| The Roswell UFO incident involved the | | | | brush. The next day, Brazel heard |
| recovery of materials near Roswell, New | | | | reports about "flying discs" and |
| Mexico in July 1947 which have since | | | | wondered if that was what he had picked |
| become the subject of intense | | | | up. On July 7, Brazel saw Sheriff Wilcox |
| speculation and research. There are | | | | and "whispered kinda confidential like" |
| widely divergent views on what actually | | | | that he may have found a flying disc. |
| happened, and passionate debate about | | | | Another account quotes Wilcox as saying |
| what evidence can be believed. The | | | | that Brazel reported the object on July |
| United States military maintains that | | | | 6. |
| what was recovered was a top-secret | | | | Sheriff Wilcox called Roswell Army Air |
| research balloon that had crashed. | | | | Field. Maj. Jesse Marcel and a "man in |
| However, many UFO researchers believe | | | | plainclothes" accompanied Brazel back to |
| the wreckage was of a crashed alien | | | | the ranch where more pieces were picked |
| craft and that the military covered up | | | | up. "[W]e spent a couple of hours Monday |
| the craft's recovery. The incident has | | | | afternoon looking for any more parts of |
| evolved into a widely-recognized and | | | | the weather device," said Marcel. "We |
| referenced pop culture phenomenon, and | | | | found a few more patches of tinfoil and |
| for some, Roswell is synonymous with UFO | | | | rubber." They then attempted to |
| and likely ranks as the most famous | | | | reassemble the object but Brazel said |
| alleged UFO incident. | | | | they couldn't. Marcel took the debris to |
| Modern background | | | | Roswell Army Air Field the next morning. |
| On July 8, 1947, the Roswell Army Air | | | | As described in the July 9, 1947 edition |
| Field (RAAF) issued a press release | | | | of the Roswell Daily Record, "The |
| stating that personnel from the field's | | | | balloon which held it up, if that was |
| 509th Bomb Group had recovered a crashed | | | | how it worked, must have been 12 feet |
| "flying disc" from a ranch near Roswell, | | | | long, [Brazel] felt, measuring the |
| sparking intense media interest. Later | | | | distance by the size of the room in |
| the same day, the Commanding General of | | | | which he sat. The rubber was smoky gray |
| the Eighth Air Force stated that in | | | | in color and scattered over an area |
| fact, a weather balloon had been | | | | about 200 yards in diameter. When the |
| recovered by RAAF personnel, rather than | | | | debris was gathered up the tinfoil, |
| a "flying disc."[1] A subsequent press | | | | paper, tape, and sticks made a bundle |
| conference was called, featuring debris | | | | about three feet long and 7 or 8 inches |
| said to be the crashed object that | | | | thick, while the rubber made a bundle |
| seemed to confirm the weather balloon | | | | about 18 or 20 inches long and about 8 |
| description. The case was quickly | | | | inches thick. In all, he estimated, the |
| forgotten and almost completely ignored, | | | | entire lot would have weighed maybe five |
| even by UFO researchers, for some 30 | | | | pounds. There was no sign of any metal |
| years. Then, in 1978, ufologist Stanton | | | | in the area which might have been used |
| T. Friedman interviewed Major Jesse | | | | for an engine and no sign of any |
| Marcel, who was involved with the | | | | propellers of any kind, although at |
| original recovery of the debris in 1947. | | | | least one paper fin had been glued onto |
| Marcel expressed his belief that the | | | | some of the tinfoil. There were no words |
| military had covered up the recovery of | | | | to be found anywhere on the instrument, |
| an alien spacecraft. His story | | | | although there were letters on some of |
| circulated through UFO circles, being | | | | the parts. Considerable Scotch tape and |
| featured in some UFO documentaries at | | | | some tape with flowers printed upon it |
| the time. [2] In February 1980, The | | | | had been used in the construction. No |
| National Enquirer ran its own interview | | | | strings or wires were to be found but |
| with Marcel, garnering national and | | | | there were some eyelets in the paper to |
| worldwide attention for the Roswell | | | | indicate that some sort of attachment |
| incident. | | | | may have been used.” A telex |
| Additional witnesses and reports emerged | | | | uncovered in the 1990s sent to an FBI |
| over the following years. They added | | | | office from their office in Fort Worth, |
| significant new details, including | | | | Texas, quoted a major from the Eighth |
| claims of a large military operation | | | | Air Force on July 8th: |
| dedicated to recovering alien craft and | | | | "THE DISC IS HEXAGONAL IN SHAPE AND WAS |
| aliens themselves, as many as 11 crash | | | | SUSPENDED FROM A BALLON [sic] BY CABLE, |
| sites[2], and alleged witness | | | | WHICH BALLON [sic] WAS APPROXIMATELY |
| intimidation. In 1989, former mortician | | | | TWENTY FEET IN DIAMETER. MAJOR CURTAN |
| Glenn Dennis put forth a detailed | | | | FURTHER ADVISED THAT THE OBJECT FOUND |
| personal account, wherein he claimed | | | | RESEMBLES A HIGH ALTITUDE WEATHER |
| that alien autopsies were carried out at | | | | BALLOON WITH A RADAR REFLECTOR, BUT THAT |
| the Roswell base.[citation needed] | | | | TELEPHONIC CONVERSATION BETWEEN THEIR |
| In response to these reports, and after | | | | OFFICE AND WRIGHT FIELD HAD NOT |
| congressional inquiries, the General | | | | [unintelligible] BORNE OUT THIS BELIEF." |
