still revered by UFO theorists. Elements of this story occasionally
reemerge and are thought to be the catalyst for other crashed
flying saucer stories, including the Roswell Incident.
[Illustration: Fig. 4. September 1952 _True_ magazine story that
exposed the Aztec, N.M. hoax.]
Descriptions of Other Air Force Members
Since official records proved that none of the nurses at Roswell AAF
in July 1947 were missing, and the nurse and pediatrician described
in this account had been identified, major discrepancies between
Dennis’ recollections and official records were apparent. In an effort
to provide for the fullest possible accounting of these claims, even
though key aspects had already been proven false, Air Force researchers
sought additional information to determine if there was validity to
_any_ portion of the account. Since the witness has never provided
documentation to support his claims, the only source of additional
information was the numerous interviews he had previously provided to
private researchers and the media. His many statements, which have
appeared in newspapers, videos, magazines, movies, books, lectures,
journals and television programs, were reviewed for information that
might further explain his testimony.
Examination of this large body of publicly available information
immediately provided clues that the witness may have recalled
incidents from a period other than July 1947. The first clue was that
he repeatedly, in all of the interviews, referred to the injured
military person he allegedly transported to the Roswell AAF hospital
as an airman. The rank of airman was not in existence in 1947. It
was implemented on April 1, 1952.[72] Prior to that date an airman
in the Air Force was referred to by the U.S. Army equivalent, a
private. Another possible indication that he recalled events from a
different time was the description of an alleged “black sergeant” that
accompanied the redheaded officer at the hospital. The pairing of a
white officer with a black NCO seemed unlikely since in 1947 the U.S.
Army Air Forces was racially segregated, as were all branches of the
armed forces. The U.S. Air Force did not begin racial integration until
the May 11, 1949 issuance of Air Force Letter 35-3 that formally ended
segregation.[73] Though it was not impossible in 1947 for a black NCO
to accompany and seem to be working with a white officer, it would be
unlikely. These two discrepancies did not provide a firm time frame of
actual events, if any occurred at all.
To approximate a time frame for actual events, the specific details
of the information provided were examined. This examination was to
determine if any military members were identified by name or by a
combination of any other distinguishing characteristics such as rank,
position, age, or physical attributes. If the testimony identified
a military member as having been present for an event, then their
personnel record could be used to affix an approximate date. Affixing
a date of an event by referencing personnel records was possible since
each military member’s personnel file contains a physical description
and chronological listing of duty stations, units of assignment, and
work assignments for his/her entire military career.
This detailed examination revealed several likely references to
specific individuals, which through their personnel files, were
documented as having been assigned to the hospital at Roswell AAF or
Walker AFB (Roswell AAF was renamed Walker AFB in January 1948).
=The “Big Redheaded Colonel.”= An indication that Dennis might have
mistaken the date of actual events was that he was quoted in at least
one book as having said that the officer who threatened him in the
hospital was a big redheaded colonel.[74] Research revealed that only
one tall colonel with red hair was known to have been assigned to the
Walker AFB hospital. Colonel Lee F. Ferrell was the hospital commander
from October 1954 until June 1960.[75] Ferrell was 6′1″ tall and had
red hair.[76]
[Illustration: Fig. 5. Col. Lee F. Ferrell (_left_), was commander
of the Walker AFB hospital from 1954–1960. In this photo Ferrell
escorts U.S. Senator Dennis Chavez (N.M.) on a tour of the new
Walker AFB hospital in June 1960, which was named in honor of the
senator. (_U.S. Air Force photo_) ]
“=Captain ‘Slatts’ Wilson.=” In at least two interviews Dennis
repeatedly made reference to a nurse named “Captain Wilson.”[77] He
recalled that “Captain Wilson”, who he believed was the head nurse, was
another nurse stationed at the Roswell AAF hospital in July 1947.[78]
Dennis claims he spoke to “Captain Wilson” several times in reference
to the alleged missing nurse.[79]
He claims that on the day after he met with the missing nurse at the
Roswell AAF Officers’ Club, he attempted to contact her by telephone
at the hospital but was told that she wasn’t on duty.[80] Instead, he
spoke with “Captain Wilson.” “I called the station I knew she [the
missing nurse] always worked at,” Dennis said, “She was a general
nurse.... I was informed that she wasn’t working that day. [Dennis
then telephoned] An old girl by the name of Wilson, Captain Wilson,
and I asked her ‘what happened’? She said, ‘Glenn, I don’t know what
happened, she’s not on duty.’ She said she’d try to get word to her
[the missing nurse] that you [Dennis] want to talk to her.”[81] Later
in the same interview Dennis further described Wilson. “We called
her ‘Slatts’ Wilson who was a big tall nurse about six foot two or
three—big tall skinny gal—and we called her ‘Slatts’—everybody called
her ‘Slatts.’ She’s the one who told me she heard there was a plane
crash and the nurses went down on a training mission.”[82]
The testimony appeared to clearly identify by name, rank, position,
physical attributes and by a distinctive nickname, “Slatts,” another
nurse present at the hospital in July 1947. But a review of the morning
reports of the Roswell AAF hospital for July 1947 did not contain the
name of a nurse, or anyone else, named Wilson.[83] The only female
captain assigned to the Roswell AAF Hospital in July 1947 was the
Chief Nurse Capt. Joyce Goddard.[84] Goddard, who was 5′6″ tall, was
transferred from Roswell AAF to Korea on August 21, 1947.[85]
Therefore, according to Dennis’ recollection of events, this review of
the morning reports indicated that there were two missing nurses, not
one—“Lieutenant Naomi Selff” and “Captain ‘Slatts’ Wilson.” Further
scrutiny of personnel records of individuals assigned to the Roswell
AAF/Walker AFB hospital indicated that Dennis’ recollections of events
were apparently inaccurate.
Examination of the August 1947 morning reports did not list a nurse
named Wilson, but they _did_ list a nurse named Slattery.[86] Captain
Lucille C. Slattery, who retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and is now
deceased, was reassigned from Ft. George Wright, Wash. to Roswell AAF
on August 7, 1947.[87]
[Illustration: Fig. 6. Lt. Col. Lucille C. Slattery, the only Air
Force nurse ever known as “Slatts,” served as a captain at the
Roswell AAF/Walker AFB hospital from August 1947 to September 1950.
Records indicate that Slattery did not arrive at Roswell AAF until
one month _after_ the “Roswell Incident,” in direct contradiction
to statements made by the sole witness to this account. (_U.S. Air
Force photo_)]
Slattery replaced Goddard as the Chief Nurse and was the only female
captain assigned to the Roswell AAF hospital. Interviews of persons
with longtime professional and personal associations with Slattery,
revealed that she was known by the unusual nickname of Slatts.[88]
Additionally, former associates of Slattery interviewed for this
report, recalled that she was the only Air Force nurse that had ever
been known as Slatts.[89] Persons interviewed were Air Force nurses
who retired in the 1960s, each with more than 20 years of service,
including retired Air Force Col. Ethel Kovatch-Scott, who served as
Chief Nurse of the Air Force from 1963 to 1965.
Upon review of Slattery’s personnel file it was learned that she was
only 5′3″ tall and therefore was most likely not the 6′2″ or 6′3″ “tall
skinny” nurse described.[90] This discrepancy in physical description
and the fact that she did not arrive at Roswell AAF until nearly one
month _after_ Dennis claims he spoke to her, led to the conclusion that
perhaps he confused Slattery with some other tall thin nurse, possibly
named Wilson, who was stationed at the Roswell AAF or Walker AFB
hospital at some other time.
Consequently, a comprehensive review of the morning reports and
rosters of the Roswell AAF/Walker AFB hospital revealed that only one
nurse named Wilson had ever served there and she did not arrive until
February 1956.[91][*] Capt. Idabelle Miller, who became Maj. Idabelle
Wilson in 1958 due to marriage and a promotion, was assigned to the
Walker AFB hospital from February 1956 until May 1960.[92]
[*] Records were also searched for names similar to Wilson. Three
nurses stationed at Roswell AAF/Walker AFB were identified: Martha
Wasem, Carol Williams, and Chalma Walker. None of these nurses physical
descriptions or personal/professional circumstances were similar to the
descriptions of “Captain Wilson” described by the witness.
Upon review of Maj. Wilson’s personnel file, it was learned that she
was 5′9″ tall and thin. Also, she served as the Head Nurse of the
surgical ward at the Walker AFB hospital.[93] Therefore, Wilson’s
physical attributes, tall and thin, and position as Head Nurse matched
Dennis’ recollections of “Captain Wilson.” When contacted by Air Force
researchers, Wilson stated she had no recollection of Dennis, of ever
having conversations with him, any of the events he described, or of
a nurse that was missing.[94] She also made it abundantly clear that
as an Air Force officer and medical professional she would not spread
a rumor of a plane crash, as Dennis alleged “Captain Wilson” did in
conversations with him.[95]
Results of Missing Nurse and Pediatrician Research
Examination of the missing nurse and the pediatrician stories, and
other facts established by research, provide a foundation for further
analysis to determine what actual event(s), if any, were responsible
for these claims. Based on information developed, it appears this
witness may be mistaken in some of his statements, especially regarding
the time frame of these events.
The following facts have been established:
=a.= The only physician who ever relocated to Farmington, N.M.,
following his military service at Roswell AAF/Walker AFB was the
former Chief of Pediatric Services at the Walker AFB hospital,
the former Capt. Frank B. Nordstrom. Further, he did not arrive
at Walker AFB until June 1951, four years _after_ the purported
Roswell Incident, has no recollection of Dennis, the statements
Dennis attributes to him, or of any actual events that explain his
account.
=b.= The only nurse ever assigned to the Roswell AAF hospital
(subsequently renamed Walker AFB) named Wilson, was Idabelle
Wilson. She served at the Walker AFB hospital from 1956 until 1960
and had no recollection of ever meeting or speaking with Dennis or
any of the activities he described.
