Please note: Your browser has been unable to load the stylesheet that accompanies this page. The page is still readable. [Accessibility statement]

[Skip to navigation]

Scotsman.com
 
Thursday, 19th July 2007

International

The Scotsman Mon 9 Jul 2007

Roswell marks 60th anniversary of 'UFO crash'

MARK EVANS IN NEW MEXICO

AT LEAST 35,000 skygazers descended on the town of Roswell at the weekend to mark the 60th anniversay of the purported flying saucer crash on a ranch.

Participants filled hotel rooms and nearly doubled the south-eastern New Mexico town's population for the Amazing Roswell festival.

The event programme included live concerts (one headlined by a band with a computer-generated "alien" drummer), costume contests, a Main Street parade and lectures pondering everything from body snatchers to "What Does NASA Really Know?"

The festival emerged in the 1990s to generate debate about the purported flying saucer crash in July 1947 which the government says was a top- secret weather balloon.

Believers in the Roswell Incident say the government is conspiring to hide the truth about the events of that day and, more broadly, the existence of extraterrestrial life.

Al Dooley, 59, of Seattle, said he was not sure what happened, but came to the festival to learn more. He was nestled into a seat at a convention center auditorium, eager to hear a talk on "UFO Files from the UK and Government Surveillance of Ufologists".

Although he's not certain whether an alien craft crashed here, he might have seen one himself in 1968 or 1969, he said. His wife, Nancy, sat nearby, visibly less interested. She was waiting for the festival to be over so the couple could move on to the next leg of their vacation in Sedona, Arizona.

The city's convention centre was swarming with vendors hawking trinkets and dolls, photo ops with costumed aliens, psychic readings and a kit to test whether your neighbour or boss is from outer space. Many peddled their books, DVDs or artwork of all things otherworldly.

Chase Masterson, an actress, was signing autographs for fans who remembered her role as Leeta in episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

"I am having a very interesting time exploring the theories that are set forth here," she said. "Some are completely outrageous but some are very intriguing."

The festival was organised for the first time by the city of Roswell. Mayor Sam LaGrone said he was surprised by the turnout - and the economic boost it would give the city. "I've never seen so many cars in town," he said.

ICONIC STORY

THE Roswell UFO Incident involved the recovery of materials which have since become the subject of intense speculation.

The government maintains that what was recovered was a top-secret research balloon that had crashed. However, many UFO theorists believe the wreckage was of a crashed alien craft and that the military covered up its recovery. The incident has turned into a widely-recognised and referenced pop culture phenomenon.

Related topic

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1067552007

Last updated: 08-Jul-07 00:39 BST

SPECIAL FORUM
Scottish drivers are now more likely to be breathalysed – have your say.



Comments

1. Michael Leonard, Edinburgh / 1:42am 9 Jul 2007

Roswell is the Loch Ness of the USA.

But at least Loch Ness really has a monster.

Report as unsuitable
2. Rankbadyin, Palmerston North, New Zealand / 2:06am 9 Jul 2007

My wife and I moved to Roswell in 1966. I'd been working at Stanford and was invited to take over the position of Chaves County librarian (which included services to Roswell, the largest city in the county). My mission was to bring library services up to date (we had an inadequate 1912 Carnegie building, serious staffing and funding issues, and almost no Spanish language materials despite a large Latino population).

There was amost no awareness (or interest) about the "aliens" then (although they had supposedly landed almost 20 years earlier). There was one scary factor, however: the town had built its high school underground in anticipation of nuclear risks (you may remember that experiments were being done on the nearby Arizona high deserts).

We settled in, bought a home, became involved with little theater, etc., - and I found that there was lots of interest in things Scottish. I put on a Burns night and did the address to the haggis to a huge crowd. With that endorsement I decided to invite other poets to "do their thing." Suddenly I had the Daughters of the American Revolution accusing me of being un-American and un-Godly; they didn't like "foreign" stuff - especially if it used Spanish language (remember, this was New Mexico!) - and they especially didn't like anything by poets who were still alive! Suddenly my efforts to get funding for the library were threatened (you can read all about it in my book RUNNING A MESSAGE PARLOR). My wife and I received anonymous threats, and the John Birch Society paid me a visit.

But - to make a long story short - there was a sudden new crisis in town when rumours of the closure of the town's busy airforce base started to circulate. There were efforts to run me out of town and to close the town's only bookshop (because it pulluted lone cowboys' minds by selling them PLAYBOY to take with them on the range). But the biggest concern was about how the town would survive economically after the base closed.

