Roswell has been a UFO mystery that has been thoroughly investigated and discussed throughout history. It is also one of the longest-lasting.
Roswell will be marking the 75th anniversary the 1947 UFO crash. However, the controversy over the facts is far from settled.
This is not because of a lack in digging. Journalists, authors, documentary film crews, and other people who are fascinated by the event have uncovered and published countless pieces of information and artifacts over the years.
They’ve also brought attention to other pieces of Roswell history such as the July 1947 Roswell Daily Record front pages that contained initial reports and a follow up version from the military. Some consider this one of history’s most important cover-ups.
Some have suggested that the most recent records from Roswell are already being scrutinized because of the intense focus on it for over three quarters of a century. One piece of local history that was recently discovered adds another layer to the already-growing historical record. It is an interesting companion to the 1947 headlines.
The Roswell Morning Dispatch was a long-defunct sister newspaper to the Roswell Daily Register. It was published every morning between 1928 and 1950. The Dispatch reported the latest news and in July 1947, it featured accounts of the events surrounding the recovery of a “Flying Disk”, a plane that crashed outside Roswell.
The Daily Record reported that its historical headlines were found in archived issues of the newspaper.
UFO researchers will be interested in this article. The headline from the Morning Dispatch, July 9, 1947 read, “Army Debunk Roswell Flying Disk as World Simmers with Excitement,” and was followed by a subhead that contained a familiar assertion that would fuel future accusations of a cover up: “Officers Say Disk is A Weather Balloon.” Sidebar: George Wilcox, then-sheriff, fielded calls from journalists around the globe as he sought information about what would become known as the Roswell incident.
Many UFO researchers are familiarized with the Roswell Daily Records’ iconic headlines on the 1947 crash of a flying disk, but few people know how the Roswell Morning Dispatch covered the story. #UFO #UFOs #ufotwitterhttps://t.co/TXyOR4EBKi
Nick Pope, who conducted research on UFOs for UK Ministry of Defense, stated that the discovery of old headlines is significant for researchers and other interested parties in the phenomenon.
Pope stated, “It’s an amazing piece of history that the time had forgotten.” It just shows that even 75 years later, there are still many discoveries in the archives.”
He said, “Any historian will tell ya that going back to the original source is priceless when it come to getting an insight into the events and how the people involved were reacting to them and perceiving them, as well as what the feelings were in the local community.”
“This is just a stunning glimpse into Roswell in 1947, which was ground zero for the mystery that continues to this day.”
Barbara Beck, Roswell Daily Record’s publisher, stated that the paper’s staff are excited about bringing new resources to researchers. She said that it took over 70 years for Roswell Morning Dispatatch’s unique articles and headlines to become accessible through the newspaper’s archives. “The Dispatch was owned originally by my family. It’s exciting that we now possess a primary resource to better understand New Mexico’s history and undiscovered stories.
Federal trademarks have been in place for the Roswell Daily Record headlines about the 1947 UFO incident. Beck also stated that the Roswell Morning Dispatch accounts are now trademarked. This means they cannot be reproduced without permission.
The archives contain a lot of information. For example, a look at the Dispatch records will remind you of how much UFO fascination was gaining ground in this country and elsewhere at the time. The Roswell incident was one of four UFO-related stories that appeared on the front page in the July 9, 1947 Morning Dispatch. Other items include “Carrizozo Man Seeks Flying Disk”, “Joe Massey Sees Disk Over Roswell”, and an image of an unidentified object in the sky above Seattle, Washington. The caption asks, “Is it a flying disk?”
Further research has revealed many more sightings.
Readers may also notice instances of language on the Dispatch front pages that reflect less culturally sensitive times when the paper was published. Daily Record management felt it was important that the archive front page be presented to the public unaltered and undamaged.
Pope will be traveling to Roswell, Texas in July to take part in the Daily Record’s Roswell Incident, which is part of Roswell’s UFO Festival. He said he hopes that discovery of old Dispatch headlines will remind people that historical records may still exist, and are waiting to be found. As the 75th anniversary of the incident approaches, such a discovery could shed light on the events that took place in 1947.
He said, “The fact Roswell will again be the center of the world’s attention, almost like…a kind of last chance to maybe solve this mystery, one way, or for good.”
Roswell’s anniversary falls a month after NASA announced it was establishing an independent group to study unidentified air phenomena (UAP), which were formerly known under the name UFOs. This is the latest government effort in its ongoing investigation of mysterious objects reported by hundreds pilots.
The space agency released a statement saying that the researchers will be responsible for “identifying available data and how to collect future data” and “how NASA can use this data to advance scientific understanding of UAPs.” The fall will be the start of the study. It is expected to take nine months. Researchers plan to publish their findings in a report. The release stated that there is no evidence UAPs were extra-terrestrial in their origin.
This effort is independent of the work of a Defense Department team that has been investigating incidents reported by pilots for many years. NASA however noted that NASA has “coordinated extensively across government” regarding how science tools can be applied to shed light on the origin and nature of unidentified aerial phenomena.
In recent years, the number of UAP encounters reported has increased dramatically as pilots have been encouraged by the military to record their experiences in order to protect national security. Often, strange objects are seen zooming at great speeds over vast distances with no apparent propulsion system. These incidents are often publicly reported.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Pentagon’s UAP Task Force released last year no evidence suggesting that the objects were originated from a foreign adversary. Investigators could not also explain many of the incidents.
The first hearing in public on the subject in over 50 years was held in May by a House subcommittee. They stated that the number of reported encounters has increased to nearly 400 in the past 20 years with 11 “near misses” between objects and military aircrafts.
Stefan Becket contributed to the report.