=c.= Captain Lucille C. Slattery, the only Air Force nurse ever
known by the distinctive nickname “Slatts,” _was_ stationed at the
Roswell AAF hospital. However, she did not arrive until August 7,
1947. This was one month _after_ the Roswell Incident, making it
improbable that Dennis spoke with her in early July 1947.
=d.= There is no record that a nurse named Naomi Maria Selff, was
ever assigned to Roswell AAF, Walker AFB, or was ever a member of
the U.S. military.
=e.= All nurses assigned to the Roswell AAF hospital in July 1947,
have been accounted for, thereby eliminating any possibility that
there was ever a missing nurse.
Since actual Air Force members who served at Roswell AAF/Walker AFB
hospital were described in this account, the next step was to determine
if actual events that occurred at the hospital were possibly the source
of this story. As stated earlier in this report, a thorough examination
of both classified and unclassified records from 1947 revealed no Army
Air Forces or U.S. Air Force activities that explained the alleged
events. Therefore records were reviewed from other time periods, based
on personnel records of individuals believed to have been identified.
These persons and the periods when they were assigned to Roswell
AAF/Walker AFB are listed in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1
Persons Described and Periods of Service
at Roswell AAF/Walker AFB
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Witness Actual Individual Period of Service at
Description Described Roswell AAF/Walker AFB
----------------------------------------------------------------------
the “missing” nurse 1st Lt. Eileen M. Fanton Dec. 1946-Sept. 1947
“Capt. ‘Slatts’ Wilson” Capt. Lucille C. Slattery Aug. 1947-Sept. 1950
(composite of two and
individuals) Maj. Idabelle M. Wilson Feb. 1956-May 1960
“the pediatrician” Capt. Frank B. Nordstrom June 1951-June 1953
“big redheaded colonel” Col. Lee F. Ferrell Oct. 1954-June 1960
The Research Profile
With the establishment of a possible time frame, research efforts
paralleled the previous examination in Section One of this report that
determined high altitude balloons with anthropomorphic dummy payloads
were responsible for the reports of aliens at the two rural New Mexico
“crashed saucer” locations. A further review of Air Force activities
was then made to determine if any were significantly similar to the
information provided. Based on the time period established by personnel
records and statements contained in the witness’ own account, the
following profile of possible events was established:
An event involving the Walker AFB hospital that took place between 1947
and 1960;
=a.= that may have resulted in “very mangled,” “black,” “little
bodies,” that had a strong “odor” being placed in “body bags”;
=b.= that may have resulted in two persons not normally assigned to
the hospital, believed to be doctors, that were “supposedly doing
preliminary autopsies” on the “little bodies”;
=c.= that may have involved a body with a head that was much larger
than normal which was transported to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio;
=d.= that may have involved a redheaded captain or a big redheaded
colonel;
=e.= that may have resulted in an ambulance parked in the rear
of the hospital containing wreckage with inscriptions, that were
bluish-purplish which looked kind of like the bottom of a canoe;
and,
=f.= that may have required a heightened state of security.
2.2
Aircraft Accidents
The examination of events that involved the Walker AFB hospital that
may explain reports of bodies was begun by reviewing the most prominent
possible source, which were aircraft accident(s).[*] A review of
aircraft accidents from 1947 to 1960 revealed eight fatal accidents
that involved Walker AFB.
[*] Other possible explanations such as automobile accidents,
house fires, etc., were also examined. However, none of these were
determined to be responsible for this account of bodies.
Table 2.2
Fatal Aircraft Accidents by Year in the Vicinity of Walker AFB
1947–1960
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Aircraft Location of Accident Number of
Type (distance from Walker AFB, N.M.) Fatalities
----------------------------------------------------------------------
=1947=
None
=1948=
8/12/48 B-29 4 miles South 13
=1949=
5/16/49 C-47 6 miles Northeast 6
12/15/49 B-29 2 miles Northwest 7
=1950=
6/1/50 KB-29 12 miles East/Southeast 3
=1951=
None
=1952=
None
=1953=
None
=1954=
None
=1955=
6/16/55 T-33 On runway 2
10/3/55 B-47 34 miles West 2
=1956=
6/26/56 KC-97 8.8 miles South 11
=1957=
None
=1958=
None
=1959=
None
=1960=
2/3/60 KC-135 On runway and ramp 13
The following three basic criteria were used to narrow research efforts
to specific accidents for more detailed examinations: were the victims
burned, resulting in possible descriptions of “black” “little bodies”?;
were the victims transported to the Walker AFB hospital?; and, were
the victims autopsied? To facilitate this examination, researchers
reviewed official accident reports, organizational and base histories,
individual personnel records of victims, and contemporary newspaper
accounts of the accidents. Interviews of persons who participated in
the aftermath of these accidents were also conducted. As a result, only
one accident met the three criteria, the June 1956 KC-97 accident.
Table 2.3
Analysis of Air Force Aircraft Accidents
by Year in the Vicinity of Walker AFB
1947–1960
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date of Aircraft Fatalities
Accident Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Burned? Taken to WAFB Autopsied?
Hospital?
8/12/48 B-29 Yes[96] No[97] No[98]
5/16/49 C-47 Yes[99] No[100] No[101]
12/15/49 B-29 No[102] Yes[103] Yes[104]
6/1/50 KB-29 No[105] No[106] No[107]
6/16/55 T-33 Yes[108] No[109] Yes[110]
10/3/55 B-47 Yes[111] No[112] No[113]
6/26/56 KC-97 Yes[114] Yes[115] Yes[116]
2/3/60 KC-135 Yes[117] No[118] No[119]
Upon detailed review of records of the 1956 accident and interviews
with persons who participated in the recovery and identification of the
victims, extensive similarities to the description the witness provided
were apparent.
Fatal KC-97 Aircraft Mishap
In 1956, Walker AFB, N.M. was the home of Strategic Air Command’s 6th
and 509th Bombardment Wings.[120] Additionally, Walker was home of the
509th Aerial Refueling Squadron (509th ARS) equipped with the KC-97G
aircraft.
[Illustration: Fig. 7. A KC-97 similar to this of the 509th Aerial
Refueling Squadron crashed 8.8 miles south of Walker AFB on June
26, 1956 with the loss of 11 lives. Descriptions of the aftermath
of this tragedy are believed to be the basis for some of the
reports of “bodies” at the Walker AFB hospital. (_U.S. Air Force
photo_)]
The accident occurred on June 26, 1956, 8.8 statute miles south of
Walker AFB.[121] A KC-97G aircraft with 11 crewmen on board, while on
a refueling training mission, experienced a propeller failure four
and one half minutes after takeoff.[122] As a result of the propeller
failure, a propeller blade was believed to have punctured the deck fuel
tank of the fully loaded tanker causing an intense cabin fire.[123] The
aircraft was quickly engulfed in flames, spun out of control, and was
completely destroyed. All 11 Air Force members were killed instantly by
the fire and impact explosion.[124] Due to the isolated rural impact
location on property owned by the state of New Mexico, there was
minimal collateral damage and no fatalities or injuries to persons on
the ground.[125]
The remains of the crewmen were recovered from the crash site and
transported by members of the 4036th USAF Hospital (numerical
designation of the hospital at Walker AFB) to the hospital facility at
Walker AFB for identification.[126]
On the day following the crash, an identification specialist from
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio arrived at the hospital to assist in
identifying the remains.[127] Part way through the identification
process, conducted by both the identification specialist and Air
Force members assigned to the Walker AFB hospital, the identification
activities were moved to a refrigerated compartment at the Walker AFB
commissary.[128] This was due to an overpowering odor emitted by the
burned and fuel-soaked bodies and the lack of proper storage facilities
at the small base hospital.[129] Also on the day following the crash,
June 27, 1956, autopsies of three of the victims were accomplished by
a local Roswell pathologist.[130] These examinations were performed
at a local funeral home.[131] Upon completion of the identification
procedures and the postmortem examinations, the remains were shipped to
the next of kin for burial.
[Illustration: Fig. 8. Main entrance of the 4036th USAF hospital
at Walker AFB, 1956. Initial identification procedures of the
11 aircrewmen killed in the June 26, 1956 KC-97 accident were
conducted here before being transferred to another facility on the
base with refrigeration capability. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
Comparison of the Account to the KC-97 Mishap
This series of actual events contains extensive similarities to the
account provided by Dennis. The numerous and extensive similarities
indicate that some elements of this actual event were most probably
included in Dennis’ account. This aircraft accident provides an
explanation for the following elements of the research profile—the very
mangled, black, little bodies in body bags, the odor, the two strange
doctors, and the report of a redheaded colonel.
Aircraft Crashes and UFOs
Since the first flying saucer story in June 1947, persons have
attempted to exploit actual military aircraft accidents to support
UFO theories and propagate the flying saucer phenomenon.
One of the first exploitation attempts involved a fatal August 1,
1947 Army Air Forces B-25 accident near Kelso, Wash. Descriptions
of this accident, which UFO theorists contend was caused because
the aircraft carried parts of a flying saucer, were included in
a poorly executed hoax. Nonetheless, it received a considerable
amount of attention.
Another incidence was photographs of an “alien,” supposedly from
a 1948 crash of a flying saucer in Mexico. However, when the
photographs were examined by Air Force officials, they noticed
a pair of government issue, aviator style, sunglasses lying
underneath the “alien” body.
Perhaps the most famous attempt to exploit an actual aircraft
accident involved the fatal January 1948 crash of a Kentucky Air
National Guard F-51 fighter near Franklin, Ky. Theorists contend
the fighter was shot down by a UFO. However, it was determined
that this aircraft most probably crashed while observing a newly
invented high altitude research balloon thought to be a UFO. The
large balloon, which matched eyewitnesses’ descriptions at the
time, was released the previous day, and its ground track placed
it precisely in the area where the unidentified object was sighted
the next day. Regardless, shameless attempts to exploit this
event continued as recently as 1995, when the tabloid TV program,
_Sightings_, aired and published (_Sightings_, Simon & Schuster,
1996, 170–176) a distorted interpretation of this tragedy.
