phil is now casting aspersions on your memory of what happened at Lakenheath, especially in your letter to Stan. In particular, he does not believe that the scan rate on the CPS-5 could have been altered to 1 rev/9 sec as you state. Do you remember how this was done? Was it an authorized field mod, or did the RATCC staff do it on their own initiative? Did you change the gear train in the antenna drive? If not, how was the scan rate changed? Any details you could supply would help me to fight Phil on this. Also, Phil thinks you were really on the midnight to 7 (8?) a.m. shift that night, to explain the timing discrepancy in the Blue Book telegrams. Any chance this could have been true? Phil is coming to see me on August 9th and I need some ammunition by then if it's not too much trouble.

I will write more later; perhaps we can plan an attack on this case together.

Sincerely

s/ Gordon D. Thayer

cc: Stan Friedman