Documents / FOIA release

roswell

Office of the Secretary of Defense · 993 pages · text from the file's own layer

The Roswell Report: Fact versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert was published in 1995 by Headquarters United States Air Force. It was written in response to Representative Steven H. Schiff's request and a General Accounting Office audit, and it contains Col. Richard L. Weaver's report and 1st Lt. James McAndrew's synopsis, along with attachments, appendices and photographs. The report says researchers found no evidence of an extraterrestrial craft or crew. It concludes that the 1947 debris came from a Project MOGUL balloon train.

  • p. 12 …Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Photographs of Balloon Debris, July 9, 1947 17. Satement, Lt. Col. Sheridan…
  • p. 13 …Photographs, ML-307C/AP Device with Vintage Neoprene Balloons and Debris 32. Synopsis of Balloon Research…
  • p. 15 …Balloons Project MOGUL Balloon Train Components and Debris Recovered Heights of Familiar Architectural Structures Relative to…
  • p. 19 …Additionally, many claims of a flying saucer crash at Roswell rest on the description of debris…
  • p. 25 …Prior to that, the incident was dismissed because the AAF originally identified the debris recovered as…
  • p. 28 …When the debris was gathered up the tinfoil, paper, tape, and sticks made a bundle about…
  • p. 29 …Marcel, claimed that he had recovered UFO debris near Roswell in 1947. Also in 1978, a…
  • p. 30 example, it was originally reported that there was only recovery of debris from one site. This…
  • p. 32 …the exact location(s) of the purported debris, and the extent of the wreckage. Such discrepancies…
  • p. 35 …forth as a possible explanation for the debris recovered near Roswell. Since much of this testing…
  • p. 38 …There were three categories of debris: a thick, foil like metallic gray substance; a brittle, brownish…
  • p. 39 …The debris looked like pieces of a large balloon which had burst. The pieces were small…
  • p. 40 accompanied Major Marcel to the ranch to recover the debris, sometimes along with his Counter Intelligence…
  • p. 43 …Lt Col Cavitt described a small area of debris which appeared, "to resemble bamboo type square…
  • p. 44 …Pflock concluded from his research that the Brazel Ranch debris originally reported as a "flying disc…
  • p. 46 …This organiza- tion was able to obtain measurements from the "sticks" visible in the debris after…
  • p. 48 …Photos of ML-307C/ AP Device, With Vintage Neoprene Balloon and Debris 32. Synopsis of Balloon…
  • p. 67 …reporting air vehicle crashes, investigations, and wreckage/debris retention and disposition; (c) identify~ records (unclassified or…
  • p. 71 …existence of any relevant documents, flying saucer debris, or space aliens on WPAFB. AF/IN's…
  • p. 72 …miles from the rest of the OFO debris. There has been rumors of post-mortem examinations…
  • p. 75 …They discovered a gre:~t deal of lightweight debris which couldn't be cut. burned, or…
  • p. 81 …Normally, the safety investigation is done first, after which the wreckage/debris retention and disposition becomes…
  • p. 85 …reporting air vehicle crashes, investigations, and wreckage/debris retention and disposition. Additionally, we do not possess…
  • p. 151 16 Fort Worth Star-Telegram Photographs of Balloon Debris July 9, 1947
  • p. 159 …When we got to this location we subsequently located some debris which appeared to me to…
  • p. 164 …we heard that someone had found some debris out not too tar &om RosweU and it…
  • p. 172 …the next morning they headed out into a field were Brazel had found the debris." So…
  • p. 175 …type of rocket when you saw the debris in the field? SC: No. No. I never…
  • p. 177 …the senior intelligence officer walked into the debris field, examined the wreckase. Rickett said it looked…
  • p. 182 …through the security phalanx and saw metallic debris scattered in an outer circle with a diameter…
  • p. 187 …It was something that was written or printed on some of the debris, Do you recall…
  • p. 201 …balloons for the detection and collection of debris from atomic explosion. Although I was involved in…
  • p. 202 …There was also debris coUection on sticky paper. Most of the balloon projects were not concerned…
  • p. 206 …others were involved in other activities so debris from rockets, aircraft dropsondes, etc. may have been…
  • p. 213 …someone had come to him with some debris from Ne~ Mexico and he said, "this SW…
  • p. 214 apparatus and materials for the project, so if he said that it was debris from the…
  • p. 219 …When this purplish-pink marking on the debris came up, I immediately remembered this sort of…
  • p. 222 …He indicates in this newspaper article that he actually found the debris in mid-June, however…
  • p. 232 …And left pieces of debris everywhere. Depending on •..