=The “Black” “Little Bodies.”= Review of the autopsy protocols of
the victims of this accident revealed extensive similarities to the
descriptions of the bodies allegedly described by the missing nurse.
Dennis related in various interviews that the missing nurse described,
“... three; very mangled; black; little bodies in body bags.”[132]
Records of this mishap confirmed that the victims suffered “injuries,
extreme, multiple.”[133] According to persons who assisted in the
identification of the remains from this crash, and in compliance with
Air Force directives in effect at that time, human remains pouches,
commonly called body bags, were used to recover and transport victims’
bodies.[134]
Statements made by Dennis described bodies that were “three-and-a-half
to four feet tall,” and “black” in color.[135] The autopsy protocols
of two victims described extensive third degree burns and loss of the
lower extremities.[136] Dennis also described a head of one of the
bodies that was not rigid but “flexible” and tissues of a body in
“strings” that looked as if they were “pulled” by predatory animals
after the crash.[137] An autopsy protocol of a victim described
“multiple fractures of all bones of the skull” and “partially cooked
strands of bowel ... over the abdomen and in the chest.”[138]
Additional similarities between the autopsy protocols and Dennis’
statements were a detached hand and descriptions of the fingers and
arms of the crash victims.[139]
The autopsy protocol of one victim also described remains with a “face
completely missing.”[140] This description corresponds with Dennis’
recollections of a body with eyes and nose that were concave. Also,
the drawing of the head of one of the “little bodies” Dennis claims
is representative of a drawing given to him by the missing nurse is
a reasonably accurate representation of a human body with its face
completely missing.[141]
Another similarity to Dennis’ account is that of the 11 victims of this
accident, only three were autopsied—the same number of bodies that
were allegedly autopsied in the missing nurse’s account.[142] Finally,
records revealed that due to limited facilities at the Walker AFB
hospital, the autopsies were performed at the Ballard Funeral Home in
Roswell.[143] This is the same funeral home where Dennis claimed to be
employed in 1947 until 1962.[144][*]
[*] It is unclear when Dennis worked at this funeral home since
city and phone directories listed him as co-owning a different
funeral home in Roswell, as vice-president of another funeral home
in Roswell, and as having been employed as a drug store supervisor
and oil field worker during the periods when he claims he worked at
the Ballard Funeral Home.
=The Odor.= Transportation of remains to a small base hospital was
unusual since the hospital did not have the necessary facilities—a
preparation room, refrigeration equipment or a morgue, to accommodate
multiple deceased persons. Records of other crashes involving Walker
AFB showed that the remains of crash victims were transported either to
another facility on Walker AFB or directly to a local funeral home.[145]
[Illustration: Fig. 9. Three of the 11 Air Force members killed
in the June 26, 1956 KC-97 accident were autopsied at the Ballard
Funeral Home in Roswell. The actual descriptions of the remains
(only three were autopsied), closely corresponds with Dennis’
descriptions regarding the “little bodies.” Additionally, this is
the same funeral home where Dennis claimed to be employed from 1947
until 1962.]
In fact, the Air Force manual that prescribed the policies, standards
and procedures relating to the care and disposition of deceased Air
Force personnel in effect in 1956, Air Force Manual 143-1, _Mortuary
Affairs_, did not direct that remains be brought to a hospital. It
encouraged the local commander to “improvise facilities” and make
use of “garages, warehouses, large tents, or other facilities for
processing groups of remains.”[146] Nonetheless, records of the June
1956 crash and interviews with the persons who processed the remains
indicated that the victims were brought from the crash site to the
Walker AFB hospital.[147] During the identification procedures, the
odor became too strong and the bodies and the identification activities
were moved to a refrigerated compartment at the base commissary.[148]
Interviewed for this report were the registrar of the hospital, 1st
Lt. Jack Whenry (now a retired Major) and a medical administration
specialist assigned to the registrar, SSgt. John Walter (now a
retired Master Sergeant), both of whom assisted in the processing and
identification of the deceased aircrewmen. Whenry and Walter both
recalled the strong odor, that some persons became ill during the
procedures (as did the alleged missing nurse), and the unusual transfer
of the remains to the Walker AFB commissary (the nurse also allegedly
described the transfer of remains to another building on the base).
However, neither recalled that a nurse was missing or any of the other
activities as described by Dennis.[149]
=The “Big Redheaded Colonel.”= The big redheaded colonel is a likely
reference to the hospital commander, Col. Lee F. Ferrell, who was
6′1″ tall and had red hair. Ferrell served at the Walker AFB hospital
from 1954 until 1960.[150] It would not be unusual for the hospital
commander to be present at the hospital following a major aircraft
accident.
=The Two Mysterious “Doctors.”= The two doctors not assigned to the
Walker AFB hospital who were allegedly observed at the hospital
performing preliminary autopsies have been identified as an Air Force
civilian identification specialist and a local Roswell pathologist.
=_Identification Specialist._= In an aircraft mishap involving multiple
fatalities, identification of victims can go beyond the capabilities
of a small Air Force hospital such as the one at Walker AFB. Beginning
in July 1951, the Air Force Memorial Affairs Branch, now called Air
Force Mortuary Services, employed full-time civilian morticians and
funeral directors, known as identification specialists, to assist Air
Force installations in the identification of deceased persons.[151]
When requested by the local commander, the identification specialists,
on a 24-hour standby basis, responded from Wright-Patterson AFB to the
location of an incident.[152] Records confirm that Walker AFB only
requested an identification specialist on two occasions, in October
1955 and to identity the victims of the June 1956 crash.[153] For this
accident the identification specialist arrived at Walker AFB on June
27, 1956 and made positive identifications of the 11 crewmen on June
28, 1956.[154]
When contacted for this report, the retired identification specialist
who responded to this accident, Mr. George Schwaderer, did not have
any recollections of Dennis, the nurse, the pediatrician, or any of
the other unusual activities as alleged.[155] Schwaderer did recall
that on identifications of group remains such as this, it was typical
to wear standard hospital surgical gowns and masks and that he was
often mistaken for a pathologist.[156]
Due to restrictions on the release of information concerning the
identification process, uninformed individuals who may, by chance, have
witnessed some portions of the identification, were often the source
of a considerable amount of speculation. The identification procedures
employed by the identification specialists were not classified, but
AFM-143-1, _Mortuary Affairs_, directed that “no information will be
divulged concerning identification or shipment of any remains until a
final determination of identity has been resolved for all remains.”[157]
For this accident, identification took approximately two days and any
releases of information were restricted to individuals with an official
requirement. These restrictions extended, not only to the general
public, but also to Air Force members.
A possible reference to the identification specialist is found in one
of Dennis’ recitations of the account. Dennis, a mortician who might
possess limited knowledge of Air Force mortuary procedures, stated that
he was told the “doctors” might be pathologists from “Walter Reed Army
Hospital.”[158] Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. is
a likely location that an unknown pathologist performing an autopsy on
military personnel might have been based. Co-located at Walter Reed is
the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) and beginning in 1955,
AFIP sent pathologists into the field to examine aircraft accidents. A
review of records at AFIP and interviews with persons involved with the
identification procedures at Walker AFB do not indicate AFIP sent any
personnel to assist in this accident.[159]
=_Pathology Consultant._= In June 1956, the Walker AFB hospital did
not have a pathologist on staff.[160] All autopsies and examinations
of pathological specimens were conducted by a civilian consultant from
Roswell.[161] The autopsy protocols of the deceased crewmen from the
June 1956 crash indicated that Dr. Alfred S. Blauw of Roswell performed
the three autopsies.[162] Obviously, neither the pathologist nor the
identification specialist were normally assigned to the Walker AFB
hospital and would not be expected to be present at the hospital,
especially to an observer with limited knowledge of these activities.
Continuing Research
The focus of research was now shifted to other activities that might
explain the remaining portions of the profile. The unexplained portions
were:
=a.= the presence of a redheaded captain;
=b.= the wreckage in the rear of the ambulance outside the Walker
AFB hospital;
=c.= the heightened state of security at the Walker AFB hospital;
and,
=d.= the shipment of a body with a large head to Wright-Patterson
AFB.
Based on previous research, this effort began by examining records of
the other Air Force aerial vehicle known to have operated extensively
in the Roswell area since the late 1940s—high altitude research
balloons.
2.3
High Altitude Research Projects
By 1960, hundreds of high altitude research balloons, some that
carried anthropomorphic dummies, descended and were recovered in areas
surrounding Walker AFB and Roswell. But based on the descriptions of
the bodies and the involvement of a hospital and medical personnel,
it did not seem likely that high altitude research balloons with
scientific instruments or anthropomorphic dummies could possibly
account for this testimony. Therefore, the focal point of the research
shifted to manned high altitude balloon flights conducted by the Air
Force during the mid to late 1950s and early 1960s.
Manned Balloon Flights
Two manned balloon projects, MAN HIGH and EXCELSIOR, were conducted
within the time period targeted for research: MAN HIGH from 1957 to
1958[163] and the manned portion of EXCELSIOR in 1959 and 1960. The
only other manned high altitude balloon project in Air Force history,
STARGAZER, did not fly until 1962.
