Admiral Richard E. Byrd

Rear Admiral US Navy, renowned as an American polar explorer. First flight over the South Pole in 1929. Multiple Antarctic expeditions. Operation Highjump 1946-47: 4,700 men, 13 ships – planned for 6 months, aborted after 8 weeks. Statement 1947: objects flying from pole to pole – referred to Soviet aircraft, not UAP. Statement was mistranslated and misinterpreted within the UFO community. Nevertheless: the early expedition abort and the swift Antarctic Treaty of 1959 fuel speculation. Important as a figure at the intersection of military secrecy, polar research, and concealment.