Signs point to Grudges and a particular Blue Book

Project Sign, Grudge (not related to the movie), Blue Book 

This is possibly the most interesting military project conducted by the United States Air Force to date. In 1952 following to previous studies of its kind, project bluebook began with two goals. Those goals were to determine if UFOs were a threat to national security and to scientifically analyze UFO related data. 

in 1947, businessman Kenneth Arnold reported seeing nine objects moving at high-speed following his plane over Washington's Mount Rainier. This incident led to the US Air Force beginning project sign. Reports of mysterious flying objects often attributed to spirits and angels have existed for centuries, World War II, with its air war, and development of rocket science, marking a new level of interest in UFOs. Coincidently Kenneth Arnold's account of the objects was as if a saucer was skipped over the water. This became the founding point of the flying saucer. 

Thousands of reports were collected, analyzed and filed. All of these reports were eventually placed into the Condon report which concluded that there was nothing anomalous about UFOs and that no UFO reported investigated and evaluated by the Air Force was ever an indication of being a threat, there is no evidence submitted or discovered by the air force that sightings categorized as unidentified represent a technological developments or principles beyond the range of modern science and there was no evidence indicating that sightings categorize as identified were extraterrestrial. 

by the time the mission ended, 12,618 reports were collected. Eventually these reports were archived and became available but the names and personal information of the witnesses were redacted. 

first initiated under project sign at the end of 1947 General Nathan Twining created the program to investigate what pilots were seeing during the war. It ended in 1948 but was resurrected as project Grudge which was criticized as having a more debunking than investigating mandate. It was referred to as the dark ages as early of early UFO investigations. Though many reports concluded natural phenomenon known as the culprit 23% could not be explained. Then we begin project bluebook. 

in 1951 several high-ranking generals were dissatisfied with the state of US Air Force UFO investigations that they began project bluebook. Project bluebook referred to the blue booklets used for testing at colleges and universities. The pages of those books made very lightweight and flittery paper airplanes when I brought them hone at the end of the school year. It was named this because of the high ranking officers attention to the new project. It was as if the study of UFOs was as important as a college final exam. 

Dr. Allen Hynek, A name that has gone down in UFO history, acted as a scientific supervisor to the UFO studies. He was present during all three periods of the projects existence and in later years he conducted his own independent UFO research, and developing the close encounter classification system. I won't go much more into his history but he was born in Chicago so he is automatically awesome! 

At first he was a major skeptic and encourage the debunking of reports. in April 1953 however, he wrote 

ridicule is not part of the scientific method and people should not be taught that it is. The steady flow of reports, often made in concert by reliable observers, raises questions to scientific obligation and responsibility. Is there any residue that is worthy of scientific attention? Or if there isn't, there's not an obligation exist to say so to the public. Not in words of open ridicule but seriously to keep faith with the trust the public places in science and scientists? 

Apparently the number of reliable sources turned a major skeptic into a curious investigator. He later lamented on helping make UFO studies a disreputable field. 

By the way, the close encounter scale is something we all know thanks to horror and science fiction movies. 

Dr. Hynek Created a six fold classification for UFO sightings. Nocturnal lights, lights in the night sky. 

Daylight discs, UFOs seen in the daytime generally having oval shapes. 

Radar visual, UFO reports that have radar confirmation. 

Close encounters of the first kind, visual sightings of an identified flying object seemingly less than 500 feet away that show angular extension and a great amount of detail. 

Close encounters of the second kind, a UFO invent in which a physical effect occurs. this can be anything from vehicle interference to electrical interference to animals reacting or something as paralysis or heat and discomfort in the witness. Some physical traits like impressions in the ground scorched earth or other such affected terrain are also in this category. 

Close encounters of the third kind is when UFO encounters occur with an animated creature. These include humanoids, robots, or humans who seem to be the occupants or pilots of a UFO. 

aside from influencing the X-Files, project bluebook at the end of its time provoked a great many things like in Massachusetts and New Hampshire congressional hearing and official declarations by the United States military. 

At the end of project bluebook UFO sightings were stated as being generated by massive Hysteria, hoaxes, publicity, psychopathological persons, and misidentification. 

In December 2017 a new UFO study which is being conducted in secret titled the advanced aviation threat identification program was funded over $2 million from 2007 to 2012. 

most recently on the history channel, a dramaticized telling of events project bluebook became a TV show. It ties together many of the investigations as well as the famous Barney and Betty Hill abduction. 

there is so much more I can say and report to you on this topic. In future articles I may dive deeper into some of the reports and investigations. It is impossible that we are the only living civilization in the universe. 

I know many people who have seen strange things in the sky. I count myself as one of them. Remember to always stay curious and to always ask questions. it is very important that you keep learning! Remember you can email me at friendsoffolklore@gmail.com!