It was discovered that only six manned flights were made for MAN
HIGH and EXCELSIOR. These flights were determined unlikely as the
source of the testimony since there were no injuries or deaths, all
six flights had been the subject of intense media coverage, and none
were flown in the vicinity of Roswell. Despite the apparent dead end
these flights presented to explain this account, records were obtained
and persons involved in MAN HIGH and EXCELSIOR were contacted and
interviewed. These records and interviews confirmed that there were,
in fact, only six USAF manned high altitude balloon flights, none
with characteristics similar to the testimony. However, detailed
examinations of the records revealed that, in addition to the six
high altitude balloon flights, there were also numerous low altitude
balloon flights made to train and qualify the high altitude balloon
pilots.[164] Records of the training flights indicated that some
of these were conducted at Holloman AFB, N.M., and several mishaps
occurred resulting in injuries to the pilots.[165]
[Illustration: Fig. 10. Maj. David G. Simons (MC) (_left_), balloon
designer Otto C. Winzen (_center_) and Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger,
Jr., examine a scale model of a low altitude balloon gondola used
to train pilots for high altitude missions. (_photo courtesy of
Mike Smith, Raven Industries_)]
Further research revealed that one accident had taken place just
northwest of Roswell.[166] The accident occurred on May 21, 1959, 10
miles northwest of Walker AFB, on a pilot training mission for the
upcoming Project EXCELSIOR and STARGAZER flights scheduled to begin
that fall. Analysis of the accident revealed actual events that closely
resembled the remaining portions of the established profile.
U.S. Air Force Manned High Altitude Balloon Projects
In addition to unmanned high altitude balloon research flights,
from 1957 to 1962 the U.S. Air Force conducted a series of seven
manned high altitude flights. These forward-looking projects
investigated the upper reaches of the earth’s atmosphere and
laid the foundation for manned spaceflight. Most flights were
conducted before rocket booster technology was available to propel
a spacecraft into earth’s orbit. In this interim period, to “bridge
the gap” while awaiting developments in rocket technology, high
altitude balloons were the only vehicles capable of reaching the
altitudes required. All three of the USAF manned high altitude
balloon projects, MAN HIGH, EXCELSIOR, and STARGAZER utilized
Holloman AFB balloons to transport men to the very edge of space,
above approximately 99 per cent of the earth’s atmosphere, a region
known as “near space.”
=Project MAN HIGH.= In 1955, a combined effort by the U.S. Air
Force Aeromedical Field Laboratory, Winzen Research International,
and the Holloman Balloon Branch resulted in the first Air Force
manned balloon program. Project MAN HIGH, officially known as the
Biodynamics of Space Flight, directed by Lt. Col. David Simons
(MC), was the first of the three widely publicized manned high
altitude balloon programs. The objective of Project MAN HIGH was
to measure the physiological and psychological capabilities of a
human in a space equivalent environment. Many developments of this
successful project were later incorporated into the first phase
of the U.S. Air Force Man in Space Program nicknamed MAN IN SPACE
SOONEST (MISS). Technology developed for MISS was transferred to
NASA in 1959 and became part of Project MERCURY, the initial series
of U.S. space missions.[167]
[Illustration: Fig. 11. (_Left_) Test pilot Capt. Joseph W.
Kittinger, Jr. just before launch of MAN HIGH I at New Brighton,
Minn. on June 2, 1957. Kittinger flew in all three USAF high
altitude balloon projects and has accumulated more high altitude
balloon flying hours than anyone else in the world. (_U.S. Air
Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 12. (_Center_) Lt. Col. David G. Simons (MC),
a physician and pilot of the MAN HIGH II high altitude balloon
mission, is shown here boarding the recovery helicopter near
Frederick, S.D. following the successful flight on August 19,
1957. This flight lasted 33 hours and 10 minutes attaining a peak
altitude of 101,500 feet. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 13. (_Right_) Holloman AFB Balloon Branch
Meteorologist and Engineer, Bernard D. Gildenberg, instructs high
altitude balloon pilot 1st Lt. Clifton McClure, pilot of MAN HIGH
III, in the operation of a low altitude training balloon on May 12,
1959 at Holloman AFB, N.M. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 14. Project officer and pilot, Capt. Joseph W.
Kittinger, Jr., standing beside the EXCELSIOR gondola at Holloman
AFB, N.M. On his third and final high altitude parachute jump, from
102,800 feet, he established world records for highest parachute
jump and length of free-fall which still stand today. (_U.S. Air
Force photo_)]
=Project EXCELSIOR.= In 1959 and 1960 the U.S. Air Force Aero
Medical Laboratory collaborated with the Holloman Balloon Branch
for Project EXCELSIOR, the second Air Force manned high altitude
balloon program. EXCELSIOR was the dramatic climax of the high
altitude free-fall studies that began as Project HIGH DIVE in 1953
using anthropomorphic dummies. As the test director for Project
Excelsior, Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. made three parachute
jumps from balloons, EXCELSIOR I, II, and III, from 76,000,
75,000, and a still standing record altitude of 102,800 feet.
EXCELSIOR’S scientific objective was to develop a parachute system
and techniques required to return a pilot or astronaut to earth
following an emergency high altitude escape.
=Project STARGAZER.= Project STARGAZER was the third Air Force
manned high altitude balloon program. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger.
Jr., the veteran high altitude balloon pilot of MAN HIGH and
EXCELSIOR, was both the pilot and project engineer. On December
13, 1962, Kittinger and U.S. Navy civilian astronomer William C.
White rose to 86,000 feet to make astronomical observations with
a gyro-stabilized telescope. A joint U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy,
Smithsonian Institution, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
program, STARGAZER made only one of a scheduled four flights due to
budget shortfalls and equipment difficulties.
[Illustration: Fig. 15. Project STARGAZER pilot and project
engineer, Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. (_left_), after landing
near Lordsburg, N.M. on December 13, 1962 with U.S. Navy civilian
astronomer William C. White. Kittinger and White ascended to 86,000
feet to make astronomical observations in the seventh, and final,
U.S. Air Force manned high altitude balloon flight. (_U.S. Air
Force photo_)]
Table 2.4
U.S. Air Force Manned High Altitude Balloon Flights
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Project/Flight Altitude (feet) Pilot
----------------------------------------------------------------------
6/2/57 MAN HIGH I 96,200 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.
8/19/57 MAN HIGH II 101,500 Lt. Col. David G. Simons (MC)
10/8/58 MAN HIGH III 99,700 1st Lt. Clifton McClure
11/16/59 EXCELSIOR I 76,400 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.
12/11/59 EXCELSIOR II 74,700 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger. Jr.
8/16/60 EXCELSIOR III 102,800 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.
12/13/62 STARGAZER 86,000 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.
With the completion of Project STARGAZER and the success of NASA’s
Project MERCURY space flights, future investigations were accomplished
by space vehicles. This signaled the end of an era of manned high
altitude balloon flight; however, these projects had indeed “bridged
the gap,” and manned space flight was now safely possible.
Low Altitude Balloon Training Missions
=Background.= In April 1958, Col. John P. Stapp, commander of the U.S.
Air Force Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, appointed a
new project officer for Project EXCELSIOR, Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger,
Jr. EXCELSIOR was part of an ongoing program to examine high altitude
aircraft escape procedures and equipment.[168] Kittinger was an
experienced fighter test pilot who was the pilot of the first Air Force
manned high altitude balloon project, MAN HIGH I, in June 1957.[169]
In addition to being the EXCELSIOR project officer, Kittinger was
the pilot and project engineer of STARGAZER which also utilized high
altitude balloons.
By 1959, Kittinger was an integral part of both EXCELSIOR and STARGAZER
and one of only three individuals in the Air Force with high altitude
balloon pilot experience. Due to the hazardous nature of these
important projects, Stapp was concerned that an injury to Kittinger
might result in the cancellation of one or both of them. Therefore,
Stapp determined there was a need for backup pilots. Selected as backup
pilots were Captains Dan D. Fulgham and William C. Kaufman. Both men
were rated aircraft pilots, parachutists, and research and development
officers assigned to the Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson
AFB.
During the third week of May 1959, a series of low altitude manned
balloon flights were flown to train Fulgham and Kaufman.[170] These
flights were launched by the Holloman AFB Balloon Branch. To satisfy
safety requirements, the flights were closely monitored by medical
personnel at all times. A helicopter with medical personnel followed
the flights during daylight hours, a C-131 aircraft followed during
hours of darkness, and at all times medical personnel followed in an
ambulance.[171] Balloon recovery and communications technicians also
followed the missions on the ground in a communications vehicle and a
balloon recovery vehicle.[172] The safety requirements were a result of
several recent balloon mishaps that resulted in serious injuries to the
pilots.
To meet the training schedule, Kittinger, Kaufman and Fulgham were
assigned temporary duty (TDY) from the Aero Medical Laboratory at
Wright-Patterson AFB to the Balloon Branch at Holloman AFB, N.M.
[Illustration: Fig. 16. In 1958 while training for the upcoming
U.S. Air Force Aero Medical Laboratory high altitude MAN HIGH III
balloon flight, balloon designer Otto C. Winzen (_right_) and
space physiologist Capt. Grover Schock (_left_), were seriously
injured in a balloon accident near Ashland, Wisc. Additionally,
two training flights at Holloman AFB also resulted in injuries to
pilots. These injuries prompted Air Force officials to require
close medical supervision during future training flights. (_photo
courtesy of Mike Smith, Raven Industries_)]
The three pilots, Kittinger, Kaufman and Fulgham, flew training
missions together. Kaufman and Fulgham alternately flew the balloon
while Kittinger instructed. The missions were flown at night to take
advantage of light winds and avoid the effects of diurnal heating on
the helium (the lifting gas that filled the balloon). Used for these
missions were 30-foot diameter polyethylene balloons and an aluminum
gondola especially designed for low altitude training.
The first training mission scheduled for May 19, 1959 was canceled due
to equipment problems.[173] Problems overcome, the next day at 1:30
a.m. the mission launched from White Sands Proving Ground.[174] The
objective of this flight was to practice gas valving and ballasting
techniques necessary for balloon control and to practice landings.
After a five-hour flight, the balloon landed without incident just
after sunrise northwest of El Paso, Texas.[175]
The second training flight, launched at 2:41 a.m. on May 21, 1959, from
behind the Balloon Branch building, Bldg. 850 at Holloman AFB.[176]
Near the end of another successful training mission with the same
objectives as the previous flight, a mishap occurred resulting in
injuries to two of the pilots, Fulgham and Kittinger.[177]
[Illustration: Fig. 17. In May 1959, Capt. Dan D. Fulgham (_left_)
and Capt. William C. Kaufman, pilots and Aero Medical Research
officers from Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio were assigned temporary
duty to Holloman AFB, N.M. to train as high altitude balloon
pilots. Fulgham and Kaufman were trained by Capt. Joseph W.
