Foreword
The "Roswell Incident" has assumed a central place in American
folklore since the events of the 1940s in a remote area of New Mexico.
Because the Air Force was a major player in those events, we have played a
key role in executing the General Accounting Office's tasking to uncover all
records regarding that incident.
Our objective throughout this inquiry has been simple and
consistent: to find all the facts and bring them to light. If documents were
classified, declassify them; where they were dispersed, bring them into a
single source for public review.
In July 1994, we completed the first step in that effort and later
published The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert.
This volume represents the necessary follow-on to that first publication and
contains additional material and analysis. I think that with this publication
we have reached our goal of a complete and open explanation of the events
that occurred in the Southwest many years ago.
Beyond that achievement, this inquiry has shed fascinating light
into the Air Force of that era and revitalized our appreciation for the
dedication and accomplishments of the men and women of that time. As
we celebrate the Air Force's 50th Anniversary, it is appropriate to once
again reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to make ours the finest air
and space force in history.
111
SHEILA E. WIDNALL
Secretary of the Air Force