United Press Teletype Messages
The United Press teletype messages below were saved by Roswell KGFL radio news announcer Frank Joyce. Joyce first spoke to Mack Brazel when Brazel came to Roswell to report the debris field at his ranch. Joyce said he also spoke to Brazel later on after the story broke. Brazel was under stress and at first recanted his original story, saying he had found a balloon. Then, according to Joyce, Brazel told him the military had forced him to change his story.
The fact that Joyce has retained the original teletype messages for over 50 years is a very good indication that he never considered Roswell to be the "non-event" that the Air Force now calls it. Joyce was there and obviously attached great importance to the story. None of Joyce's account of events, of course, was mentioned in the 1995 Air Force Roswell report.
Joyce was also a "stringer" for United Press. He was one of the news peope who received the written Roswell base press release from Roswell PIO Walter Haut. Joyce took it down to the Western Union office and had it put out over the UP wire (the KGFL teletype could receive but not transmit messages). However, AP beat Joyce and the UP to the story by about 15 minutes (however, see discussion below about an earlier UP message). The UP version of the base release differs somewhat from the AP version. (click here to compare).
According to Joyce, he had originally hidden more of these telex messages in the KGFL office, but the military later came and swept the station. Unfortunately some of the telexes didn't survive the sweep. Therefore, the messages below chronicle the UP's reporting of the story over only about a one hour period, from 2:41 to 3:46 p.m., Roswell standard time. The existing AP chronology, in contrast, runs three hours, from 2:26 to 5:30, when the official weather balloon explanation was finally announced and killed most interest in the story.
There also appears to have been an original UP bulletin that preceded the 2:41 story. Notice that at 2:41 it starts with "More flying disc" and references a previous transmission. Joyce told me that the military at first tried to suppress the press release after it went out and recalled the teletypes going dead for a while. But the story had already gotten out. Other than Joyce's memory, there is currently no other evidence that the newswires went dead for a while (other than, perhaps, the
Lydia Sleppy story of the FBI cutting off her teletype transmission in Albuquerque). All that can be said for sure is that there was an earlier UP bulletin on the flying disc story that isn't in Joyce's surviving collection.
Lydia Sleppy story of the FBI cutting off her teletype transmission in Albuquerque). All that can be said for sure is that there was an earlier UP bulletin on the flying disc story that isn't in Joyce's surviving collection.
I have typed the messages exactly as they were, including all typos, transmission errors, jargon, and cryptic abbreviations. When present, transmision times in the telex messages are highlighted in red, including the non-Roswell related stories.
Below lists the meanings of some of the abbreviations:
FRR: Santa Fe UP office
DXR: Denver UP office
DA: Dallas UP office
95: Designates second in importance to a bulletin
UP was well ahead of AP in finding out that Marcel's destination was 8th Army Headquarters at Fort Worth. Note the regional "wire chatter" between 3:17 and 3:22 pm when this is first mentioned and where they put the Dallas office on the case. In contrast, Ramey and the Fort Worth connection didn't appear on the AP wire until 3:53. (Compare to AP chronology)
Subsequent UP-based stories (unfortunately with the original telex messages missing below, but including portions of some of the previous surviving transmissions) quote Ramey explicitly identifying the debris as from a weather balloon and radar reflector before the photos at Fort Worth were ever taken, and probably before Major Marcel's plane even arrived there with the actual debris retrieved from the field. It is reasonable to assume that these Ramey quotes were obtained by the UP Dallas office soon after being put on the story at around 3:20. (or 4:20 in Dallas). These Ramey UP quotes appeared in at least one West Coast newspaper that evening (The San Francisco News). The evening publication deadline probably would have been around 3:00 Pacific time, indicating that Ramey was talking about weather balloons and radar targets well before the announcement of the official identification by his weather officer at 4:30 Pacific time (this didn't make it into any West Coast papers that evening).
Ramey was also talking to a reporter from the San Francisco Examiner at about the same time, as well as being in telephone communication with the Army Air Force Pentagon press office. AP reported on Ramey's Pentagon statements, probably in the same 3:53 bulletin (or 2:53 Pacific time) and these also barely made it into the evening editions of some West Coast papers (Los Angeles
Herald-Express and Seattle Times). Again Ramey seemed to be making these telephone statements before 3:00 PM on the West Coast or 5:00 PM in Fort Worth.
Herald-Express and Seattle Times). Again Ramey seemed to be making these telephone statements before 3:00 PM on the West Coast or 5:00 PM in Fort Worth.
Some parts of these UP messages are still puzzling to investigators. E.g., see the end of the original 2:41 message mentioning the strange blue light reported by "residents near the ranch" several nights before. How did that get in there? There is no similar description in the AP version of the press release. According to Frank Kaufmann, it was the blue glow of the crash object that originally tipped the military off as to its location. Obviously a balloon wouldn't do this.
