The Roswell incident

Lore & Background

The balloons and equipment were lost contact with within 17 miles of the ranch managed by W. W. 'Mac' Brazel near Corona, New Mexico. Later that month, Brazel discovered tinfoil, rubber, tape, and thin wooden beams scattered across his ranch. After hearing of the flying disc craze, Brazel reported the debris to Sheriff George Wilcox, who contacted Roswell Army Air Field. Major Jesse Marcel and Captain Sheridan Cavitt collected the material, and base commander Colonel William Blanchard notified higher command.

Reader's Guide

The Roswell incident is significant because it transformed a mundane military balloon crash into a lasting symbol of government secrecy and UFO mythology. The initial press release announcing a 'flying disc' was retracted within a day, but the brief international headlines created a seed of doubt. The Air Force later confirmed the debris came from Project Mogul, but the narrative persists, making Roswell a center of UFO tourism and a trope in science fiction.

Did You Know?

• The debris included tinfoil, rubber, tape, and thin wooden beams scattered across several acres.
• The United States Army Air Forces retracted the 'flying disc' claim within a day, stating the debris was from a weather balloon.
• In the 1990s, the Air Force published multiple reports establishing the debris was from the top-secret Project Mogul balloon train.