The bookseller closed down, and my wife and I had to give our home to the bank; lots of others joined us in leaving. But there was a sense of hope: the mythology surrounding the flying saucer reports could easily be hyped into new hope for a financial future. It didn't matter that folks like me and my wife - and like the native Spanish speaking population - were the only aliens that had been seen around there.

Gordon McShean

Report as unsuitable
3. sandy, USA, land of the free-home of the brave / 2:34am 9 Jul 2007

#2---""almost no Spanish language materials despite a large Latino population""

perhaps those Latino's should have learned english..

Report as unsuitable
4. Henry II / 2:48am 9 Jul 2007

I can't wait for Wally to weigh in on this one!

Report as unsuitable
5. Jim A / 2:52am 9 Jul 2007

#3 Sandy, c'mon you have to admit the Daughters of the American Revolution are something else mate. Some of the crap they have come out with in the past has been downright bigotry.

Report as unsuitable
6. Jim A / 2:53am 9 Jul 2007

#4 Henry, we haven't seen Wally for a while, maybe he's on his holidays (vacation)

Report as unsuitable
7. Grim Reaper / 3:22am 9 Jul 2007

6. Jim: Walid is probably in Roswell.

Report as unsuitable
8. Guga II, Rockall / 3:38am 9 Jul 2007

I wonder how many of the 35,000 will claim to have been abducted by aliens? And how many had a Cartman done on them?

Report as unsuitable
9. Dox / 4:08am 9 Jul 2007

#2 I've been to Roswell. I have a shirt that proves it. It's nothing but a tourist trap. They took me (willingly) for about 20 dollars.

My mother and sisters are both eligible to join the DAR. The family on my mother's side, patriarch John Hussy, moved to the New Hampshire in 1632 from London. What makes this interesting is that my youngest sister is half Mexican and her blood is bluer than the majority of those snobs. No women in my family have any intention of joining though.

Finally, I've had the opportunity to read poetry from the Southwestern US, and I have to say that it's pretty depressing stuff on the whole. Suicide, death, and illness figure heavily... Since you've been gone various outlets have arisen that publish these poems, so no worrys there.

#3 Sandy, English is the official language of the USA, but people often times want to read in their native tongue so I see no problem with a Spanish section in any library. Even my step-father, who spoke English as well, if not better, than the majority of Americans, chose to read Spanish sometimes. His mother, my grandmother, read only the bible and a prayer book, in Spanish. Her English was rudimentary at best though she spent 72 years in the US. She was employed constantly until her social security allowed her to retire. In her final years she worked with the poor and ill and did volunteer work for her church. She was very proud to call herself ciudadano americana or American citizen.

Report as unsuitable
10. Pelon, New Mexico, USA / 4:37am 9 Jul 2007

#2 - Interesting! As you no doubt will agree, cash in Roswell is alien.

#3 - Sandy... Revisit the story and circumstances - you've picked the wrong side of the coin toss with your remark. The "latinos" of New Mexico, on the whole, know English, and Spanish, and sometimes other varieties of hispanic language. They do not need the "Spanish language materials"... the mono-linguists need it. Come to the US but only speak English? They'll learn it, and won't need me to give tax moneys to do it, either.

Furthermore, speaking to your evident sensitivity toward immigrants, the "latinos" of New Mexico can trace their lineage to American indigenous, Mexican indigenous, Spain, Germany, Prussia, England, Italy, Africa, and many, many, other peoples... including Scotland. At least my children can include most of that list. Ancestors of theirs, and well recorded, if that really matters, settled this area of planet earth at least eleven generations ago, in the mid-18th century. A drop in the time bucket, I agree, for lineage in Europe, but comparably "front row seat" for the Southwest US. It wasn't long before Manifest Destiny actions introduced a benefit for learning the English language.

What I find intriguing is our prospect for needing to learn a new "interstellar language, if Roswell truly makes headway on being our "Star Gate"!

Or should we make them learn English? :)

Report as unsuitable
11. Conan, Here / 5:00am 9 Jul 2007

Bunk, bunk and more bunk - the diet of the weak-minded.

Report as unsuitable
12. DSA, USA / 5:02am 9 Jul 2007

Well said # 10 !

Can just imagine in now....

The aliens land their giant ships and say "Take us to your leader".....

