SUN 30 (Nov 1994)

Magazine Overview

Title: SKEPTICS UFO NEWSLETTER

Issue: SUN #30

Date: November 1994

Publisher: Philip J. Klass

Country: USA

Language: English

Cover Headline: Rigorous USAF "Roswell Incident" Investigation, Spurred by GAO And White House Requests, Turns Up NO Evidence To Support Crashed-Saucer Claims, And A Sworn Denial By A Key Witness

Main Article: Rigorous USAF "Roswell Incident" Investigation

The central focus of this issue is the detailed report of a U.S. Air Force investigation into the infamous "Roswell Incident" of 1947. Directed by the USAF office responsible for monitoring "Black" programs, the investigation aimed to determine the validity of claims that an extraterrestrial craft had crashed in New Mexico. The findings, however, flatly denied any such evidence.

A key piece of evidence presented is a sworn statement from Sheridan Cavitt, one of the officers who accompanied rancher "Mac" Brazel to his ranch on July 7, 1947, to examine the debris. Cavitt unequivocally denied the crashed ET craft narrative and stated that the government had not imposed any secrecy on the incident. Both Cavitt and Brazel died before the "Roswell Incident" became a widespread topic.

The USAF report concluded that the debris discovered by Brazel originated from a 700-foot-long string of weather balloons, radar corner reflectors, and acoustic sensors. These components were part of "Project Mogul," a top-secret program designed to detect Soviet nuclear tests. The string was launched from Alamogordo Army Air Field on June 4, 1947, ten days before Brazel found the debris. While most balloons were recovered, one launched on June 4 was not. Project Mogul scientists at the time did not apparently connect this lost balloon to the "flying disk" reports.

The report credits UFO-researcher Robert Todd with being the first to discover the Project Mogul connection, a finding also independently reported by UFO-researcher Karl Pflock. Project Mogul itself was declassified in the early 1970s.

The USAF's extensive investigation was initiated by the General Accounting Office (GAO) at the request of Congressman Steven Schiff. Additional impetus came from the White House, with President Clinton's Chief Science Advisor, Dr. John Gibbons, requesting that any classified UFO material be declassified.

The Pentagon responded to the GAO's request, addressing criticism from Congressman Schiff regarding a perceived "run-around" in a previous inquiry. The report noted that if an ET craft had been recovered and a covert program established to analyze its technology, it would have been handled as a "Special Access Program" (SAP).

No ET/Roswell-Related Projects Among USAF's "Black" Programs

The investigation, led by SAF/AAZ under Col. Richard L. Weaver, categorically stated that no Special Access Programs related to extraterrestrial spacecraft or aliens exist. The Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff also had no knowledge of such programs. The report emphasized the logistical and security implications that would make such a clandestine, long-term program highly improbable without funding and oversight.

To address potential cover-up claims, a team of experienced officers with top security clearances conducted an exhaustive archival search across multiple government institutions. This search yielded only one document from July 1947 that mentioned UFOs and Roswell Army Air Field. This "Secret" document referred to "flying disc" inquiries being handled by the Office of Public Information, stating the object was a radar tracking balloon.

USAF investigators found no evidence of heightened military activity or alerts in July 1947 that would suggest the entry of an alien craft.

Spurious Claims Punctured

The report also addressed and refuted specific claims made by crashed-saucer proponents:

• Lt. Gen. Twining's Visit: The claim that Lt. Gen. Twining made an unannounced visit to Kirtland Air Field on July 7/8 due to the Roswell incident was countered by a document showing his visit was to attend a Bomb Commanders' Course, for which he had submitted a formal request over a month prior.
• Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg's Involvement: Claims of Gen. Vandenberg's deep involvement were refuted by his office log, which showed he was investigating a hoax UFO report from Ellington Field, Texas, on July 7, and had no UFO-related activity on July 8.
• Missing Personnel Records: The assertion by Randle and Schmitt that military personnel records from Roswell in 1947 were destroyed was addressed. The USAF found that many records were lost in a major fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. However, researchers were able to locate eight of the eleven "missing persons" named by Randle and Schmitt. The report also pointed out a contradiction where Randle and Schmitt claimed to have interviewed a person in 1990 whose records indicated death in 1951.

