Showing posts with label Editorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Editorial. Show all posts

Saturday, May 02, 2015

Concealing the Truth About Roswell

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Walter Haut, Col. Thomas Dubose, Lt. Robert Shirkey (Ret)
Walter Haut,                               Col. Thomas Dubose,                Lt. Robert Shirkey (Ret)

By Dennis Balthaser
The UFO Chronicles
5-1-15

      When doing Roswell UFO Tours with people from all over the world, I’m usually asked the same questions by most of them about concealment of information about Roswell. They have a hard time understanding why after 68 years are those still alive that were involved afraid to come forward with information about what transpired here in July 1947. They also ask why the military and certain government officials are still covering it up. Many also want to know if there were other crashes or events that have also been covered up over the years.

Pertaining to those that were involved with Roswell and are still alive, one has to realize that those individuals would probably be in their 80’s or 90’s today, having been in their 20’s and 30’s when Roswell occurred. That group is fading fast, as time takes its toll on them, and we’re losing first-hand witnesses at an alarming rate. I believe however, that there are several reasons why they won’t come forward and share what they know.

Threats against people and organizations were real back then, and those still alive are well aware of them, (threatening someone’s life over a weather balloon has never made any sense to me). If those involved were career military people, they probably can’t afford to loose that small military retirement they receive, and finally, more than likely they are afraid for their safety and their family’s safety. Over the years there have been accounts of whole families being threatened.

Things were a lot different in 1947, with people respecting the military and government officials only 2 years after WWII ended, when Roswell occurred. Young people I’ve met particularly have a problem understanding how different things were back then, and many of those sworn to secrecy then, have continued to maintain that secrecy after all these years have passed. I sometimes refer to that as respect to those in charge back then, when respect was earned, and for the most part doesn’t exist today, due to our government leaders no longer being respected.

As a last resort, I remain hopeful that those of us that continue to do Roswell research will be able to obtain a few more deathbed confessions or affidavits from those few individuals still alive before they are also gone. Losing first-hand witnesses is becoming a major problem today as we run out of witnesses. Perhaps that’s the government plan---hold out until all the first hand witnesses are gone, and we’ll have no one to talk to.

A few affidavits we have obtained included an affidavit by Brigadier General Thomas Dubose, signed Sept. 16, 1991, in which he stated that when he served as Chief of Staff to Major General Roger Ramey in Fort Worth Texas in July 1947, the material shown in the photographs taken in Maj. Gen Ramey’s office was a weather balloon explanation for the material was a cover story to divert the attention of the press.

In 1998, historical researcher Wendy Connors and I obtained a copyrighted video recording of Walter Haut, the Roswell Army Airfield Public Relations officer in 1947, in which he stated that he had seen a body in Hangar 84 at the base. Researchers Schmitt and Carey later obtained an affidavit from Haut with similar information.

I personally interviewed retired 1st Lt. Robert Shirkey in 2000, and submitted FOIA requests to the Military Records Center in St Louis, Missouri, to confirm that he had been suddenly shipped out from Roswell Army Airfield to the Philippines, 9 days after he had witnessed debris being loaded in airplanes destined for Fort Worth Texas and Wright Field in Dayton Ohio. His military records never indicated he had been transferred. In April 1991, Shirkey prepared an affidavit stating, “ As Assistant Safety Officer with the 509th Group, Base Commander Col. Blanchard requested I prepare a B-29 as soon as possible to take what I believed was debris from a crashed flying saucer to Fort Worth Texas. Several days later, a B-25 was scheduled to take something to Fort Worth. The third airplane during that time was a B-29 piloted by Oliver W. “Pappy”Henderson directly to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio.”

The Corn ranch site, north of town, was promoted as an alleged crash site years ago, however, in 1947 it was owned and had been homesteaded many years earlier by the McKnight family. In February 1997 I obtained an affidavit from two of the sons of the McKnight’s in which they informed me, “No one in my family had any knowledge of such a [UFO] crash or military retrieval…I cannot believe that a convoy of Army trucks and cars could have come and gone without them noticing. If they had seen it they would have told us about it.” To this day I don’t have any verification that anything happened at the Corn ranch site, and continue to support the Foster ranch site where ranch foreman “Mack” Brazel found debris. He later reported it to the local sheriff, and the military became involved.

Pertaining to the cover-up by the military and government, I believe our government will not admit to anything they can’t control, and obviously UFO sightings and crashes can’t be controlled by our government or military. Many of us believe this has been going on for longer than Roswell, and that it continues to this day while our leaders and military can’t do anything about it. In most cases they say it doesn’t exist, or it is a weather balloon misidentified by credible witnesses. Some day those in authority will have to admit that UFO’s are real and that we have been lied to for some 68 years or more. I don’t anticipate that happening in my lifetime due to my current age, but I’m hopeful that our children or grandchildren will someday know the truth. They deserve to know the truth.

The final question, have there been other crashes, sightings, or UFO events reported at other locations, the answer is a resounding yes. However, I believe the military and government learned from the Roswell crash that it is not a good idea to go public with the information as they did with Roswell in 1947. We’ve had 4 excuses during the 68 years since Roswell occurred and many of us still believe we haven’t been told the truth.

A few of those other incidents occurred at Aztec, New Mexico in March 1948; Socorro, New Mexico, on April 24, 1964; Travis Walton’s “Fire in the Sky” in Arizona on November 5, 1975; the Barney and Betty Hill abduction September 19, 1961; the Washington, D.C. invasion in July, 1952; and the Phoenix lights in March, 1997, to mention a few.

There are many others which continue to be researched, as well, such as Ubatuba Brazil, Sept. 14, 1957; Kingman Arizona, May 21, 1953; Kecksburg Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 1965; Aurora Texas, April 17, 1897; and Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk England, Dec. 1980.

Credible researchers will continue to investigate these cases and eventually someone in authority will have to come forward and admit that UFOs are real.



Wednesday, September 02, 2009

James Carrion Ain’t No Sissy!

James Carrion
By Frank Warren
The UFO Chronicles
© 9-1-09

Frank Warren      Whatever one might think about James Carrion, there are a few things that have become abundantly clear: he has a strong opinion, he can give as good as he gets, and he stands his ground!

