The Cover
A solarized image taken from a U.S. Air Force motion picture of
experiments conducted for Project HIGH DIVE. This image,
unsolarized, appears on page 34 (Figure 37).
The Roswell Report
CASE CLOSED
Headquarters United States Air Force
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McAndrew, James, 1963—
The Roswell report: case closed/James McAndrew
p. cm.
Includes index.
1. Unidentified flying objects—Sightings and encounters—New
Mexico—Roswell. I. Title
TL789.5.N6M33 1997
001.942’09789’43—dc21 97-11361
CIP
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328
ISBN 0-16-049018-9
Foreword
The “Roswell Incident” has assumed a central place in American folklore
since the events of the 1940s in a remote area of New Mexico. Because
the Air Force was a major player in those events, we have played a key
role in executing the General Accounting Office’s tasking to uncover
all records regarding that incident.
Our objective throughout this inquiry has been simple and consistent:
to find all the facts and bring them to light. If documents were
classified, declassify them; where they were dispersed, bring them into
a single source for public review.
In July 1994, we completed the first step in that effort and later
published _The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico
Desert_. This volume represents the necessary follow-on to that first
publication and contains additional material and analysis. I think that
with this publication we have reached our goal of a complete and open
explanation of the events that occurred in the Southwest many years ago.
Beyond that achievement, this inquiry has shed fascinating light into
the Air Force of that era and revitalized our appreciation for the
dedication and accomplishments of the men and women of that time. As we
celebrate the Air Force’s 50th Anniversary, it is appropriate to once
again reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to make ours the finest
air and space force in history.
SHEILA E. WIDNALL
Secretary of the Air Force
Guide For Readers
This publication contains the complete report as submitted to the
Secretary of the Air Force. The exceptions are the statements found
in Appendix B. Due to Privacy Act restrictions and by request, the
addresses of the individuals making these statements have been deleted.
This volume is divided into two sections, eight subsections, eleven
sidebar discussions, and three appendices. Section One examines alleged
events at two locations in rural New Mexico. Section Two examines the
alleged activities at the Roswell Army Airfield Hospital.
Appendix A is a table listing the launch and landing locations of test
equipment for U.S. Air Force scientific research projects HIGH DIVE and
EXCELSIOR. Appendix B is a collection of signed sworn statements based
on in-person interviews conducted for this report by U.S. Air Force
researchers. The exception is the statement of Lt. Col. William C.
Kaufman, which was not sworn due to equipment failures at the time of
interview.
Appendix C contains transcripts of interviews of alleged witnesses
presented by UFO theorists. The interviews of Gerald Anderson, Alice
Knight, and Vern Maltais were excerpted in their entirety from unedited
interviews used to prepare the video, _Recollections of Roswell, Part
II_ (1993), and appear courtesy of the Fund for UFO Research. The
interview of Mr. W. Glenn Dennis was provided by the interviewer, Karl
T. Pflock. The transcript of the interview of Mr. James Ragsdale was
provided by Kevin Randle, the coauthor of the _Truth About the UFO
Crash at Roswell_ (Avon Books, 1994), in which direct quotes from this
transcript appear.
A selected bibliography of technical reports and how to obtain them
are found on page 221. For additional information on this subject, see
Headquarters United States Air Force, _The Roswell Report: Fact vs.
Fiction in the New Mexico Desert_ (Washington D.C.: U.S. Government
Printing Office, 1995).
The Author
Captain James McAndrew serves as an Intelligence Applications Officer
assigned to the Secretary of the Air Force Declassification and
Review Team, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.. Captain McAndrew was the
coauthor, with Col. Richard L. Weaver, of _The Roswell Report: Fact vs.
Fiction in the New Mexico Desert_ (1995), the first Air Force work on
the alleged “Roswell Incident.” He participated in the declassification
of the _Gulf War Air Power Survey_ (1993) and has served special tours
of duty with the Drug Enforcement Administration and High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. He holds a BS degree with
honors, from Metropolitan State College, Denver, Colo. and is a native
of Washington, D.C.
Contents
_Page_
=Foreword= iii
=Guide for Readers= v
=Introduction= 1
SECTION ONE
=Flying Saucer Crashes
and Alien Bodies= 5
1.1 The “Crash Sites,” Scenarios, and Research Methods 11
1.2 High Altitude Balloon Dummy Drops 23
1.3 High Altitude Balloon Operations 37
1.4 Comparison of Witnesses Accounts to U.S. Air Force Activities 55
SECTION TWO
=Reports of Bodies at Roswell
Army Air Field Hospital= 75
2.1 The “Missing” Nurse and the Pediatrician 81
2.2 Aircraft Accidents 93
2.3 High Altitude Research Projects 101
2.4 Comparison of the Hospital Account to the Balloon Mishap 109
=Conclusion= 123
Notes
Section One 127
Section Two 139
APPENDIX A
=Anthropomorphic Dummy Launch
and Landing Locations= 155
APPENDIX B
=Witness Statements=
Charles E. Clouthier 160
Charles A. Coltman, Jr., Col., USAF, MC (Ret) 162
Dan D. Fulgham, Col., USAF (Ret) 164
Bernard D. Gildenberg, GS-14 (Ret) 166
Ole Jorgeson, MSgt., USAF (Ret) 169
William C. Kaufman, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret) 171
Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., Col., USAF (Ret) 174
Roland H. Lutz, CMSgt., USAF (Ret) 178
Raymond A. Madson, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret) 180
Frank B. Nordstrom, M.D. 182
APPENDIX C
=Interviews=
Gerald Anderson 187
Glenn Dennis 197
Alice Knight 213
Vern Maltais 214
James Ragsdale 215
=Selected Bibliography of
Technical Reports= 221
=Index= 225
Tables
SECTION ONE
1.1 Comparison of Testimony to Actual Air Force Equipment
and Procedures Used to Launch and Recover
Anthropomorphic Dummies 69
SECTION TWO
2.1 Persons Described and Periods of Service at
Roswell AAF/Walker AFB 91
2.2 Fatal Air Force Aircraft Accidents by Year
in the Vicinity of Walker AFB-1947–1960 93
2.3 Analysis of Air Force Aircraft Accidents
by Year in the Vicinity of Walker AFB-1947–1960 94
Figures
SECTION ONE
1. _The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction In The New Mexico Desert._
2. The International UFO Museum and Research Center, Roswell, N.M.
3. Drawing of Project MOGUL Balloon Train.
4. Maj. Jesse Marcel With “Flying Disc” Debris.
5. ML-307B/AP Radar Target on Ground.
6. ML-307B/AP Radar Target in Flight.
7. “Harassed Rancher Who Located ‘Saucer’ Sorry He Told About It,”
_Roswell Daily Record_, July 9, 1947.
8. Announcement from November 4, 1992 _Socorro_ (N.M.) _Defensor
Chieftain_.
9. B.D. “Duke” Gildenberg.
10. Charles B. Moore.
11. Map of New Mexico Depicting “Crash Sites” and “Debris Field.”
12. Missile Recovery Scene.
13. Drone Recovery Scene.
14. “Sierra Sam” Type Anthropomorphic Dummy.
15. National Transportation Highway Safety Administration
Advertisement Featuring “Vince and Larry.”
16. “Dummy Joe” with J.J. Higgins and Guy Ball, McCook Field, Ohio,
1920.
17. Rope and Sandbag Parachute Drop Dummy on Ground.
18. Rope and Sandbag Parachute Drop Dummy Descending at Wright
Field, Ohio.
19. Ted Smith Model Anthropomorphic Dummy in Ejection Seat.
20. Anthropomorphic Dummy “Oscar Eightball” at Muroc AAF, Calif.
21. “Sierra Sam” Anthropomorphic Dummy in Ejection Seat.
22. Alderson Laboratories Anthropomorphic Dummies Hanging in
Laboratory.
23. Project HIGH DIVE Dummy Launch.
24. Map of New Mexico Depicting Dummy Landing Locations.
25. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.’s Record Parachute Jump.
26. Article In December 1960 National Geographic Featuring Project
EXCELSIOR.
27. Magazine Covers Depicting U.S. Air Force Aero-Medical
Experiments.
28. M-342 Five-Ton Wrecker.
29. Project HIGH DIVE Gondola and “Sierra Sam” Type Anthropomorphic
Dummy.
