Major Jesse Haaste
Major Jesse Haaste was a United States Air Force officer who, along with Colonel Robert Simmons, was dispatched to Bolivia in May 1978 to investigate a crashed cylindrical object observed by thousands of witnesses near El Taire, Bolivia. Haaste's deployment provides documented evidence of US Air Force involvement in foreign UFO crash retrieval operations under Project Moondust.
| Role | US Air Force Major |
|---|
1978 Bolivia UFO Crash Investigation
On May 6, 1978, at 4:15 PM, a cylindrical object crashed into a mountainside near El Taire, Bolivia, creating a sonic boom heard up to 150 miles away and cracking window panes as far as 30 miles in radius. Bolivian military discovered the object — described as a dull metallic cylinder 12 feet long with a few dents — and were awaiting technical assistance when US personnel arrived.
Major Haaste and Colonel Simmons were deployed following coordination by US Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, who documented that "appropriate government agencies have been contacted regarding this crash." The agencies included Project Moondust, which received film of the object from Bolivian military and monitored the situation.
Role in Moon Dust Operations
Haaste's deployment as part of a two-officer team suggests specialized training and authorization for crash retrieval operations. His involvement indicates:
- Pre-existing operational protocols for rapid international deployment
- Technical expertise in assessing anomalous aerospace objects
- Security clearances sufficient for handling potentially non-human technology
- Authority to coordinate with foreign military and government officials
Documentary Trail
Haaste's involvement is documented in declassified State Department cables and memos obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. The documentary record ends without confirmation of whether the object was retrieved, but the deployment of US Air Force personnel demonstrates active operational engagement rather than passive intelligence monitoring.
Operational Significance
Major Haaste's Bolivia deployment confirms that Project Moondust maintained:
- Personnel trained for crash retrieval operations
- Rapid response capabilities for foreign incidents
- Inter-agency coordination spanning State Department, Air Force, and intelligence communities
- Authority to operate internationally on foreign soil with host nation cooperation
The Bolivia case represents one of the few documented instances where Moon Dust personnel deployment is confirmed through declassified government documents.