Thursday, July 18th 2003
Roswell Revisited
Trying to dispel the Myth!
by Paola Leopizzi Harris
If you want to know about UFOS, come to Roswell! The UFO festival in Roswell, New Mexico took place this year on July 3 through 6 largely at the International
UFO Museum, TheEastern New Mexico Fair Grounds, Robert Goddard Museum and
the Civic Center which served as principal location for all things “Alien”. It was a party and linked to the 4th of July, it becomes a “ big”party. Like the film Independence Day, one sees a bit of everything, families on vacation, die-heart alien fans, curiosity
seekers, a Halloween type hype, and fortunately for us serious researchers,
we saw some people who seek the answers to some serious Universal questions.
Present at Roswell this year were yes, some serious researchers who are
strongly supported by the MEDIA and Hollywood. Remember that Disclosure
comes in all forms. No, there was no landing! But there were interesting
people!
The public was treated to the SCI FI channel’s update on their famous coverage of the Roswell Archeological dig. This TV documentary program rated among the highest of 2002 which means “someone’ is interested and someone is holding the Media accountable. I asked Don Schmitt who was involved in the show,” what happened to those 56 66 bags of materials you sifted out of the supposed debris field? Did you know we researchers watch this program in Italy and we love to see a follow-up.”
Sure enough, on the evening of July 5th,the main room of the UFO Museum was standing room only, as director of special projects for the Sci- Fi channel Larry Landsman explained that we will have some answers soon. All ears perked as independent Researcher Dennis Balthasar moderated a panel, which included Don Schmitt, former co- director of J Allen Hyneck Center of UfO Studies,Thomas Carey Mufon State Director for Southeastern Pennsylvania, Dr. William Doleman , principal archeologist for University of New Mexico, Chuck Zukowski, independent researcher member Colorado Mufon, Debbie Ziegelmeyer from Missouri and certified MuFOn investigator. All these folks were involved in the now famous” Roswell dig”.The Public realized the tremendous effort it took to travel two hours to and from this debris site in the hot sun and the painstaking work that a truly scientific endeavor takes. Archeologist Dr William Doleman stressed that the answers to the Rowell Story have serious implications for the history of man and it is important that “we do it right! “Soon with the right labs and the right funding, those samples will be analyzed because perhaps, just perhaps the Army-Air force cleanup was not as thorough they thought.
Yes Folks, there was “A Roswell Incident.” Just speak to Mortician Glen Dennis who was asked to supply children’s coffins in July 1947 and who volunteers at the Museum nearly every day. He, like Dennis Bathasar and Lt.Walter Haut Ex- public information officer at Roswell Army field are willing to discuss Roswell because they lived it! There are other witnesses in Roswell , some I believe are just waiting to come forth with a piece of wreckage or a photo but who are still intimidated by the possibility of government harassment. It will happen but as Don Schmitt so aptly put it, “we are playing a game with the undertaker here” for it has been now 56 years now. I had to laugh when a tourist who was looking at the newspaper display of the incident on the wall of the International UFO Museum and who was reading the decoded Ramey Memo, said to his wife “ we are really in trouble if our government cannot tell the difference between a weather balloon and a UFO!”
The Government can and it did! It is my perspective as a foreign journalist that the Roswell Situation is getting a bit ridiculous. So much good work has been done by people like Stanton Friedman, Kevin Randle, Bob Vander Clock and Veteran CUFOS Researcher Don Schmitt. These are heavy weights in their field and well respected among their counterparts in Europe where the UFO Research is taken a lot more seriously. I remember talking to UFO researcher Nick Pope who worked for the British ministry of Defense and researcher Gildas Bourdais from France who writes about the Official French Cometa Report on OVNIS at the SAN MARINO WORLD SYMPOSIUM two years ago that although the UfO phenomena is a reality and Roswell still remains a myth. We all agreed that the mythology helps hide the truth .
This myth has aptly dispelled by executive producer of the movie ROSWELL Paul Davids who portrayed the character of Jesse Marcel Jr. as the tragic hero in this tale. Marcel told his wife and son the truth before his death and had initially brought some “crash’ debris home. Obsessed by this secret and the fact that he was made the fall guy in the weather balloon story, Jesse Marcel opens a can of “Cosmic Worms”!
Ironically this year , producer Paul Davids, Sci-Fi Director Larry Landsman and Actor Roy Thinnes ( Movie: The Invaders) were among the special guests . If we add to these players to Mars researcher and personal friend Richard C Hoagland who came initially to support me in my book debut, there was an interesting meeting of minds at dinner that night. All met in Roswell this year for the annual celebration. At the last minute and unannounced, Hoagland was invited to assist on a panel about Ancient Cultures supported by A Christian Group called UFO RESISTANCE. There was some interesting research on Cydonia and Sitchin respectively done by some young newcomers like David Flynn and Mike Heiser Hebrew Scholar from the University of Wisconsin. While back at the UFO Museum ,Derrel Sims expert researcher in Alien Abductions and implants was giving a workshop and sharing information with Clifford Stone.. I also talked with Sgt. Clifford Stone who just plain lives in Roswell and was part of Project Moon Dust which dealt with UFO crash retrievals, (Stone, Hoagland and Sims Interviews are covered in my newly released book CONNECTING THE DOTS…,) If we consider “Who “was at Roswell in 2003, then we may imagine the makings of a “think tank” here.
Although I was supposed to be promoting my book in the short time I was there, I would much rather be writing a story on Roswell and the possibilities I saw; - intense dialogue by intelligent and curious people who mixed with the crowds, questions answered by Hollywood producers, a sense of social conscience, a knowing that it is time for dispelling a myth, a cooperation and mutual respect rarely experienced in the sometimes competitive UFO Community
I am a generalist as well as an optimist! Like my friend Mars Researcher Richard Hoagland , I cannot understand why there is not more cooperation and good will in the research field. It feels a little ridiculous to me that while standing next to me was someone who was involved in crash retrieval and who testified at the Washington Press Club with the Disclosure Project, his voice is often ignored. It seems strange to me that the book THE DAY AFTER ROSWELL was rarely sited and yet I can personally attest to the veracity of Colonel Philip Corso for we had him come to Italy on two separate occasions to speak. Added to the evidence, one could add that Corso saw a Roswell Alien body in the Veterinary Quarters at Fort Riley Kansas in July 1947 . Yet I noticed in USA and in Roswell that he is forgotten and rarely nominated. I noticed that a Richard C Hoagland (Enterprisemission.com) who was invited to go out to crash site and quite obviously saw a whole new perspective on the landscape of the “debris field” was willing to participate and help. Will these people be ignored? I fear that as long as people are fighting over their Roswell Books and as long as the commercialized part of UFOLOGY looms in the horizon, there will be more compartmentalization, and this keeps the secret safe. No progress will ever be made.
It is true that we need to thank the Sci- Fi channel and the International UFO Museum’s involvement which actually invited these guests and which governed the celebration. We need to see the immense value they have in raising awareness, but we need to make Roswell more than a yearly party .
May I suggest that we consider including every serious researcher who is interested and has been personally involved in the Disclosure Process to a possible World Event! Maybe Future Roswell Symposium which will include many different countries and areas of research. and yes, even invite the MARS folk !
In the meantime, it was a fun Feast!
Copyright © 2000–2003 Paola Harris