August 17th (last month) saw the birth of Follow The Magic Thread, Carrion’s personal blog, where he makes clear that in that realm, “he isn’t speaking in an official capacity for MUFON.”

For those not familiar with the man, he is the International Director of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON—as James states is a scientific research nonprofit organization that studies UFOs for the benefit of humanity through investigation, research and public education.), having taken the reins from former director, John Schuessler in 2006.

In James’ introduction to his blog, he correctly acknowledges the distortions and misinformation etc., re Ufology, which exist on the Internet, and proclaims his desire that his blog might be a beacon for critical thought and perhaps a protocol for wading through this thing we call Ufology.

Once the reader takes in the introductory commentary, it’s time to hold on, as James jumps right into “the thick of things!” In his piece entitled, The Mysterious Men in Black, he not only fires back at those who would (foolishly) suggest that he perhaps is a notorious Man in Black (MIB), some nefarious undercover agent who has infiltrated MUFON, but also puts his entire background on the table for all to see; accordingly, he then illuminates the verity that his accusers make their proclamations anonymously, and hide behind creative avatars . . . I find the irony amusing.

We get to delve further into what makes Carrion tick, as he published an earlier interview of him conducted by Brazilian researcher, Milton Frank. The Q&A session pretty much sums up Carrion’s views on Ufology; however, in a prelude to the interview Carrion states, “Although my basic opinions have not changed, the last three years have opened my eyes about UFOs in a way that I would have never been able to experience otherwise.”

From this point on Carrion posts articles in rapid-fire succession that are often sharp, critical and to the point! He makes no bones about his position on a myriad of sub-topics to Ufology.

He talks of deceptions, government conspiracies and intelligence agencies pertaining to Ufology in his piece entitled, The Collision Course of Intelligence Agencies and Ufology. In it, he correctly recognizes the national security concerns that UFOs present and lays down the foundation of his dogma and how he arrived at it.

In a few of his articles he mentions his investigative work concerning the Great Lakes Dive Company Hoax of 2006; I took special interest in these declarations, as I began my own investigation into the matter the minute the story broke. Moreover, I thought the acts of this man that perpetrated the hoax were despicable, as they were done at the expense of the missing servicemen’s families, who for a brief moment undoubtedly thought may finally get closure to the mystery of their missing loved ones.

In The Internet Matrix, James “incorrectly” suggests that the GLDC hoax may have been performed by an intelligence agency; admittedly, this concept isn’t too far-fetched; however, my investigation came to fruition and the “crime” was perpetrated by one individual, with perhaps occasional help from friends—the motive is still unclear!

In the very same article James elucidates the idea of how easy it would be for intelligence agencies to inject misinformation or propaganda onto the Internet via forums, blogs etc. He makes the valid point that members are not vetted and most often times use an alias and are essentially anonymous; this thesis is carried on through a number of his articles, where he cites particular forums and arguments.

One of the more controversially pieces he wrote, was entitled Lost in Space, where he takes issue with the veracity of the statements of self-professed experiencer, “Stan Romanek.” As the editor of The UFO Chronicles, I was intrigued by the arguments; I requested and was given permission to publish the article; upon publication, I received an e-mail from the Romanek camp, expressing their displeasure re Carrion’s opinions etc.; in the spirit of fairness, I offered to publish any rebuttal they’d like to present (the offer still stands); during the interim, researcher and fellow MUFON investigator, Chuck Zukowski offered refutation to Carrion’s penscript. Given the significance of Romanek’s declarations, and the evaluation of them by no other then the director of MUFON, it’s no surprise that this has become a hotbed of controversy.

At the end of the day, for those of you that stop by and peruse Carrion’s Follow The Magic Thread blog, you might find yourself disagreeing with the author; his ruminations may evoke your ire; you may learn something; you may applaud his efforts enthusiastically; however, one thing is for certain—you will not be bored; you will be forced to cogitate, and you will be compelled to continue reading!

Sunday, April 05, 2009

First UFO Underground Base Conference at Dulce, New Mexico

Dulce New Mexico
First Dulce, NM Conference

By Dennis Balthaser
www.truthseekeratroswell.com
© 4-6-09

Dennis BalthaserNew Mexico Map      For the better part of 30 years, the small town of Dulce, NM has been attributed with all sorts of rumors about an underground facility being there, UFO sightings, cattle mutilations and other odd happenings on the Archuleta Mesa, on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. Dulce with a population of about 3000, is located in extreme northern New Mexico between Chama and Farmington, just below Pagosa Springs Colorado, in some of the most beautiful, scenic country anywhere.

The underground base rumors that have circulated about the facility indicated that there are 7 levels below ground where bio-genetic experiments have taken place involving both humans and extraterrestrials. Some, who claimed to have been there supposedly, witnessed vats containing body and animal parts. The lower level has been referred to as “Night Mare Hall”, again because of what was allegedly taking place at that level. An engineer Phil Schneider, referred to actually being involved in a fire fight in 1979 when the drilling penetrated a cavern deep within the mesa, and as a result of the fire fight, 60 bodies were removed after an altercation with aliens. So the rumors have persisted for all these years, with no solid evidence that any of them were factual.

Norio Hayakawa had visited the area several years ago with a Japanese film crew and was detained by the local law enforcement. The Jicarilla Apache are not fond of outsiders encroaching on their land. That did not deter Norio however, and he decided a few months ago to try and organize a conference in Dulce, and invited several researchers and local residents to the conference, which he appropriately named, “Dulce Base: Fact or Fiction”, to try and determine if any of the rumors that persisted were true.

Because Norio knew about my research interest in underground bases and tunnels for many years, he contacted me in early January 2009, inviting me to be on the panel he was planning to put together for the conference. Having been interested in the Dulce rumors for many years along with researcher Scott Ramsey and others, I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

As can often happen in New Mexico, a spring snow storm arrived the day before I planned to drive to Dulce from Roswell, (which is about a 7 hour drive), so I delayed my departure by one day, after the storm had moved to the east, shutting down northeastern New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle. The weather was ideal for the conference, however the next morning found a light snow falling, and 72 miles of snow-packed ice awaited my return trip, out of the Rocky Mountains back to the high plains of southeastern New Mexico.

