The Roswell Incident

In early July 1947, something crashed on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. The U.S. Army Air Forces initially announced they had recovered a “flying disc,” then quickly changed the story to a weather balloon. Decades later, witnesses came forward claiming alien bodies were recovered. Roswell has become the most famous UFO case in history.

The Discovery

Early July 1947:

• Mac Brazel found debris
• On ranch northwest of Roswell
• Strange materials
• Unusual properties
• Reported to sheriff

The Material

Brazel found:

• Metallic foil
• Couldn’t be creased
• Sticks with symbols
• Rubbery substance
• Unlike anything known

The Army

Base intelligence officer:

• Major Jesse Marcel
• Sent to investigate
• Collected debris
• Took to base
• Examined material

The Press Release

July 8, 1947:

• Army announced
• Recovery of “flying disc”
• Headlines worldwide
• “RAAF Captures Flying Saucer”
• Sensational news

The Retraction

Same day:

• Story changed
• “Weather balloon”
• General Ramey’s statement
• Photos staged
• Media complied

The Photo

Ramey posed with:

• Weather balloon debris
• Apparent substitution
• Not what Marcel found
• Cover story established
• Mystery began

Witness Accounts

Marcel said:

• Real debris different
• Not a balloon
• Exotic materials
• Otherworldly
• Government lied

The Bodies

Witnesses later claimed:

• Alien bodies recovered
• Second crash site
• Small beings
• Large heads
• Taken away

Glenn Dennis

Mortician claimed:

• Called about small caskets
• Nurse friend saw bodies
• Threatened to silence
• Details emerged later
• Controversial account

Project Mogul

1994 Air Force report:

• Debris was balloon
• Project Mogul
• Secret Soviet monitoring
• High-altitude sensors
• New explanation

The Dummy Explanation

1997 Air Force report:

• Bodies were dummies
• From 1950s tests
• Parachute experiments
• Memory conflation
• Critics unconvinced

Problems with Explanations

Skeptics of officials note:

• Timeline issues
• Witness consistency
• Material descriptions
• Cover-up behavior
• Too many questions

The Witnesses

Key figures include:

• Jesse Marcel
• Mac Brazel
• Glenn Dennis
• Mortician workers
• Military personnel

Cultural Impact

Roswell became:

• Iconic UFO case
• Tourism industry
• Museum established
• Annual festival
• Symbol of cover-up

The Museum

International UFO Museum:

• In Roswell
• Thousands visit
• Exhibits displayed
• Research center
• Major attraction

Significance

Roswell is significant for:

• Most famous UFO case
• Government cover-up allegations
• Witness testimonies
• Cultural phenomenon
• Ongoing controversy

Legacy

The Roswell incident represents the foundational case for UFO crash retrieval claims. Whether weather balloon, secret project, or extraterrestrial craft, Roswell has become synonymous with government UFO secrecy and remains the most discussed case in UFO history.