The Cover A solarized image taken from a U.S. Air Force motion picture of experiments conducted for Project HIGH DIVE. This image, unsolarized, appears on page 34 (Figure 37). The Roswell Report CASE CLOSED Headquarters United States Air Force Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McAndrew, James, 1963— The Roswell report: case closed/James McAndrew p. cm. Includes index. 1. Unidentified flying objects—Sightings and encounters—New Mexico—Roswell. I. Title TL789.5.N6M33 1997 001.942’09789’43—dc21 97-11361 CIP For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328 ISBN 0-16-049018-9 Foreword The “Roswell Incident” has assumed a central place in American folklore since the events of the 1940s in a remote area of New Mexico. Because the Air Force was a major player in those events, we have played a key role in executing the General Accounting Office’s tasking to uncover all records regarding that incident. Our objective throughout this inquiry has been simple and consistent: to find all the facts and bring them to light. If documents were classified, declassify them; where they were dispersed, bring them into a single source for public review. In July 1994, we completed the first step in that effort and later published _The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert_. This volume represents the necessary follow-on to that first publication and contains additional material and analysis. I think that with this publication we have reached our goal of a complete and open explanation of the events that occurred in the Southwest many years ago. Beyond that achievement, this inquiry has shed fascinating light into the Air Force of that era and revitalized our appreciation for the dedication and accomplishments of the men and women of that time. As we celebrate the Air Force’s 50th Anniversary, it is appropriate to once again reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to make ours the finest air and space force in history. SHEILA E. WIDNALL Secretary of the Air Force Guide For Readers This publication contains the complete report as submitted to the Secretary of the Air Force. The exceptions are the statements found in Appendix B. Due to Privacy Act restrictions and by request, the addresses of the individuals making these statements have been deleted.