30. 1st Lts. Raymond A. Madson and Eugene M. Schwartz with “Sierra
Sam” Type Anthropomorphic Dummy.
31. M-35 Two-Ton Cargo Truck.
32. M-37 ¾-Ton Cargo Truck.
33. Lt. Col. John P. Stapp Preparing for Rocket Sled Test.
34. Cover of September 12, 1955 _Time_ Magazine Depicting
Lt. Col. John P. Stapp.
35. Anthropomorphic Dummy with Missing Fingers.
36–38. Anthropomorphic Dummy Falling from Balloon Gondola.
39. Memo from Project HIGH DIVE Files.
40. Hanging Anthropomorphic Dummies and Hospital Gurney.
41. Anthropomorphic Dummy in Insulation Bag.
42–43. High Altitude Balloon Dummy Drops Report Covers.
44. Inflation of High Altitude Balloon for Project VIKING.
45. Lobby Card from _On The Threshold of Space_.
46. Promotional Photo From _On The Threshold of Space_.
47. Promotional Photo From _On The Threshold of Space_.
48. Relative Sizes of High Altitude Balloon, Airliner, and Hot Air
Balloon.
49. Target Balloon Launch Near Holloman AFB, N.M.
50. DISCOVERER Nosecone Rigged for High Altitude Balloon Flight.
51. DISCOVERER Capsule Aboard the _USS Haiti Victory_.
52. VIKING Spaceprobe at Martin Marietta Corp., Denver, Colo.
53. Balloon Launch Of VOYAGER-MARS Space Probe.
54. VIKING Space Probe at Roswell Industrial Airport, Roswell, N.M.
55. VIKING Space Probe Awaiting Recovery at White Sands Missile
Range.
56. Drawing of Alleged UFO.
57. “Vee” Balloon at Holloman AFB, N.M.
58. Current Members of the Holloman AFB Balloon Branch.
59. B.D. Gildenberg, Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., and Lt. Col.
David G. Simons (MC).
60. Ranch Family with Panel from Project STARGAZER.
61. Balloon Recovery Personnel and “The Hermit.”
62. Mule Borrowed for Balloon Payload Recovery.
63. Bulldozer Used for Balloon Payload Recovery.
64. M-43 Ambulance.
65–66. Unusual Balloon Payloads.
67. U.S. Army Communications Payload.
68. Scientific Balloon Payload Flown for The Johns Hopkins University.
69. Balloon Payload Flown from Holloman AFB, N.M.
70. Project HIGH DIVE Anthropomorphic Dummy Launch.
71. Vehicles Present at High Altitude Balloon Launch and Recovery
Sites.
72. Alderson Laboratories Anthropomorphic Dummies.
73. Anthropomorphic Dummies Attached to Rack.
74. Anthropomorphic Dummy with “Bandaged” Head.
75. Anthropomorphic Dummy with Torn Uniform.
76. Promotional Photo From _On The Threshold of Space_.
77. L-20 Observation Aircraft.
78. C-47 Transport Aircraft.
79. Balloon Crew Preparing Balloon for Launch.
80. Anthropomorphic Dummy Launch Scene.
81. Typical High Altitude Balloon Launch Scene.
82. Map of New Mexico.
SECTION TWO
1. The International UFO Museum and Research Center.
2. Capt. Eileen M. Fanton.
3. “Flying Saucer Swindlers,” _True_ Magazine, August 1956.
4. “The Flying Saucers and the Mysterious Little Green Men,” _True_
Magazine, September 1952.
5. Col. Lee F. Ferrell and U.S. Senator Dennis Chavez.
6. Lt. Col. Lucille C. Slattery.
7. KC-97 Aircraft.
8. 4036th USAF Hospital, Walker AFB, N.M., 1956.
9. Ballard Funeral Home, Roswell, N.M.
10. Maj. David G. Simons (MC), Otto C. Winzen, and Capt. Joseph W.
Kittinger, Jr.
11. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. in MAN HIGH Capsule.
12. Lt. Col. David G. Simons.
13. Bernard D. “Duke” Gildenberg and 1st Lt. Clifton McClure.
14. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. and the EXCELSIOR High Altitude
Balloon Gondola.
15. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. and William C. White with
STARGAZER Gondola.
16. Capt. Grover Schock and Otto C. Winzen.
17. Capt. Dan D. Fulgham and Capt. William C. Kaufman.
18. Thirty-foot Polyethylene Training Balloon.
19. Maj. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. in Vietnam.
20. A2C Ole Jorgeson and M-43 Ambulance Converted to a Communications
Vehicle.
21. Stenciled Letters Described as “Hieroglyphics.”
22. A2C Ole Jorgeson in Rear of M-43 Ambulance.
23. Polyethylene Balloon on Ground After High Altitude Flight.
24. Hospital Dispensary, Building 317, Walker AFB, N.M., 1954.
25. Main Gate at Walker AFB, N.M., 1954.
26. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. and Dr. J. Allen Hynek.
27. Clinical Record Cover Sheet of Capt. Dan D. Fulgham.
28. Capt. Dan D. Fulgham at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
29. Maj. Dan D. Fulgham, James Lovell, Hilary Ray, and Alan Bean.
30. Maj. Dan D. Fulgham at Ubon AB, Thailand.
31. Memorial Plaque at Holloman AFB, N.M.
32. Nenninger Balloon Launch Facility at Holloman AFB, N.M.
33. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. Following EXCELSIOR I.
Introduction
In July 1994, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force concluded
an exhaustive search for records in response to a General Accounting
Office (GAO) inquiry of an event popularly known as the “Roswell
Incident.” The focus of the GAO probe, initiated at the request of New
Mexico Congressman Steven Schiff, was to determine if the U.S. Air
Force, or any other U.S. government agency, possessed information on
the alleged crash and recovery of an extraterrestrial vehicle and its
alien occupants near Roswell, N.M. in July 1947.
Reports of flying saucers and alien bodies allegedly sighted in the
Roswell area in 1947, have been the subject of intense domestic
and international media attention. This attention has resulted in
countless newspaper and magazine articles, books, a television series,
a full-length motion picture, and even a film purported to be a U.S.
government “alien autopsy.”
The July 1994 Air Force report concluded that the predecessor to the
U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army Air Forces, did indeed recover material
near Roswell in July 1947. This 1,000-page report methodically explains
that what was recovered by the Army Air Forces was not the remnants of
an extraterrestrial spacecraft and its alien crew, but debris from an
Army Air Forces balloon-borne research project code named MOGUL.[1]
Records located describing research carried out under the MOGUL
project, most of which were never classified (and publicly available)
were collected, provided to GAO, and published in one volume for ease
of access for the general public.[*]
[*] MOGUL records which ultimately lead to the identification of the
origin of the 1947 claims of “flying saucer” debris, described balloon
research that was never classified. Other MOGUL records, describing
military applications of balloon-borne acoustical sensors, were
declassified, along with millions of pages of other unrelated executive
branch documents by Executive Order 11652, issued on March 6, 1972 by
President Richard M. Nixon.
Although MOGUL components clearly accounted for the claims of “flying
saucer” debris recovered in 1947, lingering questions remained
concerning anecdotal accounts that included descriptions of “alien”
bodies. The issue of “bodies” was not discussed extensively in the 1994
report because there were not any bodies connected with events that
occurred in 1947. The extensive Secretary of the Air Force-directed
search of Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force records from 1947 did not
yield information that even suggested the 1947 “Roswell” events were
anything other than the retrieval of the MOGUL equipment.[2]
[Illustration: Fig. 1. _The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction
in the New Mexico Desert_ contains, in its entirety, the report
submitted to the Secretary of the Air Force in July 1994. It is
available for sale from the U.S. Government Printing Office,
Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C., 20402-9328. Stock
No. 008-070-00697-9, ISBN 0-16-048023-X.]
Subsequent to the 1994 report, Air Force researchers discovered
information that provided a rational explanation for the alleged
observations of alien bodies associated with the “Roswell Incident.”
Pursuant to the discovery, research efforts compared documented Air
Force activities to the incredible claims of “flying saucers,” “aliens”
and seemingly unusual Air Force involvement. This in-depth examination
revealed that these accounts, in most instances, were of actual Air
Force activities but were seriously flawed in several major areas, most
notably: the Air Force operations that inspired reports of “bodies” (in
addition to being earthly in origin) did not occur in 1947. It appears
that UFO proponents have failed to establish the accurate dates for
these “alien” observations (in some instances by more than a decade)
and then erroneously linked them to the actual Project MOGUL debris
recovery.