A few other incidents occurred that were not scheduled as part of the conference. A few minutes before 6 AM on the morning of the conference, I along with most other people in Dulce for the conference, and staying at the Jicarilla Best Western Inn, were awakened by the sound of at least one helicopter very low over the motel. Later it was learned that this was not normal, and no one knew where the helicopter(s) came from, whom they belonged to, or what they were doing so low over the motel. Apparently helicopters are not totally unusual in the area, but flying that low was unusual according to the locals who also heard it. It seemed to be a concern of some at the conference later that day.

Best Western Jicarilla Inn & Wild Horse CasinoIf I may add a personal note here, when I first drove in to Dulce, I was somewhat surprised to find the Jicarilla Best Western Inn and Casino being located in this small town, that is not a ski area such as Chama or Pagosa Springs. My first thought was why would a nice motel and Casino be located here? I suppose due to the Jicarilla Apache reservation headquarters being in Dulce would explain it, but it still seemed odd to me. The schools are also modernistic and much construction is being done on them. I suppose I’ll have to do more research on this concern.

When Norio first set up the conference, the only place in Dulce allowing him to have such an event was in the bar area of the Inn, which when rearranged, (tables removed and chairs brought in), would seat about 50 people. Norio had anticipated about 30 people would attend the conference, when in actuality between 100-125 actually showed up. After the maximum seating was reached and many more wanted to come in, it was decided that because of fire codes it would have to be moved or shut down. Second choice was moving into the restaurant dining room in the Inn, however that also wasn’t going to work. One of the former Dulce police officers suggested the conference should be moved to a community hall adjacent to the grocery store, which did accompany all those wanting to attend, and the conference proceeded from there after a short intermission. Norio and I had visited the night before the conference and we both decided if the conference drew a larger than anticipated crowd, that would in itself be a news-worthy story, which it turned out to be, and was covered on the front page of the Albuquerque newspaper the next morning.

One of the interesting experiences shared during the conference, was a local rancher presenting a power point presentation about how his family had raised cattle in the area since the 1800’s, and between the1970’s and 1980’s 17 cattle were mutilated. During the investigations gas masks were found near the mutilation sites and specific cows were each tracked with phosphorescent markings a few days before the mutilations actually took place. He was emphatic that the government did the mutilations and no aliens were involved. He further stated that he believed the government was doing some type of germ warfare experiments, and that there is definitely a government underground facility there. He had also found an opening on the mesa that had air blowing out from within, thinking it might be an air vent.

Another local stated that he had not located the base yet, but said it is an undeniable fact that there have been (and still are) many UFO sightings in the area. A former State police officer that investigated the mutilations for years, stated it had nothing to do with aliens, but that there is something there that is too sensitive to talk about, and wouldn’t say anything else. He told me that there is nothing under the Archuleta Mesa, but there was another location, which he wouldn’t disclose to me.

One researcher talked about the San Luis Valley north of Dulce being a possible location, and that Dulce might be a diversionary site for that. Another former Dulce police officer talked about his encounter with three metallic, oval-shaped objects hovering at treetop level at a ranch near Dulce. He indicated he was never trained for such an encounter.

Another presenter showed close-up satellite images of the Dulce Elementary School building, in which the contours of the parking lot resemble an ancient stone sculpture in Bolivia.

Another researcher talked about his investigations of the claims of Paul Bennewitz, who he believed may have been the source behind many of the rumors about Dulce, again indicating Dulce could be a diversionary site for what had taken place at Kirtland Air Force base in Albuquerque around 1979. He concluded however that there could be something at Dulce.

Dennis Balthaser at Dulce Conference 09During my presentation I shared some of my research about Government secrecy and some of the underground locations I have studied over the years.

A former police officer and head of the Public Safety Department stated he might organize an escorted group for the public to visit the top of the Archuleta Mesa if desired, and suggested another conference on Dulce could be held at the Police Department conference hall.

After listening to some of the locals I got the impression that for the Jicarilla, they believe if they see something it’s intended for them, and not necessarily to be shared. A few years ago I visited the entrances to Area 51, and this conference I attended in Dulce was similar, in that being at a location and talking to the locals, gives an insight not acquired before. I still believe something very secretive has or maybe still is going on under the Archuleta Mesa on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation at Dulce New Mexico. Hopefully another conference will be arranged and additional information will be obtained. As I told the audience, we have to ask questions, and demand answers.

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Critics And Debunkers Are Still At It

Fact
  • Websters: The quality of being actual.
  • Random House: That which actually exists; reality; truth.
  • Britannica: Anything actually existent.
  • New World Dictionary: A thing that has actually happened, or that is really true; thing that has been or is. The state of things as they are; reality, actuality; truth.

By Dennis Balthaser
© 3-1-09


Editor's Note-There is an important addendum at the end of this article, regarding corrections to content-FW

Dennis Balthaser Over the years the 1947 Roswell Incident has had it’s share of critics, skeptics and debunkers, and I’ve welcomed them in most cases, hopeful that they could offer information that might be beneficial to finally understanding what actually happened near Roswell in 1947. Too many times however the information they present is not factual, and for several years I tried to discuss their points of view with them privately, hoping we could come to an agreement on the information being discussed. I have since then changed my approach and now expose them publicly, as I’ve done in past editorials about remarks made by Nancy Red Star, Phil Klass, Karl Pflock, James Bond Johnson, and others. The Roswell Incident is hard enough to research without these type individuals continually spreading their beliefs without any verifiable information to support their claims.

Dave ThomasSeveral years ago Dave Thomas did a presentation at the Aztec, NM symposium and during the Q&A time after his presentation, Stanton Friedman and I questioned many of the comments he had made, pretty well destroying his claims. Dave is a physics and mathematics graduate of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and a senior scientist at Quatro Corporation in Albuquerque. He is vice president and communications officer of New Mexico for Science and Reason.

Based on his article entitled, Roswell Crash of 1947 “A Realistic View”, posted in the January, 2009 edition of Rob McConnell’s ‘X’ Chronicle Newspaper, it is neither scientific, reasonable or realistic. The article does not state a date when Thomas wrote it, however if it’s his current view of the Roswell Incident, nothing has changed since he did his presentation at Aztec several years ago. This of course is typical, since their agenda is to ridicule and deny the facts presented over the years.

