| Original
July 8, 1947 "Army Has Flying Disc" Story (Roswell,
NM)
Sacramento
Bee, July 8, 1947
Summary: This is the
original story published on July 8, 1947 in which the
U.S. Army announced it had recovered a crashed flying
disc near Roswell, NM. Quickly thereafter, the official
Army story was changed to the "weather balloon"
position.
Army Reveals It Has Flying Disc
Found On Ranch In Mew Mexico
Sacramento Bee July
8, 1947
ROSWELL (N.M.). July 8. (AP) --The army
air forces here today announced a flying disc has been
found on a ranch near Roswell and is in possession of
the army. Lieutenant Warren Haught, public information
officer of the Roswell Army AIr Field, announced the
find had been made "sometime last week" and had been
turned over to the air field through the cooperation of
the sheriff's office.
Higher Headquarters
"It was inspected at the Roswell Army Air Field
and subsequently loaned by Major Jesse A. Marcel of the
509th Bomb Group Intelligence office in Roswell to
higher headquarters."
The army gave no other
details. Haught's statement:
"The many rumors
regarding the flying discs became a reality yesterday
when the intelligence office of the 509th (atomic) Bomb
Group of the 8th Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was
fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc through
the cooperation of one of the ranchers and the sheriff's
office of Chaves county.
"The flying object
landed on a ranch near Roswell sometime last week. Not
having phone facilities, the rancher stored the disc
until such time as he was able to contact the sheriff's
office, who inturn notified Jesse A. Marcel, of the
509th Bomb Group intelligence office."
Inspected
at Roswell
"Action was immediately taken and the
disc was picked up at the rancher's home. It was
inspected at the Roswell Army Air Field, and
subsequently loaned by Major Jesse Marcel to higher
headquarters."
The rancher's name and the
location of his place was withheld.
George Walsh
of the radio station KSWS which provided first news of
the announcement said only Major Marcel, Colonel W. H.
Blanchard, commanding officer at Roswell, and the
rancher had seen the object here.
The sheriff,
Walsh reported, upon receiving word from the rancher
went immediately to the intelligence officer at Roswell
Field. |
