9.13 – BEYOND ROSWELL (8.19.16)

THE COVER-UP ^[14b]

Washington D.C. April, 2011. The FBI releases thousands of files as part of its online FBI vault. One particular file draws the attention of the media and independent researchers. The memo dated March 22, 1950, is a briefing to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover regarding informant information about three “flying saucers” that were recovered in New Mexico. Investigators immediately connect the memo to the infamous Roswell incident: a purported UFO crash that many people believe was covered up by the military in 1947. But this document is just the latest in a series of government files that have been released in recent years, suggesting there may be more to the Roswell crash than the public was told.

“As an investigative reporter, I think what I am amazed by is how many leaked documents from the 1940s have actually come out into the world and lay out details about what really happened at Roswell. On July 4, a rancher named Mac Brazel finds all kinds of strange silver debris. He knows he doesn’t understand what he’s walking through. He decides to go into Roswell and tell the sheriff, ‘Something has crashed on my ranch.’ Intel coming out of Roswell Army Air Field get assigned to go to the debris field. And these men are told that they are to pick up every single thing that is in the debris field on the Mac Brazel ranch. Everything is to be picked up.” – Linda Moulton Howe (Author / Investigative Journalist, Earthfiles)

On July 8, 1947, the headline on the front page of the Roswell Daily Record reports that the military had retrieved a flying saucer. But the following day, the official story is suddenly changed to suggest it was nothing more than a failed weather balloon.

“Rowell was the home of the 509th Bomb Crew. This was the only atomic bomb-capable squadron anywhere in the world. These people were the best of the best. The idea that intelligence personnel at this base would mistake a weather balloon for something exotic is preposterous. So, that, arguably, is the start of the UFO cover-up.” – Nick Pope (British Ministry of Defense, 1985-2006), (Author, Open Skies, Closed Minds)

“Weather balloons, swamp gas, meteorite – it doesn’t matter. It’s always something else but a UFO. The Roswell crash was covered up. The fact that they retracted the story of having captured a flying saucer, in my opinion, it was quick PR damage control.” – Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (Publisher, Legendary Times Magazine)

“The world was told, ‘Nope, just a weather balloon.’ And for more than 30 years, that’s where it was left, until witnesses started to surface, saying, ‘No, it was actually an extraterrestrial craft,’ and that people saw alien bodies.” – Richard Dolan (Author, UFOs & the National Security State)

In April of 2014, Ancient Astronaut Theorist, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, traveled to Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico, to meet with the city’s mayor, Del Jurney, and to get a rare look at the hangar where the Roswell wreckage and extraterrestrial bodies were allegedly first taken.

“Wow. This is huge.” – Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (Publisher, Legendary Times Magazine) “So what do you think?” – Del Jurney (Mayor of Roswell, NM) “Man, I have goosebumps right now. I mean, we’re walking on history here.” – Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (Publisher, Legendary Times Magazine) “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” – Del Jurney (Mayor of Roswell, NM) “Are you familiar with where the spot is, where they actually put them?” – Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (Publisher, Legendary Times Magazine) “Well, you know, the information that I have says that it’s probably right over here in the corner. They took them over there, did an examination of the bodies.” – Del Jurney (Mayor of Roswell, NM) “So this is where it was.” – Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (Publisher, Legendary Times Magazine) “This is it. Yeah, come on in. They had the debris out here I the hangar area and they bring the bodies inside this room.” – Del Jurney (Mayor of Roswell, NM) “I really don’t know what to say, ‘cause, I mean, if this was it…” – Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (Publisher, Legendary Times Magazine) “…where extraterrestrial beings might have been.” – Del Jurney (Mayor of Roswell, NM) “Where did the debris go? Where did it end up?” – Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (Publisher, Legendary Times Magazine) “Well, it ended up with the government, of course. My understanding is that they took the bodies to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, certainly probably took the debris as well, and have it well preserved in a military installation someplace.” – Del Jurney (Mayor of Roswell, NM)

Roswell researchers suggest a government-sanctioned bond of secrecy has prevented witnesses of the crash and retrieval from coming forward publicly. But many did choose to come forward later in life, including the first military officer to arrive at the Roswell crash site, Major Jesse Marcel. According to his grandson, Marcel privately shared many details of his experience with the family.

“My grandfather, Major Jesse Marcel, was the head of intelligence for the 509th bombing group. As a kid, basically around the dinner table, we talked about Roswell. And through conversations, we learned that my grandfather was the lead investigator into what has become known as the Roswell Incident. And when he was looking at the debris, he couldn’t make heads or tails or any sense out of what he was looking at. He had gathered some of the debris and decided to take it home with him. He kind of came to this idea that, he said, ‘You know, whatever this stuff is, it’s very significant and it’s gonna change humanity, and I want my family to be a part of it. This is very important.’” – Jesse Marcel, III (Grandson of Major Jesse Marcel)

According to the family’s story, Major Marcel came home after his first visit to the site and laid the debris out on the floor of their kitchen. Some of the material was a strange thin metal, similar to foil, except when crumpled up into a ball, it would bounce back to its flawless state. Marcel also claims the metal was not the same material featured in newspaper photographs being held by his grandfather.

“There’s a pretty famous picture of him holding a piece of debris, which is a piece of foil basically, and it was weather balloon material. He begrudgingly went along with the story, held it. And if you take a look at that, you’ll notice that he’s not looking at the camera. He’s looking at up at somebody barking him orders. He fell in line, begrudgingly, and did what he was supposed to do.” – Jesse Marcel, III (Grandson of Major Jesse Marcel)

Is it possible that an alien craft really did crash at Roswell? And if so, might there be a larger conspiracy that goes beyond New Mexico? Ancient Astronaut Theorists say yes, but they also believe that Roswell was not the first, or only, extraterrestrial crash on Earth.

Previous: Introduction | Next: A Larger Conspiracy

References:

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^[3] History™. (2016). Ancient Aliens: 9.2 – Destination Mars. [Episode Description]. Retrieved: May 1, 2016, from http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/season-9.

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^[16] History™. (2016). Ancient Aliens: 9.15 – Shiva the Destroyer. [Episode Description]. Retrieved: May 1, 2016, from http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/season-9.