I will quote statements by Dave Thomas in the above ‘X’ Chronicle article using his initials (DT) to distinguish his remarks from my rebuttal and comments.

(DT) “Roswell, a small town doing a big business feeding the insatiable appetite of UFO enthusiasts, now houses two UFO museums.”

Roswell has not had two UFO Museum’s since 1998, when the one located near the base closed after the 50th anniversary of the Incident.

(DT) “Why the aliens were not taken to a superior medical facility remains a mystery.”

Is Thomas admitting there were aliens? What knowledge does he have that they were not taken to a superior medical facility such as the Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, which had a contract with the Army Air Force, or to White Sands, Los Alamos, Bethesda, Walter Reed, Wright Field, or any other location?

(DT) “William “Mac” Brazel, foreman of the Foster ranch, along with a 7-year old girl, Dee Proctor, found the most famous debris in modern history.”

I’m proposing a technicality here, because I found Brazel’s gravesite 10 years ago and his nickname on the tombstone is spelled “Mack”, not “Mac”.

Mack Brazel's Head Stone
I could stop right here because of the next comment, but I believe it over emphasizes the lack of doing good research by Dave Thomas and others, that continue to distribute information without doing the required research. Dee Proctor was not a 7-year old girl, but was the “7-year old SON” of Loretta and Floyd Proctor, ranch neighbors to “Mack” Brazel on the Foster ranch.

(DT) “Actually, it was pretty mundane stuff, including a piece of reinforcing tape whose flower-like design was taken to be alien hieroglyphics”

The symbols on the tape were never “taken” as hieroglyphics. Major Jesse Marcel and his son Jesse Jr., both commented that “the markings on the I-beams---not on the tape” looked like some “form of hieroglyphics”, that being the best description they could come up with as a comparison with anything we knew at the time. I submitted the drawing Maj. Marcel gave to Linda Corley, PhD, in an interview she did with Major Marcel, May 5, 1981, prior to his death, to the Great Pyramid of Giza Research Association I belong to, and those board members knowledgeable in hieroglyphics informed me there is no resemblance to any form of hieroglyphics. Jesse Marcel Jr. went over this with C.B.Moore, and talks about it in his book, “The Roswell Legacy”, which Thomas has probably not read.

(DT) “The National Enquirer also brought Roswell to the forefront in 1980, with a story featuring Jesse Marcel, the Army Major who, in 1947 may have been responsible for a press release.”

Again obviously, Thomas did no research. The fact is that Lt. Walter Haut, the Public Relations Officer for the 509th Bomb Wing at Roswell Army Airfield, under orders from Base Commander, Col Blanchard, wrote the press release, and distributed it to both radio stations and both newspapers in Roswell, about noon New Mexico time, July 8, 1947. The article went out to most newspapers west of Chicago, as a front-page headline, in those afternoon or evening papers July 8th. It was not Major Marcel who was responsible for the press release. Walter Haut wrote and distributed it locally to the media.

(DT) “Current conventional wisdom among skeptics is that what was found on the Brazel ranch was part of Project Mogul, a top secret project testing giant, high-flying balloons to detect Soviet nuclear explosions.”

“Conventional wisdom?” It wasn’t the Brazel ranch---it was the Foster ranch where Brazel was ranch foreman. The Soviets didn’t do any nuclear testing until 1949, (two years after the Roswell Incident)?

(DT) On several occasions in Dave Thomas’ article he mentions Charles Moore, one of the Project Mogul scientists, who worked with NYU on Mogul projects, who refers to the equipment used for the balloon launches such as; radar reflectors, aluminum rings, sonobuoys, batteries for the acoustic equipment, radiosondes, and others.

Why did none of that equipment show up in the photos taken in General Ramey’s office, and what is in the unopened packages by the radiator behind General Ramey and Col. DuBose in those photographs?

(DT) “Moore makes a strong case for the hypothesis that NYU Flight # 4, which he helped launch on June 4, 1947, was the source of the debris Brazel found on the Foster ranch.”

Flight 4 was cancelled due to weather conditions, and Moore admits no altitude data was obtained for it and it was not included in the NYU reports.

(DT) “Brazel reported that he found the debris on the ranch on June 14, 1947.”

Brazel would have come into Roswell on Sunday, July 6th bringing some debris to Sheriff Wilcox’s office, and the military would have gotten involved with Marcel and Cavitt going out to the ranch that evening. The military would have had time to talk to Brazel and have him prepare a statement, prior to taking him to the base for an in-depth interrogation. Brazel is quoted on the June 14th date only in the Roswell Daily Record newspaper for July 9, when General Ramey’s weather balloon story was the headline.

(DT) “Moore’s calculated balloon path is quite consistent with a landing at the Foster ranch, approximately 85 miles northeast of the Alamogordo launch site and 60 miles northwest of Roswell.”

Researcher David Rudiak www.roswellproof.com
has volumes of information pertaining trajectory path errors proposed by Charles Moore as well as documentation about the various flight numbers and paths of balloons launched from Alamogordo, New Mexico, confirming that the debris on the Foster ranch could not have come from Flight #4.

If Dave Thomas and others insist on discussing the Roswell Incident, they should at least do the research required, or cease referring to themselves as scientific, reasonable or realistic.

Thanks to Stanton Friedman www.stantonfriedman.com for reviewing my comments.

Addendum: Shortly after I wrote my March 1, 2009 editorial entitled, "Critics and Debunkers are still at it", Dave Thomas notified me that he did not write one of the articles that I was quoting from Rob McConnells X-Zone newsletter. Both articles in McConnell's newsletter were under the same heading of "Roswell Incident and Project Mogul", and I assumed they were both written by the same person, since only one author was listed. I was in error for assuming that, and upon being notified of my error, on March 7, 2009, I emailed an apology email to Dave Thomas. The content of my remarks in my editorial remain the same, with the source of those two articles being what I apologized for, so again I apologize to Dave Thomas for the error caused by McConnell not properly crediting the actual authors of both articles-DB

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Getting to This Stage in My Research

Dennis Balthaser UFO Career Collage
By Dennis Balthaser
www.truthseekeratroswell.com
© 1-24-09

     As I look back over my 67 years of existence on this “mud ball” we call earth, I’m sometimes amazed at what has transpired during that time. Several times it has concerned me; while at other times I have felt fortunate to be alive during this period. I have been blessed over the years with a childhood I’ll always remember, and three long, separate, unrelated careers. The first being playing professional music part time for some 38 years, finally giving it up with some reluctance, missing those I entertained with.