This report discusses the results of this further research and
identifies the likely sources of the claims of “alien” bodies.
Contrary to allegations that the Air Force has engaged in a cover-up
and possesses dark secrets involving the Roswell claims, some of
the accounts appear to be descriptions of unclassified and widely
publicized Air Force scientific achievements. Other descriptions of
bodies appear to be descriptions of actual incidents in which Air Force
members were killed or injured in the line of duty.
The conclusions of the additional research are:
• Air Force activities which occurred over a period of many years
have been consolidated and are now represented to have occurred in
two or three days in July 1947.
• “Aliens” observed in the New Mexico desert were probably
anthropomorphic test dummies that were carried aloft by U.S. Air
Force high altitude balloons for scientific research.
• The “unusual” military activities in the New Mexico desert were
high altitude research balloon launch and recovery operations. The
reports of military units that always seemed to arrive shortly
after the crash of a flying saucer to retrieve the saucer and
“crew,” were actually accurate descriptions of Air Force personnel
engaged in anthropomorphic dummy recovery operations.
• Claims of bodies at the Roswell Army Air Field hospital were most
likely a combination of two separate incidents:
1) a 1956 KC-97 aircraft accident in which 11 Air Force members
lost their lives; and,
2) a 1959 manned balloon mishap in which two Air Force pilots were
injured.
This report is based on thoroughly documented research supported by
official records, technical reports, film footage, photographs, and
interviews with individuals who were involved in these events.
[Illustration: Fig. 2. Roswell, N.M. (pop. 37,000), boasts
competing “museums” focusing on the Roswell Incident, including
this one, The International UFO Museum and Research Center.]
SECTION ONE
Flying Saucer Crashes and Alien Bodies
The most puzzling and intriguing element of the complex series of
events now known as the Roswell Incident, are the alleged sightings of
alien bodies. The bodies turned what, for many years, was just another
flying saucer story, into what many UFO proponents claim is the best
case for extraterrestrial visitation of Earth. The importance of bodies
and the assumptions made as to their origin is illustrated in a passage
from a popular Roswell book:
_Crashed saucers are one thing, and could well turn out to be
futuristic American or even foreign aircraft or missiles. But
alien bodies are another matter entirely, and hardly subject to
misinterpretation._[3]
The 1994 Air Force report determined that project MOGUL was responsible
for the 1947 events. MOGUL was an experimental attempt to acoustically
detect suspected Soviet nuclear weapon explosions and ballistic missile
launches.[4] MOGUL utilized acoustical sensors, radar reflecting
targets and other devices attached to a train of weather balloons over
600 feet long. Claims that the U.S. Army Air Forces recovered a “flying
disc” in 1947, were based primarily on the lack of identification of
the radar targets, an element of weather equipment used on the long
MOGUL balloon train. The oddly constructed radar targets were found by
a New Mexico rancher during the height of the first U.S. flying saucer
wave in 1947.[5] The rancher brought the remnants of the balloons and
radar targets to the local sheriff after he allegedly learned of the
broadcasted reports of flying discs. However, following some initial
confusion at Roswell Army Air Field, the “flying disc” was soon
identified by Army Air Forces officials as a standard radar target.[6]
From 1947 until the late 1970s, the Roswell Incident was essentially
a non-story. The reports that existed contain only descriptions of
mundane materials that originated from the Project MOGUL balloon
train—“tinfoil, paper, tape, rubber, and sticks.”[7] The first claim
of “bodies” appeared in the late 1970s, with additional claims made
during the 1980s and 1990s. These claims were usually based on
anecdotal accounts of second- and third-hand witnesses collected by UFO
proponents as much as 40 years after the alleged incident. The same
anecdotal accounts that referred to bodies also described massive field
operations conducted by the U.S. military to recover crash debris from
a supposed extraterrestrial spaceship.
[Illustration: Fig. 3. An illustration of a Project MOGUL balloon
train similar to one found on a ranch 75 miles northwest of
Roswell, N.M. in June 1947, which contains all of the “strange”
materials described as part of a “flying disc.” Initial confusion
at Roswell AAF and delayed identification of this equipment was the
first in a series of unrelated events now known as the “Roswell
Incident.”]
A technique used by some UFO authors to collect anecdotal corroboration
for their theories was to solicit cooperating witnesses through
newspaper announcements. For example, one such solicitation appeared in
the _Socorro_ (N.M.) _Defensor Chieftain_ on November 4, 1992, on behalf
of Don Berliner and Stanton T. Friedman, the authors of the book _Crash
at Corona_. This request solicited persons to provide information about
the supposed crashes of alien spacecraft in the Socorro area.[8][*]
[*] Socorro, N.M. is situated at the northwest boundary of White
Sands Missile Range, the largest military test range in the United
States. Since the 1940s, White Sands and the surrounding areas of
New Mexico have been the site of a high volume of military test
and evaluation activity, including the launch and recovery of
anthropomorphic dummies carried aloft by high altitude balloons.
[Illustration: Fig. 4. (_Right_) Maj. Jesse Marcel, an intelligence
officer from Roswell Army Air Field, with the debris found 75 miles
northwest of Roswell in June 1947. When compared to a standard
radar target used by project MOGUL, it is clear that they are
the same object. (_Courtesy, Special Collections Division, the
University of Texas at Arlington Libraries, Arlington, Tex._)]
[Illustration: Fig. 5 & 6. (_Below, left and right_) Constructed
of aluminized paper glued and taped to a balsa wood frame, several
ML-307B/AP radar targets were used on the MOGUL balloon train to
make it visible to radar. (_U.S. Air Force photos_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 7. This account from the July 9, 1947 _Roswell
Daily Record_, described the materials “tinfoil, paper, rubber,
tape, and sticks” found on the ranch 75 miles northwest of Roswell,
in June 1947.
_Harassed Rancher who Located ‘Saucer’ Sorry He Told About It_
W. W. Brazel, 48, Lincoln county rancher living 30 miles south east
of Corona, today told his story of finding what the army at first
described as a flying disk, but the publicity which attended his
find caused him to add that if he ever found anything else short of
a bomb he sure wasn’t going to say anything about it.
Brazel was brought here late yesterday by W. E. Whitmore, of radio
station KGFL, had his picture taken and gave an interview to the
Record and Jason Kellahin, sent here from the Albuquerque bureau
of the Associated Press to cover the story. The picture he posed
for was sent out over AP telephoto wire sending machine specially
set up in the Record office by R. D. Adair, AP wire chief sent here
from Albuquerque for the sole purpose of getting out his picture
and that of sheriff George Wilcox, to whom Brazel originally gave
the information of his find.
Brazel related that on June 14 he and an 8-year old son, Vernon
were about 7 or 8 miles from the ranch house of the J. B. Foster
ranch, which he operates, when they came upon a large area of
bright wreckage made up on rubber strips, tinfoil, a rather tough
paper and sticks.
At the time Brazel was in a hurry to get his round made and he did
not pay much attention to it. But he did remark about what he had
seen and on July 4 he, his wife, Vernon and a daughter Betty, age
14, went back to the spot and gathered up quite a bit of the debris.
The next day he first heard about the flying disks, and he wondered
if what he had found might be the remnants of one of these.
Monday he came to town to sell some wool and while here he went to
see sheriff George Wilcox and “whispered kinda confidential like”
that he might have found a flying disk.
Wilcox got in touch with the Roswell Army Air Field and Maj. Jesse
A. Marcel and a man in plain clothes accompanied him home, where
they picked up the rest of the pieces of the “disk” and went to his
home to try to reconstruct it.
According to Brazel they simply could not reconstruct it at all.
They tried to make a kite, out of it, but could not do that and
could not find any way to put it back together so that it would fit.
Then Major Marcel brought it to Roswell and that was the last he
heard of it until the story broke that he had found a flying disk.
Brazel said that he did not see it fall from the sky and did not
see it before it was torn up, so he did not know the size or shape
it might have been, but he thought it might have been about as
large as a table top. The balloon which held it up, if that was how
it worked, must have been about 12 feet long, he felt, measuring
the distance by the size of the room in which he sat. The rubber
was smoky gray in color and scattered over an area about 200 yards
in diameter.
