New Mexico Town Still Celebrates Legendary UFO Crash Tale, 69 Years On

This weekend's Roswell festival marks the anniversary, more or less, of an enduring mystery.
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This is the front page from the July 8, 1947 edition of the Roswell Daily Record which showed a startling headline about the capture of a crashed flying saucer. This headline caused worldwide attention to focus on the town of Roswell, New Mexico, beginning nearly 70 years of speculation as to what exactly crashed there.
Roswell Daily Record

In early July 1947 -- the exact date is unknown -- something fell out of the sky, hitting the ground on a ranch 70 miles from Roswell, New Mexico.

Was it an extraterrestrial craft? A weather balloon? A top-secret, high-altitude military device used to detect Soviet atomic tests? 

Nearly 70 years later, those questions persist, with decades of speculation and conjecture fueling the now-legendary case of what's commonly called the Roswell UFO crash.  

Roswell marks the event each year on the first weekend in July, attracting a variety of speakers and presentations that aim to shed light on what really happened all those years ago.

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Lee Speigel

Speakers at this year's two-day Roswell Incident include this reporter, a longtime writer on the UFO beat, with a presentation called, "Close Encounters of the Military Kind." 

The 125-year-old Roswell Daily Record launched the UFO crash legend on July 8, 1947, when it published a startling headline announcing a "flying saucer" had been captured, as seen above. The next day, the paper printed a contradictory article, quoting the military as claiming the crashed object was merely a weather balloon.

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Commemorative plaque created by the Sci Fi Channel sits on the site of the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico, UFO crash.
Nick Redfern

"We have a lot of tie-in with this whole Roswell incident and we wanted to help make it a more serious exploration of the UFO event as kind of a springboard for that topic," said the newspaper's publisher, Barbara Beck, whose family has owned the Roswell Daily Record since 1935.

"There’s only so much you can talk about the Roswell incident, because most of the people who were associated with it are dead and we really don’t know what happened," Beck, pictured below with this reporter, told The Huffington Post.

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Huffington Post reporter Lee Speigel with Roswell Daily Record publisher Barbara Beck at the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, NM.
Lee Speigel

Here's how it unfolded in 1947, as told to this reporter four decades ago, by military participants in the original events:

"Col. [William] Blanchard called me and said, 'We've found something northwest of Roswell. We don't know what it is, but you ought to put out a release on it so that we don't get caught with our pants down,'" said Lt. Walter Haut, who was public information officer of the 509th Bomb Group based at Roswell Army Air Field. (It was the 509th that delivered the atomic bombs on Japan, ending World War II.)

Haut said he was never an overly inquisitive person, and didn't talk much about any of this to anyone.

"I do not ask a bunch of questions, unless I need the information for a specific thing," Haut said. "I'm not going to go beyond the scope of what I'm working on. I think that the public would appreciate knowing if it's a true fact, that there are intelligent beings outside of our own Earth, and I don't think it would create any panic." 

This brings us to Maj. Jesse Marcel, who at the time was in charge of intelligence and security for the base. He was assigned the initial task of going out to the debris field to collect some of the wreckage -- it was scattered over an area about three-quarters of a mile long, and several hundred feet wide.

"We went out to the scene of where the crash was and started picking up the debris," Marcel recalled. "It's almost indescribable. It's not the kind of material I'd ever seen in my life, nor have I seen it since.

"There were little pieces that looked like they were made of wood, but it wasn't wood, and it had some kind of writing or hieroglyphics that I couldn't decipher and nobody else could. It was flexible, but you couldn't break it and you couldn't burn it.

"Also, I found a piece of metal, which was about the thickness of the foil in a pack of cigarettes. But the amazing part about it was you could put it on the ground, hit it with a sledge hammer and you couldn't even put a dent in it! That astounded me, and I knew it was nothing from here. I was convinced it was not from anywhere on Earth, and I'm still convinced of that."

The video below shows Marcel 30 years after the 1947 events of Roswell, sticking to his story.

Marcel said that, after gathering the wreckage, he was told by Gen. Roger Ramey at Carswell Air Force Base in Forth Worth, Texas, "'Don't open your mouth to the press. Put some stuff on the floor and let them take a picture of it.' But I was careful not to put out anything with detail on it. So, they took pictures, and one picture appeared in the papers."