When they meet him... they wonder how the heck we even managed to invent the wheel.....!

Report as unsuitable
13. Suck-McCrunchie, Doomster Hill / 5:24am 9 Jul 2007

FAO sandy, USA, land of the free-home of the brave

When you say home of the 'brave' - do mean the native American 'Brave'?

Should you not all be speaking their language?

Report as unsuitable
14. American, USA / 5:50am 9 Jul 2007

#6-Jim A- Wally has been trying to count to infinity & has no time for conspiracy theories right now (he might lose his count).

Report as unsuitable
15. American, USA / 5:51am 9 Jul 2007

#8-Guga- I think all those abducted have cartmans done on them. I think that's what they remember the most about their abduction.

Report as unsuitable
16. Jim A / 5:57am 9 Jul 2007

#12 Dsa, rotflmao, that's good.

Report as unsuitable
17. Boy Wonder / 6:24am 9 Jul 2007

You should all be thankful for the alien spacecraft that crashed outside Roswell. Apparently, reverse-engineering from it gave us all of out wonderful digital technology, amongst a host of other things.

Let's see the ultra-right with Daughters of the Revolution (are they also Concerned Mothers of America?) deal with that!

Report as unsuitable
18. Conan, Here / 6:53am 9 Jul 2007

Boy - perhaps. Wonder - certainly not.

Report as unsuitable
19. The Wizard, OZ / 7:58am 9 Jul 2007

The Truth Is Out There.

Imagine an Alien landing at The White House and saying 'take me to your leader'
After meeting Dubya he would order an invasion to wipe us all out in the belief we were all as stupid as GWB.

Report as unsuitable
20. Finnking II, Outer Space / 7:59am 9 Jul 2007

If those this side of the pond really want to see commercialism wrapped up as interesting phenomenon, just jump a Ryanair to the village of Knock in Ireland where 'our lady' appeared in the 70's. You can get holy water (comes out of taps in the wall by the huge bus station) but first it's best to buy the little plastic (made in china) Virgin Mary water bottles (2€). So tacky. This wee village now has its own international airport to cope with the 'god-squad' tourists.

I see no difference.

Just looked up the Daughters of the American Revolution. With or without the anal probing, I wish a spaceship would come.

Report as unsuitable
21. Comment Removed
This comment has been removed by a moderator.
22. Mme Horrible Cankers dans le Cyber Shebeen / 8:58am 9 Jul 2007

Do try to grow up..just a little.

Report as unsuitable
23. Finnking II, Outer Space / 9:08am 9 Jul 2007

22. Mme Horrible Cankers dans le Cyber Shebeen

You are in the masculine Cyber Shebeen?

21. Conan, Here

DAR: Looked the wiki entry. As said, never heard of them before. Is that okay with you?

Report as unsuitable
24. Conan, Here / 9:12am 9 Jul 2007

#23 - absolutely Finnking II - absolutely fine with me. But, please, you don't need my permission for anything. Please - proceed with your postings as if I did not exist.

Report as unsuitable
25. Comment Removed
This comment has been removed by a moderator.
26. Truth Finder / 9:28am 9 Jul 2007

The UFO thing is easy to dismiss until you read into the subject or see something yourself. Definite cover up.

Report as unsuitable
27. Dox, Donna, TX if you don't like Texas you are retarded / 10:42am 9 Jul 2007

Our Hootsman should really do something aboot all this trolling. It's getting so's I can't tell the cranks froom the real posters. Now, I'm the first man to storm the ramparts, but where are the ramparts m' friends?

Some editor's office perhaps with various yellow post its.

Don't allow comments about Glasgow terrorist attack.

Ignore the fact that our money is printed, handled and managed by money lenders(bankers) and there are no reserves that can cover our debts.

Ignore the fact that we are at war for NO discernable reason.

Keep the little man down with stories about cellulite, terrorism and Israel/Palestine.

BTW Palestine and Israel both suck IMNSHO.

Report as unsuitable
28. Humphrey, Hampshire / 10:47am 9 Jul 2007

Very strange that members of the 509th Bomb Group (of Enola Gay fame), were not able to recognize a balloon. How on earth did they get the job in the first place?

Anyway, apart from Roswell being a genuine cover-up, the most successful , enduring and damaging cover-up of this planet's frequent visitors has come from within the Church. This is the suppression of the Book of Enoch.

