From the "Shepherd Express" , Milwaukee, WI - June 17-24, 1993

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Roswell's Legacy

Flying Saucers and military cover-ups

by Gillian Sender

If Don Schmitt has his way, by the end of 1994, Roswell, New Mexico
will be a location known to most people. Back in 1947 a UFO allegedly
crashed in Roswell. Schmitt, author and UFO investigator, has spent
the last five years trying to prove the military recovered the bodies
of extraterrestrial beings from the crash and covered up the evidence.

As the special investigator for the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO
Studies (CUFOS), Schmitt said he is dedicated to continuing the work
that Dr. Hynek began. Until his death in 1986, Hynek was considered
the pre-eminent authority on UFO phenomena. A physics professor, Hynek
became involved with UFOs as a scientific consultant to the Air Force
Blue Book Project. He coined the phrase "close encounters of the third
kind," and worked as a technical advisor on the movie of the same
name. Schmitt spent eight years working and training with Hynek. A
good UFO investigator, explained Schmitt, is judged according to the
amount of solved and explained cases, not by the number investigated.
Schmitt said he solves more than 90 percent of the UFO cases he
investigates.

Schmitt said prior to investigating the Roswell case five years ago,
he often would publicly express his skepticism concerning crash
recoveries. He and author Kevin Randle "thought we could go down to
Roswell and prove once and for all that [a cover-up] didn't exist. The government couldn't keep something of this magnitude a secret. And
they haven't. The Roswell case has been leaking for years."

Schmitt and Randle recorded 500 interviews with retired generals,
colonels, captains, military police, intelligence and other military
officials, and civilians.

"We have six generals telling us that it is true - Roswell happened.
We have eight living witnesses describing the recovered bodies, and we
have two dozen witnesses describing the material [the unfamiliar
material retrieved at the crash site]," Schmitt said.

In the 1991 book "UFO Crash At Roswell", Schmitt and Randle document
the July 1947 events. Research suggests there were two crash sites:
debris was retrieved at one site; extraterrestrial bodies at the
other. A few months ago, Schmitt secured a deathbed statement from a
military official. "That's the eighth deathbed statement just on the
bodies alone," he said.

Schmitt said there have been several cases where families discover
just prior to the death of a loved one that the person had been
involved in the Roswell events. For example, in the last two days of
one MP's life, "all he could talk about was Roswell." The family is
bitter because the MP lived with his fear for all these years; they
feel robbed because the last few precious days of this man's life were
spent talking about Roswell, Schmitt said.

In 1941, the 509th Bomb Group based in Roswell was the only atomic
bomber group in the entire world. Typically, the 509th shared very
little with their families. The United States, although fresh from a
World War II victory, felt threatened about developments in
communist Russia--Roswell. Army Air Field was a top secret, extremely
sensitive military base.

On Sunday, July 6, 1947, rancher Mac Brazel carried some strange
debris into the Roswell Sheriff's office. The military was immediately notified, and Colonel William Blanchard and Major Jesse A. Marcel ar-
rived at the scene to examine the material.

Numerous witnesses describe the material as "thin as newsprint and
light as a feather. It was slightly flexible but very strong. The
material would not bend; nor would it burn or be dented with a
sledgehammer. The material was lighter and stronger and more fire
resistant than anyone had ever seen, and 'heaven help us if the
Russians had that type of material at this time.' "

Early the next morning, Brazel took the military officers to the crash
site. Marcel said in a 1978 interview that the material was "nothing
from the Earth." He described the debris area as "three-quarters of a
mile long and 200 to 300 feet across, with a gouge at the top end of
it that was about 500 feet long and 10 feet wide."

On the way back to the base later that night, Marcel stopped at his
home to show the debris to his family. Although Marcel has since
passed away, Schmitt interviewed Marcel's son, Jesse Jr. In a hypnotic
session, Jesse Jr, described the material to Schmitt and John Watkins,
a psychologist, professor, researcher and hypnotist. Under hypnosis
Jesse related that his father said "the debris was from a flying
saucer."