  • p. 252 …But you're quite right, there's debris that was reported to us that ••• Q: ••• some…
  • p. 257 …in the area who could explain this debris that was brought in. There were no experts…
  • p. 261 …a radar to substitute for the real debris. I think there's a very high likelihood…
  • p. 262 …I asked her did he ever talk to her about anything regarding this debris that had…
  • p. 266 …that's been substituted for the real debris, and there are also stories where Marchelle said…
  • p. 270 PROFESSOR MOORE - 6/8/94 54 including that debris, are pictures that he sent to me…
  • p. 275 …Someone came from New Mexico with this debris? A: Yes, I believe that's correct. Q…
  • p. 276 …Why did they bring this debris to Colonel Duffy? Why didn't they bring it to…
  • p. 278 …I knew him only by the path of debris he left behind. I never met him…
  • p. 311 31 Photographs ML-307C/AP Device with Vintage Neoprene Balloons and Debris
  • p. 318 …Meanwhile, Brig Gen Roger Ramey, Eighth Air Force Commander, ordered that the debris be flown to…
  • p. 325 …Descriptions of the debris provided by Brazel, Cavitt, Crary's diary, and the photos of the…
  • p. 326 …It now appears that the debris from MOGUL flight no. 4 had come ·to earth on…
  • p. 327 …Newton positively identified the debris as the remnants of a balloon and RAWIN target. 37 With…
  • p. 328 …Research has revealed that the debris found on the ranch and displayed in General Ramey's…
  • p. 329 …weather balloons and targets, positively identified the debris as a weather device.42 In short, descriptions…
  • p. 331 …4 Photographs of Balloon Debris JAMES McANDREW, 1st Lt, USAFR Declassification and Review Officer SAF/AAZD…
  • p. 333 Fort Worth Star-Telegram Photographs of Balloon Debris July 9, 1947 1
  • p. 379 …When the .debris was :gathered of these. . .· . originally gave tbe'<information of Jesse_. A. Mateel and…
  • p. 975 …In fact, General Ramey displayed the original debris recovered from the ranch, which came from a…
  • p. 978 …They also contend that the debris recovered by the rancher was transported to Andrews AAF, MD…
INTRODUCTION
Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century the subject of Unidentified Flying
Objects (UFOs) has evoked strong opinions and emotions. For some, the belief in or study
of UFOs has assumed the dimensions of a religious quest. Others remain nonbelievers or
at least skeptical of the existence of alien beings and elusive vehicles which never quite
seem to manifest themselves. Regardless of one's conviction, nowhere has the debate
about UFOs been more spirited than over the events that unfolded near the small New
Mexico city of Roswell in the summer of 1947. Popularly known as the Roswell Incident,
this event has become the most celebrated UFO encounter of all time and has stimulated
enthusiasts like none other. Numerous witnesses, including former military personnel and
respectable members of the local community, have come forward with tales of humanoid
beings, alien technologies, and government cover-ups that have caused even the most
skeptical observer to pause and take notice. Inevitably these stories coming from the
desert have spawned countless articles, books, films, and even museums claiming to have
proof that visitors had come from outer space.
In February 1994, the Air Force was informed that the General Accounting Office (GAO),
an investigative agency of Congress, planned a formal audit to ascertain "the facts
regarding the reported crash of an UFO in 1949 [1947] at Roswell, New Mexico." 1 This
task was delegated to numerous agencies, but the focus was on the U.S. Air Force, the
agency most often accused of hiding information and records on Roswell. The Presidential
Science Advisor had also expressed an interest in the investigation. Thereupon, the
Secretary of the Air Force directed that a complete records search identify, locate, and
examine any and all information available on this subject. From the outset there was no
predisposition to refute or overlook any information. Moreover, if any of the information
discovered was under security classification, it was to be declassified, and if active or
former Air Force officials had been sworn to a secrecy oath, they were to be freed from
it. In short, the objective was to tell the Congress, and the American people, everything
the Air Force knew about the Roswell claims.
Subsequently, researchers conducted an extensive search of Air Force archives, record
centers, and scientific facilities. Seeking information that might help to explain peculiar
tales of odd wreckage and alien bodies, the researchers reviewed a monumental number
1. Memo, Marcia J. Van Note, DOD/IG, for Distribution, subj: General Accounting Office (GAO)
Letter Dated February 9, 1944 ..., Feb 23, 1994.
1

Cases discussed

About this file

FOIA release, from the osd collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 993 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.