Also look at the last message from the Santa Fe office which asks whether this was the same ranch mentioned in the previous weeks' "flying disc hullabaloo." What ranch were they referring to? One possibility was the UFO report of June 29 from a rancher in Cliff, N.M. of a shiny object crashing down. Two AAF fliers went out to look but found nothing except a layer of "stinking air." This was a small story barely reported even in New Mexico, but the Santa Fe UP office was probably aware of it.
DXR 54
MORE FLYING DISC (DXR53)
-0-
THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE REPORTS THAT IT GAINED POSSESSION OF THE
"DIS:" THROUGH THE COOPERATION OF A ROSWELL RANCHER AND SHERIFF
GEORGE WILSON OF ROSWELL.
THE DISC LANDED ON A RANCH NEAR ROSWELL SOMETIME LAST WEEK. NOT
HAVING PHONE FACILITIES, THE RANCHER, WHOSE NAME HAS NOT YET BEEN
OBTAINED, STORED THE DISC UNTIL SUCH TIME AS HE WAS ABLE TO
CONTACT THE ROSWELL SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN TURN NOTIFIED A MAJOR OF THE 509TH
INTELLIGENCE OFFICE.
ACTION WAS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY AND THE DISC WAS PICKED UP AT THE
RANCHER'S HOME AND TAKEN TO THE ROSWELL AIR BASE. FOLLOWING
EXAMINATION, THE DISC WAS FLOWN BY INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS IN A SUPER-
FORTRESS TO AN UNDISCLOSED "HIGHER HEADQUARTERS."
THE AIR BASE HAS REFUSED TO GIVE DETAILS OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE DISC
OR OF ITS APPEARANCE.
RESIDENTS NEAR THE RANCH ON WHICH THE DISC WAS FOUND REPORTED
SEEING A STRANGE BLUE LIGHT SEVERAL DAYS AGO ABOUT THREE O'CLOCK IN
THE MORNING.
J241P 7/8
FRR8
(SUB)
ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO---THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE OF THE 509TH BOMB
GROUP OF THE ROSWELL ARMY AIR BASE REPORTS THAT IT HAS RECEOVERED A
"FLYING DISC" AND THAT IT IS BEING FLOWN IN A SUPERFORTRESS TO
"HIGHER HEADQUARTERS" FOR STUDY.
ARMY OFFICIALS AT THE ROSWELL BASE WILL NOT DISCLOSE THE LOCATION
OF THE "HIGHER HEADQUARTERS."
SHERIFF GEORGE WILCOX (CORRECT) OF ROSWELL WAYS THAT THE DISC WAS
FOUND ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO BY A RANCHER BY THE NAME OF W. W. BRIZELL
ON THE FOSTER RANCH NEAR CORONA, ABOUT 75 MILES NORTHWEST OF ROSWELL
NEAR THE CENTER OF NEW MEXICO.
SHERIFF WILCOX SAYS THE RANCHER DOES NOT HAVE A TELEPHONE, AND
THAT HE DID NOT REPORT FINDING THE DISC UNTIL DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY.
SHERIFF WILCOX SAYS THAT BRIZELL SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT
IT WAS, BUT THAT AT FIRST IT APPEARED TO BE A WEATHER METER.
HOWEVER, OFFICIALS AT THE ROSWELL ARMY AIR BASE WERE NOTIFIED,
AND AN OFFICER AND AN ENLISTED MAN CAME TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE
TO CLAIM THE OBJECT.
SHERIFF WILCOX QUOTES BRIZELL AS SAYING THAT "IT MORE OR LESS
SEEMED LIKE TINFOIL." WILCOX SAYS THAT BRIZELL SAID THAT THE DIXC
WAS BROKEN SOME, APPARENTLY FROM THE FALL. THE SHERIFF SAYS THAT BRIZELL
DESCRIBED THE OBJECT ABOUT AS LARGE AS A SAFE IN THE SHERIFF'S
OFFICE. HE ADDED THAT THE SAFE WAS ABOUT THREE AND ONE-HALF BY FOUR
FEE.
-0-
(DXR
WILL HV ANOTHER ADD IN ABT 5 OR 10 MINWS.)
V7/8
316P SPLIT 20 MINS DXR
SXR - IXR - HOLD FOR ONE
HCR
S AGR
JD/FRR
LETS HAVE TEXT ARMY ANNOUNCEMENT FASTEST. JUST PUT ON
AS TEST AN LET ROLL IN QUOTES.
DX NJ317P7/8..
NJ DXR
ARMY GAVE VERBAL ANNCMENT. NO TEXT.
FRR V7/8..
FRR
DID ARMY CALL IT A "FLYING DISC" OR WHAT?
DXR.