On July 8; 1947, Walter Haut, the 509th Public Information Officer,
released a press release that stated in part, "The many rumors
regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday...The flying
object landed on a ranch near Roswell sometime last week." Later that
day, the military retracted that press release and said the debris was identified as a weather balloon.

The Air Force invited a newspaper photographer to take pictures of
military personnel posing with a weather balloon. All the hoopla
surrounding the recaptured flying saucer died down and remained
dormant until Marcel began speaking to the press nearly 30 years after
the incident. Schmitt said if Marcel were the only one talking he
would not be working on the case, but Marcel is not the only one who
talked. Over time, witnesses-albeit reluctantly-gave matching
testimony.

"The military has done a damn good job of discrediting the subject,"
Schmitt said. "You name it; they did it: pressure on the press,
editors, reporters."

Several journalists working on the case told Schmitt and Randle that
military personnel searched their offices and removed recorded
interviews, papers and notes regarding the Roswell incident. After
Roswell, the military moved in to stop all reports. "Project Blue Book
is a master plan of manipulating the press," Schmitt said.

Project Blue Book was the Air Force's official UFO investigation
program. All the Air Force's UFO investigative cases are declassified
and supposed to be in Project Blue Book. In 1948, the Air Force
investigated UFOs under the name Project Sign. Later the program's
name was changed to Project Grudge, and in 1953 it became Project Blue
Book.

"Project BlueBook's objectives were two-fold," said Mark Ridley,
librarian at the Modern Military Reference Branch. "The first was to
determine whether UFOs posed a threat to United States security. The
second was to determine whether UFOs exhibited any unique scientific information and advanced technology that could contribute to
scientific or technical research."

On Dec. 17, 1969, the Blue Book Program was terminated. An official
Air Force press release stated in part, "The decision to dis-continue
UFO investigations was based on a number of factors... No UFO
reported, investigated and evaluated by the Air Force has ever given
any indication of a threat our national security... Between 1948 and
to 1969 the Air Force investigated 12,618 reported UFO sightings. Of
these, 11,917 found to have been caused by material objects such as
balloons, satellites, and aircraft; immaterial objects such as
lightning, reflective and other natural phenomena; astronomical
objects such as stars, planets, the sun, and the moon; weather
conditions; and hoaxes. Only 701 reported sightings remain
unexplained.

Project Blue Book was eventually declassified and transferred to the
Modern Military Reference Branch and National Archives in Washington,
D.C.

Schmitt's mentor, J. Allen Hynek, was hired by the Air Force in 1952
as a scientific consultant for Project Blue Book, but after
discovering that some of the more dramatic unexplained sightings were transferred elsewhere, he started CUFOS. Brad Radcliffe, Schmitt's
assistant at CUFOS, explained, "Hynek felt Project Blue Book was
merely a public relations front. Reports of lights in the sky were
forwarded to Project Blue Book. But the ones with police officers
chasing [the UFOs], or people reporting alien beings, or the Air Force encountering UFOs, were reported to Langely Air Force Base in Wash-
ington, D.C., Wright Patterson in Ohio, and the Pentagon."

Schmitt said Hynek told him several times in private conversations
that "UFOs threatened national security so they were not part of the
Blue Book system. It was part of another investigation."

Schmitt said one of his Pentagon sources, a colonel, told him, "There
is a top-secret investigation that continues today. There is a
top-secret organization on top of Blue Book, and that is where your
Roswell case is."

There is no mention of the Roswell Case in Project Blue Book. Edward
Reese of the Military Reference Branch of the National Archives said
he has been dealing with Project Blue Book since 1973. He made
extensive searches among the released documents under the subjects
MJ-12, majestic, unidentified flying objects, UFO, flying saucers, extraterrestrial biological entities and Aquarius, and "these searches
were all negative."

Reese admitted he finds it "strange" that there is no mention of
Roswell, even though there is an official military answer. "Although
the Air Force listed a balloon as an explanation for the Roswell case,
the balloon is not listed in Blue Book."

If a weather balloon is not the reason for the Roswell incident, then
the case should not be classified. Several weather balloons were
recovered in the 1940's and '50's but none of these cases was
classified and the finders were often given permission to keep the
balloon.