Here is that photo:

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In July 1947, Maj. Jesse Marcel of the Roswell Army Air Field in New Mexico shows members of the press alleged pieces of a weather balloon that many people felt was really part of an alien ship that crashed on a ranch outside of Roswell.
AFP via Getty Images

"Gen. Ramey told news reporters this was nothing but a crashed weather balloon, but I do know this: Later on, I went back to Roswell to resume my duties, but what they did at Carswell was to make a mock display with a battered weather balloon, and they let the press take pictures of that. The whole thing was a cover-up to begin with, and that was the last I heard of it."

There are many more aspects to the original Roswell UFO story, including eyewitnesses to related events. All are overshadowed by the military claim that the crash had nothing to do with an alien ship.

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Before You Go

UFOs? Maybe They're Just...
Sky Lanterns Mistaken For UFOs(01 of27)
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Chinese or sky lanterns are often misidentified as UFOs. These three were part of a large group of lanterns that was the main event of the 2013 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan on Feb. 24, 2013. (credit:Getty)
More Chinese Lanterns, aka UFOs(02 of27)
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These candle-lit Chinese lanterns can rise high into the sky and are often mistaken for UFOs. (credit:China Photos / Getty Images)
Kentucky UFO -- Oct. 16, 2012(03 of27)
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Amateur astronomer Allen Epling captured video and images of a cylindrical object in the sky above his Virgie, Ky., home on Oct. 16, 2012. This is one of the images he took, which led many to believe the object was a high-flying solar balloon. (credit:Allen Epling / YouTube)
Manufactured UFO -- 2011(04 of27)
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Pictured is a quad copter -- a deliberately manufactured UFO created by special effects wizard Marc Dantonio for a National Geographic special, "The Truth Behind: UFOs," which aired in December 2011. On the left is what the small device looks like resting on the ground, measuring 4 feet in circumference. At right, is how it appeared behind a tree in the night sky. (credit:Marc Dantonio / FX Models / YouTube)
Boomerang UFO composite images -- 10-5-12(05 of27)
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This is a composite of images shot by two eyewitnesses of a boomerang-shaped UFO they reported seeing over their Burbank, Calif., home on Oct. 5, 2012. Mutual UFO Network photo/video analyst Marc Dantonio concluded the object was likely "a balloon, floating on the wind that has collapsed in half." (credit:Mutual UFO Network)
Melbourne, Australia, Feb. 2013(06 of27)
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This is a composite image of how three alleged UFOs maneuvered about in the sky over Melbourne, Australia, in early February, 2013. The final verdict isn't in yet on whether they're birds, aircraft, balloons, bugs or something truly unidentified. (credit:FindingUFO / YouTube)
Exploding Weather Balloons, Not UFOs(07 of27)
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On Dec. 20, 2012, a bright, circular object (pictured at the top of this composite image) was videotaped exploding in the skies above Sacramento, Calif. It wasn't immediately identified, resulting in speculation that it was either an alien spacecraft, military top secret weapon, runaway planet, North Korean satellite, among others. Within a short period of time, it became apparent that this was a weather balloon. The bottom part of this image shows such a balloon as it ascended over Tampa Bay, Fla., on July 2, 2012, and exploded in an identical manner as the Sacramento object, probably much to the dismay of all true ET believers out there. (credit:CBSNews13 / Sutor 1000 / YouTube)
Changing UFO Pattern -- Warren, Mich. 1-10-13(08 of27)
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This four-image series of lights in the sky was recorded over Warren, Mich., on Jan. 10, 2013. The lights were seen changing into several patterns. The most logical explanation for these types of UFOs is a series of balloons or lanterns. (credit:LUFOS.net / YouTube)
UFOs Over Earth(09 of27)
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This composite image shows four different times that alleged UFO were photographed above Earth by either space shuttles or the International Space Station. The big question is whether or not they are truly unidentified objects or if they are more likely reflections from spacecraft windows, meteors or fast-moving spacecraft-generated debris. (credit:danielofdoriaa / YouTube)
Pink UFOs Or Lens Flares?(10 of27)
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What appear to be pink-red UFOs are actually lens flares from the Google Earth street view camera as it snapped images in Texas (left) and New Mexico (right). (credit:© 2012 Google)
Lens flares Arizona(11 of27)