NAJ DXR
FYI, ROSWELL REPORTS TT MAJOR JESSE A. MARCEL, INTELLIGENCE
OFFICER FOR 509TH BOMBER GROUP AT ROSWELL ARMY AIR BASE, IS IN FORT WORTH,
TEX., AT 8TH ARMY HDQUARTERS, "IF HE HANT ALREADY STARTED BACK FOR
ROWELL." SUGG U GET DA IN ON IT FASTEST. TT MITE BE WHERE DISC
WAS FLOWN.
FRR V7/8
FRR
DA ALREADY ALERTED. HOW RE ARMY TERMINOLOGY---"FLYING DISC" OR
WHAT PLS?
DXR.
DXR
OUR S5&4 CALLED IT "FLYING DISC." WE UNABLE GET QUOTES FROM
-4.6 OURSELVES -S 635. WE AFTER IT FASTEST. S5&4 SAID "FLYING DISCS."
FRR V7/8..
DXR20S
DENVER---RECORDS SHOW THAT COLORADO IS LAGGING BEHIND HER...
...
CX322P 7/8
95
DXR
ARMY :-))3$ [CALLED] IT "LFLYING DISC."
FRR V7/8..
FRR8
EEDITORS; PLEASE SUB FOR 5TH PGH AND REMAINDER OF FRRE8
-0-
HOWEVER, OFFICIALS AT THE ROSWELL ARMY AIR BASE WERE NOTIFIED
IMMEDIATELY BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. MAJOR JESSE A. MARCEL---
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER OF THE ROSWELL BASE---AND AN ENLISTED MAN THEN
CHECKED WITH THE SHERIFF.
SHERIFF WILCOX QUOTED BRIZELL AS SAYING THAT "IT MORE OR LESS
SEEMED LIKE TINFOIL." WILCOX SAID THAT BRIZELL
RELATED THAT THE DISC WAS BROKEN SOMEWHAT---APPARENTLY FROM THE FALL.
THE SHERIFF SAID THAT BRIZELL DESCRIBED THE OBJECT ABOUT AS LARGE
AS A SAFE IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. HE ADDED THAT THE SAFE WAS ABOUT
THREE AND ONE-HALF BY FOUR FEET.
BRIZELL DID NOT BRING THE OBJECT TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT
MERELY DROVE THE 75 MILES FORM THE RANCH TO ROSWELL TO REPORT HIS
FINDING. SHERIFF WILCOX SAID THAT MAJOR MARCEL LEFT SHORTLY AFTER
RECEIVING THE REPORT FOR THE AREA WHERE THE DISC WAS FOUND.
MEANWHILE, A REPORT FROM CARRIZOZO, NEW MEXICO, SAID THAT A DISC
WAS FOUND 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CORONA. THE REPORT---WHICH WAS NOT
SUBSTANTIATED---MERELY SAID THAT IT WAS "A RUBBER SUBSTANCE AND
TINFOIL ENCASE." HOWEVER, IT WAS PRESUMED TO BE THE SAME AS THE
ONE REPORTED TO ROSWELL.
REPORTS FROM THE ROSWELL BASE SAID THAT MAJOR MARCEL WAS AT
EIGHTH ARMY HEADQUARTERS IN FORT WORTH, TEXT, BUT THAT "HE MIGHT
BE ON HIS WAY BACK TO ROSWELL BY PLANE NOW." HOWEVER, OFFICIALS
AT THE ROSWELL BASE SAY THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE DISC OR ITS
DESCRIPTIONG, OR WHERE THE "HIGHER HEADQUARTERS" WHERE IT REPORTEDLY
WAS TAKEN ARE LOCATED.
V342P7/8
FRR10 (CQ)
MORE DISC (ROSWELL)
SHERIFF'S OFFICERS IN ROSWELL SAID THAT BRIZELL TOLD THEM HE SAW IT
LYING ON THE RANCH, AND THAT HE PICKED IT UP AND INTENDED TO KEEP IT.
THEY SAID THAT HE DID NOT GIVE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE
OBJECT, OTHER THAN TO SAY IT APPEARED SOMEWHAT LIKE TINFOIL AND WAS
LARGE---ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE SAFE IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SHERIFF'S OFFICERS SAID THAT BRIZELL TOLD THEM HE PLANNED TO
KEEP THE OBJECT, BUT THEN HEARD REPORTS OF FLYING DISCS AND DECIDED
TO DRIVE IN TO ROSWELL AND REPORT HIS FINDING TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
-0-
(DXR: 23 :(8,& :-448"9"9.)
V3/45P7/8
95
FRR
WAS TT SAME RANCH MENTIONED LAST AS
95
FRR
WAS TT SAME RANCH MENTIONED LAST WEEK IN FLYING DISC
HULLABALOO?
DX
CX336P 7/8 [Probably typo, should be 3:46 PM]