The Roswell case is still guarded by intense security. The retired
officers are often reluctant to speak: "They are still under military regulations that make any disclosure sensitive to UFO material
punishable by a forfeiture of any pension and benefits, plus a
$10,000 fine and/or prison," Schmitt said.

Schmitt said several top military officials say they are "sworn to
secrecy and couldn't talk to us. Why after all these years are
military men telling us they are sworn to secrecy for a weather
balloon?"

Schmitt said when initially contacted, many officers at first deny
their involvement with Roswell. In Schmitt's book, "UFO Crash At
Roswell," a plainclothed senior counter intelligence agent; a member
of the predecessor to the current CIA, is quoted throughout but never
mentioned by name.

"At first he would say he wasn't there. Then when we showed him
documents that place him there, he would say, 'well, nothing was
recovered.' Then he would tell me he was there; but it was a radio
sound balloon. But that is the wrong balloon. The official explanation
is a Rawin target balloon. Why is he telling us that it is the wrong
balloon?"

However, in Schmitt's follow-up book to "UFO Crash" - scheduled for
release in late 1993-the counter-intelligence officer, Sheridan
Cavitt, is identified. Cavitt leaked crucial information to Schmitt
and Randle. "We have him on tape saying it could very well have been a
flying saucer," Schmitt said.

Critics contend that military officers would be reprimanded for
speaking out of line. Schmitt disagrees. "Officially they can't talk
to us. But they talk to us off the record." There is also a Catch-22.
If the debris are from a weather balloon, then where is the violation?
"But if it is the real thing, and if there is a reprimand, then they
are blowing the cover. They are conceding that they did break
security," Schmitt said.

For example, Brigadier General Arthur E. Exon, while a lieutenant
colonel, was at Wright Field in July 1947. In "UFO Crash At Roswell,"
Schmitt wrote, "He was there when the wreckage from the Roswell crash
came in and was aware of the recovery in New Mexico. He knew that it
was brought in and knew where it was sent...He saw the wreckage, and
learned from his colleagues that the bodies had arrived on the base."

"Here we have a general officer telling us that Roswell happened and
that it is true," Schmitt said. He is a general-who is going to
reprimand him? "And as Exon told me, he could tell the vice president
where to go," Schmitt added. "This is his testimony. He can't prove
the physical reality of Roswell, but he can tell us that it
happenned."

As the officers reach their declining years, more and more are
beginning to talk. In addition to the eight deathbed statements
describing the bodies, the second book will include eight living
testimonies. All the testimonies described the bodies identically:
"They are humanoid; approximately 4 feet in height. Slightly
disproportionate heads; larger eyes; ashen grey skin, and wearing
aluminum one-piece jump suits," Schmitt said.

The Air Force vehemently disagreed with Schmitt's conclusions. An Air
Force press release states in part, "Periodically, it is erroneously
stated that the remains of extraterrestrial visitors are or have been
stored at Wright-Patterson AFB. There are not now, nor ever have been,
any extraterrestrial visitors or equipment on Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base."

Before believing the government, Schmitt said people should examine
the evidence: Government documentation and the testimony of
collaborative witnesses. Schmitt said six congressional offices are
convinced there is a cover-up. "The question is, will they push for
hearings?"

Congressional hearings could raise subpoena power with many witnesses
who are still sworn to secrecy. But time is running out; the witnesses
are getting older.

Schmitt believes 1994 will be a key year for the Roswell case.
Documentaries by CBS, CNN, and French and Australian production
companies are in the works; a well-known movie star will play Major
Marcel in an upcoming film.

This publicity could very likely ensure the opening of government
documents. With the release of part two of "UFO Crash At Roswell," the
movie, and then numerous documentaries, Schmitt hopes public pressure
will push the government for a full disclosure.

"They might not have all the answers but they do know the truth,"
Schmitt said. The truth being the UFO phenomenon is real. I am
convinced of this."

The government's current position is similar to the last scene in
Steven Spielberg's film, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," where, after the
government finally receives the mysterious ark, officials place the
ark in a crate and bury it with thousands of other crates. Hynek, a
close friend of Spielberg, told Schmitt this was Spielberg's intent.
After nearly 50 years, the cover-up is beginning to unravel.

** End **

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