When the debris was gathered up the tinfoil, paper, tape, and
sticks made a bundle about three feet long and 7 or 8 inches thick,
while the rubber made a bundle about 18 or 20 inches long and about
8 inches thick. In all, he estimated, the entire lot would have
weighed maybe five pounds.
There was no sign of any metal in the area which might have been
used for an engine and no sign of any propellers of any kind,
although at least one paper fin had been glued onto some of the
tinfoil.
There were no words to be found anywhere on the instrument,
although there were letters on some of the parts. Considerable
scotch tape and some tape with flowers printed upon it had been
used in the construction.
No strings or wire were to be found but there were some eyelets in
the paper to indicate that some sort of attachment may have been
used.
Brazel said that he had previously found two weather observation
balloons on the ranch, but that what he found this time did not in
any way resemble either of these.
“I am sure what I found was not any weather observation balloon.”
he said. “But if I find anything else, besides a bomb they are
going to have a hard time getting me to say anything about it.”]
In response to the newspaper announcement, two scientists central to
the actual explanation of the “Roswell” events, Professor Charles
B. Moore, a former U.S. Army Air Forces contract engineer, and
Bernard D. Gildenberg, retired Holloman AFB Balloon Branch Physical
Science Administrator and Meteorologist, came forward with pertinent
information.[9] According to Moore and Gildenberg, when they met with
the authors their explanations that some of the Air Force projects they
participated in were most likely responsible for the incident, they
were summarily dismissed. The authors even went so far as to suggest
that these distinguished scientists were participants in a multifaceted
government cover-up to conceal the truth about the Roswell Incident.
[Illustration: Fig. 8. Announcement from the November 4, 1992
_Socorro_ (N.M.) _Defensor Chieftain_ soliciting witnesses of flying
saucer crashes in New Mexico. When former Air Force scientists
responded to advise the authors that Air Force projects were most
probably responsible for the UFO accounts, they were summarily
dismissed by the authors who placed the announcement, and then were
accused of participating in a cover-up.
_Authors seek UFO witnesses_
Co-authors of a major book on the 1947 crash of at least one
alien spacecraft in the New Mexico desert will be at the Golden
Manor Motel in Socorro on Monday, Nov. 16 to seek out additional
witnesses to these events.
Nuclear physicist Stanton T. Friedman and aviation/science writer
Don Berliner, whose “Crash at Corona” is now in its second
printing, want to meet with people having knowledge of the 1947
crashes.
Their book, being published in August by Paragon House of New York,
is being prepared for a made-for-TV movie. It is the story of the
discovery, retrieval, shipping and cover-up of what the authors
call the most important scientific discovery of the past thousand
years.
It is based on dozens of interviews with first- and second-hand
civilian and ex-military witnesses to various parts of what is
referred to as a very complex series of events.
In order to strengthen their case for government knowledge of what
they call “the truth behind almost 50 years of UFO sightings,” the
authors are seeking out additional, reliable witnesses. It remains
their policy to honor requests to keep the names of witnesses
private.
For more information, contact Don Berliner, 1202 S. Washington St.,
Alexandria. VA., 22314 (703-548-0405); or Stanton T. Friedman, 79
Pembroke Crescent, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 2V1, Canada (506
457-0232).
Witnesses are invited to call either author collect or to make
arrangements to meet them at any of their stops in New Mexico,
which include the cities of Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces,
Alamogordo and Roswell.]
[Illustration: Fig. 9. (_Left_) B.D. “Duke” Gildenberg served
as the civilian meteorologist, engineer, and physical science
administrator for the Holloman AFB Balloon Branch from
1951–1981. Gildenberg actively participated in thousands of
high altitude balloon operations, including the flights that
dropped anthropomorphic dummies at off-range locations throughout
New Mexico. Gildenberg, the “father” of Air Force scientific
ballooning, was instrumental in identifying the many actual Air
Force activities now known as the “Roswell Incident.”]
[Illustration: Fig. 10. (_Right_) Charles B. Moore, Professor
Emeritus of Atmospheric Physics at the New Mexico Institute of
Mining and Technology, was the project engineer for New York
University under contract to the U.S. Army Air Forces to develop
high altitude balloon technology for Project MOGUL. Moore launched
the balloon train on June 4, 1947, that when combined with other
events, are now known as the “Roswell Incident.”]
Since many of the Roswell accounts and allegations were collected by
irregular methods and are not specifically documented, the series
of events as alleged by UFO theorists has become very complex and
requires clarification. Therefore, the following section will briefly
examine some of the more confusing elements of the Roswell stories,
specifically, the multiple crash sites and complex scenarios, in order
to facilitate an objective analysis of actual events.
1.1
The “Crash Sites,” Scenarios, and Research Methods
The “Crash Sites”
From 1947 until the late 1970s, the Roswell Incident was confined
to one alleged crash site. This site, located on the Foster Ranch
approximately 75 miles northwest of the city of Roswell, was the actual
landing site of a Project MOGUL balloon train in June 1947.[10] The
MOGUL landing site is referred to in popular Roswell literature as the
“debris field.”
In the 1970s, the 1980s and throughout the 1990s, additional witnesses
came forward with claims and descriptions of two other alleged crash
sites. One of these sites was supposedly north of Roswell, the other
site was alleged to have been approximately 175 miles northwest of
Roswell in an area of New Mexico known as the San Agustin Plains.[11]
What distinguished the two new crash sites from the original debris
field were accounts of alien bodies.
[Illustration: Fig. 11. Map of New Mexico depicting the “crash
sites” and “debris field.” ]
The Scenarios
[Sidenote: “_It must be emphasized that the claims of bodies only
became part of the Roswell Incident after 1978, when they were
erroneously linked to the July 1947 retrieval of Project MOGUL
components._”]
UFO enthusiasts have attempted to explain the obvious contradiction
of multiple impact sites involving only one alien craft through the
introduction of complicated scenarios. These scenarios have become
increasingly convoluted since the proponents of each crash site must
make allowances to have “their” flying saucer at the correct time
and place—the actual MOGUL balloon train landing site in early July,
1947—in order to “fit” with the rest of the story. The actual Project
MOGUL landing site, 75 miles northwest of Roswell, lends credibility,
and more importantly establishes a _time frame_, for the other accounts
that include reports of bodies. Flying saucer enthusiasts use the
documented presence of U.S. Army Air Forces personnel at the MOGUL
site in July 1947, who were there to retrieve the MOGUL balloon train,
to provide the nucleus of unrelated and much later accounts that
include reports of “bodies.” It must be emphasized that the claims of
“bodies” only became part of the Roswell Incident after 1978, when they
were erroneously linked to the July 1947 retrieval of Project MOGUL
components.
In general, “Roswell Incident” scenarios claim that a disabled alien
craft momentarily touched down at the site 75 miles northwest of
Roswell, leaving behind parts of the spaceship (material that has been
subsequently identified as components of a MOGUL balloon train) to
create the original “debris field.” The scenarios further contend that
the damaged craft again became airborne and flew to its final crash
site, at either the location north of Roswell or 175 miles northwest of
Roswell on the San Agustin Plains.
Regardless of the dispute over the location, an element common to
most scenarios was that, once recovered, the bodies were supposedly
transported to the hospital at Roswell Army Air Field for autopsy. Also
common to these theories is that the bodies were later shipped from
Roswell AAF to another facility, usually Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (or
a host of other facilities—this is another area of further disagreement
among UFO theorists) for further evaluation and ultimate deep-freeze
storage.
Research Methods
In an attempt to untangle this collection of complicated assertions and
determine if there was any validity to the reports of bodies, Air Force
researchers faced the task of sorting through and examining anecdotal
testimony of hundreds of witnesses. However, a large number of the
accounts were eliminated by applying previously established facts to
the testimonies. The July 1994 report to the Secretary of the Air Force
clearly presented and documented these facts:
_a._ The U.S. Army Air Forces did not recover an extraterrestrial
vehicle and alien crew. This conclusion was based on extensive
research that included a thorough review of both classified
and unclassified materials at record depositories, archives,
libraries and research facilities throughout the nation. Of the
millions of pages of material reviewed, there was no mention of
any activities that even tangentially suggested such an event.
