Roswell embraces its UFO connection

BY Justin M. Norton
The Associated Press

ROSWELL, N.M. - Is "The Truth" located in this remote city in New Mexico?

Driving alone down a stretch of desolate highway en route to Roswell, a visitor can understand why conspiracy buffs have long argued that aliens crash-landed in the desert here a half-century ago. Darkness engulfs desert fields. A misshapen yellow moon hangs in the sky. Husks of abandoned buildings litter the roadside.

Has an alien invasion already taken place? There is a blinking light in the sky - no, it's an airplane.

Being out here by yourself is enough to make you think twice.

"I do know this: There are other things out there in the universe," said John Turner, 78, at the International UFO Museum and Research Center on Roswell's North Main Street.

Whether or not that's true, the 60th anniversary of the so-called "Roswell Incident" will be marked July 5-8 at the city's annual UFO festival. City officials say 50,000 people are expected for the event, which will include lectures, book-signings, tours, entertainment, and, according to the organizers, perhaps an alien abduction or two.

Long-term plans are also under way for a UFO-themed amusement park, complete with an indoor roller coaster that would take passengers on a simulated alien abduction. The park, dubbed Alien Apex Resort, could open as early as 2010. The city has received a $245,000 legislative appropriation for initial planning, but the park would be privately built and managed.

The original Roswell Incident occurred in July 1947, outside the city. A rancher named W.W. "Mack" Brazel went to check on some sheep after a night of storms. He claimed he found some strange debris. Neighbors told Brazel he might have pieces of a flying saucer.

On July 8, 1947, a local military office issued a press release saying that pieces of a "crashed disk" were recovered. A story featured on the front page of the Roswell Daily Record claimed a flying saucer was captured (the paper is now reproduced and sold to tourists). Other news agencies picked up on the event - albeit in a cursory fashion.

A revised release was soon sent out that said the material was a weather balloon. But stories about requests for tiny coffins and a nefarious plot began to emerge and Roswell went from small town to Alien Capital.

The town - which would be unthinkable as a tourist destination without all of this - plays it to the hilt. The city's Web site says: "Roswell has something to offer all of our special visitors, whether from this planet, or from a distant galaxy."

At the UFO Museum (a former movie theater), visitors are met by an alien dummy wearing a Santa Claus hat. The light posts on the streets of Roswell feature alien heads wearing Santa Claus hats. The creatures look utterly incapable of such malevolent acts as abduction and brain surgery.

The museum takes visitors through a timeline, beginning with newspaper clips and printed affidavits from many who claim to have intimate knowledge of the crash. For an extra donation, visitors can take an audio tour with a decidedly low-tech cassette Walkman.