Chapter VIII: Section TWO: Reports of Bodies at the Roswell AAF Hospital (2)

=Project EXCELSIOR.= In 1959 and 1960 the U.S. Air Force Aero
Medical Laboratory collaborated with the Holloman Balloon Branch
for Project EXCELSIOR, the second Air Force manned high altitude
balloon program. EXCELSIOR was the dramatic climax of the high
altitude free-fall studies that began as Project HIGH DIVE in 1953
using anthropomorphic dummies. As the test director for Project
Excelsior, Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. made three parachute
jumps from balloons, EXCELSIOR I, II, and III, from 76,000,
75,000, and a still standing record altitude of 102,800 feet.
EXCELSIOR’S scientific objective was to develop a parachute system
and techniques required to return a pilot or astronaut to earth
following an emergency high altitude escape.

=Project STARGAZER.= Project STARGAZER was the third Air Force
manned high altitude balloon program. Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger.
Jr., the veteran high altitude balloon pilot of MAN HIGH and
EXCELSIOR, was both the pilot and project engineer. On December
13, 1962, Kittinger and U.S. Navy civilian astronomer William C.
White rose to 86,000 feet to make astronomical observations with
a gyro-stabilized telescope. A joint U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy,
Smithsonian Institution, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
program, STARGAZER made only one of a scheduled four flights due to
budget shortfalls and equipment difficulties.

Table 2.4
U.S. Air Force Manned High Altitude Balloon Flights
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Project/Flight Altitude (feet) Pilot
----------------------------------------------------------------------
6/2/57 MAN HIGH I 96,200 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.

8/19/57 MAN HIGH II 101,500 Lt. Col. David G. Simons (MC)

10/8/58 MAN HIGH III 99,700 1st Lt. Clifton McClure

11/16/59 EXCELSIOR I 76,400 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.

12/11/59 EXCELSIOR II 74,700 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger. Jr.

8/16/60 EXCELSIOR III 102,800 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.

12/13/62 STARGAZER 86,000 Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.

With the completion of Project STARGAZER and the success of NASA’s Project MERCURY space flights, future investigations were accomplished by space vehicles. This signaled the end of an era of manned high altitude balloon flight; however, these projects had indeed “bridged the gap,” and manned space flight was now safely possible.

Low Altitude Balloon Training Missions

=Background.= In April 1958, Col. John P. Stapp, commander of the U.S. Air Force Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, appointed a new project officer for Project EXCELSIOR, Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr. EXCELSIOR was part of an ongoing program to examine high altitude aircraft escape procedures and equipment.[168] Kittinger was an experienced fighter test pilot who was the pilot of the first Air Force manned high altitude balloon project, MAN HIGH I, in June 1957.[169] In addition to being the EXCELSIOR project officer, Kittinger was the pilot and project engineer of STARGAZER which also utilized high altitude balloons.

By 1959, Kittinger was an integral part of both EXCELSIOR and STARGAZER and one of only three individuals in the Air Force with high altitude balloon pilot experience. Due to the hazardous nature of these important projects, Stapp was concerned that an injury to Kittinger might result in the cancellation of one or both of them. Therefore, Stapp determined there was a need for backup pilots. Selected as backup pilots were Captains Dan D. Fulgham and William C. Kaufman. Both men were rated aircraft pilots, parachutists, and research and development officers assigned to the Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB.

During the third week of May 1959, a series of low altitude manned balloon flights were flown to train Fulgham and Kaufman.[170] These flights were launched by the Holloman AFB Balloon Branch. To satisfy safety requirements, the flights were closely monitored by medical personnel at all times. A helicopter with medical personnel followed the flights during daylight hours, a C-131 aircraft followed during hours of darkness, and at all times medical personnel followed in an ambulance.[171] Balloon recovery and communications technicians also followed the missions on the ground in a communications vehicle and a balloon recovery vehicle.[172] The safety requirements were a result of several recent balloon mishaps that resulted in serious injuries to the pilots.

To meet the training schedule, Kittinger, Kaufman and Fulgham were assigned temporary duty (TDY) from the Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB to the Balloon Branch at Holloman AFB, N.M.

The three pilots, Kittinger, Kaufman and Fulgham, flew training missions together. Kaufman and Fulgham alternately flew the balloon while Kittinger instructed. The missions were flown at night to take advantage of light winds and avoid the effects of diurnal heating on the helium (the lifting gas that filled the balloon). Used for these missions were 30-foot diameter polyethylene balloons and an aluminum gondola especially designed for low altitude training.

