Running head: THE COVER-UP OF THE ROSWELL INCIDENT 1

The Cover-Up of the Roswell Incident

Mikayla N. Lietzke

Swan Valley High School

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The Cover-Up of the Roswell Incident

Referenced as possibly the most infamous government cover-up of all time in multiple

movies, books, and other pop culture outlets, the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico Incident has

cemented itself in America’s history. However, society debates whether this incident ever even

happened, or if it is nearly as dramatic as researchers make it out to be. By covering the official

timeline and surrounding events, it can be concluded that the government did perform a cover-up

at Roswell in 1947, however, it is debated whether this was just a cover-up of a weather balloon

or one of the most notorious UFO incidents of all time.

This fiasco all started in 1947 at Foster Ranch, in Roswell, New Mexico, when local

rancher Mac Brazel discovered debris scattered all over the crash site and decided to report to the

local sheriff on what he found. The sheriff of the time then reported to the local military base

stationed outside Roswell, New Mexico (United States Air Force, 1994). In response, the base

sent one of their intelligence officers, Major Jesse Marcel, to investigate the scene. Four days

after the crash was initially discovered by Brazel, the Air Force issued a press release stating that

a UFO had been found. “Later that day, the Air Force retracted its original statement and

changed its story completely” (United States Air Force, 1994). “General Ramey, who sent Maj.

Marcel to the crash in the first place, orders the debris to be sent to him for personal inspection.

Once inspected, a new press release was issued stating that the crash site materials were no more

than debris from a weather balloon” (Marcel, 2009). Alongside the press release, a photograph

was published showing Mac Brazel, Maj. Jesse Marcel, and Gen. Ramey surrounding the

weather balloon materials in Ramey’s office (see appendix A). The following day, a local

newspaper in Roswell ran an article titled ‘Harassed Rancher Who Located Saucer Sorry He
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Told About It,’ wherein the article, Brazel recanted all of his previous statements (Marcel, 2009).

Mac Brazel says the materials featured in the picture were just ‘rubber strips, tinfoil, sticks, and a

rather tough paper’ (Berlitz and Moore, 1997).

The entire fiasco was then forgotten, until 1978, when Nuclear Physicist and UFO

Researcher, Stanton Friedman, interviewed Maj. Jesse Marcel, effectively reigniting the entire

controversy. In the interview, Marcel states that he still believes what he saw was ‘definitely not

a weather balloon’ (Marcel, 2009). Marcel describes the metal he found at the crash site, saying

“it was possible to flex this stuff back and forth, even to wrinkle it, but you could not put a crease

in it that would stay, nor could you dent it at all—not even with a sledgehammer” (Marcel,

2009). Intelligence officers in the United States Air Force are required to be familiar with all

materials used in aircraft and air travel (FBI record vault, 1947). Also, the United States Air

Force has never stated that Marcel’s description of the site was inaccurate. So, if Marcel’s

inspection wasn’t necessarily inaccurate, and he was experienced in identifying all known

aircraft materials, Marcel should have been able to identify the substance if it was just debris

from a weather balloon. Based upon his interview with Marcel, Friedman then concluded a

cover-up had ensued.

Years later, in 1994, the Air Force admitted to performing a cover-up during that time but

said it was a cover-up of Project MOGUL. MOGUL was an advanced weather balloon that could

detect any nuclear device testing in foreign countries and would have been incredibly useful in

the ongoing Cold War (Berlitz and Moore, 1997). The project was likely kept classified to

prevent the Soviet Union from catching on to the United States’ plans of long-distance spying on

them. The Air Force did confirm that in the summer of 1947, MOGUL was over New Mexico at
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the time of the crash (FBI record vault, 1947). The balloon was over 650 feet long and had a tail

stocked with sensory equipment (Berlitz and Moore, 1997) (see appendix B). In February of

1994, the U.S. government issued an audit to the Air Force to see if records of the incident were

handled properly. The findings of that audit support the argument that the cover-up was of

Project MOGUL, while also suggesting that Marcel and Brazel overreacted about the entire

incident (United States Air Force, 1994). However, the audit also revealed that all the files from

the Roswell Air Force base from January of 1947 to October of 1947 had been destroyed (FBI

Record vault, 1947). Yet, who had destroyed the files, and under what authority it had been

done, was not indicated by the Air Force. Later, two archaeological digs that were performed on

the site of the crash did not find anything, just evidence that a crash did happen (Berlitz and

Moore, 1997). Yet, what is truly interesting is the question of how the military could be so

absolute in their cleanup, to the point where even archaeologists could not find any debris

whatsoever.

During the middle of the 1950s, dummy test drops were performed over the New Mexico

desert to test the effects of parachute jumping on humans (FBI record vault, 1947). These

dummies were crafted out of latex and plastic, and were around six feet tall. However, the Air

Force believes that these dummies were mistaken for the alien bodies supposedly found on the

site of the crash at Roswell (United States Air Force, 1994). But, the Roswell Incident occurred

in 1947, while these test drops happened in the mid-1950s. Yet, the Air Force has an explanation

for this too, being that details from both events were just mashed together, and the public is just

mixing up events (United States Air Force, 1994). However, if something traumatic happened to

an ordinary person, like seeing an alien carcass, for example, that person would likely be
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psychologically impacted for the rest of their lifetime, and remember every detail about the day.