Next came what I considered my primary career, working in civil engineering, first in the U.S. Army, 815th Engineering Battalion, (1959-1962) with two assignments to Greenland (which I never forgave the Army for), and then 33 years with the Texas Department of Transportation, where I traveled to 37 states, Korea and South Africa to inspect materials for highway and bridge construction. It was late in this career that my interest in Ufology developed pretty much as a hobby. I read everything I could find on the subject, became a member of MUFON (the Mutual UFO Network), attended local chapter meetings, and realized I would soon begin what probably has become my final career.

Retiring from the Texas DOT in August 1995 at a young age of 54, I pursued continuing that type of work with resumes distributed all over the country, and was hired as an Engineering Technician, in of all places, Roswell New Mexico.

Back in 1996 the International UFO Museum was a small storefront operation at 4th and Main St. in Roswell. I began volunteering there on weekends and was enjoying the opportunity to share information with the visitors and started to meet some of the first hand witnesses and well-known researchers. Within six months I realized that UFO research would be my third career, leaving the civil engineering work behind forever, and began volunteering at the Museum, 9-10 hours per day, 7 days a week. Without an official title as a volunteer, the staff considered me as the UFO Investigator and Operations Manager for the Museum. I was one of a few volunteers that helped move the entire Museum operation to it’s current location in 1997, in record time closing the doors to the public for only one day.

I have many fond memories of visitors that I met at the Museum, and particularly the daily discussions I had with 1947 mortician Glenn Dennis and Public Relations Officer Walter Haut, who were two of three co-founders of the museum, and considered by many to have been closely involved with the 1947 Roswell Incident. Also during my short tenure with the Museum, I had the opportunity to work closely with researchers Don Schmitt, Wendy Connors, and my inspiration, Stanton Friedman, among others, interviewing witnesses, going to the crash sites, and searching for the truth about the Roswell Incident.

My relationship with the Museum came to an abrupt end in late 1998 when I was asked to sever my relationship with the Museum, and given my $1,000.00 lifetime membership back. To this day I don’t know why that decision was made and within the recent past a note was placed at the Museum Greeter’s desk by the now Director, stating, “Dennis Balthaser is not welcome at the Museum”. Looking back that was probably a blessing in disguise, as I was able to concentrate my research as an independent researcher as I’ve done for the past 11 years, respected for my honesty and dedication in searching for the truth.

Exposure to the media reached its peak for me during the 50th anniversary of the Roswell Incident in July 1997, when every known media outlet descended on Roswell to report on the 50th anniversary. It would be a few years later until I realized that the TV documentary media and their reporting techniques were not particularly interested in factual information as much as they were concerned with ratings and profits. Of the hundreds of interviews I have done, very few would be what I consider credible and honest reporting. Live radio interviews for me have been an exception, in that they are more enjoyable and the researcher in most cases is given the opportunity to share his or her research in an open forum, without the editing that takes place with TV documentaries. Another good outlet for me has been the 60 editorials I have written about my research every other month since 1999, which are posted on 32 websites and UFO magazine, and archived on my website.

Several people have been instrumental in this final career I have chosen, and in this article I will mention a few of them, knowing that I will omit some that I should have probably mentioned.

Because of the expense and time involved in doing UFO research, first on my list of influential people would have to be my wife Debby, who has allowed me to lose money every year, doing research, while understanding my passion for obtaining the truth.

My Webmaster, Fay Wylder in Albuquerque who has been my anchor since I started doing the research as an independent researcher back in 1999, has done magical things with our website with her artistic and organizational abilities, taking my written thoughts and creating an award winning website. I can never repay her for the interest she’s shown in helping me share my four areas of research; The 1947 Roswell Incident, Area 51, Underground Bases, and more recently the Pyramids of Giza.

I cannot over emphasize the importance of a few of the researchers I’ve been fortunate enough to work with during the past 11 years and the influence they have had on my own research. No school or books could come close to achieving what I learned from them. While I was with the Museum Don Schmitt and I interviewed many witnesses and made many field trips to crash sites learning more each time we went. I’ve not worked with him since my Museum days but he continues to find new witnesses.
A world-renowned researcher who has had my respect and has become a personal friend is Stanton Friedman, the nuclear physicist and original civilian Roswell researcher. Stan and I have worked together on many investigations of witnesses, done lectures at the same symposiums and conferences and had many hours of discussions on this subject of Ufology. Stanton advised me on how to handle the “Interception” experience I had in 1997 when I met with alleged United States Air Force Office of Special Investigation Agents in Oklahoma when I tried to obtain physical evidence about the Roswell Incident.

Another is Frank Warren who came on board to help me with the “Interception” in 1997 also, and has become an outstanding researcher in his own right with his www.theufochronicles.com website. Through Franks unending and dedicated research, we now believe that the “Interception” was a hoax, and I was just one of several people that was scammed by that individual. Franks interest in other UFO cases is of unsurpassed importance to the study of Ufology.

Scott and Suzanne Ramsey have brought new information forward about the 1948 Aztec, New Mexico crash that has caused many of us to take another look at that case. I was involved with the annual Aztec symposium with the Ramseys for the past 11 years, and a great deal of information will be revealed in their soon to be published book. Scott has been relentless in his archives research and witness interviews over many years, and they have become not only co-researchers but also dear friends.

Many others have had an impact on my research such as David Rudiak on the General Ramey memo, John Greenewald Jr. for his revealing Freedom of Information requests, Richard Sauder, PhD researching Underground Bases, Dr. John DeSalvo on the Pyramids of Giza, Chuck Clark on Area 51 and several others.