The first training mission scheduled for May 19, 1959 was canceled due to equipment problems.[173] Problems overcome, the next day at 1:30 a.m. the mission launched from White Sands Proving Ground.[174] The objective of this flight was to practice gas valving and ballasting techniques necessary for balloon control and to practice landings. After a five-hour flight, the balloon landed without incident just after sunrise northwest of El Paso, Texas.[175]

The second training flight, launched at 2:41 a.m. on May 21, 1959, from behind the Balloon Branch building, Bldg. 850 at Holloman AFB.[176] Near the end of another successful training mission with the same objectives as the previous flight, a mishap occurred resulting in injuries to two of the pilots, Fulgham and Kittinger.[177]

=The Mishap.= Just after sunrise on May 21, 1959, following a successful low level training flight east of Holloman AFB over the Sacramento Mountains, Kittinger, the instructor pilot, determined the balloon should be landed in a small field approximately 10 miles northwest of Roswell.[178] This was necessary because of approaching bad weather and the field was the last suitable landing site before overflying the city of Roswell.[179] When the balloon touched down, a higher than normal forward velocity for landing caused the gondola to overturn.[180] The three pilots, Kittinger, Fulgham, and Kaufman, were spilled from the gondola pinning Fulgham’s head between the edge of the gondola and the ground.[181] The impact shattered his helmet and he sustained a head injury.[182] When the three pilots climbed out from under the gondola, Fulgham noticed that his “head seemed to be protruding outward from underneath [his] helmet.”[183] Kittinger also received an injury, a minor facial laceration. The crew of the nearby chase helicopter and personnel in the ground tracking vehicles rushed to the scene.[184] For medical treatment, the pilots were transported by the helicopter to nearby Walker AFB.[185]

When the helicopter landed at Walker AFB, it was met by armed security personnel who sought to verify the purpose of the unannounced arrival.[186] The security personnel escorted the balloon pilots to the hospital.[187] The balloon recovery and communications crew, after retrieving the gondola and balloon, drove to Walker AFB to check on the injured crew and to inform the Balloon Branch at Holloman AFB of the accident.[188]

At the Walker AFB hospital, Fulgham and Kittinger received treatment for their injuries and neither required admission. Meanwhile, the Walker AFB security officials continued to escort the unannounced visitors while verifying their identities.[189] The pilot’s identities and purpose for their visit were confirmed via phone by Colonel Stapp, Aero Medical Laboratory commander at Wright-Patterson AFB (the pilots and Project EXCELSIOR were assigned to this organization).[190]

Kittinger, the EXCELSIOR project officer, wanted to leave the hospital as quickly as possible after he and Fulgham received medical attention.[191] The quick departure was to avoid unwanted scrutiny by Walker AFB flying safety officials.[192] When released by the flight surgeon, the three pilots boarded the chase helicopter and returned to Holloman AFB approximately 100 miles to the west.

2.4

Comparison of the Hospital Account to the Balloon Mishap

The balloon mishap near Roswell on May 21, 1959 provides the probable explanation for some of the remaining elements of the incident profile—the redheaded captain, the unusual security at the hospital, the wreckage in the rear of an ambulance, and one portion of the accounts of “aliens” at the Roswell AAF hospital.

The “Redheaded Captain”

It is highly probable that the descriptions of a redheaded captain are those of Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., now a retired Colonel. Kittinger, who has red hair, was present at the Walker AFB hospital the entire time the events involving the balloon mishap took place. This is the second Roswell account that describes a captain with red hair. As related in Section One of this report (see page 77 and Appendix C, page 194), a redheaded captain was also allegedly present at the “crashed saucer” site on the San Agustin Plains.[193] That account was consistent with Kittinger’s responsibilities as the EXCELSIOR and STARGAZER pilot and project officer. As project officer of two research programs that utilized high altitude balloons and as a chase pilot on many other high altitude balloon missions, Kittinger often accompanied balloon launch and recovery crews. He was present both on the ground and in the air at balloon launch and recovery locations throughout New Mexico and the Southwest United States to launch and retrieve anthropomorphic dummies used for Project EXCELSIOR and unmanned test gondolas used for Project STARGAZER.[194]

Following the accident, when the balloon pilots were transported to the Walker AFB hospital for medical treatment, Kittinger wanted to leave as soon as possible.[195] He recalled in a recent interview that his desire to quickly leave Walker AFB was to avoid the initiation of a formal accident investigation. He believed that an accident investigation might bring unwanted scrutiny to Project EXCELSIOR and delay or even cancel the controversial project.[196] The controversy surrounding Project EXCELSIOR was due principally to the hazardous nature of the high altitude escape research. Some senior research and development officials within the Air Force were reluctant to support a project that required a human subject to parachute from a balloon gondola at over 100,000 feet. An accident investigation at this juncture would most likely delay the human high altitude free-fall tests scheduled for the fall of 1959 and may have resulted in cancellation of the project.[197]

