Unidentified flying objects -- Sightings and encounters -- New Mexico -- Roswell
=Military Vehicles.= Numerous military vehicles, several of which
were described by other witnesses as having been at the other crash
site north of Roswell, were also described. Witnesses at the two
different sites described a “wrecker” and a “six-by-six,” both of the
type used for anthropomorphic dummy recoveries.[154] The account also
described two vehicles unique to the Balloon Branch that were used for
the majority of high altitude balloon recoveries during the mid- to
late-1950s.
The witness described a “jeep-like truck that had a bunch of radios
in it”.... There was a guy sittin’ in there wearin’ earphones and he
was talking on the radio.“[155] This is a likely description of a
Dodge M-37 ¾-ton utility truck, known as a weapons carrier, that had
been specially modified to carry radio equipment for balloon recovery
operations. The Holloman AFB Balloon Branch modified these vehicles
in 1953, ruling out the possibility that the witness observed them in
1947, when such vehicles were not available to organizations performing
balloon operations.[156] The other vehicle described and used by the
Balloon Branch were “military ambulances.”[157] During the mid-1950s,
the Balloon Branch modified three M-43 ¾-ton ambulances for use as
balloon recovery and communications vehicles.[158] These vehicles were
used for anthropomorphic dummy launch and recovery missions to relay
messages to circling recovery aircraft and the balloon operations
center at Holloman AFB.[159] The witness also described “a trailer with
a motor on it, like a generator.”[160] This@ is a likely description
of a 1½-ton cargo trailer with an MB-19 15 Kilowatt diesel generator.
These generators were used primarily on balloon launch sites during the
1950s and 1960s (see fig. 71).
[Illustration: Fig. 79. “Stretching stuff out on the ground,
dragging stuff out of trucks”—a likely witness reference to high
altitude balloon inflation procedure that required the balloon to
be stretched out on a protective ground cloth prior to inflation.
(_U.S. Air Force photo_)]
=Balloon Branch Procedures.= Descriptions of military personnel
“stretching stuff out on the ground, dragging stuff out of trucks”[161]
is a likely description of a balloon launch procedure that required
the fragile polyethylene balloon and its protective ground cloth to
be removed from a launch vehicle and laid out on the ground prior to
inflation. Another procedure described by the witness was an apparent
reference to a balloon recovery practice of recording the names of
civilians who observed high altitude balloon recoveries.[162] The
witness stated that military personnel “took everybody’s name and
everything,”[163] which was a procedure to ensure payment of a $25
dollar reward to persons who assisted in the recovery. This procedure
was also necessary to settle future claims of property damage caused by
the balloon, payload, or recovery vehicles.[164]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account