At this stage in my life, and not knowing how much longer I will continue doing this research, I felt an obligation to share some personal views, and thank some of those that have helped me to have a both rewarding and at times frustrating third career. I’m forever hopeful that some of these individuals I mentioned will, as I know they will, have a lasting impression on our young people, and encourage them to get involved in this research.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Government Underground Secrecy

We The People
By Dennis Balthaser
www.truthseekeratroswell.com
© 12-1-08

Dennis Balthaser     Secrecy by our government is not anything new, and in the case of developing new technology for our military, I agree with the need for secrecy, since we don’t want our adversaries knowing what is being developed. It’s my personal feeling that UFO information is well known by our government and military, however for more than 60 years they have both been emphatic that they either know nothing about it, or it doesn’t exist. Those of us that have done this research of course believe differently. To put it simply, we’re being lied to. Such secrecy is not only limited to information the government has or knows about UFOs, but on many other fronts as well.

While doing research, I always regress to two questions I have. Who has given a few the authority to keep certain secrets from the public? And secondly, what has happened to the first three words in the preamble to our Constitution---“We the people”? Secrecy, lies and cover-ups have perpetuated themselves to the point that the general public no longer has any confidence in our elected officials, as shown recently in the public’s low approval ratings of those officials.

Again in my opinion, young people in this country need to start asking questions and demanding answers of our leaders. Accepting secrecy and cover-ups is no longer acceptable, but will continue, and probably increase if no one questions them. Secrecy can be good and even justified in some cases, but it can get out of hand and become extremely dangerous if abused.


Much of this secrecy is cloaked from the public and most of our elected officials with catch phrases such as; “National Security”, “Research and Development”, “Special Projects”, and others, some of which are probably “Black Projects”. The financial budgets for some of these programs are staggering figures, and in the case of the Central Intelligence Agency, by law, the National Security Act of 1947 made it illegal to ever disclose how much money is spent by the CIA. Guess who is paying for all of this? You and I are.

“Activities at Area 51 (also known as Groom Lake), have properly been determined to be classified”


Area 51 Warning SignSeveral of the secret military bases, such as Area 51 have highly visible signs posted stating, “the use of deadly force is authorized”, which is a good indication that something very secretive is taking place there either above or below ground. Since the 1990’s each President has issued a yearly Presidential Determination, “exempting the base from complying with environmental laws.” The reason given is the fact that, “activities at Area 51 (also known as Groom Lake), have properly been determined to be classified, and its disclosure would be harmful to National Security.”

While doing research for my “Underground Bases and Tunnels” lecture, I discovered another federal agency that is heavily involved in secrecy, which very few Americans, including very few Congressmen are probably aware of.

“FEMA’s underground locations are referred to as “Continuity of Government” facilities.”


FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is not only available to help in times of disaster, but has a much more complex role in protecting our leaders in case of a national emergency, and in obtaining information on you and I. Many of FEMA’s underground locations are referred to as “Continuity of Government” facilities. One of those underground locations is Mount Weather, 46 miles from Washington, D.C. near Bluemont, Virginia. This is the operational hub of approximately 100 other Federal Relocation Centers. In the event of a nuclear war, declaration of martial law, or other national emergency, the President, his cabinet and the rest of the Executive branch would be relocated here. Officially Mount Weather and its budget do not exist, and FEMA refuses to answer questions about the facility. As far back as 1975, a Senate subcommittee learned that the facility has information on at least 100,000 Americans, and their computers can access millions of pieces of additional information on the personal lives of other American citizens. Mount Weather was prepared for use at the time of the 1961 Cuban missile crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, and was on standby during the 1967 and 1968 urban riots.

Just across the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line is the Raven Rock Underground Command Center, sometimes referred to as Site-R. This site has 700,000 square feet of interior space, underneath the surface. Underground the facility contains six levels of underground offices, massive steel doors, a subterranean water reservoir, and up on the surface banks of antennas and satellite dishes. It went on line in 1954, and in the event it is needed, representatives of all military departments and the Joint Chiefs of Staff would be located here.

“There was a television studio with a backdrop of the United States capital on the wall where lawmakers could have addressed their constituents, had any of those constituents survived”


A third site in the “Continuity of Government” facilities known as the Greenbrier Resort, 250 miles southwest of Washington, had to be deactivated in 1992, when the Washington Post published an article about this underground bunker, exposing it to the public. Again in the event of a nuclear war, about 1000 people including all 535 members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, along with their top aides would have been evacuated to this facility. It contained 18 dormitories with bunk beds, a 12 bed medical clinic, self-contained power plant, water purification plant, and a “crematorium.” There was a television studio with a backdrop of the United States capital on the wall where lawmakers could have addressed their constituents, had any of those constituents survived above ground to watch television. In 1995 the Greenbrier facility was opened to public tours, and I have not yet located a new facility for our lawmakers, but I’m sure there is one.

Many of the facilities constructed in the 1950’s were primarily for the protection of our leaders in the event of a nuclear war. Today many of the secret military facilities not only in the United States, but in other countries as well have been required to go underground because of the many foreign satellites circling the earth that are so technically advanced that they can read a newspaper from 200 miles above the earth. Very little can remain secretive on the surface anymore. Military facilities are no longer limited exclusively to underground locations either, as the Navy has been evolving underwater locations with huge manned bases offshore for several years, of which not as much information has been forthcoming.

Musko Naval Base             
Musko Naval BaseDuring WWII, Sweden had an elaborate Naval facility build into the side of a mountain, with water access, known as the Musko Naval Base, consisting not only of dry docks for ships and submarines, but the whole base was built into the side and under the mountain. It contained repair factories, a hospital with a thousand beds, dining rooms and barracks.

TBM Boring MachineMy civil engineering background was aroused when I started researching underground facilities, and I quickly learned that the equipment and personnel required to build some of these elaborate underground complexes is readily available. Several types of tunnel boring equipment sometimes referred to as TBM’s have been manufactured by companies like Bechtel, the Robbins Company, and Dawn Engineering, as well as several foreign equipment manufacturers. They vary greatly in size and can be of the “gouging” type, flame cutters and nuclear, the latter being developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico with a United States Patent Office date of September 26, 1972

Many other facilities are known to exist, and you have the assurance of our government that with the use of our tax dollars, our government and military leaders are at least protected even if we are not, and in most cases their purpose, cost and location will be denied, or attempted to remain in secrecy.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Credibility of Major Jesse Marcel and Jesse Marcel Jr.

