Mrs. June Larson
4123 178th Place SW
Lynnwood, Washington
2 October 1967

Dr. Norman Levine
202 Woodbury Hall
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado

Dear Dr. Levine :

As I advised Jim Wadsworth on the telephone on Friday, we have spoken with Mrs. Edward A. Miller, North Vancouver, B.C., (mother of one of the boys who allegedly took 6 photos of "UFO" on 1 July 1967), and she appeared most cooperative. She told me that the McNicol family has the negatives, but after I had explained NICAP and the University of Colorado UFO Project to her to some degree, she said she would do all she could to encourage the McNicol boy's parents to cooperate, and asked that I write her a formal letter, repeating what I had told her on the telephone, also giving some sort of a written guarantee that the negatives would be analysed by the U. of Colorado staff, then by NICAP, Washington D.C. staff after which they would be returned, in good condition, to them, with summaries of the results of the analyses.

Before writing such a letter, I thought it best to check with your office to find out whether or not you wanted to deal directly with the people, since I had no authority to make any such written or verbal guarantee on behalf of your Project, but could actually only speak in that regard for NICAP. Jim Wadsworth suggested that since NICAP, D.C. office, would be the ones to return the negatives directly to the people involved, that it would be quite proper for me to act as NICAP representative in providing such guarantee, and assured me that a "feedback" of some sort would be provided the McNicol and Miller families after your staff had checked the negatives. (Incidentally, we would very much appreciate a copy of any such "feedback" for our own Subcommittee files on this particular case).

Mrs. Miller has not met the McNicol boy's parents as yet. She says they both work during the week, and even though they live nearby and the boys attend school together, the fact that Mr. and Mrs. McNicol work all week, plus the fact that the Miller family only recently moved to the area from Ontario has prevented such a meeting. However, she did say that when she receives a letter from us about all this, she would make a special trip to the McNicol home and, at that time, do all she could to obtain the original negatives for us. Her son, Doug, has a set of copies of the negatives, but I told her we must have the loan of the 6 originals.

She said that she and her husband had laughed at Douglas and at Robert (she called him “Robby”) McNicol when they came rushing in to tell her what they had photographed. It was not until they had actually seen the photos that they began to wonder about it. She says that Robby had indicated that his parents did not believe them either, until after the photos were developed. “Then,” she assures me, and I quote, “it was definitely NOT a hoax”. As two women, both of whom have teenage boys, we chatted about the possibility of a prank on the part of the boys but she seems certain that it was no prank. She did seem surprised, though, to hear from us, as she thought the entire matter was finished after the children had given some prints to the local “flying saucer” club (Herb Clark's Vancouver Flying Saucer Club), and had no idea there might be of any official or scientific value in any respect.

When I called her on Friday (9/29), Mrs. Miller was not in, and I spoke with her oldest son, Jack, who is a student at the University of B.C, and was home, apparently ill with a virus of some sort, but he was pleasant, cooperative, familiar with the photos, but not with too many details of the actual sighting which supposedly had taken place. He said that he had laughed at his younger brother about it all until he saw the photographs, and now he is certain that it is no joke, although would not comment as to what any of them think the "UFO" in the pictures might be. He said all he knew was that it was an unusual experience, and he believed his brother was telling them all the truth about it. Just about then, Mrs. Miller came in, so Jack gave the telephone to her.

Mrs. Miller appeared sincere, as did her son, Jack, and willing to help in further checking the photos out. I asked her why there was such a time lapse (i,e, photos taken on 1 July and not printed in the newspaper until 10 August) when the reporter told me the boys had taken the pictures in to the newspaper office themselves. She told me that the boys had called the Citizen office right away, been laughed at and told to “stop around some time and we’ll take a look at your pictures”. The boys paid for the developing themselves, and sooner or later got up the nerve to go to the newspaper office with them, despite the fact that they had been laughed at about it over the telephone, and told that every now and then the office gets calls from people who see "flying saucers". This checks out with what Hugh Dickson had told me when I asked him why the delay in his story after such an event. He had said much the same thing and implied that he had spoken with the boys on the phone, and laughed about it right up until he and others on the Citizen staff had actually seen the prints.

On Saturday (9/30) I called the McNicol home to tell them a letter was en route, and spoke to Robert McNicol. His parents were at work, but he seemed cooperative, very courteous, well spoken, and anxious to help. More than anything else, he appears interested in finding SOME explanation for what they photographed. I told him frankly that I had inquired re the possibility of a hoax, and explained to him that if this was some kind of prank, we would be anxious to know NOW before any analyses are made. He assured me it wasn't, and said he would send the negatives to our Subcommittee (after he receives the written guarantee of their safe return) for the Colorado Project and NICAP to use as indicated, and I told him it might take each source a month to complete their analysis work, but he seemed quite willing to wait as long as his negatives are returned safely to him.

Lois Kemper and Morris Knouse, both of our NICAP Subcommittee, are preparing a letter for both the Miller and McNicol families (rough draft was drawn up Saturday) and will send them more material on the UFO study, copies of Dr. McDonald's talks, NICAP sighting forms, etc. and a stamped, self addressed envelope, so it shouldn't be long now! I wish we could have gone up to Vancouver to check this out personally, but couldn't possibly do so for several weeks, and didn't want any further delay in obtaining the negatives, hope it isn't a wild goose chase!

Incidentally, I asked Robert if he would stand in the exact same spot he was standing when he took his 6 photos and take 1 or 2 more during daylight hours - using the same camera. Too, asked for a diagram of the general area, in detail his back yard. He said they heard no sound from the objects, but that might have been because the tractors which were doing some clearing above and behind his property were making so much noise. The tractors were diesel.

Will forward the negatives and copies of their completed NICAP forms when they arrive, Hope this is of some help. Please excuse the typing. Our typical Washington weather has returned, as has my annual - and horrible - cold.

Our best to all of you there,

June

cc. Major Keyhoe.