Robert Loftin?

[Michelle]

I am currently reading 2 books at the moment ( I am sure am not the only one who does this...) one of them being Identified Flying Objects by Loftin and the other Where Is Everybody? by Stephen Webb. After joining the forums I have read a lot about the authors on the subject of ETI and you are all very knowledgable. However, I did a quick search on the forums regarding Loftin and didn't find a thread. I guess I am curious because his book is much older than Webbs, if anyone has any feedback on Loftin they would like to impart... but any info regarding either books/authors would be appreciated!

 

[Michelle]

I did a quick internet search and found this.

But I can't find anymore information on him!

 

[Sentry]

I became interested in Capt. Loftin due to his investigation of the Carroll Wayne Watts case. I couldn't find much:

The Keel info is partly wrong, wrong middle initial, wrong branch of service:
Loftin was the author of a small book on ghost lights:
From his 1955 Spook Lights booklet:
By CAPT. R. E. "BOB" LOFTIN, Ret.
Capt. R. E. Loftin, U. S. A. Ret.
2922 Virginia
Joplin, Missouri
He was recruited by the Condon investigation as part of their attempt to jump on developing UFO cases:
(Photo by James H. Hartley) Robert Loftin, Early
Warning Network Coordinator for the University
of Colorado (left), interviews Carroll Wayne Watts
(middle) while William L. Courter, director of the
the Oklahoma section of A.P.R.O. assists. Loftin
author of IDENTIFIED FLYING SAUCERS (David
McKay Spring release) has reported unofficially
to SAUCER NEWS on this investigation, and his
work is partly responsible for the coverage in
this issue.
-Gray Barker, Saucer News Vol. 15, No. 1, Spring 1968
Supposedly while investigating the Watts case, Loftin's room was burglarized, and Watts' original UFO photos were lost.


Loftin “suffered a heart attack the evening of Nov. 21st [1968] while en route to a UFO meeting and was dead upon arrival at a medical center.” -Skylook No. 14, January 1969

I've not found his book, but have meant to do so. I hope you'll post a review.
Please let me know if he mentions the Watts case (I think he finished the book before the case happened, but I'm not sure).
Edited to add. I believe he was affiliated with the Tulsa chapter of APRO, in an case:

TULSA GROUP HEARS OF NEW BOOK
The Oklahoma Chapter of APRO met June 12
at the Central Library in Tulaa with about
30 members present.
Robert Loftin was the speaker for the
evening and reviewed hie new book "Identifled
Flylng Saucers" which, he says, is
comlete survey of the flylng saucer sightings
in the US and abroad that have been recorded since 1860 to the present .

Skylook July, 1968 PDF

 

[Sentry]

I forgot until now, you can find Robert Loftin's 1955 Spook Light booklet here:
Tri-State Spook Light by By CAPT. R. E. "BOB" LOFTIN, Ret

 

[Michelle]

I also found the cover of that here

I found these book lists:
http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/ufo/don.allen/book-list
ARUFON - Amateur Radio UFO Net

Where he was buried