In the sweltering heat of early July 1947, a significant incident unfolded in the remote desert just outside the town of Roswell, New Mexico. Many individuals, both curious and intrigued, have heard of the infamous Roswell UFO crash, but remarkably few people are aware of the intricate details and the context surrounding this extraordinary event. The following comprehensive account of the 1947 UFO incident has been meticulously gathered from various public records, vital information provided by the esteemed International UFO Museum, and from the historical press release related to the highly anticipated UFO Encounter event in 1997.

On the warm evening of July 3, 1947, Dan Wilmot, a well-respected local business owner, along with his wife, found themselves relaxing on their front porch, enjoying the tranquility of the night when they suddenly noticed a bright, saucer-shaped object shimmering with glowing lights moving swiftly across the sky at an astonishing speed of approximately 400 to 500 miles per hour. Dan Wilmot estimated that this mysterious unidentified flying object measured about 20 to 25 feet across, a striking sight that captured their attention. The unusual flying object initially appeared from the direction of the Southeast and then rapidly vanished into the horizon toward the Northwest. Intrigued and somewhat bewildered, Dan Wilmot promptly reported his extraordinary sighting to the Roswell Daily Record, hoping to share his remarkable experience with a wider audience.

In early July W.W. (Mac) Brazel, the Foreman of the J. B. Foster Ranch rode out to check his sheep after a night of intense thunderstorms. Mac Brazel discovered a large amount of unusual debris scattered across one of the ranch's pastures. Mac Brazel took some pieces of the debris, showed them to some friends and neighbors and eventually contacted Chaves County Sheriff George Wilcox. Suspecting that the materials described by Mac Brazel might be connected with military operations, Sheriff Wilcox notified authorities at the Roswell Army Air Field (subsequently renamed Walker AFB) for assistance in the matter.

Major Jesse Marcel, the distinguished Intelligence Officer at the 509th Bomb Group, played a significant role in the intriguing recovery of the mysterious wreckage, which was first transported to the Roswell Army Air Field for further examination. On July 8th, the Roswell Daily Record published a sensational headline story that boldly revealed the astonishing news that the wreckage of an unidentified flying saucer had been recovered from a ranch situated in the local area. When questioned about these extraordinary events, Major Jesse Marcel openly disclosed that the intriguing wreckage had indeed been flown from New Mexico on to higher headquarters for further analysis, sparking intense interest and speculation among both military officials and the public alike.

Colonel William Blanchard, the distinguished Commander of the 509th Bomb Group, issued an urgent press release asserting that the wreckage of what appeared to be a crashed disk had been recovered from the site of an unusual incident. Within just a few hours of this initial announcement, a second press release was disseminated from the office of General Roger Ramey, who was the Commander of the Eighth Air Force stationed at Ft. Worth Army Air Field in Ft. Worth, Texas. This subsequent release quickly rescinded the claims made in the first press release, controversially stating that the officers of the 509th Bomb Group had mistakenly identified what was actually a weather balloon along with its radar reflector as the recovered crashed disk.

The Ballard Funeral Home, located in the small town of Roswell, had an essential contract to provide both ambulance and mortuary services for the nearby Roswell Army Air Field. Glenn Dennis, a young and eager Mortician who was employed by Ballard Funeral Homes, began to receive several urgent phone calls from the Mortuary Officer stationed at the air field just prior to learning of the recovery of the mysterious wreckage. During these conversations, Glenn Dennis was specifically asked about the availability of small, hermetically sealed caskets and sought his expert recommendations for the proper preservation of bodies that had unfortunately been exposed to the elements for several days. His curiosity thoroughly piqued, Glenn Dennis took it upon himself to visit the Base Hospital that very evening, only to be forcibly escorted out of the building by military personnel. This unusual behavior by the authorities did little to deter Glenn Dennis’ inquisitive nature; instead, it only intensified his resolve to uncover the truth. He subsequently arranged to meet with a nurse from the Base Hospital the following day at a local coffee house, hoping to gather more information. The nurse recounted her experiences during autopsies performed on "... several small non-human bodies ...", which left Glenn Dennis both fascinated and unsettled. During their meeting, he kept drawings of the aliens that the nurse had sketched on a napkin as visual notes. However, this meeting turned out to be their last, as the nurse was abruptly transferred to England within just a few days, leaving Glenn Dennis with more questions than answers about the alien bodies he had hoped to learn more about.

On July 9th, in a notable article, the Roswell Daily Record revealed to the public that the mysterious wreckage had indeed been discovered on the expansive J.B. Foster Ranch. The relentless harassment that Mac Brazel experienced following his report was so overwhelming that he ultimately became deeply regretful for ever bringing his incredible find to the attention of the Chaves County Sheriff.

In the following days, virtually every single witness to the crash wreckage, as well as the subsequent recovery efforts, was either abruptly transferred to other locations or seemed to disappear completely from the face of the earth. This unsettling trend led to growing suspicions among many that an extraordinary event was indeed the subject of a deliberate and calculated government coverup. Over the years, numerous books, interviews, and articles from a variety of military personnel who had been involved with the incident have continued to add to the mounting suspicions surrounding a potential deliberate coverup.

In 1979 Jesse Marcel was interviewed regarding his role in the recovery of the wreckage. Jesse Marcel stated, "... it would not burn ... that stuff weighs nothing, it's so thin, it isn't any thicker than the tinfoil in a pack of cigarettes. It wouldn't bend. We even tried making a dent in it with a 16 pound sledge hammer. And there was still no dent in it." Officers who had been stationed at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio (where the wreckage was taken) at the time of the incident have supported Jesse Marcel's claims.

Dr. Jesse Marcel, Jr., who was just eleven years old at the time of the remarkable incident, accompanied his father during the extensive retrieval efforts that followed. Dr. Jesse Marcel Jr. has produced an impressive collection of detailed drawings depicting the hieroglyphic-like symbols that he vividly recalled seeing on the surface of some of the intriguing wreckage. Dr. Marcel has made it a point to testify regularly about his enduring belief that a UFO of some type indeed crashed in the mysterious Roswell area, sharing his insights and experiences with those curious about the event.