Report as unsuitable
29. Finnking II, Here and THere / 12:12pm 9 Jul 2007

24. Conan

Thanks, you are so kind. But you do exist, I think.

25. Mme Horrible Cankers dans le Cyber Shebeen

Aye, it keeps us all happy. From time to time.

28. Humphrey

Please explain.

Report as unsuitable
30. Bugguy, Alaska, USA / 12:54pm 9 Jul 2007

I went to military school in Roswell in the early 60's. I attended high school and junior college both, thats 6 years in that little godforesaken hell-hole of a town. But thats beside the point, I never even knew about the supposed 'crash' while I was there, I only learned of it years later after all the hype became popular. thats how important the rumor was to the residents during that era. an embarrasment.

Report as unsuitable
31. Truth Finder / 2:02pm 9 Jul 2007

#30. Doesn't change the fact the US Air Force at first claimed to have captured a 'flying disc'.

Report as unsuitable
32. Ardanaiseig, Argyll / 2:10pm 9 Jul 2007

31. Truth Finder

Was it the US Air Force or wackos making the claim? Do you have an official US Air Force Link to back that up?

Report as unsuitable
33. Seeking truth, Edinburgh / 3:19pm 9 Jul 2007

I have it on good authority it crashed after being hijacked by Muslims.

Report as unsuitable
34. Finnking II, Here and THere / 3:28pm 9 Jul 2007

33. Seeking truth

Was that before or after vapourising in the Pentagon?

Report as unsuitable
35. Methalions, Remembering things as they were................... / 5:20pm 9 Jul 2007

I once saw a big orange ball in the sky. It appeared about daybreak and travelled across the heavens until sunset. It could have been ANYTHING, but it was probably the sun. National Enquirer weren't at all interested.

Report as unsuitable
36. Lynne, USA / 6:09pm 9 Jul 2007

#14 American..I guess you're right..Have not read Wally in awhile..guess the counting is more important!!
Nomad is missing a great opportunity on this one!!

Report as unsuitable
37. ThePeter, Glasgae / 6:21pm 9 Jul 2007

Any chance while they are at it that they can tell us who definately killed JFK?

Report as unsuitable
38. Pelon, New Mexico, USA / 7:14pm 9 Jul 2007

Yes, fodder for conspiracy theorists abound on this one, and if money be made, so be it. PT Barnum nailed it long ago, and what the h*ll, it can be cheap entertainment.

The city proper assumed responsibility for some of the more mundane elements of putting on the show -- profit is profit, gotta lay yer coin down to claim a portion, ya know -- and that allowed the busy-ness folks to polish the act. Should grow to "stellar" levels before long!

Report as unsuitable
39. Jacqueline Hyde / 9:43pm 9 Jul 2007

Hell, they even call me an alien in the US and I've still got the card to prove it. I suppose, by comparison, a few stiffs from a flying saucer are relatively normal. Good luck to Roswell, though. If you've got it, flaunt it - and, if you don't have it, just flaunt it a bit harder!

Report as unsuitable
40. Humphrey, Hampshire / 10:43pm 9 Jul 2007

29. Finnking II

What exactly do you want explained?

Report as unsuitable
41. 57Nomad, california / 12:34am 10 Jul 2007

For all who wonder why Wally entertains such imaginative, self-consistent, and detailed conspiracy theories, today is auspicious. Just put yourself in the poor guy's place. One second you're cruising the Hyperspace Highway, got your 400,000 watt sound system blasting out some hot VoidBoogie, all six of your heads bobbing in time to the tunes and then all of a sudden, just when you're about to slip back into the S/T continuum, your co-pilot, who you have every reason to believe is a fellow Zork, is in reality a shape-shifting space-snake who momentarily loses concentration and resumes his native form, causing you to make a keystroke error on the nav system and Bingo! You're streaking through the Earth's atmosphere and before you can lay down a move and zip back up, you barrel into the sand in the Mojave Desert.

Of the original ten Zorks, only Wally survived. He didn't get out unscathed though. Five of his brains got squashed on impact. Something like that has got to have cognitive consequences, I think you'll agree. Valiant efforts on the part of quick thinking Air Force medical staff saved his life but he had to stay in a special compartment on the base.

Later, authorities discovered the CosmoMutator chamber on the Spirit of Alpha Centauri and wasted no time in sticking Wally in it as a Zork one minute and popping him out a human a short time later, a form he keeps to this day. You see, the Air Force wants to know the secret to the AstroWarper Space Drive but Wally isn't talking.