Additionally, former and retired Air Force members and civilian
contract scientists were located and released from any possible
nondisclosure agreements they may have entered into regarding
past classified activities. This release allowed them to freely
discuss with Air Force researchers, or any other persons,
information related to this issue. These releases were issued at
the express written direction of the Secretary of the Air Force.
Interviews with these persons yielded no information supporting
extraterrestrial claims or any other unusual activities.
_b._ The reports of bodies were not associated with Project MOGUL.
The MOGUL balloon train did not, was not designed to, nor could it
carry passengers. Neither did it carry hazardous materials that
would have caused injury, death, or mutilation to persons who may
have come in contact with any of its components.
_c._ Actual events, if any, that inspired reports of bodies did
not occur in 1947. Based on extensive examinations of U.S. Army
Air Forces activities in 1947, no evidence was found to support
allegations that the Army Air Forces was involved in any uncommon
operations other than the retrieval of the MOGUL balloon train
in the Roswell area in July 1947. Examination of research and
development projects, aircraft crashes, errant missiles and
possible nuclear accidents yielded no information to support a 1947
claim.
In light of these documented facts, the hundreds of anecdotal accounts
were reduced to a few. Eliminated were accounts that were likely
descriptions of materials known to be part of the Project MOGUL balloon
train and accounts describing transportation of these materials.
From the remaining testimony, Air Force researchers developed the
following set of working hypotheses to assist in identifying the actual
events, if any, matching those described by the witnesses.
_a._ Due to the number and great detail provided in some of the
accounts, it was likely that some event(s) actually did occur.
_b._ Due to the many similarities of the two crash site
descriptions and the considerable distance between them, it was
likely that more than one event with similar characteristics was
the basis for these accounts.
_c._ Since the account of bodies at the Roswell Army Air Field
hospital did not contain elements similar to reports of the two
crash sites, it was likely that this account was unrelated to
the crash site accounts. (The hospital account will be addressed
separately in Section Two of this report.)
The remaining testimony was examined with regard both to the facts and
to working hypotheses to determine if there were common threads or
links connecting any of the accounts. If similarities were found, the
next step was to determine if they were related to an actual event.
Finally, if there were actual event(s), were they part of U.S. Air
Force or U.S. Government activities?
Common Threads
Careful examination of the testimony revealed that primary witnesses
of the two “crashed saucer” locations contained descriptions common to
both. These areas of commonality contained both general and detailed
characteristics. However, before continuing, the accounts were
carefully examined to determine if the testimony related by individual
witnesses were of their own experiences and not a recitation of
information given by other persons. While many aspects of the remaining
accounts were judged to be similar, other aspects were found to be
significantly different. The accounts on which the analysis is based
were determined, in all likelihood, to have been independently obtained
or observed by the witnesses.
=General Similarities.= The testimony presented for both crash sites
generally followed the same sequence of events. The witnesses were
in a rural and isolated area of New Mexico. In the course of their
travels in this area, they came upon a crashed aerial vehicle. The
witnesses then proceeded to the area of the crash to investigate and at
some distance they observed strange looking “beings” that appeared to
be crewmembers of the vehicle. Soon thereafter, a convoy of military
vehicles and soldiers arrived at the site. Military personnel allegedly
instructed the civilians to leave the area and forget what they had
seen. As the witnesses left the area, the military personnel commenced
with a recovery operation of the crashed aerial vehicle and “crew.”
=Detailed Similarities.= Along with general similarities in the
testimonies, there also existed a substantial amount of similar
detailed descriptions of the “aliens,” and the military vehicles and
procedures allegedly used to recover them.
The first obvious similarity was the descriptions of the aliens.
Mr. Gerald Anderson, an alleged witness of events at the site 175
miles northwest of Roswell, recalled, “I thought they were plastic
dolls.”[12] Mr. James Ragsdale, an alleged witness of the site north of
Roswell, stated, “They were using dummies in those damned things.”[13]
Another alleged witness to a “crash” north of Roswell, Frank J.
Kaufman, recalled that there was “talk” that perhaps an “experimental
plane with dummies in it” was the source of the claims.[14]
Additional similarities were also noted. Mr. Vern Maltais, a secondhand
witness of the site 175 miles northwest of Roswell, described the
hands of the “aliens” as, “They had four fingers.”[15] Anderson
characterized the hands as, “They didn’t have a little finger.”[16]
He also described the heads of the aliens as “completely bald”[17]
while Maltais described them as “hairless.”[18] The uniforms of the
aliens were independently described by Anderson as “one-piece suits
... a shiny silverish-gray color”[19] and by Maltais as “one-piece
and gray in color.”[20] The date of this event was also not precisely
known. Maltais recalled that it may have occurred “around 1950”[21] and
another secondhand witness, Alice Knight stated, “I don’t recall the
date.”[22]
Witnesses of different sites also used the terms “wrecker”[23] and
“six-by-six”[24] when they described the military vehicles present at
the different recovery sites. One witness described seeing a “medium
sized Jeep/truck”[25] and another witness described seeing a “weapons
carrier”[26] (a weapons carrier is a mid-sized Jeep-type truck).
The Research Profile
When the general and specific similarities were combined, a profile
emerged describing the event or activity that might have been observed.
The profile, which contains elements common to at least two, and in
some cases, all of the accounts, established a set of criteria used
to determine what the witnesses may have observed. The profile is as
follows:
_a._ An activity that, if viewed from a distance, would appear
unusual.
_b._ An activity of which the exact date is not known.
_c._ An activity that took place in two rural areas of New Mexico.
_d._ An activity that involved a type of aerial vehicle with dolls
or dummies that had four fingers, were bald, and wore one-piece
gray suits.
_e._ An activity that required recovery by numerous military
personnel and an assortment of vehicles that included a wrecker, a
six-by-six, and a weapons carrier.
Based on this profile, research was begun to identify events or
activities with these characteristics. Due to the location of the
sites, attention was focused on Roswell AAF (renamed Walker AFB in
1948), White Sands Missile Range and Holloman AFB, N.M. The aerial
vehicles assigned or under development at these facilities were
aircraft, missiles, remotely-piloted drones, and high altitude
balloons. The operational characteristics and areas where these
vehicles flew were researched to determine if they played a role in the
events described by the witnesses.
=Missiles and Drones.= Missiles and drones were determined not to have
been responsible for the accounts.[*] The areas where the alleged
crashes took place were, in all likelihood, too far from the White
Sands Missile Range. Missiles were equipped with a self-destruct
mechanism that was activated if it strayed off-course or out of the
White Sands Missile Range. There was never a program that required
a dummy or doll to be placed inside a missile or a drone. However,
missiles were launched from White Sands carrying monkeys and other
small animals aloft for scientific research.[27] These projects were
well documented, and none of these missiles landed near either of the
two crash sites.
[*] From September 1961 until March 1965 12 Atlas F
intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) were deployed by the
579^{th} Strategic Missile Squadron in areas surrounding Walker
AFB, N.M. These missiles were determined not to have been involved
in the Roswell Incident.
=Aircraft.= Aircraft seemed just as unlikely as missiles to have been
responsible for the extraterrestrial claims as outlined in the profile.
Although additional research revealed the significant role dummies
played in the test and evaluation of aircraft emergency escape systems,
these dummies were used on board aircraft and on the high-speed test
track at Holloman AFB. However, aircraft test flights demanded strict
adherence to established flight profiles over the instrumented portions
of the White Sands Missile Range, many miles from the alleged crash
sites. Dummies used on the high-speed track remained in the immediate
vicinity of the track facilities at Holloman AFB. This geographical
impossibility ruled out dummies that were ejected from aircraft
and those used on the high-speed track as a cause of alleged alien
sightings. (Aircraft accidents will be discussed extensively in Section
Two of this report.)
[Illustration: Figs. 12 & 13. Missiles (_left_) and drones
(_right_) under development at Holloman AFB, N.M. were determined
not to have been involved in the “Roswell Incident.” (_U.S. Air
Force photos_)]
=High Altitude Research Balloons.= The only vehicles not yet evaluated
as a possible source of the accounts were high altitude research
balloons. Previous reviews of early research balloon flight records
revealed that trajectories of high altitude balloons were, at times,
unpredictable and did not usually remain over Holloman AFB or White
Sands Missile Range.[28] Many of the scientific payloads required
recovery so the data collected during flight could be returned to the
laboratory for analysis.