Eyewitness accounts describe the alien bodies as being at maximum four feet in length, but as

previously stated, the test drop dummies were six feet in length. The number of eyewitnesses to

the bodies exceeded 600 and consisted of people that ranged anywhere from civilians to

high-ranking military officers (Berlitz and Moore, 1997). And, along with the numbers, all of the

eyewitness accounts are consistent with one another.

Back in 1947, after Mac Brazel recanted his statements about seeing UFOs at the crash

site, neighbors of Brazel stated he bought a brand new pickup truck and left ranching to start a

new business in Alamogordo, New Mexico (FBI Record Vault, 1947). Those around Brazel also

state that he was detained by the military until he had recanted his statements. Plus, the military

also threatened Roswell locals to keep quiet and ransacked homes for any materials or remains

from the crash site (Berlitz and Moore, 1997). Colonel Hunter G. Penn and a few other select

military personnel were tasked specifically with an ‘information blackout’ with a focus on the

‘little bodies’ (FBI Record Vault, 1947). Penn and his personnel were also authorized to use

physical force and weaponry if necessary (FBI Record Vault, 1947). Later on, radio broadcaster,

Frank Joyce, interviewed Mac Brazel. Brazel went on record to admit that the crash was most

likely a UFO and that he saw alien bodies at the site (Marcel, 2009). However, this interview was

never aired due to calls from the F.C.C. and former U.S. Senator Dennis Chavez urging Joyce

not to (Berlitz and Moore, 1997).

Immediately after the first news coverage of the incident, Colonel Blanchard, who had

approved the initial press release, was put on leave after issuing said release. Yet, Blanchard was

seen in later months supervising the military crash site cleanup operation (Marcel, 2009). Then,
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Major General Laurence C. Craigie flew into Roswell to investigate the site himself. Afterward,

he immediately flew to D.C to speak with former President Truman after only investigating the

site for two hours (United States Air Force, 1994). A few months later, President Truman gifted

Craigie the position of Air Force Chief Director of Research and Development (FBI Record

Vault, 1947). Another military officer involved in the incident was Lieutenant Walter Haut, a

public information officer. Haut had a sealed statement from the incident that was only to be

opened after his death. The statement revealed the picture taken in General Ramey’s office was a

hoax, as the crash site materials were substituted for weather balloon materials and then

photographed with Marcel and Brazel (Marcel, 2009).

To raise awareness of this topic, I plan to arrange with Swan Valley to host what I like to

call a ‘Conspiracy Night’. This conspiracy night would consist of a handful of students from the

school giving a presentation on a specific conspiracy theory, while members of the community

can come in and listen. It is reminiscent of a science fair, but with conspiracy theory

presentations instead of small experiments. Also, guests would receive a checklist on if they

believed the theory before hearing the presentation, and what their thoughts were afterward.

Ideally, I would prefer to have this in Swan Valley High School’s library and during the winter

months, but I will take whatever location or time I can secure.

Essentially, I chose this topic because I found it much easier to write five pages on a

conspiracy rather than a job. I have also been interested in extraterrestrial life for some time, and

there is no better way to prove their possible existence than to delve deep into one of the most

notorious incidents involving them. Plus, I wanted to convert some of our local populace into
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some crazy conspirators, which is where my project comes into play. But, overall, I chose this to

persuade my audience to never trust at face value what a higher authority tells you.

By covering the official timeline and surrounding events, it can be concluded that the

government certainly did perform a cover-up at Roswell in 1947, however, it is still debated

today whether this was just a cover-up of an advanced weather balloon or one of the most

notorious UFO incidents of all time. Most of the evidence that supports the MOGUL cover-up

stems from the Air Force itself, which has a history of hiding things from the public, making

them not the most trustworthy source. Yet, most of the evidence that supports an alien cover-up

stems from multiple eyewitness accounts that are consistent in their stories and were convincing

enough to provoke the military into silencing them.

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Appendix

Appendix A: Appendix B:
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References

Berlitz, C., & Moore, W. L. (1997). ​The Roswell incident.​ New York: Berkley Books.

Blank, S. (2014, April 24). Steve Blank Balloon Wars: Part 16 of the Secret History of Silicon

Valley. Retrieved from https://steveblank.com/2010/01/28/balloon-wars/amp/.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Record Vault. (1947, July 8). Roswell UFO Part 1 of 1.

Retrieved from

https://vault.fbi.gov/Roswell%20UFO/Roswell%20UFO%20Part%201%20of%201/vie

Marcel, J., Marcel, L., & Reynolds, K. (2009). ​The Roswell legacy: the untold story of the first

military officer at the 1947 crash site​. Franklin Lakes, NJ: New Page Books.

Roswell UFO Incident. (n.d.). Retrieved from ​https://library.uta.edu/roswell/node/4​.

United States Air Force. (1994). ​The Roswell Report: fact versus fiction in the New Mexico

desert.​ Washington, DC: Headquarters U.S. Air Force.