In light of all this, wouldn't YOU believe in conspiracy theories? By the way, the stowaway survived the crash uninjured and immediately fell in with some native sidewinders and got along well with them. After fattening up on some jackrabbits he morphed into human form and sometimes posts here under the name of Djoorkers.

Report as unsuitable
42. 57Nomad, california / 1:55am 10 Jul 2007

For all who wonder why Wally entertains such imaginative, self-consistent, and detailed conspiracy theories, today is auspicious. Just put yourself in the poor guy's place. One second you're cruising the Hyperspace Highway, got your 400,000 watt sound system blasting out some hot VoidBoogie, all six of your heads bobbing in time to the tunes and then all of a sudden, just when you're about to slip back into the S/T continuum, your co-pilot, who you have every reason to believe is a fellow Zork, is in reality a shape-shifting space-snake who momentarily loses concentration and resumes his native form, causing you to make a keystroke error on the nav system and Bingo! You're streaking through the Earth's atmosphere and before you can lay down a move and zip back up, you barrel into the sand in the Mojave Desert.

Of the original ten Zorks, only Wally survived. He didn't get out unscathed though. Five of his brains got squashed on impact. Something like that has got to have cognitive consequences, I think you'll agree. Valiant efforts on the part of quick thinking Air Force medical staff saved his life but he had to stay in a special compartment on the base.

Later, authorities discovered the CosmoMutator chamber on the Spirit of Alpha Centauri and wasted no time in sticking Wally in it as a Zork one minute and popping him out a human a short time later, a form he keeps to this day. You see, the Air Force wants to know the secret to the AstroWarper Space Drive but Wally isn't talking.

In light of all this, wouldn't YOU believe in conspiracy theories? By the way, the stowaway survived the crash uninjured and immediately fell in with some native sidewinders and got along well with them. After fattening up on some jackrabbits he morphed into human form and sometimes posts here under the name of Djoorkers.

Report as unsuitable
43. Polly Ann / 3:07am 10 Jul 2007

41. 57Nomad, california

Great post! We all look forward to Wally's misguided nutty comments. I think you might have gone a bit far associating good Wally with that ugly Troll Djookers.

Report as unsuitable
44. American, USA / 3:31am 10 Jul 2007

#33-Seeking - lol-that was a good one.

Report as unsuitable
45. American, USA / 3:37am 10 Jul 2007

#35-Methalions- Al Gore would say that is the result of global warming.

Report as unsuitable
46. Greg in New Mexico, Albuquerque New Mexico USA / 10:39pm 10 Jul 2007

I was in Roswell last week for a family reunion.

It was usually hard to see where all the people were, though. A dance next to the dubious UFO Museum was almost unattended, poorly lighted, yet the oldies cover band playing was lots of fun.

We joked that the UFO conventioneers had checked into their hotels, then were abducted by aliens.

My family had reserved rooms early for our event. Good thing as there wasn't a room or a camping site to be had.

What wasn't mentioned were the conspiracy theories being sold at the Roswell convention center, including some nasty anti-Semitic books.

Next year I'm going to open an aluminum foil, make your own alien detector helmets booth.

Even the anti-UFO people where selling those disgusting "Left Behind," ethinic cleansing fantasies. You may know the ones, where the glorious, supernatural, born-again race is raptured to that exclusive, Pearly Gated community. Meanwhile, the supernaturally inferior, unsaved races gets what they deserve for not listening to God's regents. (If memory serves, it was Kenneth Copeland that I saw on TV using the "glorious, supernatural, born-again race phrase." Probably inspired by a verse by Paul...or maybe the anti-democracy, pro-slavery Christian Reconstruction movement? )

The UFO Parade of Lights was so stupid. The concept didn't seem to be understood, so there were many unlighted paraders rolling, marching or on horse back, through the darkened Main Street. I can see having the parade at night, July days are usually hot while nights are cool, but...just leave the lights on next year.

However, the WAR concert was a success, and the Allen Parsons' flying saucer was great fun, though the rain delayed event became too late for a mostly working class town. We left at midnight.

Roswell's two legitimate art museums, one a contemporary art space for an artists in residence program, were, as usual, delightful and a little quirky, in a good way.

By the way, Roswell has since built a library to replace the 1912 building. I actually worked in the old building in 1969-70 as an after school job. Lovely building, but completely inadequate even then.

Report as unsuitable

Commenting on this article has closed.