The Roswell Incident

From acorns of stories do great conspiracies grow. Considering what were certainly slow news days crying for front-page filler, the fantastic tales emanating from Roswell in July, 1947 have shown unprecedented longevity. Actually reading through the wondrous stories of what would later be called “alien visitation” splashed on the pages of the July 8, 1947 Roswell Daily Record, one finds it unimaginable that believers persist; then again, no one should claim belief to be rational.

The Record of July 8 is graced with the familiar headline now screenprinted on innumerable T-shirts: “RAAF Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch in Roswell Region.” “No Details of Flying Disk Are Revealed,” reads the subtitle and the story tells little more. Exactly two people actually saw a disc-like object and an “unidentified rancher” (though not for long) reported wreckage on his ranch “in the Roswell vicinity.” The article’s matter-of-fact language would become a hallmark of UFO reportage for decades to come. “From where he stood Wilmot said that the object looked to be about 5 feet in size … he figured that it must have been 15 or 20 feet in diameter.” This makes from some cramped dimensions indeed, as later commonly-cited “eyewitness reports” claim two to five aliens piloted the thing.

“Roswellians Have Differing Opinions On Flying Saucers” reads another article title; the story lists accounts from townfolk. The wonderfully-named Rolla Hinkle sets the table for fevered whisperings by saying, “I think the United States government is trying out something new.” Analytical citizen W.W. Merritt agreed, having “come to the conclusion that there are some disks flying around, and I think it is an experiment of some tactical branch of our armed forces.” Most “representative thoughts” in the column agree, with one Dr. A.D. Crile raining on everyone’s parade by proclaiming, “There is no such thing at all.”

As though to settle all arguments, the lower-right hand side of the front page runs a short piece entitled “Air Force General Says Army Not Doing Experiments.” Slow news day, indeed.

The next day, after what was surely a sleepless night in Roswell, the Record ran the compelling headline “Gen. Ramey Empties Roswell Saucer” followed by descriptions of strewn wreckage as strictly terrestrial “tinfoil, broken wood beams and rubber remnants.” No alien bodies were mentioned, no anti-matter drive reported. This front-page piece is also bumpered with a bizarre tale from Iran, where exploding “starlike bodies” were seen near the Afghan frontier. This article is still used as “evidence” of a government cover-up.

Below, the “unnamed rancher” of the previous day’s ‘paper, was harshly outed in a story titled “Harassed Rancher who Located ‘Saucer’ Sorry He Told About It.” Lincoln County’s W.W. Brazel, less than twenty-four hours after his farm became international news, claimed he’d take it all back if he could. One only wonders what he’d say, could he see the multi-million dollar industry his in-town conversation “whispered kinda confidental like” created.