Copyright: This file © Oliver Hahn 24.08.95


yesyesyesyesROSWELL The OriginalRosw_1ecyesyes24/08/95


Table of Contents
The ROSWELL Chronology

People have been fascinated by outer space for years. But it was not until July 1947, in the area around Roswell Airforce Base, that the human race got so close to unknown beings from a strange world. Many claims have been made and much has been denied, but nobody knows what really happened during this incident. The study of several documents and, more importantly, eye-witness report reconstructs the following course of events:

July, 1st 1947

An object over Roswell, New Mexico shows up on radar screens. It's speed and manoeuvrability exceed those of any aircraft known. The radar device is checked; it appears to be working correctly.

July, 2nd 1947

Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot see an oval object flying over their house at high speed heading northwest.

July, 4th 1947

William Woody, and his father, observe a flaming object with a red tail falling to earth north of Roswell.

W.W. "Mac" Brazel hears a tremendous bang during a thunderstorm in Corona, New Mexico. It sounds more like an explosion than a clap of thunder. Other eye-witnesses make similar reports.

At 11.27a.m., radar screens show how the object flickers several times and then explodes.

July, 5th 1947

A group of archeologists, working in Roswell, find the place where the object crashed. They call the sheriff of Chaves County (the district around Roswell) who then calls the fire service. Together they proceed to the scene of the crash.

The military arrive at 5.30p.m. Civilians are ordered to leave the area, which is then sealed off. Five bodies, found at the scene, are brought to the army base where Dr. Jesse Johnson examines them. Two doctors are flown in to perform an autopsy. The bodies are later moved to a shed in a floodlit aircraft hangar and guarded overnight by military police.

Brazel, foreman on the Foster Ranch, in Lincoln County near Corona, New Mexico, checks his fields around the farmhouse for storm damage. He discovers a field full of wreckage, with pieces of metal, foil, light weight and plastic-type material scattered everywhere. Brazel shows some of the wreckage to his neighbours, the Proctors. The material can be neither burnt nor cut.

Fighter planes are put on alert along the west-coast, in readiness for the appearance of UFO's.

July, 6th 1947

Brazel drives to Sheriff Wilcox in Roswell, 75 miles away. Wilcox informs the military police at Roswell Air Force Base and sends two of his officers to the wreckage.

The Woodys are in their car, looking for the crashed object. All roads branching from Highway 285 are sealed off.

Wilcox receives a call from Frank Joyce, reporter from radio station KGFL. After being asked for new information, Wilcox refers the reporter to Brazel.

Colonel William Blanchard, commanding officer of the 509th Bomber Group, sends Air Intelligence Officer Jesse A. Marcel to Sheriff Wilcox. Marcel questions Brazel and takes a few pieces of wreckage to Blanchard. Convinced that he is in possession of something extraordinary, Blanchard contacts his commanding HQ.

Following an order from the Deputy Commander of the Strategic Air Command (Major General Clements McMullen), Blanchard requests more pieces of the wreckage from the sheriffs office. These are transported in bags to Fort Worth military airport. From there they are flown to General McMullen in Washington D.C.

Marcel visits the Sheriff, accompanied by Captain Sheridan Cavitt, the base's Senior Counter Intelligence Agent. They go back to the the ranch with Brazel.

Wilcox's colleagues return. They followed Brazels directions, but could not find the field with the wreckage. They have, however, found a meadow with a large burn mark. They report that the sand there had melted to glass and that it appeared as though a large circular object had hit the ground.

July, 7th 1947

A special flight is made, bringing the bodies and pieces of wreckage to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington DC.

Brazel shows Marcel and Cavitt the wreckage site. It is 1200m long and between 60 and 90 metres wide. On its northern end is a furrow, probably the point of impact. This is about 130m long. The largest piece of wreckage lies on the southern side of this furrow.

The material, scattered over a wide area, is as thin as paper and very resiliant. When they tried to fold it, it sprang back to it's original shape. There were unknown markings on some of the pieces.

Unsucessfully Marcel and Cavitt search for further traces of a crash. All day long they compile the wreckage.

July, 8th 1947

At 06.00a.m. Marcel and Cavitt report to Blanchard what they have seen. Blanchard orders the military police to set up road-blocks around the wreckage field. No unauthorized persons are to be allowed through.

Later in the morning Walter Whitmore Senior, majority owner of KGFL radio station in Roswell, receives a call from Washington. The message is clear: if the station broadcasts the interview with Mac Brazel, they lose their broadcasting licence.

Mac Brazel is brought to the guest house at the army base. The military begin to question him.

The press release is ready. It is 11.00a.m.. This press release was completed by Walter Haut, Public Information Officer at Roswell Army Air Field on orders on Commander Blanchard.

It reads:

The many rumors regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence office of the 509th Bomber Group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc through the cooperation of one of the local ranchers and the sheriffs office of Chaves County. The flying object landed on a ranch near Roswell some time last week. Not having phone facilities, the rancher stored the disc until such time as he was able to contact the sheriffs office, who in turn notified Major Jesse A. Marcel of the 509th Bomber Group Intelligence Office.

Action was immediately taken and the disc was picked up at the ranchers home. It was inspected at the Roswell Army Air Field and subsequently handed over to a superior department by Major Marcel.

At 2.26p.m. the Associated Press agency, releases the news worldwide. The Air Force has reported finding a flying saucer.

Marcel recieves an order at 3.00p.m.. He is to fly pieces of wreckage to Fort Worth. He takes some of the pieces to Brigadier General Roger Ramey's office. He follows him into the map room. When they return to the office Marcel sees that the wreckage has been replaced by a torn weather balloon.

Master Sergant Irving Newton, from the military airport's weather station, is brought to the office. In the presence of reporters and military officers he identifies the wreckage as a weather balloon.

The FBI sends a telex to Director J. Edgar Hoover. They report that a balloon had caused reports of a UFO. The remains of this balloon were on their way to Dayton/Ohio to be inspected by Air Force experts.

Associated Press interrupts its other messages to report that the flying saucer in Roswell was only a balloon.

Soldiers search all day for more wreckage in the area. They collect wreckage in wheelbarrows and take it in trucks to Roswell.

July, 9th 1947

The morning papers all report the weather balloon. Roswell Base is a hive of activity as the arriving wreckage is packed into wooden crates. Accompanied by military personnel, Brazel gives an interview in the offices of the "Roswell Daily Record". He delivers a new version of his original story. He now claims to have found the wreckage on the 14th of June. He adds, that the found two weather balloons before, and this time the wreckage was not that of a weather balloon.

Weather officer Irving Newton spoke of a particularly high flying weather balloon.

July, 10th 1947

The scene of the crash and the site where the wreckage was found, are cleaned up. No traces were to be left.

July, 11th 1947

All those involved are split into small groups and order that the incident is to be kept top secret. No one is permitted to speak to anyone about it. Everyone is to forget everything that happened.

Military personel inform civilians, in the area around Roswell, that they are to speak to no one about the incident. Some witnesses feel intimidated.

July, 15th 1947

Brazels son reports that his father has returned home. The officers had asked him the same questions over and over again. They impressed on him that it was better if he knew nothing. He had sworen an oath that he would remain silent about everything he had seen.

Soon afterward the world returned to normal. New headlines soon occupied everybodys thoughts. And most people probably soon forgot the exciting reports of the incident in New Mexico. Everyone except the few reporters and authors of specialist books, who are still trying to solve the mystery. What really did happen in Roswell in the month of July 1947? Hundreds of eye-witnesses have been questioned. Some of the inconsistencies have been straighened out, and many new questions raised. Until this unusual documentary film appeared, a film that the world did not know existed...