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These two flying saucer-shaped, pink-colored lens flares were created by the Google Maps camera as it drove through locations in Sedona, Ariz. (left) and Flagstaff, Ariz. (right). The images were snapped in April 2009. Submitted to HuffPost by trenna. (credit:© 2012 Google)
Lens flare Whiteriver, Ariz.(12 of27)
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This skybound lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in June 2008 over Whiteriver, Ariz. Submitted to Huffington Post by Cheryl Weeks. (credit:© 2012 Google)
Lens flare Gulfport, Miss. (13 of27)
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This very Earthbound lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in November 2007 at Gulfport, Miss. Submitted to Huffington Post by Jenni Parker. (credit:© 2012 Google)
Lens flare Eureka Springs, Ark.(14 of27)
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This seemingly grounded lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in January 2008 at Eureka Springs, Ark. Submitted to Huffington Post by SE. (credit:© 2012 Google)
Lens flare Escanaba, Mich.(15 of27)
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This lens flare appears to be following a car. The Google Maps image was created in October 2008 at Escanaba, Mich. Submitted to Huffington Post by Mary Robinson. (credit:© 2012 Google)
Cincinnati Skydivers NOT UFOs Sept. 28, 2012(16 of27)
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On the night of Sept. 28, 2012, a group of strange-looking lights appeared in the sky near Cincinnati, Ohio. First there was one, then, two, then three lights, slowly descending. It turns out, however, that these lights were originating from a group of skydivers performing a pyrotechnics jump at the La Salle High School homecoming event. (credit:Galuyasdi / YouTube)
Weather Phenomenon(17 of27)
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Some UFO sightings may be due to a natural phenomenon known as sprites, like this one shown from 2006. "Lightning from [a] thunderstorm excites the electric field above, producing a flash of light called a sprite," said geophysicist Colin Price. (credit:ILAN Science Team / Space.com)
Clouds(18 of27)
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Clouds: Saucer-shaped or "lenticular" clouds that form at high altitudes have been confused with UFOs. (credit:Getty Images)
Blimps or Advertising Balloons(19 of27)
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Blimps or advertising balloons: These can look like flying saucers from some angles, especially at night. (credit:Lars Baron, Bongarts / Getty Images)
Sunken Ship in the Baltic Sea(20 of27)
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On June 19th the Swedish-based diving company Ocean Explorer discovered something they've never quite seen before. They were exploring in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland looking for sunken treasures when a very unusual image suddenly appeared on the sonar. A 197 feet diameter cylinder shaped object was discovered at the depth of approximately 275 feet which resembles the Millennium Falcon from the movie Star Wars. (credit:www.oceanexplorer.se / Everett Collection)
Baltic Sea UFO 1(21 of27)
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An image released on June 15, 2012, shows a close-up view of the unidentified object sitting on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. (credit:Expressen.se / YouTube)
Baltic Sea UFO 2(22 of27)
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Close-up of rock bed that forms the Baltic Sea UFO, which still mystifies researchers. (credit:Expressen.se / YouTube)
Baltic Sea UFO 3(23 of27)
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One of several odd stone circle formations, sitting on top of the unidentified object at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. (credit:Expressen.se / YouTube)
Antarctic UFO -- Aug. 10, 2012(24 of27)
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A circular UFO hovers above the Neumayer-Station III research facility in Antarctica on Aug. 10, 2012. Theories ranging from a simple weather balloon to a more elaborate ship from another planet have run the Internet gamut. The next slide shows a closeup of the object. (credit:myunhauzen74 / YouTube)
Antarctic UFO Closeup -- Aug. 10, 2012(25 of27)
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This is a closeup of the UFO from the previous slide. No official explanation has been offered about the object. (credit:myunhauzen74 / YouTube)
Meteors(26 of27)
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Meteors: Space debris can create a spectacular light show when it burns through the Earth's atmosphere, and sometimes reported as UFOs. (credit:Ethan Miller, Getty Images)
Civilian or Military Aircraft(27 of27)
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Civilian or military aircraft: Planes can look mysterious at night or in certain light conditions, thus confusing an observer. (credit:Sean Cole, US Navy / Getty Images)