USAF Report Avoids Direct Challenge to (Alleged) Recollections

While the USAF report did not directly challenge witness accounts of seeing a crashed saucer and ET bodies, it noted the consistent descriptions of debris provided by witnesses before the incident was widely publicized. These descriptions often included tape with colored flowers and geometric symbols, described as hieroglyphics. Examples cited include statements from Maj. Jesse Marcel, Bessie Brazel Schreiber (Brazel's daughter), Loretta Proctor (Brazel's neighbor), and Dr. Jesse A. Marcel (Maj. Marcel's son), all recalling tape with floral or symbolic patterns.

Simple Explanation for Puzzling Detail

The "puzzling detail" of tape with colored flowers and geometric symbols on debris, which seemed inconsistent with advanced ET technology, was explained by former Col. Albert C. Trakowski, the military project officer for Project Mogul. The radar corner-reflector targets were produced by a company that manufactured children's toys. When the company ran short of plain tape, it substituted colorful tape with flower-like designs. Irving Newton, a Weather Officer, recalled seeing these purple and pink figures on the debris in Brig. Gen. Roger Ramey's office. Ramey's official assessment was likely based on Newton's opinion, as it's doubted he was aware of Project Mogul.

The USAF report emphasized its limitations, focusing only on its own personnel and archives, as the GAO was responsible for the overall government investigation.

Affected Parties Comment On USAF's Roswell Report

Congressman Steven Schiff commented that while the USAF explanation could be correct and explain certain actions, the biggest problem was the previous insistence by the government that they had no information. He felt this would still leave questions about the truth.

The article details Schiff's initial inquiry to Defense Secretary Aspin, which was routed through various offices. Schiff's letter eventually reached USAF Lt. Col. Larry Shockley, who was informed that Project Blue Book files were with the National Archives. An inquiry to the National Archives yielded no information on the Roswell Incident, and it was only through the publication of Schiff's "cover-up" charge in The Washington Post on January 14, 1994, that top USAF officials became aware of his concerns.

Schiff Played Loose With Facts

The newsletter criticizes Schiff for misrepresenting facts on a Larry King TV special, where he claimed the Air Force offered the Project Mogul story after years of prodding. Schiff stated that his initial query was routine and that the response was a curt letter referring him to the National Archives, which he felt was a "run-around."

Friedman and Randle Criticize USAF Report

Stanton Friedman and Kevin Randle, authors of Roswell crashed-saucer books, offered critical comments. Friedman called the report a "terrible piece of work," "internally inconsistent," and a "massive misrepresentation." He continues to endorse the MJ-12 papers, which most researchers consider counterfeit.

Randle noted the Air Force's shifting explanations since 1947, from "flying saucer" to "weather balloon." He claimed to have spoken to most individuals cited in the USAF report, except for Dr. Spilhaus. Randle highlighted the absence of Brig. General Arthur Exon, who claimed to have flown over both the Project Mogul site and the alleged "Impact Site."

The newsletter points out that it is strange that none of the Project Mogul scientists mentioned in the USAF report are cited in Randle and Schmitt's latest book, nor is Project Mogul mentioned in its index.

Randle/Schmitt Ignore Flaws In Gen. Exon's Tale

Randle criticizes the USAF report for not considering retired Brig. Gen. Arthur Exon's account of flying over two UFO crash sites. However, the newsletter highlights that Exon's account contradicts Maj. Marcel's recollection of the debris' direction, with Marcel stating it was traveling from northeast to southwest, while Exon's account suggested a southeast to northwest direction.

FUFOR Challenges USAF, Ignores Own Report

The Fund for UFO Research (FUFOR) issued a press release challenging the USAF's explanation, calling it a trivialization of UFOs. Notably, FUFOR did not mention its own earlier report, "Roswell In Perspective," by Karl Pflock, which concluded that the debris was "all but certain" to be from Project Mogul.