Jesse Marcel Jr.  & Senior
By Dennis Balthaser
© 10-1-08

     It appears that there are still those that refuse to give credibility to Major Jesse Marcel and his son Jesse Marcel Jr., who after all these years, are still two of the most credible “first-hand” witnesses of the 1947 Roswell Incident. I never had the opportunity to meet Major Marcel, but have had many conversations about him with Stanton Friedman, who was the first to interview him in 1978. I do personally know Jesse Jr., and have had conversations with him, and have read his book “The Roswell Legacy” (the revised edition shown below, published in 2008), which it appears as usual, that the debunkers, critics and skeptics that are the loudest, have not read.

The Roswell LegacyIn defense of the Marcels, I’d like to share some of the comments made by Jesse Jr. in his book not only about his Dad, but also about his own life since 1947. The book is obviously written by someone that had a deep respect for his father, and presents the information in the only way he knows---honestly from the heart, as his father desired, to get the truth out to the public eventually.

Both of these gentlemen deserve our highest respect for the many years they both gave to serving our country in the military, (Major Marcel as probably the top intelligence officer in the military in the 1940’s, and his son Jesse as a helicopter pilot, flight surgeon and a civilian physician.) Talk about credibility and integrity as compared to many of the other witnesses that have surfaced over the years in relation to the Roswell Incident. Those with backgrounds such as theirs are rare when researching the Roswell Incident. It took Jesse Jr. 60 years to set the record straight about his Dad and himself, and those that still question these two gentlemen are ignoring the truth about their first-hand knowledge of the event.

Major Marcel voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in December 1941.

Up until his death in 1986, Major Marcel repeatedly stated that the material we examined was as he described it, “not of this earth,” and that the truth about Roswell had yet to be revealed to the public. In order to reveal that truth, Jesse Jr’s. father made him promise to see the true story told. Jesse Jr. fulfilled that promise with his book in 2007, and anyone seriously interested in the Roswell Incident would benefit from reading it, before criticizing or demeaning them.

As an eleven year old boy Jesse Jr. was “privileged” to be one of the individuals who actually saw and handled debris from the crash site, that his Dad and Captain Sheridan Cavitt had recovered from the site. This occurred at his home in Roswell, prior to his Dad returning to the base from the Foster ranch debris field, when the Marcel’s lives would be forever changed.

Jesse Marcel JrOne of the things Jesse Jr. observed which again silences the critics and debunkers, is the fact that the foil material did not have a paper backing for rigidity like the foil of a radar target. Also of importance was the fact that none of the debris spread out on the Marcel’s kitchen floor that Jesse Jr. observed that night, or any material that Major Marcel saw at the debris site where the material was recovered, contained any electronic components which a weather balloon or Mogul balloon would have had such as radio transmitters, microphones, and sensors for detecting and recording weather data, or pressure waves in the atmosphere from a possible Russian nuclear test. It’s important also to note that the Russians didn’t do any nuclear testing until 1949, Mogul balloon launch No. 4 (which skeptics like to use as what crashed near Roswell), was cancelled due to weather related problems, and finally, the pictures taken in General Ramey’s office on July 8, 1947 also did not contain any electronic equipment.

In 1942 Marcel attended the Army Air Force Intelligence School as a 1st Lieutenant. After graduation he was invited to join the school’s faculty, an honor bestowed upon only the brightest and most talented students.

Two years later Marcel would be assigned to the 509th Composite Bomb Group in Nevada as their S-2 Intelligence Officer. He was now part of a special, hand-picked group, where the work was classified as Top-Secret. While in Nevada he helped work out the details of dropping the atomic bombs on Japan. The 509th was then assigned to the island of Tinian, where Marcel participated in briefing the flight crews before the missions to Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Nagasaki Bomb Blast
Upon returning to the states, Major Marcel enrolled in a radar training school at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, graduating in September 1945, and became an expert on the state-of-the-art radar devices, including varieties of the rawin radar targets, including the ML-307 reflector used on the Mogul balloons. As Jesse Jr. states in his book, “for those that say his father confused UFO debris with a radar target is ludicrous.” So the same government that paid for his advanced radar school in 1945 would accuse him of not knowing the difference between a UFO and a weather balloon 2 short years later, while assigned to the 509th in Roswell, New Mexico. Copies of the radar and intelligence school diplomas Major Marcel attended are in Jesse Jr’s. book. I have several other commendation and recommendation documents for Major Marcel in my file for his intelligence work, before and “after” the Roswell Incident.

Jesse Marcel & Balloon

Setting aside my thoughts about the Marcel’s credibility, lets not forget that the debris Major Marcel took to General Ramey’s office was changed to a weather balloon for the photos taken by James Bond Johnson. I interviewed Johnson as did Kevin Randle and David Rudiak, prior to my interview with him. In all three interviews James Bond Johnson’s remarks were less than factual about his involvement. He did take the photographs, but was not involved in any other way, in fact telling me in our first conversation, that he knew very little about the Roswell Incident. The interview can be read here.

Ramey & Dubose
The really sad part for me is the fact that when General Ramey ordered Major Marcel to pose for the pictures with the obvious weather balloon on the floor of the Generals office, General Ramey ordered Marcel to keep silent, and to not make any comments in the presence of the civilian photographer. That appears to be when the cover-up became a reality, and Major Marcel realized he was in the middle of it, and had become the scapegoat. For those that have seen the photographs taken in General Ramey’s office, it’s apparent to me that there are unopened packages along the wall, and more importantly the brown paper on the floor under the debris staged for the photographs is from a new roll of paper and shows no indication of ever being wrapped around any debris or anything else brought to Fort Worth by Major Marcel.

I firmly believe that as a researcher part of my responsibility is to provide information that is truthful and factual for my future generations as well as yours.

I believe Major Marcel and his son Jesse Jr. have done that.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Astronauts as UFO Witnesses

Dennis Balthaser & Edgar Mitchell
By Dennis Balthaser
8-1-08

     During the many years that I’ve been doing this research, I have had the opportunity to meet a combination of credible, and less than credible witnesses, not only about the Roswell Incident, but pertaining to other UFO incidents as well. Credibility and verification of witness’s information is of utmost importance to me, and usually can be determined after several conversations with the possible witness, or by checking their credentials based on known or obtainable information.