Kittinger, Jr. (_photo collection of Dan D. Fulgham_)]
=The Mishap.= Just after sunrise on May 21, 1959, following a
successful low level training flight east of Holloman AFB over the
Sacramento Mountains, Kittinger, the instructor pilot, determined
the balloon should be landed in a small field approximately 10 miles
northwest of Roswell.[178] This was necessary because of approaching
bad weather and the field was the last suitable landing site before
overflying the city of Roswell.[179] When the balloon touched down,
a higher than normal forward velocity for landing caused the gondola
to overturn.[180] The three pilots, Kittinger, Fulgham, and Kaufman,
were spilled from the gondola pinning Fulgham’s head between the edge
of the gondola and the ground.[181] The impact shattered his helmet
and he sustained a head injury.[182] When the three pilots climbed out
from under the gondola, Fulgham noticed that his “head seemed to be
protruding outward from underneath [his] helmet.”[183] Kittinger also
received an injury, a minor facial laceration. The crew of the nearby
chase helicopter and personnel in the ground tracking vehicles rushed
to the scene.[184] For medical treatment, the pilots were transported
by the helicopter to nearby Walker AFB.[185]
When the helicopter landed at Walker AFB, it was met by armed security
personnel who sought to verify the purpose of the unannounced
arrival.[186] The security personnel escorted the balloon pilots to
the hospital.[187] The balloon recovery and communications crew, after
retrieving the gondola and balloon, drove to Walker AFB to check on the
injured crew and to inform the Balloon Branch at Holloman AFB of the
accident.[188]
At the Walker AFB hospital, Fulgham and Kittinger received treatment
for their injuries and neither required admission. Meanwhile, the
Walker AFB security officials continued to escort the unannounced
visitors while verifying their identities.[189] The pilot’s identities
and purpose for their visit were confirmed via phone by Colonel Stapp,
Aero Medical Laboratory commander at Wright-Patterson AFB (the pilots
and Project EXCELSIOR were assigned to this organization).[190]
Kittinger, the EXCELSIOR project officer, wanted to leave the
hospital as quickly as possible after he and Fulgham received medical
attention.[191] The quick departure was to avoid unwanted scrutiny by
Walker AFB flying safety officials.[192] When released by the flight
surgeon, the three pilots boarded the chase helicopter and returned to
Holloman AFB approximately 100 miles to the west.
[Illustration: Fig. 18. The balloon training missions flown from
Holloman AFB, N.M. in May 1959, were made in an open gondola
suspended beneath a 30-foot diameter polyethylene balloon. This
photo was taken on May 21, 1959 by Balloon Branch communications
technician, A2C Ole Jorgeson just prior to the mishap which
resulted in injuries to two of the pilots. (_photo collection of
Ole Jorgeson_)]
2.4
Comparison of the Hospital Account to the Balloon Mishap
The balloon mishap near Roswell on May 21, 1959 provides the probable
explanation for some of the remaining elements of the incident
profile—the redheaded captain, the unusual security at the hospital,
the wreckage in the rear of an ambulance, and one portion of the
accounts of “aliens” at the Roswell AAF hospital.
The “Redheaded Captain”
It is highly probable that the descriptions of a redheaded captain
are those of Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., now a retired Colonel.
Kittinger, who has red hair, was present at the Walker AFB hospital the
entire time the events involving the balloon mishap took place. This
is the second Roswell account that describes a captain with red hair.
As related in Section One of this report (see page 77 and Appendix
C, page 194), a redheaded captain was also allegedly present at the
“crashed saucer” site on the San Agustin Plains.[193] That account
was consistent with Kittinger’s responsibilities as the EXCELSIOR and
STARGAZER pilot and project officer. As project officer of two research
programs that utilized high altitude balloons and as a chase pilot on
many other high altitude balloon missions, Kittinger often accompanied
balloon launch and recovery crews. He was present both on the ground
and in the air at balloon launch and recovery locations throughout
New Mexico and the Southwest United States to launch and retrieve
anthropomorphic dummies used for Project EXCELSIOR and unmanned test
gondolas used for Project STARGAZER.[194]
Following the accident, when the balloon pilots were transported to
the Walker AFB hospital for medical treatment, Kittinger wanted to
leave as soon as possible.[195] He recalled in a recent interview that
his desire to quickly leave Walker AFB was to avoid the initiation
of a formal accident investigation. He believed that an accident
investigation might bring unwanted scrutiny to Project EXCELSIOR and
delay or even cancel the controversial project.[196] The controversy
surrounding Project EXCELSIOR was due principally to the hazardous
nature of the high altitude escape research. Some senior research
and development officials within the Air Force were reluctant to
support a project that required a human subject to parachute from
a balloon gondola at over 100,000 feet. An accident investigation
at this juncture would most likely delay the human high altitude
free-fall tests scheduled for the fall of 1959 and may have resulted in
cancellation of the project.[197]
While at the hospital, Kittinger consulted by phone with his commander,
Colonel Stapp.[198] Stapp agreed with Kittinger’s assessment that
a quick departure from the Walker AFB hospital, after receiving
appropriate medical attention, was in the best interest of the
project.[199]
The statements attributed to the redheaded captain, “You did not see
anything. There was no crash here. You don’t go into town making any
rumors that you saw anything or that there was any crash,”[200] were
consistent with Kittinger’s desire to avoid an accident investigation.
However, when interviewed for this report, neither Kittinger nor any
of the other persons documented as having been present in the hospital
that day recalled encountering Dennis.[201]
What may have led an uninformed person, such as Dennis, to believe
they were witnessing, or were told of, an unusual or classified event,
was that when the injured balloon pilots arrived at the Walker AFB
hospital, even though Project EXCELSIOR was unclassified, Kittinger
sought to limit disclosure of negative information and publicity.[202]
By 1959, having been the subject of intense media scrutiny following
his June 1957 MAN HIGH I high altitude balloon flight, Kittinger
was aware of both the positive and negative aspects of publicity.
In his 1961 book, _The Long, Lonely Leap_, Kittinger described this
self-imposed secrecy regarding Project EXCELSIOR, “The secrecy imposed
upon EXCELSIOR was of our own choosing. We believed ... that any
unnecessary conversation about our activities ... would simply be
premature.”[203] When interviewed for this report, Kittinger further
explained of Project EXCELSIOR and the visit to the hospital at Walker
AFB: “We didn’t want publicity ... about anything we were doing. So it
would have appeared to someone not conversant with the project that we
were ‘hush-hush,’ that we were secretive ... it might look like we were
trying to cover up a classified mission.”[204]
The allegations that the redheaded captain, an apparent reference to
Kittinger, threatened anyone while he was at the Walker AFB hospital
are untrue. When interviewed for this report and in signed statements
obtained from Kittinger, the two other balloon pilots, the doctor who
treated them, the medic aboard the helicopter, and the Balloon Branch
communications technician who were present at the hospital that day
(see Appendix B), none of them recalled that Kittinger was involved in
an altercation or made threatening remarks to anyone.[205] Involvement
in an altercation with a civilian would have highlighted the presence
of the balloon crew and possibly brought the type of negative
publicity Kittinger sought to avoid. This would not only have violated
Kittinger’s policy of maintaining a low profile in regard to EXCELSIOR,
but would be completely out of character for the seasoned test pilot.
Throughout his career, Kittinger was renowned for his ability
to maintain his composure in difficult, often life threatening,
situations. He faced these situations as a test pilot, as a combat
pilot and squadron commander in Southeast Asia, and as a Prisoner
of War while subjected to severe torture at the hands of the North
Vietnamese. In _The Pre-Astronauts_, which chronicles many of
Kittinger’s accomplishments in the field of aeronautics, including
Project EXCELSIOR and STARGAZER, the author offered the following
description of him:
_Kittinger was not Buck Rogers, nor was he a daredevil or
thrill-seeker. He was a modern day test pilot: intense, focused,
usually quiet, and always polite with firm religious convictions
and a powerful sense of loyalty. If he was often stubborn,
uncompromising, and demanding he also dealt fairly and respectfully
with those who came into contact with him. He was a straight arrow
and a straight shooter._[206]
[Illustration: Fig. 19. Maj. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. in 1963 as a
member of the 1st Air Commando Wing, Ben Hoa, Republic of Vietnam.
(_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., USAF (Ret)
Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.’s career in the U.S. Air Force
and in aviation has spanned the spectrum of experiences: test
pilot, balloon pilot, test parachutist, combat fighter pilot, MiG
killer, combat squadron commander, and prisoner of war. He has
demonstrated, during a nearly 30-year military career and beyond,
that he is among the very best in the U.S. Air Force and the field
of aeronautics.
Kittinger began his career in 1949 as a U.S. Air Force aviation
cadet. After earning his wings at Las Vegas AFB, Nev. in March
1950, he was assigned to fighter squadrons in Germany and then as
a test pilot for NATO. In 1953, Kittinger received an assignment
as a test pilot to Holloman AFB, N.M. While at Holloman, he began
a many year collaboration with the legendary Air Force scientist
and physician, Col. John P. Stapp. In association with Stapp on
numerous aero medical projects, Kittinger became the first pilot
to fly zero-gravity experiments, now commonly used for astronaut
training. For project MAN HIGH on June 2, 1957, Kittinger piloted a
high altitude balloon to 96,000 feet to examine the physiological
and psychological effects on man in a space equivalent environment.
This flight marked the origins of the manned U.S. space program
with the experience gained from MAN HIGH being incorporated in
NASA’s Project MERCURY.