These characteristics seemed to fit at least some of the research
profile. Atmospheric sampling apparatus or weather instruments, the
typical payload of many high altitude balloons, could hardly have been
mistaken for space aliens. A careful examination of the instruments
carried aloft by the high altitude balloons revealed that one unique
project used a device that very likely could be mistaken for an
alien—an anthropomorphic dummy.
An anthropomorphic dummy is a human substitute equipped with a variety
of instrumentation to measure effects of environments and situations
deemed too hazardous for a human. These abstractly human dummies
were first used in New Mexico in May 1950, and have been used on a
continuous basis since that time.[29]
In the 1950s, anthropomorphic dummies were not widely exposed outside
of scientific research circles and easily could have been mistaken for
something they were not. Today, anthropomorphic dummies, better known
as crash test dummies, are easily identifiable and are even the “stars”
of their own automotive safety advertising campaign. During the 1950s
when the U.S. Air Force dropped the odd-looking test devices from high
altitude balloons in its program to study high altitude human free-fall
characteristics, public awareness and stardom were decades away. It
seems likely that someone who unexpectedly observed these dummies at a
distance would believe they had seen something unusual. In retrospect,
when interviewed over 40 years later, they could accurately report that
they had seen something _very unusual_.
With the introduction of anthropomorphic dummies as a possible
explanation for the reports of bodies, another element of the research
profile appeared to be satisfied. Specific information that described
the locations, methods, and procedures used to employ the dummies was
required before any definitive conclusions could be drawn. To gather
this detailed information, research efforts were concentrated on high
altitude balloon operations and the specific projects that utilized
balloon-borne anthropomorphic dummies.
[Illustration: Fig. 14. (_Left_) Example of an anthropomorphic
dummy carried aloft by U.S. Air Force high altitude balloons. These
dummies landed at numerous locations throughout New Mexico during
the 1950s. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 15. (_Right_) Newspaper advertisement depicting
anthropomorphic dummies “Vince and Larry” “stars” of the successful
advertising campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration to encourage use of safety belts. (_Courtesy of
NHTSA_)
“I’LL JUST BRACE
MYSELF WITH THE
STEERING WHEEL”
Who are you trying to fool? There’s no way a steering wheel
can stop you from slamming into a dashboard. Only a safety belt can.
Stop making excuses and start buckling your safety belt.
YOU COULD LEARN A LOT FROM A DUMMY.
BUCKLE YOUR SAFETY BELT.
A Public Service Message
US Department
of Transportation
]
Test Dummies Used by the U.S. Air Force
Since the beginning of manned flight, designers have sought a
substitute for the human body to test hazardous new equipment. Early
devices used by the predecessors of the U.S. Air Force were simply
constructed parachute drop test dummies with little similarity to the
human form. Following World War II, aircraft emergency escape systems
became increasingly sophisticated and engineers required a dummy with
more humanlike characteristics.
Parachute Drop Dummies
During World War I research and development of the first U.S. military
parachute was underway at McCook Field, Ohio. To test the parachute,
engineers experimented with several types of dummies, settling on
a model constructed of three-inch hemp rope and sandbags with the
approximate proportions of a medium-sized man.[30] The new invention
was soon known by the nickname “Dummy Joe.” Dummy Joe is said to have
made more than five thousand “jumps” between 1918 and 1924.[31]
By 1924, parachutes were required on military aircraft with their
serviceability tested by dummies dropped from aircraft.[32] For this
routine testing, several types of dummies were used. The most common
type is shown in figures 17 and 18. Parachutes were individually
drop-tested from aircraft until the early stages of World War II, when,
due both to increased reliability and large numbers of parachutes in
service, this routine practice was discontinued. Nonetheless, test
dummies were still used frequently by the Parachute Branch of Air
Materiel Command (AMC) at Wright Field, Ohio, to test new parachute
designs.
[Illustration: Fig. 16. “‘Dummy Joe,’ the hero of five thousand
jumps” is shown here with engineers J.J. Higgins (_left_) and Guy
Ball at McCook Field, Ohio in 1920. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 17. (_Left_) Early rope and sandbag dummy used
to test parachutes. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 18. (_Right_) Parachute drop dummies in use at
Wright Field, Ohio. The historic Flight Test hangars, Hangars 1 and
9, can be seen in the background. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
Anthropomorphic Dummies
The ejection seat had been developed and used successfully by the
German Luftwaffe during the latter stages of World War II. The utility
of this invention was realized when the U.S. Army Air Forces obtained
an ejection seat in 1944.[33] To properly test the ejection seat, the
Army Air Forces required a dummy that had the same center of gravity
and weight distribution as a human, characteristics that parachute
drop dummies did not possess. In 1944, the USAAF Air Materiel Command
contracted with the Ted Smith Company of Upper Darby, Pa. to design
and manufacture the first dummy intended to accurately represent a
human.[34] The dummy had the same basic shape as a human, but with only
abstract human features, and “skin” made of canvas.
[Illustration: Figs. 19 & 20. (_Left & Right_) These early
anthropomorphic dummies, manufactured by the Ted Smith Co., of
Upper Darby, Pa., were used by the Army Air Forces beginning in
1944. They were replaced by a more realistic dummy in 1949.
(_Right_) “Oscar Eightball,” the name given to this early model
anthropomorphic dummy by Col. John P. Stapp, is shown following a
run of the high-speed track at Muroc AAF (now Edwards AFB), Calif.,
in 1947. (_U.S. Air Force photos_)]
In 1949, the U.S. Air Force Aero Medical Laboratory submitted a
proposal for an improved model of the anthropomorphic dummy.[35]
This request was originated by the renowned Air Force scientist and
physician John P. Stapp, now a retired Colonel, who conducted a series
of landmark experiments at Muroc (now Edwards) AFB, Calif., to measure
the effects of acceleration and deceleration during high-speed aircraft
ejections.[36] Stapp required a dummy that had the same center of
gravity and articulation as a human, but, unlike the Ted Smith dummy,
was more human in appearance. A more accurate external appearance was
required to provide for the proper fit of helmets, oxygen masks, and
other equipment used during the tests. Stapp requested the Anthropology
Branch of the Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright Field to review
anthropological, orthopedic, and engineering literature to prepare
specifications for the new dummy.[37] Plaster casts of the torso, legs,
and arms of an Air Force pilot were also taken to assure accuracy.[38]
The result was a proposed dummy that stood 72 inches tall, weighed
200 pounds, had provisions for mounting instrumentation, and could
withstand up to 100 times the force of gravity or 100Gs.
In 1949, a contract was awarded to Sierra Engineering Company of Sierra
Madre, Calif., and deliveries began in 1950.[39] This dummy quickly
became known as “Sierra Sam.”
In 1952, a contract for anthropomorphic dummies was awarded to Alderson
Research Laboratories, Inc., of New York City.[40] Dummies constructed
by both companies possessed the same basic characteristics: a skeleton
of aluminum or steel, latex or plastic skin, a cast aluminum skull, and
an instrument cavity in the torso and head for the mounting of strain
gauges, accelerometers, transducers, and rate gyros.[41] Models used by
the Air Force were primarily parachute drop and ejection seat versions
with center of gravity tolerances within one quarter inch.
Over the next several years the two companies improved and redesigned
internal structures and instrumentation, but the basic external
appearance of the dummies remained relatively constant from the mid
1950s to the late 1960s. Dummies of these types were most likely the
“aliens” associated with the “Roswell Incident.”