Fire in Sky & Larry King Show with MarcelOccasionally a witness comes along that has the professional background, credibility, or experience that convinces me to pay attention to what they are sharing. Several of the witnesses that I’ve known or interviewed have become personal friends, such as Jesse Marcel Jr. (pictured left with Larry King, CNN), who handled the debris from the Roswell craft in 1947, and has had outstanding careers as a military helicopter pilot and as a physician. Another is Travis Walton of “Fire in the Sky” (cover pictured, left) who is one of the most believable abductee’s I’ve ever met. There are others such as airplane pilots, law enforcement officers, etc.

For this article however I want to focus on our astronauts, who for the most part don’t talk much about their experiences with UFO’s, quite possibly because NASA, which I think stands for, “Never A Straight Answer”, has advised them it would be best to not discuss the subject, or they have refused to go public, fearing ridicule and condemnation.

Edgar Mitchell On The Moon
A notable exception to the astronaut group that does openly talk about it is former Apollo 14 astronaut, Dr. Edgar Mitchell, who in 1971 piloted the Apollo 14 lunar module, with commander Alan Shepard to the moon’s surface. I’ve had the opportunity to meet Dr. Mitchell twice, the first time being several years ago at the Aztec, New Mexico symposium. More recently I met him here in Roswell. I had heard that he knew something about the Roswell Incident, so when I had the opportunity in Aztec, to talk to him alone, I asked him, “what he knew about the Roswell Incident?” Without hesitation, he informed me, “that he knew it did happen, but couldn’t tell me anymore.”

Mitchell grew up in the Roswell area, attending what is now Berrendo Elementary School in Roswell through the seventh grade, then moved with his family to Artesia, New Mexico, graduating from Artesia High School, some 30 miles south of Roswell, and was a teenager when the Roswell Incident happened in 1947. His family has a long history of cattle ranching in the area.

Last weekend, (Sunday, July 27, 2008), the Roswell Daily Record newspaper printed an exclusive interview with Dr. Mitchell, in which he stated, “he is certain the 1947 Roswell UFO crash was a true alien encounter.” The interview with the newspaper was quite lengthy and contained what I consider as a researcher, important information, some of which I’ll share with you.

In that interview Dr. Mitchell stated that, “years later, some of the area’s old-timers and military intelligence officers close to the incident – some facing the threat of severe penalties – confided in him.” Based on what they told him, “he is convinced the incident was a real encounter, covered up by the government for over 61 years.” After his lunar flight, local Roswell witnesses contacted him, and because he was a well-known astronaut and a local, he thought they felt they could confide in him.

Dr. Mitchell also stated in the interview that, “he happened to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we’ve been visited---and that the UFO phenomena is real.” He said, “his belief was confirmed by various sources, including members or former members of top-secret military intelligence circles.”

Mitchell said, “the UFO story is so secret that even presidents and top politicians, including Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and former Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, were denied access to the “black operations files,” and theorizes that even the government may not be in control of the information or technology.”

Edgar Mitchell Astronaut
Although Dr. Mitchell has never seen a UFO, his personal interest in UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life began as a young fighter pilot, when other members of his squadron began reporting encounters with UFOs. When they tried to report the incidents, some claimed to have been threatened and were told to shut up, just like the civilian pilots. Mitchell said, “Our pilots would chase them, and they would chase us. There were just too many incidents and reports to deny that there was nothing going on.” Mitchell believes the alien visitations should not be considered hostile, and that “some of the alleged visits” were actually “homegrown”, linked to our own super-secret programs.

Dr Mitchell knows Jesse Marcel Jr., the son of the Army Air Force intelligence officer Jesse Marcel Sr., who was at the crash site during the Roswell Incident, and knows he was convinced that what crashed at Roswell was not a weather balloon. Mitchell also indicated, “that there remains strong evidence, possibly including photographs, that 61 years after the crash has not been seen by the public.” As far as an alien body(s) being recovered, Mitchell said, “I can’t prove that, but I certainly know that the so-called alien autopsy photographs were fakes.”

As a researcher after the truth, it is my hope that individuals like Dr. Mitchell will continue to speak out, and perhaps others will continue to do likewise.

Dr. Mitchell is not the only astronaut that has either seen UFOs or believes they are real and may represent contact with other worlds. Gordon Cooper, one of our initial astronauts was an outspoken believer in UFOs, prior to his death in 2004. Cooper claimed to have first sighted UFOs as a young Air Force pilot in Germany in the 1950s, and like Mitchell claimed that the government hid the truth from the public. Cooper and Mitchell are joined by others such as Mercury astronaut Donald (Deke) Slayton, and at least two former Soviet cosmonauts, Yevegni Khrunov, a Soyus-5 pilot, and Salyut-6 space station member Maj. Gen. Vladimir Kovalyonok, all claiming at one time or another to have seen UFOs, or saying that they are certain the Earth has been visited by aliens and their spacecraft.

Mercury Capsule & Deke Slayton
Other astronaut claims:

Edward White & James McDivitt
In June 1965, astronauts Ed White (first American to walk in space) and James McDivitt were passing over Hawaii in a Gemini spacecraft when they saw a weird-looking metallic object. The UFO had long arms sticking out of it. McDivitt took pictures with a cine-camera. Those pictures have never been released.

James Lovell & Frank Borman
In December 1965, Gemini astronauts James Lovell and Frank Borman also saw a UFO during their second orbit of their record-breaking 14-day flight. Borman reported that he saw an unidentified spacecraft some distance from their capsule. Gemini control, at Cape Kennedy told him that he was seeing the final stage of their own Titan booster rocket. Borman confirmed that he could see the booster rocket all right, but that he could also see something completely different.

Many other accounts have been filed by Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo astronauts in addition to X-15 test pilots, including films taken of strange objects, but never released to the public. I will continue to seek additional information from these astronauts, due to the credibility they have as our space pioneers, and the front row seat they have to many strange objects they have seen, but continually hidden from the public.