Airforce Says Platter
Picked Up on Ranch
By Associated Press
ROSWELL, N. M., July 8 -- The Army Air Force here today announced a flying disc had been found on a ranch near Roswell and is in Army possession. Lieut. Warren Haught [sic, Walter Haut], public-information officer of the Roswell Army Air Field, announced the find had been made "sometime last week" and had been turned over to the air field through co-operation of the sheriff's office.
It was inspected at the Roswell Army Air Field and subsequently flown to "higher headquarters." The Army gave no other details.
Officers at the base say that the "disc" was flown in a Superfortress to "higher headquarters" undisclosed. The air base refused to give details of construction of the disc or its appearance, but residents near the ranch on which the disc was found reported seeing a strange blue light several days ago about 3 a.m.
Haught's [Sic, Haut] statement:
"The many rumors regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence office of the 509th (atomic) bomb group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc through the co-operation of one of the local ranchers and the sheriff's office of Chaves County.
"The flying object landed on a ranch near Roswell some time last week. Not having phone facilities, the rancher stored the disc until such time as he was able to contact the sheriff's office, who in turn notified Major Jesse A. Marcel of the 509th bomb group intelligence office.
"Action was immediately taken and the disc was picked up at the rancher's home. It was inspected at the Roswell Army Air Field and subsequently flown by Major Marcel to higher headquarters."
Later the A.A.F. said that further information indicated that the object would have had a diameter of about 20 to 25 feet if reconstructed.
Nothing in the apparent construction "indicated any capacity for speed, and there was no evidence of a power plant, the A.A.F. said.
Construction of the disc seemed too flimsy to have enabled it to carry a man, it was added.