After MAN HIGH, and again in association with Stapp, Kittinger
directed Project EXCELSIOR, a study of human free-fall
characteristics following aircraft escape at extremely high
altitudes. After extensive testing with anthropomorphic dummies,
Kittinger made three parachute jumps from high altitude balloons:
76,400 feet on November 16, 1959; 74,700 feet on December 11,
1959; and 102,800 feet on August 16, 1960. For these courageous
scientific achievements Kittinger was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross, the Harmon Trophy by President Eisenhower, the
still-standing world records for highest parachute jump and length
of a free-fall—and the distinction of being the only living person
to exceed the speed of sound without an aircraft or spacecraft!
With the completion of EXCELSIOR, Kittinger became the pilot,
project officer, and project engineer for STARGAZER, an
astronomical observation experiment. This was the third and final
Air Force manned high altitude balloon project, Kittinger had flown
in all three.
In 1963, he was assigned to the Air Commandos (now Special
Operations) and flew two combat tours in Southeast Asia in B-26
and A-26 aircraft. After a tour in Germany as a liaison officer
with the U.S. Army Special Forces, Kittinger returned to Southeast
Asia in 1971, flying F-4 aircraft and commanding the famous 555th
“Triple Nickel” Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn AB, Thailand. On
March 1, 1972 Kittinger engaged and destroyed a MiG-21 over North
Vietnam and is credited with an aerial victory. On May 11, 1972,
after 483 combat missions and more than 1,000 combat flying hours,
Kittinger was shot down over Hanoi and spent 11 months as a POW in
the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.” When placed with other POWs following
solitary confinement and severe torture, Kittinger was moved
repeatedly by his North Vietnamese captors due to his effectiveness
in motivating other prisoners to maintain strong resistance
postures.
Kittinger retired from the Air Force in 1978 and became involved
in both sport aircraft flying and gas ballooning. He operated
Rosie O’Grady’s Flying Circus in his hometown of Orlando, Fla.,
performing skywriting, banner towing, and hot air and helium
balloon demonstrations at nearby Walt Disney World. He also
captured the coveted Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Championship an
unprecedented four times (three consecutive), entitling him to
retire the trophy.
In September 1984, Kittinger made history again, when, in the
tradition of Lindbergh, he became the first person to make a solo
crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by balloon.
Kittinger’s military decorations include the Silver Star with
one oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster,
Distinguished Flying Cross with five oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star
Medal with “V” device and two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with
23 oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster, POW
medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm.
Kittinger’s indomitable spirit, personal courage and dedication to
duty are legendary. His ability to achieve seemingly unattainable
objectives while earning the respect and absolute loyalty of those
who served with him defines this rare breed of warrior-leader.
In October 1995, he received yet another honor and was named a
recipient of the prestigious “Elder Statesman of Aviation” award by
the National Aeronautics Association. This honor is bestowed upon
an individual who over a period of years, has made “significant
contributions to aeronautics” and for “reflecting credit upon
himself and America.” Without a doubt, there are few that exemplify
these virtues more than this truly distinctive American, Joseph W.
Kittinger, Jr.
The “Wreckage” in the Rear of the Ambulance
The various types of wreckage described in the rear of an ambulance at
the Walker AFB hospital also appear to be related to the 1959 balloon
accident. Some of this wreckage allegedly had odd inscriptions, touted
by UFO theorists as “alien” hieroglyphics.
A requirement of balloon pilot training missions were that they be
closely monitored by balloon recovery and medical personnel.[207]
Ground crews from Holloman AFB followed the balloon flight from
its launch site there to its landing site 10 miles northwest of
Roswell.[208] Two of the vehicles that followed the balloon were Dodge
M-43 ¾-ton field ambulances and a third was an M-37 ¾-ton utility
vehicle or “weapons carrier.”[209] One ambulance was assigned to this
mission for its standard use—a medical response vehicle. The other
ambulance had been converted by the Holloman AFB Balloon Branch and
served as a communications vehicle on balloon recovery missions.[210]
The additional communications equipment, mounted in the rear
compartment of the ambulance, drastically altered what someone expected
to see in an ambulance of this type.
Dennis related that he was walking fast when he observed what he
thought was wreckage in the rear of an ambulance.[211] This quick
glance apparently resulted in descriptions of two pieces of wreckage
leaning against the interior of the rear compartment of the ambulance
that “was kind of like the bottom of a canoe ... like stainless steel
... with kind of a bluish-purplish tinge to it.”[212] UFO theorists
have suggested that these objects were alien spaceship “escape pods”
recovered by the Army Air Forces. However, this appears to be a
remarkably accurate description of two steel panels painted Air Force
blue on a converted ambulance used by the Balloon Branch for this
mission.
[Illustration: Fig. 20. Balloon Branch Communications Technician,
A2C Ole Jorgeson, now a retired Master Sergeant, in the rear
compartment of an M-43 ambulance. Ambulances of this type were
converted by the Balloon Branch to communications vehicles in
the late 1950s. It appears the witness described the two panels
painted Air Force blue (_lower right and left of ambulance_)
as “bluish-purplish” “wreckage” that looked “kinda like the
bottom of a canoe” and the stenciled writing above them as
“hieroglyphics”—See figs. 21 and 22 on next page. (_photo
collection of Ole Jorgeson_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 21. (_Above_) Enlargement of stenciled writing
from photograph below. This lettering was apparently later
described as “hieroglyphics.”]
[Illustration: Fig. 22. (_Below_) Steel panels painted Air Force
blue (_lower right and left_) described as “bluish-purplish”
“wreckage” that looked “kinda like the bottom of a canoe.” (_U.S.
Air Force photo_)]
The “inscription or something,”[213] the so called “hieroglyphics,”
were a probable reference to the lettering painted on the equipment
support rack above the panels. The lettering on the rack would be
visible, but probably not readable, to an observer that quickly walked
past the ambulance. Other wreckage “all over the floor” that was “like
broken glass,”[214] was a probable reference to the clear plastic
30-foot polyethylene balloon that was recovered following the balloon
training mission and placed in the back of the converted ambulance or
the weapons carrier for later disposal.
Dennis also recalled that he parked the vehicle he was driving
near three field ambulances and then walked up the ramp into the
hospital.[215] The description of ambulances near a “ramp” is
consistent with the recollections of the Balloon Branch Communication
Technician who drove the converted ambulance to the Walker AFB hospital
following the balloon accident. While waiting for the injured pilots,
A2C Ole Jorgeson, now a retired Master Sergeant, recalled in a recent
interview that he parked the converted ambulance near a ramp at the
hospital.[216] A review of Walker AFB hospital records revealed
that there was only one ramp. The ramp was attached to the hospital
dispensary, Walker AFB Bldg. 317.[217] The other ambulances described
by the witness were either the other ambulance from Holloman AFB that
provided medical support of the balloon flight or the two “standby”
ambulances, that in May 1959, were routinely positioned adjacent to the
ramp behind the dispensary at Walker AFB.[218]
[Illustration: Fig. 23. “It was all sharp ... like broken glass,”
a witness’ description of debris in the rear of an ambulance at
Walker AFB. The debris described was most probably the remnants
of the polyethylene balloon, similar to the one in this photo,
recovered by Balloon Branch personnel following the mishap in May
1959. (_U.S. Air Force photo_) ]
Additional Security at the Walker AFB Hospital
The witness described what appeared to be a heightened state of
security at the hospital when he allegedly took the injured airman
there for treatment. UFO theorists contend the heightened security at
the hospital was because alien remains were being autopsied. However,
it appears that the witness described the security measures taken by
Walker AFB personnel due to the unusual circumstances of the arrival of
the balloon crew.
In 1959, Walker AFB was a part of the 47th Air Division of Strategic
Air Command (SAC). It was home of the 6th Bombardment Wing (6th BW),
equipped with the nuclear capable B-52 Stratofortress bomber (the
509th BW was reassigned to Pease AFB, NH on July 1, 1958).[219] The
mission of the 6th BW, to strike the enemy with nuclear weapons
anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice, demanded a heightened state
of security at all times. One of the methods instituted during this
period to maintain the high standards of security and effectiveness
of SAC units, was unannounced “surprise” visits of Headquarters SAC
inspection teams. A favored method of transportation for these surprise
visits was a helicopter. When a SAC inspection team landed at a base,
often the first evaluation they made was of the security response to
their unannounced arrival. Failure of security personnel to properly
challenge unidentified visitors, regardless of their method of arrival,
was considered a serious breach of security.
When transported to Walker AFB for medical treatment, unexpected and at
an early hour, the balloon crew, not surprisingly, was met by armed
security personnel.[220] The security personnel escorted them to the
hospital and remained with them until their identities and purpose of
their visit were verified. Kaufman, one of the balloon pilots, recalled
that their presence at Walker AFB was initially met with skepticism.
“The [helicopter] pilot called the tower and said ... having come from
an experimental base, it was nothing unusual for him to have a balloon
accident. ‘We’ve got an injured pilot on board. There’s been a balloon
accident and we would like the flight surgeon and an ambulance to meet
us at the tower.’ The tower established the fact that yes, we were an
Air Force chopper and that we seemed to have somebody injured and what
had we been doing? We had been shooting touch and go landings in a
balloon?... We got clearance to land ... right in front of the tower,
and we were met by an ambulance and several MPs with machine guns.”[221]
[Illustration: Fig. 24. Walker AFB Building 317, hospital
dispensary with attached ramp, as it appeared in June 1954. It is
in this building that UFO theorists allege that “alien autopsies”
were accomplished in July 1947. However, this was the same building
that Capt. Fulgham received treatment following the balloon
accident on May 21, 1959. Persons apparently observed him and later
related the unusual circumstances surrounding the balloon mishap as
part of the “Roswell Incident.” (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 25. Main gate at Walker AFB, N.M., formerly
Roswell AAF, as it appeared in 1954. During the 1950s, the highly
secure base was the home of the nuclear capable 509th and 6th
Bombardment Wings of Strategic Air Command. (_U.S. Air Force
photo_)]
According to the medical technician who arrived on the helicopter
with the pilots, he had difficulty persuading a flight surgeon to
attend to the injured pilots. SSgt. Roland H. “Hap” Lutz, now a
retired Chief Master Sergeant, recalled when he first contacted the
Walker AFB hospital explaining that he had three persons injured in a
“gondola accident,” the flight surgeon told him to “Go home and sleep
it off.”[222] Fulgham, the injured pilot, recalled that when they got
to the hospital, “there was this controversy going on in the hospital
about who in the hell we were ... we weren’t supposed to be there and
nobody knew anything about Air Force officers flying balloons ... we
could have been ... [trying] to penetrate the security.”[223] Walker
AFB security officials were satisfied of the pilots’ identities when
they spoke to Colonel Stapp, commander of the Aero Medical Laboratory
at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
[Illustration: Fig. 26. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. (_right_),
is shown here in 1962 with Dr. J. Allen Hynek while preparing for
the project STARGAZER high altitude balloon flight. (_U.S. Air
Force photo_)]
The “Red-headed Captain” and Dr. J. Allen Hynek
Captain Kittinger, the STARGAZER high altitude balloon pilot and
project engineer, had extensive professional contact with Dr.
