The Mammoth Book of Cover-Ups

Since Lt.-Col. Cavitt, who had first-hand knowledge, was still alive, a decision was made to interview him and get a signed sworn statement from him about his version of the events. Prior to the interview, the Secretary of the Air Force provided him with a written authorization and waiver to discuss classified information with the interviewer and release him from any security oath he may have taken. Subsequently, Cavitt was interviewed on 24 May 1994, at his home. Cavitt provided a signed, sworn statement […] of his recollections in this matter. He also consented to having the interview tape-recorded. […] In this interview, Cavitt related that he had been contacted on numerous occasions by UFO researchers and had willingly talked with many of them; however, he felt that he had oftentimes been misrepresented or had his comments taken out of context so that their true meaning was changed. He stated unequivocally, however, that the material he recovered consisted of a reflective sort of material like aluminum foil, and some thin, bamboo-like sticks. He thought at the time, and continued to do so today, that what he found was a weather balloon, and has told other private researchers that. He also remembered finding a small «black box» type of instrument, which he thought at the time was probably a radiosonde. Lt.-Col. Cavitt also reviewed the famous Ramey/Marcel photographs […] of the wreckage taken to Ft. Worth (often claimed by LITO researchers to have been switched and the remnants of a balloon substituted for it) and he identified the materials depicted in those photos as consistent with the materials that he recovered from the ranch. Lt.-Col. Cavitt also stated that he had never taken any oath or signed any agreement not to talk about this incident and had never been threatened by anyone in the government because of it. He did not even know the incident was claimed to be anything unusual until he was interviewed in the early 1980s.

Similarly, Irving Newton, Major, USAF (Ret.) was located and interviewed. Newton was a weather officer assigned to Fort Worth who was on duty when the Roswell debris was sent there in July 1947. He was told that he was to report to General Ramey’s office to view the material. In a signed, sworn statement […] Newton related that «… I walked into the General’s office where this supposed flying saucer was lying all over the floor. As soon as I saw it, I giggled and asked if that was the flying saucer … I told them that this was a balloon and a RAWIN target …» Newton also stated that «… while I was examining the debris, Major Marcel was picking up pieces of the target sticks and trying to convince me that some notations on the sticks were alien writings. There were figures on the sticks, lavender or pink in color, appeared to be weather-faded markings, with no rhyme or reason [sic]. He did not convince me that these were alien writings.» Newton concluded his statement by relating that «… During the ensuing years I have been interviewed by many authors, I have been quoted and misquoted. The facts remain as indicated above. I was not influenced during the original interview, nor today, to provide anything but what I know to be true, that is, the material I saw in General Ramey’s office was the remains of a balloon and a RAWIN target.»

Balloon Research

The original tasking from GAO noted that the search for information included «weather balloons.» Comments about balloons and safety reports have already been made, however the SAF/AAZ research efforts also focused on reviewing historical records involving balloons, since, among other reasons, that was what was officially claimed by the AAF to have been found and recovered in 1947.

As early as 28 February 1994, the AAZD research team found references to balloon tests taking place at Alamogordo AAF (now Holloman AFB) and White Sands during June and July 1947, testing «constant level balloons» and a New York University (NYU)/Watson Labs effort that used «… meteorological devices … suspected for detecting shock waves generated by Soviet nuclear explosions» — a possible indication of a cover story associated with the NYU balloon project. Subsequently, a 1946 HQ AMC memorandum surfaced, describing the constant-altitude balloon project and specified that the scientific data be classified TOP SECRET Priority IA. Its name was Project Mogul […]