| Accounting Office launched an inquiry | | | | |
| and directed the Office of the Secretary | | | | News reports: "flying disc" becomes |
| of the Air Force to conduct an internal | | | | "weather balloon" |
| investigation. The result was summarized | | | | A NOAA weather balloon just after |
| in two reports. The first was released | | | | launch.Early on Tuesday, July 8th, the |
| in 1995, concluded that the reported | | | | Roswell Army Air Field issued a press |
| recovered material in 1947 was likely | | | | release which was immediately picked up |
| debris from a secret government program | | | | by numerous news outlets: "The many |
| called Project Mogul. The second report, | | | | rumors regarding the flying disc became |
| released in 1997, addressed the reports | | | | a reality yesterday when the |
| of recovered alien bodies and concluded | | | | intelligence office of the 509th Bomb |
| these reports were likely transformed | | | | group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell |
| memories of the recovery of | | | | Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to |
| anthropomorphic dummies in military | | | | gain possession of a disc through the |
| programs like Project High Dive, | | | | cooperation of one of the local ranchers |
| conducted in the 1950s. The | | | | and the sheriffs office of Chaves |
| psychological effects of time | | | | County. The flying object landed on a |
| compression and confusion about when | | | | ranch near Roswell sometime last week. |
| events occurred explained the | | | | Not having phone facilities, the rancher |
| discrepancy with the years in question. | | | | stored the disc until such time as he |
| These reports were dismissed by UFO | | | | was able to contact the sheriff's |
| proponents as being either | | | | office, who in turn notified Maj. Jesse |
| disinformation or simply implausible, | | | | A. Marcel of the 509th Bomb Group |
| though significant numbers of UFO | | | | Intelligence Office. Action was |
| researchers discount the probability | | | | immediately taken and the disc was |
| that any alien craft was in fact | | | | picked up at the rancher's home. It was |
| involved.[citation needed] | | | | inspected at the Roswell Army Air Field |
| Contemporary accounts of a "flying disc" | | | | and subsequently loaned by Major Marcel |
| at Roswell | | | | to higher headquarters." |
| The Sacramento Bee article detailing the | | | | Col. William H. Blanchard, commanding |
| RAAF statements.On July 8th, 1947, | | | | officer of the 509th, contacted Gen. |
| reports emerged from the Roswell Army | | | | Roger M. Ramey of the Eighth Air Force |
| Air Field that a "flying disc" had been | | | | in Fort Worth, Texas, and Ramey ordered |
| recovered. Contemporary accounts of the | | | | the object be flown to his base. At the |
| sequence of events at Roswell differ; | | | | base, Warrant Officer Irving Newton |
| the following reconstructs what happened | | | | confirmed Ramey’s preliminary opinion, |
| according to initial accounts of the | | | | identifying the object as being a |
| time. | | | | weather balloon and its "kite." a |
| On June 14, farmer William "Mac" Brazel | | | | nickname for a radar reflector used to |
| noticed some strange debris while | | | | track the balloons from the ground. |
| working on a ranch 70 miles from | | | | Another news release was issued, this |
| Roswell. This exact date (or "about | | | | time from the Fort Worth base, |
| three weeks" before July 8) is a point | | | | describing the object as being a |
| of contention, but is repeated in | | | | "weather balloon." |
| several initial accounts, in particular | | | | Gen. Roger Ramey (kneeling) and chief of |
| the stories that quote Brazel and in a | | | | staff Col. Thomas Dubose posed with |
| telex sent a few hours after the story | | | | weather balloon and radar reflector, |
| broke quoting Sheriff George Wilcox (who | | | | July 8, 1947, Fort Worth, Texas. Some |
| Brazel first contacted). The initial | | | | claim text contained on the paper in |
| report from the Roswell Army Air Field | | | | Ramey's hand (boxed) confirms an alien |
| said the find was "sometime last week," | | | | recovery. See enlargement below.In Fort |
| but that description may have been a | | | | Worth, several news photographs were |
| fourth-hand account of what Brazel | | | | taken that day of debris said to be from |
| actually said, and mentions the sheriff | | | | the object. The debris was consistent |
| as the one who contacted them about the | | | | with the general description of a |
| find.[3] Brazel told the Roswell Daily | | | | weather balloon with a kite. Ramey, Col. |
| Record that he and his son saw a "large | | | | Thomas J. Dubose and Marcel all posed |
| area of bright wreckage made up of | | | | with the debris. Brazel, in interviews |
| rubber strips, tinfoil, a rather tough | | | | that day with the Roswell Daily Record |
| paper and sticks." He paid little | | | | and Associated Press, dismissed the |
| attention to it, but returned on July 4 | | | | military's "weather balloon" assertion. |
| with his son, wife and daughter to | | | | Citing several other weather balloons he |
| gather up the material,. Some accounts | | | | had recovered previously on the ranch, |
| have described Brazel as having gathered | | | | he said: "I am sure what I found was not |
| some of the material earlier, rolling it | | | | any weather observation balloon."The |
| together and stashing it under some | | | | incident was quickly forgotten. |