1978 MUFON Symposium: NSA Employee Documents Concerns About Researcher Zechel
An NSA employee attended a 1978 MUFON symposium and wrote an internal memo documenting concerns about researcher Todd Zechel. The author suspected Zechel might falsely claim NSA contacts and potentially forged CIA documents shown at the event.
Background
During a MUFON symposium in 1978, an NSA employee authored a memorandum chronicling their observations. The document expressed concerns regarding presenter Todd Zechel, co-founder of Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS), suggesting he might fraudulently claim insider access to the NSA. Additionally, the memo raised allegations that Zechel potentially displayed forged CIA correspondence during his presentation.
The memorandum served both as a personal chronicle and an internal security warning. It specifically highlighted suspicions that Zechel would tout non-existent internal contacts within the signals intelligence agency. The allegations regarding document forgery concerned letters allegedly from the CIA that were presented at the conference.
The author's identity remained classified for decades following the event. Later speculation by journalist Phil Klass suggested the memo was written by Tom Deuley, a MUFON board member who briefly worked for the NSA at that time.