J. Allen Hynek, an astronomer and STARGAZER project scientist.
Additionally, Hynek was also one of the scientific consultants in
the Air Force study of UFOs, Project BLUEBOOK. Hynek is best known,
however, for his apparent endorsement of extraterrestrial theories
concerning UFOs after concluding his associations with the Air
Force.
When asked about his recollections of Hynek, Kittinger stated
that when they were associated, from 1958 to 1963, they discussed
UFOs at length.[224] At that time, Hynek was steadfast in his
opinion that most, if not all, UFO sightings could be resolved by
applying known scientific analysis.[225] Kittinger said he was
“flabbergasted” when, years later, Hynek appeared to reverse his
opinion and endorse extraterrestrial explanations.[226] Hynek’s
reversal in philosophies led to numerous commercial endeavors, most
notably as a technical advisor for the science-fiction film _Close
Encounters of the Third Kind_.
Also, based on his experience with project STARGAZER, Hynek was
familiar with balloon operations at Holloman AFB, visiting the
Holloman Balloon Branch several times.[227] Interestingly, there
is no record that Hynek, who died in 1986, ever endorsed what is
now presented as the “best evidence” of UFOs, the so-called Roswell
Incident, which was actually a conglomeration of numerous events,
some with origins in Holloman AFB launched balloons.
The Alien at the Hospital
In at least one account of the Roswell Incident, a witness claimed he
observed a “creature” walk under its own power into the hospital.[228]
While the specifics of this particular sighting cannot be verified,
the injury that caused Fulgham’s head to swell, resembling the classic
science-fiction alien head, makes this account (and some others) that
at first appeared to be the work of over-active imaginations, seem
possible.
[Illustration: Fig. 27. Clinical Record Cover Sheet from medical
records of Capt. Dan D. Fulgham describing injuries he received in
the balloon accident on May 21, 1959.
CLINICAL RECORD COVER SHEET 8511
1. ADMISSION NOTES
1045 hrs
A or N: No
2. WARD 1
3. TYPE OF CASE
IRJ
4. LAST NAME—FIRST NAME—MIDDLE INITIAL
FULGHAM Dan D
5. SEX
M
6. Religion
P
7. PREV. ADM.
NO
8. REGISTER NO.
16059
9. SERVICE NO.
44734A
10. GRADE
Capt
11. RATING OR DESIG.
Sr Pilot
12. DEPARTMENT
Air Force
13. ORGANIZATION AND BRANCH OF SERVICE
ARDC Wright Patterson(a)
14. FLYING STATUS
Yes
15. NAME AND ADDRESS OF EMERGENCY ADDRESSEE
Joyce Fulgham (W)
5540 Gross Drive Dayton Ohio
16. AGE
31
17. RACE
Cau
18. LENGTH OF SERVICE
12 yrs
19. DATE OF ADMISSION
12 May 59
20. SOURCE OF ADMISSION
From duty
21. ADMITTING OFFICER
L. E. Eason Capt USAF MC
22. CONTINUATION OF ITEMS 12 AND 20.
(a) AFB, Ohio
23. DIAGNOSES
8715 Hematoma, traumatic, n.e.c. forehead LD: Pending AF Form 348
AI: Approximately 0600 hours, 21 May 1959, North of Roswell, New
Mexico, patient states he was taking part in a military project
involving balloon testing. When he and two others landed in the
balloon the “gondola” upset, and hit him in the head causing injury.
24. OPERATIONS AND SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC PROCEDURES
None
25. SELECTED ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
None
26. PHYSICAL PROFILE
27. DATE DURATION THIS FACILITY
ALL 3 IN HOSPITAL OR INFIRMARY 3
28. NATURE OF DISPOSITION
Duty
29. DATE OF DISPOSITION
24 May 59
30. SIGNATURE OF ATTENDING PHYSICIAN
LESLIE E EASON CAPT USAF HC
31. SIGNATURE OF REGISTRAR OR RECORDS OFFICER
ROLAND E DOZOIS CWD W-3 USAF
32. NAME AND LOCATION OF MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY
6580TH USAF HOSPITAL HOLLOMAN AFB NM
33. REGISTER NUMBER
16059
]
When the balloon gondola struck Fulgham’s head, he received, according
to his clinical record from May 21, 1959, an “Extensive hematoma
forehead and ant [anterior] scalp.”[229] A hematoma is a localized
blood-filled swelling, that in this instance was on the forehead. The
hematoma resulted in immediate facial swelling, two black eyes and
later caused his skin to turn yellow.[230]
The rapid onset of the swelling caused both of Fulgham’s eyes to
close. As it progressed, according to Kittinger who accompanied
Fulgham at the hospital, “His whole face had swollen up and his
nose barely protruded.”[231] This appearance lead Kittinger to
characterize Fulgham’s appearance at the time as “just a big blob” and
“grotesque.”[232]
When interviewed, Fulgham remembered that even though he didn’t feel
bad, “I didn’t know how bad I looked.” There was no attempt to hide
or limit Fulgham’s exposure to persons in the hospital that day. In
fact, when he arrived at the hospital Fulgham recalled that he stopped
outside the building to smoke a cigarette. Kaufman also recalled that
the injured pilots, Fulgham and Kittinger, waited for treatment on a
bench in the hallway of the hospital. Kaufman added that a number of
military wives were present in the hospital that day for prenatal care,
and there was no effort to keep Fulgham from their view.[233]
[Illustration: Fig 28. Capt. Dan D. Fulgham at Wright-Patterson
AFB, Ohio several days after the balloon accident with a “traumatic
hematoma” on his forehead. This photo shows Fulgham after blood
had been aspirated from under his scalp and a substantial amount
of swelling had dissipated. Concerns that Fulgham’s odd appearance
might startle uninformed persons was why he was returned to
Wright-Patterson AFB aboard a specially arranged flight from
Holloman AFB, N.M. (_photo collection of Dan D. Fulgham_)]
=“Bodies” with Large Heads and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio=
UFO theorists contend that the U.S. Army Air Forces secretly shipped
the alien bodies with large heads to Wright-Patterson AFB for further
processing and deep-freeze storage. However, it is likely that, in this
account, this is a reference to Fulgham’s return to Wright-Patterson
AFB following the balloon mishap.
Although Fulgham did not require hospitalization at Walker AFB, upon
his return to Holloman AFB he was admitted to the base hospital for
observation. Three days later on May 24, 1959, the balloon pilots were
flown from Holloman to Wright-Patterson AFB on a specially arranged
flight aboard a C-131 hospital aircraft.[234]
The return to Wright-Patterson AFB was directed by Stapp and
coordinated by Kittinger.[235] The preliminary arrangements for this
flight were made by Kittinger while at the Walker AFB hospital.[236]
Kittinger recalled that conversations with Stapp regarding their
return to Wright-Patterson AFB were made by phone in busy areas of the
hospital and these conversations could have been overheard by nearly
anyone present.[237]
Upon their arrival at Wright-Patterson, Fulgham, who Kittinger did not
want to transport on a commercial flight due to his odd appearance,
still could not open his eyes and had to be led down the steps of the
aircraft. Kittinger recalled that Fulgham’s wife was waiting at the
bottom of the aircraft steps when they arrived.
“They dropped the ramp and I looked down at the bottom and there was
Dan Fulgham’s wife,” Kittinger said. “Dan couldn’t see ... so I grabbed
him by the arm ... Dan’s wife sees me leading this blob down the
staircase ... and she looks right at me and says, ‘Where’s my husband?’
I said, ‘Ma’am, this is your husband’. I presented her this blob that I
was leading down the ramp. And she let out this scream you could hear a
mile away. He was such a horrendous looking thing that she had no idea
that the thing I was leading down that ramp was her husband.”[238]
[Illustration: Fig. 29. As a physiologist for the space program,
Fulgham (_third from left_) discusses Project GEMINI emergency
escape systems at the U.S. Navy Aerospace Recovery facility at
El Centro, Calif. on January 28, 1965. Shown with Fulgham (_from
left_) are NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, NASA project engineer Hilary
Ray, and NASA astronaut Alan Bean. (_U.S. Navy photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 30. A veteran of 100 combat missions during the
Korean conflict, Fulgham flew 133 combat missions in F-4 aircraft
(shown here) in 1966–67 as a member of the 555th “Triple Nickel”
Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ubon Air Base, Thailand. (_photo
collection of Dan D. Fulgham_)]
Fulgham recalled that upon his return to work at the Aero Medical
Laboratory he received reactions of “immediate compassionate sympathy”
from persons he encountered, including his secretary, who cried when
she saw him.[239] Within several weeks, Fulgham returned to flying
status with no permanent effects. Fulgham went on to complete a
distinguished career in the Air Force and retired as a colonel in 1978.
Fulgham’s assignments included combat tours in fighter aircraft in
both Korea and Vietnam, as well as an assignment as an experimental
parachutist and physiologist for the space program.
