The U.S. Air Force released a report titled “The Roswell Report: Case Closed” in 1997, detailing the mysterious incident near Roswell, New Mexico, in the 1940s that some believe was a UFO crash-landing. This was the second part of the government’s disclosure about the event, following the 1994 report “The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert.” The objective of the report was to uncover all records regarding the Roswell incident and bring them to light in an effort to provide a complete and open explanation of the events that occurred. On June 14, 1947, rancher W.W. (“Mac”) Brazel discovered strange wreckage on his property, which he described as rubber strips, tinfoil, paper, and sticks. Brazel brought the debris to the sheriff of Roswell, who in turn contacted the commander of the Roswell Army Airfield’s 509th Composite Group, General Roger W. Ramey, to investigate further.
Colonel “Butch” Blanchard and Major Jesse Marcel, an intelligence officer, were also involved in examining the wreckage found on Brazel’s ranch. Marcel made a public statement to the local newspaper, the Roswell Daily Record, claiming that the RAAF had captured a flying saucer on the ranch. This announcement sparked excitement and speculation, leading the military to attempt to debunk the flying saucer story by stating that the debris was from a high-altitude weather balloon. It was later revealed that the strange wreckage was part of Project Mogul, a classified program launched by the U.S. government to monitor Russian nuclear tests by launching high-altitude balloons into the ionosphere.
Despite the debunking of the flying saucer story, Roswell has fully embraced its association with UFOs. The city features an alien on its official seal, and a “Welcome to Roswell” sign depicts a cow being abducted by a flying saucer. The city hosts an annual UFO Festival where enthusiasts gather, and it is home to the International UFO Museum & Research Center. The tourism website “See Roswell” sells official merchandise featuring flying saucers and extraterrestrial motifs. The incident near Roswell in the 1940s has become a central part of American folklore, with ongoing speculation and fascination surrounding the mysterious events that occurred in rural New Mexico.