[Illustration: Figs. 21 & 22. Examples of a “Sierra Sam” (_left_)
and Alderson Laboratories anthropomorphic dummies (_right_) of the
type dropped from balloons at off-range locations throughout New
Mexico during the 1950s. (_U.S. Air Force photos_)]
1.2
High Altitude Balloon Dummy Drops
From 1953 to 1959, anthropomorphic dummies were used by the U.S. Air
Force Aero Medical Laboratory as part of the high altitude aircraft
escape projects HIGH DIVE and EXCELSIOR.[42] The object of these
studies was to devise a method to return a pilot or astronaut to earth
by parachute, if forced to escape at extreme altitudes.[43]
[Illustration: Fig. 23. Project HIGH DIVE anthropomorphic dummy
launch, White Sands Proving Ground, N.M., June 11, 1957. (_U.S. Air
Force photo_)]
Anthropomorphic dummies were transported to altitudes up to 98,000 feet
by high altitude balloons. The dummies were then released for a period
of free-fall while body movements and escape equipment performance were
recorded by a variety of instruments. Forty-three high altitude balloon
flights carrying 67 anthropomorphic dummies were launched and recovered
throughout New Mexico between June 1954 and February 1959.[44] Due
to prevailing wind conditions, operational factors and ruggedness of
the terrain, the majority of dummies impacted outside the confines
of military reservations in eastern New Mexico, near Roswell, and in
areas surrounding the Tularosa Valley in south central New Mexico.[45]
Additionally, 30 dummies were dropped by aircraft over White Sands
Proving Ground, N.M. in 1953. In 1959, 150 dummies were dropped by
aircraft over Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (possibly accounting for
alleged alien “sightings” at that location).[46]
[Illustration: Anthropomorphic Dummy Launch and Landing Locations]
A number of these launch and recovery locations were in the areas where
the “crashed saucer” and “space aliens” were allegedly observed.
Following the series of dummy tests, a human subject, test pilot Capt.
Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., now a retired Colonel, made three parachute
jumps from high altitude balloons. Since free-fall tests from these
unprecedented altitudes were extremely hazardous, they could not
be accomplished by a human until a rigorous testing program using
anthropomorphic dummies was completed.
[Illustration: Fig. 25. “Lord, take care of me now,” were Capt.
Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.’s words as he exited the EXCELSIOR III
balloon gondola at 102,800 feet on August 16, 1960, over White
Sands Proving Ground, N.M. Kittinger’s courageous scientific
achievement remains, to this day, the highest parachute jump ever
accomplished. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
A Cover-Up?
Countering claims of a cover-up, Air Force projects that used
anthropomorphic dummies and human subjects were unclassified and
widely publicized in numerous newspaper and magazine stories, books,
and television reports. These included a book written by test pilot
Kittinger, _The Long, Lonely Leap_, another book, _Man High_, by MAN
HIGH Project Scientist, Lt. Col. David G. Simons (MC), a feature
article in _National Geographic_, and cover stories in _Life_,
_Collier’s_, _Popular Mechanics_, and _Time_.[47] A characterization
of Kittinger’s record parachute jump even appeared in the adolescent
magazine, _MAD_.[48] The intense public interest in HIGH DIVE,
EXCELSIOR and other aero medical projects conducted at Holloman AFB
also resulted in a 1956 Twentieth Century Fox full-length motion
picture, _On the Threshold of Space_ (see page 38).
[Illustration: Fig. 26. This photo of Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger,
Jr. taken by a remotely operated camera on the EXCELSIOR III
gondola, was featured in the December 1960 _National Geographic_.
The Long, Lonely Leap
_World’s highest jump tests a new type of parachute for
high-altitude flyers and scientists returning from the threshold of
space_
By CAPT. JOSEPH W. KITTINGER. JR., USAF
_Illustrations by National Geographic photographer VOLKMAR WENTZEL_
OVERHEAD my onion-shaped balloon spread its 200-foot diameter
against a black daytime sky. More than 18½ miles below lay the
cloud-hidden New Mexico desert to which I shortly would parachute.
Sitting in my gondola, which gently twisted with the balloon’s slow
turnings, I had begun to sweat lightly, though the temperature read
36° below zero Fahrenheit. Sunlight burned in on me under the edge
of an aluminized antiglare curtain and through the gondola’s open
door.
In my earphones crackled the voice of Capt. Marvin Feldstein, one
of our project’s two doctors, from ground control at Holloman Air
Force Base:
“Three minutes till jump, Joe.”
I was ready to go, for more reasons than one. For about an hour—as
the balloon rose from 50,000 to 102,800 feet above sea level—I
had been exposed to an environment requiring the protection of a
pressure suit and helmet, and the fear of their failure had always
been present. If either should break, unconsciousness would come in
10 or 12 seconds, and death within two minutes.
In our altitude-chamber flights at the laboratory, I always
“=Lord, take care of me now=,” I pray, then take the big step-off
that begins my return from the edge of space, a 13-minute,
45-second plunge to an earth wrapped in clouds. The lanyard
attached to my parachute pack is my last link with the gondola.
It starts a timer on a small stabilization chute that will
open 16 seconds later and prevent horizontal spinning. Without
stabilization, man could not survive a jump from these high
altitudes.
A National Geographic camera mounted above the gondola took this
remarkable photograph at 102,800 feet.
MS Ektachrome National Geographic Society
]
[Illustration: Fig. 27. Contemporary magazines that featured
experiments at Holloman AFB, N.M. _Clockwise from top left_,
_Time_, September 12, 1955; _Life_, August 29, 1960; _Popular
Mechanics Magazine_, (_center_) January 1951; _Collier’s_, June 25,
1954; and _Life_, September 2, 1957.]
Dummy Drop Procedures
For the majority of the tests, dummies were flown to altitudes between
30,000 and 98,000 feet attached to a specially designed rack suspended
below a high altitude balloon.[49] On several flights the dummies
were mounted in the door of an experimental high altitude balloon
gondola.[50] Upon reaching the desired altitude, the dummies were
released and free-fell for several minutes before deployment of the
main parachute.
[Illustration: Fig. 28. (_Left_) Witnesses at both flying saucer
“crash” sites stated that a “wrecker” was used in the recovery
of the “alien” craft. This was a likely reference to the M-342
five-ton wrecker, used to launch and recover anthropomorphic
dummies.]
[Illustration: Fig. 29. (_Right_) Three tests utilized
anthropomorphic dummies mounted in the door of an experimental
Project HIGH DIVE gondola. This launch took place on October 8,
1957, in front of curious onlookers at the public picnic area of
White Sands National Monument, N.M. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
The dummies used for the balloon drops were outfitted with standard
equipment of an Air Force aircrew member. This equipment consisted
of a one-piece flightsuit, olive drab, gray (witnesses had described
seeing aliens in gray one-piece suits) or fuchsia in color, boots,
and a parachute pack.[51] The dummies were also fitted with an
instrumentation kit that contained accelerometers, pressure
transducers, an oscillograph, and a camera to record movements of the
dummy during free-fall.[52]
[Illustration: Fig. 30. A “Sierra Sam” with HIGH DIVE Project
Officers 1st Lts. Eugene M. Schwartz (_left_) and Raymond A. Madson
(_right_). This dummy is outfitted in a “sage green” colored
flightsuit (a shade of gray) with red tape sealing its neck,
wrists, and ankles. (_U.S. Air Force_)]
Recoveries of the test dummies were accomplished by personnel from
the Holloman AFB Balloon Branch.[53] Typically, eight to twelve
civilian and military recovery personnel arrived at the site of an
anthropomorphic dummy landing as soon as possible following impact.
The recovery crews operated a variety of aircraft and vehicles.
These included a wrecker, a six-by-six, a weapons carrier, and L-20
observation and C-47 transport aircraft—the exact vehicles and aircraft
described by the witnesses as having been present at the crashed saucer
locations.[54] On one occasion, just southwest of Roswell, a HIGH DIVE
project officer, 1st Lt. Raymond A. Madson, even conducted a search for
dummies on horseback[55] (see statement in Appendix B).
[Illustration: Fig. 31. An M-35 2½-ton cargo truck, commonly
referred to as a “six-by-six,” were used by the Holloman Balloon
Branch to launch and recover anthropomorphic dummies and suspension
racks at numerous locations throughout New Mexico. (_U.S. Air Force
photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 32. M-37 ¾-ton utility trucks, known as
“weapons carriers,” were used for high altitude balloon recoveries
by the Holloman Balloon Branch during the 1950s. Here, recovery
technicians use an M-37 to retrieve an Aero Medical gondola from a
location on Holloman AFB, N.M. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
To expedite the recoveries, crews were prepositioned with their
vehicles along a paved highway in the area where impact was
expected.[56] On a typical flight the dummies were separated from
the balloon by radio command and descended by parachute.[57] Prompt
recovery of the dummies and their suspension racks, which usually
did not land in the same location resulting in extensive ground and
air searches, was essential for researchers to evaluate information
collected by the instrumentation and cameras. To assist the recovery
personnel, a variety of methods were used to enhance the visibility
of the dummies: smoke grenades, pigment powder, and brightly colored
parachute canopies.[58] Also, recovery notices promising a $25 reward
were taped to an exposed portion of a dummy.[59] Local newspapers and
radio stations were contacted when equipment was lost.[60]
The Bravest Man
America was introduced to Col. John Paul Stapp on December 10,
1954, when he became known as both the “the bravest” and “the
fastest” man on earth. Stapp earned these titles following a
rocket sled test that accelerated him to 632 miles per hour. He
reached this speed in just five seconds—faster than a .45 caliber
bullet—and was decelerated to a stop in 1.4 seconds, subjecting
his body to more than 42 times the force of gravity! While this
was America’s introduction to Col. Stapp, the 1954 rocket sled
test that examined aircraft restraint devices and human responses
to accelerative/decelerative forces and windblast, was just one of
many achievements of this legendary Air Force physician.