Summary
In this section, documented research revealed that the reports of
“bodies” at the Roswell AAF hospital were grossly inaccurate and most
probably had origins in actual Air Force mishaps. Examinations of
official records of the alleged primary witnesses revealed that the
“missing nurse” was never missing, and the pediatrician did not arrive
at the Walker AFB hospital until 1951—four years _after_ the alleged
incident. The many fundamental errors in the story, combined with the
substantial similarities to the actual mishaps, show that the most
credible account associated with the “Roswell Incident” is certainly
not extraterrestrial and is unrelated to any events that occurred in
July 1947.
Conclusion
When critically examined, the claims that the U.S. Army Air Forces
recovered a flying saucer and alien crew in 1947, were found to be
a compilation of many verifiable events. For the most part, the
descriptions collected by UFO theorists were of actual operations and
tests carried out by the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s. Despite the
usual unsavory accusations by UFO proponents of cover-up, conspiracy,
intimidation, etc., documented research revealed that many of the
activities were actually historic scientific achievements of which the
Air Force is very proud. However, other descriptions are believed to be
distorted references to Air Force members who were killed or injured in
the line of duty. The incomplete and inaccurate intermingling of these
actual events were grounded in just enough fact to weave a sensational
story, but cannot withstand close scrutiny when compared to official
records.
To analyze reports of alien bodies that at first appeared to be so
offbeat as to not be remotely based in fact, it was necessary to
evaluate a wide range of books, interviews, videos, etc., that a
less objective review might have rejected out of hand. Only through
an inclusive evaluation of these sources were Air Force researchers
able to understand the interconnectivity of the widely separated
events believed responsible for this “incident.” And, in opposition
to critics who believe Air Force research involving this subject is
anything but objective, this research relied almost exclusively on
the descriptions _=provided by the UFO proponents themselves=_. When
collected and examined, the actual statements of the witnesses—not
the extraterrestrial interpretations of UFO proponents—indicated that
something was very wrong. When these descriptions were compared to
documented Air Force activities, they were much too similar to be a
coincidence. Soon, it became apparent that the witnesses or the UFO
proponents who liberally interpreted their statements were either 1)
confused, or 2) attempting to perpetrate a hoax, believing that no
serious efforts would ever be taken to verify their stories.
In preparing this report, attempts were made not to only explain
_what_ conclusions were reached, but _how_ they were reached. This
undertaking was to try to de-mystify the research process by outlining
the simple and logical research techniques that identified the
underlying actual events. In regard to statements of witnesses that
were clearly descriptions of Air Force activities, such as those
that described anthropomorphic dummies, these could be generously
viewed as situational misunderstandings or even honest mistakes.
Other descriptions, particularly those believed to be thinly veiled
references to deceased or injured Air Force members, are difficult
to view as naive misunderstandings. Any attempt to misrepresent or
capitalize on tragic incidents in which Air Force members died or were
injured in service to their country significantly alters what would
otherwise be viewed as simple misinterpretations or honest mistakes.
[Illustration: Fig. 31. Plaque placed at Holloman AFB honoring
three Balloon Branch members killed during a high altitude balloon
recovery when their L-20 balloon chase plane crashed in the rugged
Gila Mountains near Stafford, Ariz. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)
IN MEMORIAM
WIRED P. CHAMPLAIN, 1ST LT. U.S.A.F. RONALD J. NIELSEN, AIRMAN 1/C
U.S.A.F.
ROBERT W. MITCHELL
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE RECOVERY OF INSTRUMENTS FROM THE
STRATOSPHERE 25 AUGUST 1955]
[Illustration: Fig. 32. (_Left_) The balloon launch facility at
Holloman AFB, N.M. was named in honor of Maj. Richard L. Nenninger
who died of injuries received in an aircraft crash during a balloon
recovery mission on April 7, 1970 in the Sacramento Mountains near
Ruidoso, N.M. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
[Illustration: Fig. 33. (_Right_) A semiconscious Capt. Joseph
W. Kittinger, Jr., following the EXCELSIOR I parachute jump from
76,000 feet. With his parachute wrapped around his neck and body
and hopelessly out of control, his life was saved by an ingeniously
designed reserve parachute system that opened just moments before
contacting the desert floor; White Sands Proving Ground, November
16, 1959. (_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
Finally, after reviewing this report, some persons may legitimately ask
why the Air Force expended time and effort to respond to mythical, if
not comedic, allegations of recoveries of “flying saucers” and “space
aliens.” The answer to those persons is:
• Initially the Air Force was required to respond to an official
request from the General Accounting Office.
• High altitude balloon research, aircraft escape systems, and
other technologies that were misrepresented as part of the Roswell
Incident, accounted for significant contributions to the knowledge
of the atmosphere, to the quest for space flight, and to the
defense of this nation. The U.S. Air Force is exceedingly proud of
these accomplishments. Distorted and incomplete descriptions of
these activities do not pay tribute to these important exploits
or to the individuals who, often at great personal risk, boldly
carried them out.
• A sobering reality of the mission of the U.S. Air Force, as
evidenced by the aircraft mishaps described in this report, is
that defending this nation is a dangerous profession. On a daily
basis, members of the U.S. Air Force perform hazardous missions in
many locations throughout the world. Unfortunately, these missions
sometimes result in injuries or deaths. It is the right—and indeed
the duty—of the Air Force to challenge those who attempt to exploit
these human tragedies wherever, and whenever, they are discovered.
• The misrepresentations of Air Force activities as an
extraterrestrial “incident” is misleading to the public and is
simply an affront to the truth.
This comprehensive further examination of the so-called “Roswell
Incident” found no evidence whatsoever of flying saucers, space aliens,
or sinister government cover-ups. But, even if unintentionally, it did
serve to highlight a series of events that embody the proud history of
the finest air force in the world—the U.S. Air Force. The actual events
examined here, rich in human and scientific triumph, tempered by the
stark realities of the dangers of the Air Force mission, are but one
small portion of that history. The many Air Force activities cobbled
together in the ever changing collage that has become the “Roswell
Incident,” when examined in the clear light of historical research,
revealed a remarkable chapter of the Air Force story. In the final
analysis, this examination simply illustrates once again, that fact is
indeed stranger, and often much more fascinating, than fiction.
Notes - Section One
[1] 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), 20–22.
[2] ibid.
[3] Don Berliner and Stanton T. Friedman, _Crash at Corona_ (New York:
Paragon House, 1992), 14.
[4] 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), 20–22.
[5] Ted Bloecher, _Report of the UFO Wave of 1947_ (Washington D.C.:
author, 1967), I-13-14.
[6] Combined History, 509th Bomb Group and Roswell Army Airfield, 1
July-31 July 1947, 39, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell
AFB, AL.
[7] _Roswell Daily Record_, July 9, 1947, 1.
[8] _Socorro_ (N.M.) _Defensor Chieftain_, November 4, 1992.
[9] Don Berliner, _A Rebuttal of the Air Force Project Mogul
Explanation for the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico, UFO Crash_ (Mount Ranier,
Md.: The Fund for UFO Research, 1995), 2.
[10] 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), Attachment 32, _Synopsis of Balloon Research
Findings_, by 1st Lt. James McAndrew, 9.
[11] Don Berliner and Stanton T. Friedman, _Crash at Corona_ (New York:
Paragon House, 1992), 14.
[12] Video, _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Gerald Anderson
interview (Washington, D.C.: Fund for UFO Research, 1993) (hereafter
_Recollections of Roswell, Part II_).
[13] James Ragsdale, transcript of interview with Donald R. Schmitt,
January 26, 1994.
[14] Frank J. Kaufman, interview with Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt,
January 27, 1990.
[15] _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Maltais interview.
[16] ibid., Anderson interview.
[17] ibid.
[18] ibid., Maltais interview.
[19] _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Anderson interview.
[20] Charles Berlitz and William L. Moore, _The Roswell Incident_ (New
York: Berkley, 1980), 61.
[21] ibid.
[22] _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Alice Knight interview.
[23] Ragsdale and _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Anderson
interview.
[24] ibid.
[25] _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Anderson interview.
[26] Ragsdale.
[27] James M. Grimwood, _Project Mercury: A Chronology_, Report No.
SP4001 (Wash. D.C.: NASA, 1963) 2–3, and Lloyd Mallan, _Men, Rockets
and Space Rats_, (New York: Julian Messier Inc., 1955) 84–98.
[28] Research Division, College of Engineering, New York University,
_Technical Report No. 93.02, Constant Level Balloons_, Section 3,
_Summary of Flights_, July 15, 1949.
[29] Capt. Vincent Mazza and Capt. Richard V. Wheeler, _High Altitude
Bailouts_, MCREXD-695-66M (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH: USAF Air Materiel
Command, September 18, 1950), 10–11.
[30] A. M. Jacobs, “The Flier’s SOS,” _St. Nicholas Magazine_, Vol.
LII, No. 10 (August 1925), 1034–1039.
[31] ibid.
[32] Memo, Major H.H. Arnold, Chief Field Service Section, to
Commanding Officer, San Antonio Air Depot, subj: Drop Testing of
Parachutes, November 2, 1929. National Air and Space Museum Archives,
Paul E. Garber Facility, Silver Hill, Md., file no. 452.031,
Parachutes-(Dummies) 1927–1929.
[33] J. Allen Neal, _History: Development of Methods for Escape from
High Speed Aircraft, Vol. 1_, (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH: Air Research
and Development Command, 1958), U.S. Air Force Museum Archives,
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
[34] Memo, Ted Smith, to W.A. Daler, subj: Bid for Purchase Request
No. 301200, September 17, 1954, National Archives and Records
Administration, Accession No. 342-67E-2954, box 5/15, file 28.
[35] H.T.E. Hertzberg, _Anthropology of Anthropomorphic Dummies_, Air
Force Medical Research Laboratory, AMRL-TR-69-61, February 1970, 3.
[36] Maj. John P. Stapp, _Human Tolerance to Linear Deceleration,