A second FUFOR press release by Don Berliner also failed to mention the Pflock report and questioned the existence of "Flight #4." The USAF report, however, contained documentation from Ist Lt. Jim McAndrew confirming the June 4 date for the launch of Flight #4 from A. P. Crary's journal.

Randle, Schmitt, Friedman, Berliner ALL Err On Key Roswell Date

The article points out a significant error shared by Randle, Schmitt, Friedman, and Berliner: they all agree that Mac Brazel visited Roswell on Sunday, July 6, 1947, to report the debris. However, hard evidence indicates Brazel visited Roswell on Monday, July 7, 1947. This evidence includes:

• A Tuesday evening, July 8, interview with Brazel by the Roswell Daily Record, which stated "Monday he [Brazel] came to town..."
• A July 9 article in the Roswell Dispatch detailing Sheriff Wilcox's account, stating "The furor started Monday when W.W. Brazel... came into the office and reported finding an object..."
• A July 9 Fort Worth Star-Telegram article based on an interview with Maj. Marcel, which stated Brazel "headed for Roswell to report his find to the sheriff's office" on Sunday and Monday.

Historical Evidence Supports USAF Findings

The article posits that if the U.S. Government possessed evidence of extraterrestrial reconnaissance, it would have prompted a crash program to develop defensive missiles. However, contracts for supersonic air-to-air missiles with General Electric and Ryan Aeronautical were terminated within nine months. Furthermore, Dr. Vannevar Bush, a logical candidate to head any ET technology analysis group, recommended cutting back defense R&D funding in 1948.

Birds of a Feather Pflock Together

Karl Pflock, acknowledging his long-standing interest in UFOs, challenges the newsletter's characterization of his desire to believe. In an interview, Pflock stated that the "large body of data available" leaves "no room for doubt that UFOs are real," defining them as phenomena other than known natural or manmade ones. He suggests "UFO" may represent multiple phenomena, possibly including nonhuman craft. Pflock also clarified that his "speculative leaps" are "working hypotheses/scenarios" to evaluate evidence. He also corrected the newsletter regarding his wife's role as Congressman Schiff's point-of-contact with the GAO.

Hopkins-Mack Relations Becoming More Frayed

This section discusses the growing philosophical rift between UFO-abduction gurus Budd Hopkins and Dr. John Mack. Their differing views emerged at a 1993 MUFON conference, where Mack suggested some subjects had dual identities (Earthling and ET) and experienced reincarnation, while Hopkins reported no such tales from his subjects. Interviews in "UFO magazine" reveal Hopkins' skepticism about Mack's "hypnotic transcripts" and his view of Mack as "a kind of mystic." Mack, in turn, admitted critics charge he is "too relaxed about physical evidence" and cannot authoritatively discuss medical aspects of abductions.

The article contrasts Mack's current views with his 1993 paper, which described experiencers having cuts, bleeding areas, and noticing "unexplained scars, scoop marks, and even little implants."

Short Shrift

• Hopkins Breaks with Former Associate: Budd Hopkins wrote a bitter letter to FATE magazine's editor after Antonio Huneeus expressed doubts about the Linda Napolitano "beam-me-up-Scotty" UFO-abduction case.
• The Roswell Update: A new quarterly newsletter by Don Schmitt and Kevin Randle is announced, promising new witnesses and information regarding the Roswell incident.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Skeptics UFO Newsletter, through this issue, maintains a critical and skeptical stance towards UFO phenomena, particularly the Roswell Incident. The editorial stance is to rigorously examine claims, debunk unsubstantiated assertions, and present evidence-based explanations. The newsletter actively challenges the narratives presented by prominent UFO researchers like Friedman, Randle, and Schmitt, highlighting inconsistencies, factual errors, and what it perceives as misrepresentations. The publication champions the USAF's official explanation of the Roswell Incident as stemming from Project Mogul, contrasting it with the more sensational crashed-saucer theories. The newsletter's editor, Philip J. Klass, is presented as a diligent investigator who seeks to provide a rational counterpoint to the more speculative aspects of ufology.