The Roswell Incident of 1947 is a significant event in the history of UFO research and has led to extensive speculation and conspiracy theories.
What Happened?
Discovery of the Debris:
- On June 14, 1947, rancher William Mac Brazel discovered debris on the Foster Ranch near Corona, approximately 75 miles north of Roswell, New Mexico.
- July 7, 1947: Brazel informed the local sheriff’s office, which then notified the Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF).
Initial Investigation:
- Major Jesse Marcel, an officer of the RAAF, was dispatched to investigate and recover the debris. Marcel collected some of the debris and brought it back to the base.
Press Release:
- On July 8, 1947, the RAAF released a statement claiming they had recovered the remains of a “flying disc.” This announcement caused a worldwide sensation.
Public information officer Walter Haut issued this press release:
The many rumors regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence office of the 509th Bomb 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 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 in turn notified Maj. Jesse A. Marcel of the 509th Bomb Group Intelligence Office.
Reaction and Retraction
Press Conference and Retraction:
- On afternoon, a press conference was held during which General Roger Ramey, the commander of the 8th Air Force, retracted the previous statement. He presented the debris and explained that it was actually the remains of a weather balloon. Photos from the press conference showed Roger Ramey and Jesse Marcel, along with Thomas Dubose and Irving Newton, with the purported weather balloon debris.
Later Developments and Conspiracy Theories
- Later, particularly in the 1970s, interest in the incident resurfaced. Various authors and UFO enthusiasts claimed that the government had recovered an extraterrestrial spacecraft and its occupants and covered up the truth.
The Ramey Memo
And it is precisely this press conference from July 8, 1947, that many UFO researchers believe could shed light on what really happened. During the press conference, Roger Ramey held a document in his hands, which became known in history as the famous RAMEY MEMO. The original document no longer exists. However, several photos were taken during the press conference, showing RAMEY with this memo. Unfortunately, it is mostly obscured. Yet in one picture, the front side is visible. Due to the image quality of cameras at the time, the small portion where the memo is visible, the angle, shadows, and poor letter quality, almost nothing is legible. There have been many attempts to make the memo readable again. So far, there is no satisfactory result. We aim to use the latest techniques and methods to solve the mystery, at least to be able to read what is on the MEMO.
