though the weather balloon
story has since been discredited by the US Air Force, Schiff suggested that
the authors of those communications may have been repeating what they were
told, rather than consciously adding to what some believe is a "cover up."
"At least this effort caused the Air Force to acknowledge that the crashed
vehicle was no weather balloon," Schiff said. "That explanation never fit
the fact of high military security used at the time." The Air Force in
September, 1994 claimed that the crashed vehicle was a then-classified
device to detect evidence of possible Soviet nuclear testing.
Schiff also praised the efforts of the GAO, describing their work as
"professional, conscientious and thorough."
A two page letter discussing a related investigation into "Majestic 12" was
also delivered.
Schiff will be available to the media Saturday, July 29th, from 10:00AM to
2:00 PM (Eastern) at 2404 Rayburn MOB in Washington, DC and by telephone:
(202) 225-6316.
A copy of the report may be obtained by calling (202) 512-6000 and
referencing Document number GAO/NSIAD-95-187.
END PRESS RELEASE
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START GAO REPORT
United States
General Accounting Office
Washington, D.C. 20545
National Security and
International Affairs Division
B-262046
July 28,1995
The Honorable Steven H. Schiff
House of Representatives
Dear Mr. Schiff:
On July 8, 1947, the Roswell Army Air Held (RAAF) public information office
in Roswell, New Mexico, reported the crash and recovery of a "flying disc."
Army Air Forces personnel from the RAAF's 509th Bomb Group were credited
with the recovery. The following day, the press reported that the Commanding
General of the U.S. Eighth Air Force, Fort Worth, Texas, announced that RAAF
personnel had recovered a crashed radar-traciting (weather) balloon, not a
flying disc."
After nearly 50 years, speculation continues on what crashed