John A. Samford

John Alexander Samford (1905-1968) was a United States Air Force Major General who served as Director of Intelligence. Born in 1905, he died in 1968, having achieved the rank of Major General in the US Air Force and held the position of Director of Intelligence.

Samford is best known in UFO history for his involvement in the Washington, D.C. UFO incidents. He played a key role following these incidents, addressing public concerns about UFO sightings while focusing on radar and visual reports from the events.

On July 29, 1952, Samford led a major press conference at the Pentagon. This was the largest Pentagon press conference since World War II. At the conference, he attributed radar returns to temperature inversions, though this explanation remained controversial among UFO researchers.