[Illustration: Fig. 33. The first “space doctor,” Lt. Col. John
P. Stapp (now a retired Colonel) being strapped into the rocket
sled Sonic Wind Nᵒ 1, on December 10, 1954, at Holloman AFB, N.M.
Courageously, Stapp was his own volunteer subject on 29 rocket sled
tests and earned two awards of the Legion of Merit and the Cheney
Award for valor and self-sacrifice. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
Born in Bahia, Brazil to American missionary parents, Stapp sold
pots and pans door to door during the Depression while he earned
both undergraduate and graduate degrees in zoology and chemistry
at Baylor University. He went on to earn a doctorate in biophysics
from the University of Texas, and a doctorate in medicine from the
University of Minnesota.
In 1944 Stapp entered the U.S. Army Air Forces and became
a flight surgeon. From 1946 to 1963, due to his unique
qualifications in biophysics and medicine, he conducted a series
of acceleration/deceleration experiments on the high-speed track
at Muroc (now Edwards AFB), Calif.,[61] and later at Holloman
AFB, N.M. Developments from these and other studies resulted in
innovations which have saved many lives. These included improved
safety belt restraint systems and design specifications for
aircraft and automobiles, aircraft ejection and emergency escape
systems, refinement of automobile airbag systems, and development
of the modern anthropomorphic test dummy.
As commander of the U.S. Air Force Aeromedical Field Laboratory
at Holloman AFB, N.M. and later the Aero Medical Laboratory at
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Stapp won support for the Air Force
manned high altitude balloons projects—MAN HIGH and EXCELSIOR. As
a testament to his thorough safety preparations, these and other
extremely hazardous projects administered by Stapp, did not result
in a single debilitating injury to a test subject. These projects
helped pave the way for future flights of both high altitude
aircraft such as the X-15, and of spacecraft for the MERCURY,
GEMINI, and APOLLO programs. In fact, Stapp’s expertise was called
upon to assist in the selection of the initial cadre of astronauts,
the “MERCURY Seven.”
He retired from the Air Force in 1970, but not before amassing a
collection of awards and honors. These included two awards of the
Legion of Merit for rocket sled experiments, the Cheney Award for
1954, and membership in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
In association with the Society of Automotive Engineers, Stapp
continues to participate in annual conferences in which industry
experts assemble to discuss vehicle safety issues. The conferences,
now in their 40th year bear his name: the Stapp Car Crash
Conferences.
In 1991, in recognition of a lifetime of unselfish dedication
to scientific research, Stapp was awarded the National Medal of
Technology, bestowed upon him at the White House by President
George Bush.
He is married to the former Lillian Lanese, a former soloist with
the Ballet Theater of New York, and resides in Alamogordo, N.M. At
87 years old he continues to maintain a dizzying pace of travel and
lectures.
It is not an exaggeration that virtually every person who has
safely operated, or ridden in, an automobile, aircraft, or
spacecraft, has benefited from the genius of Col. John Paul Stapp,
and owes this brave scientist, physician, and visionary, a great
deal of thanks.
[Illustration: Fig. 34. September 12, 1955 edition of _Time_
featuring Col. John P. Stapp and his rocket sled experiments at
Holloman AFB, N.M.]
Despite these efforts, the dummies were not always recovered
immediately; one was not found for nearly three years and several
were not recovered at all.[62] When they were found, the dummies and
instrumentation were often damaged from impact.[63] Damage to the
dummies included loss of heads, arms, legs and fingers.[64] This
detail, dummies with missing fingers, appears to satisfy another
element of the research profile—aliens with only four fingers.
[Illustration: Fig. 35. Rough treatment and parachute failures
during balloon drops often caused damage to the hands of the
dummies. This detail, “beings” with “four fingers,” was related by
two witnesses as a distinguishing feature of the Roswell aliens.
(_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Figs. 36–38. Actual photographs of an Alderson
Laboratories type anthropomorphic dummy falling away from its
suspension rack at high altitude over New Mexico. Fig. 37
(_center_) appears on the cover of this publication. (_U.S. Air
Force photos_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 39. Memo taken from Project HIGH DIVE files
explaining the loss of a dummy near Roswell, N.M. in November 1955.
Loss of MR Equipment
WCUSS-22 WCRDB-4 19 Jan 56
ATTN: Mr. R.L. Mason Lt. Nielsen/1bc
Ext. 2-4194/B.33
1. On 17 November 1955, an anthropomorphic dummy, B-15 jacket and
a stop watch were lost during a high altitude dummy drop from a
balloon at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.
2. The drop was performed to determine the effectiveness of a
two stage personnel parachute in lowering a man-like dummy from
85,000 feet. The test was part of a continuing task “High Altitude
Escape Studies”, 7218-71719. The point at which the dummy reached
the ground was not known to the recovery crews at the time and an
extensive search lasting through the first week of December 1955
failed to discover the lost items.
3. Lost are:
a. 1 ea., dummy, anthropomorphic, Sierra Engineering Co. model 120,
stock no. 3500-NL-30010,
b. 1 ea., jacket, B-15, spec. 3220, size 36, stock no.
8415-269-0512,
c. 1 ea., stop watch, Fisher Scientific Co. P/N 14-646, stock no.
8TAA 98545.
4. Because of the loss of these items as a result of a test,
it is requested that Lt. Henry P. Nielsen be relieved of the
responsibility for these items.
HARVEY E. SAVELY
Chief, Biophysics Branch
Aero. Medical Laboratory
Directorate of Research
CONCURRENCE
]
What may have contributed to a misunderstanding if the dummies were
viewed by persons unfamiliar with their intended use, were the methods
used by Holloman AFB personnel to transport them. The dummies were
sometimes transported to and from off-range locations in wooden
shipping containers, similar to caskets, to prevent damage to fragile
instruments mounted in and on the dummy.[65] Also, canvas military
stretchers and hospital gurneys were used (a procedure recommended by a
dummy manufacturer) to move the dummies in the laboratory or retrieve
dummies in the field after a test.[66] The first 10 dummy drops also
utilized black or silver insulation bags, similar to “body bags” in
which the dummies were placed for flight to guard against equipment
failure at low ambient temperatures of the upper atmosphere.[67]
[Illustration: Fig. 40. Air Force personnel used stretchers and
gurneys to pick up 200-pound dummies in the field and to move them
in the laboratory. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 41. For the first 10 balloon flights, dummies
were placed in insulation bags to protect temperature-sensitive
equipment. These bags may have been described by at least one
witness as “body bags” used to recover alien victims from the crash
of a flying saucer. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
On one occasion northwest of Roswell, a local woman unfamiliar with the
test activities arrived at a dummy landing site prior to the arrival of
the recovery personnel.[68] The woman saw what appeared to be a human
embedded head first in a snowbank and became hysterical. The woman
screamed, “He’s dead!, he’s dead!”[69]
It now appeared that anthropomorphic dummies dropped by high altitude
balloons satisfied the requirements of the research profile. However,
the review of high altitude balloon operations revealed what appeared
to be explanations for some other sightings of odd objects in the
deserts and skies of New Mexico.
[Illustration: Figs. 42 & 43. These reports detailed the methods
and procedures used for the dummy tests. They may be obtained from
the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Springfield, Va.
WADC TECHNICAL REPORT 57-477
PART I.
ASTLA DOCUMENT No. AD 130965
HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON DUMMY DROPS