While at the hospital, Kittinger consulted by phone with his commander, Colonel Stapp.[198] Stapp agreed with Kittinger’s assessment that a quick departure from the Walker AFB hospital, after receiving appropriate medical attention, was in the best interest of the project.[199]

The statements attributed to the redheaded captain, “You did not see anything. There was no crash here. You don’t go into town making any rumors that you saw anything or that there was any crash,”[200] were consistent with Kittinger’s desire to avoid an accident investigation. However, when interviewed for this report, neither Kittinger nor any of the other persons documented as having been present in the hospital that day recalled encountering Dennis.[201]

What may have led an uninformed person, such as Dennis, to believe they were witnessing, or were told of, an unusual or classified event, was that when the injured balloon pilots arrived at the Walker AFB hospital, even though Project EXCELSIOR was unclassified, Kittinger sought to limit disclosure of negative information and publicity.[202]

By 1959, having been the subject of intense media scrutiny following his June 1957 MAN HIGH I high altitude balloon flight, Kittinger was aware of both the positive and negative aspects of publicity. In his 1961 book, _The Long, Lonely Leap_, Kittinger described this self-imposed secrecy regarding Project EXCELSIOR, “The secrecy imposed upon EXCELSIOR was of our own choosing. We believed ... that any unnecessary conversation about our activities ... would simply be premature.”[203] When interviewed for this report, Kittinger further explained of Project EXCELSIOR and the visit to the hospital at Walker AFB: “We didn’t want publicity ... about anything we were doing. So it would have appeared to someone not conversant with the project that we were ‘hush-hush,’ that we were secretive ... it might look like we were trying to cover up a classified mission.”[204]

The allegations that the redheaded captain, an apparent reference to Kittinger, threatened anyone while he was at the Walker AFB hospital are untrue. When interviewed for this report and in signed statements obtained from Kittinger, the two other balloon pilots, the doctor who treated them, the medic aboard the helicopter, and the Balloon Branch communications technician who were present at the hospital that day (see Appendix B), none of them recalled that Kittinger was involved in an altercation or made threatening remarks to anyone.[205] Involvement in an altercation with a civilian would have highlighted the presence of the balloon crew and possibly brought the type of negative publicity Kittinger sought to avoid. This would not only have violated Kittinger’s policy of maintaining a low profile in regard to EXCELSIOR, but would be completely out of character for the seasoned test pilot.

Throughout his career, Kittinger was renowned for his ability to maintain his composure in difficult, often life threatening, situations. He faced these situations as a test pilot, as a combat pilot and squadron commander in Southeast Asia, and as a Prisoner of War while subjected to severe torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese. In _The Pre-Astronauts_, which chronicles many of Kittinger’s accomplishments in the field of aeronautics, including Project EXCELSIOR and STARGAZER, the author offered the following description of him:

_Kittinger was not Buck Rogers, nor was he a daredevil or
thrill-seeker. He was a modern day test pilot: intense, focused,
usually quiet, and always polite with firm religious convictions
and a powerful sense of loyalty. If he was often stubborn,
uncompromising, and demanding he also dealt fairly and respectfully
with those who came into contact with him. He was a straight arrow
and a straight shooter._[206]

Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., USAF (Ret)

Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr.’s career in the U.S. Air Force
and in aviation has spanned the spectrum of experiences: test
pilot, balloon pilot, test parachutist, combat fighter pilot, MiG
killer, combat squadron commander, and prisoner of war. He has
demonstrated, during a nearly 30-year military career and beyond,
that he is among the very best in the U.S. Air Force and the field
of aeronautics.

Kittinger began his career in 1949 as a U.S. Air Force aviation
cadet. After earning his wings at Las Vegas AFB, Nev. in March
1950, he was assigned to fighter squadrons in Germany and then as
a test pilot for NATO. In 1953, Kittinger received an assignment
as a test pilot to Holloman AFB, N.M. While at Holloman, he began
a many year collaboration with the legendary Air Force scientist
and physician, Col. John P. Stapp. In association with Stapp on
numerous aero medical projects, Kittinger became the first pilot
to fly zero-gravity experiments, now commonly used for astronaut
training. For project MAN HIGH on June 2, 1957, Kittinger piloted a
high altitude balloon to 96,000 feet to examine the physiological
and psychological effects on man in a space equivalent environment.
This flight marked the origins of the manned U.S. space program
with the experience gained from MAN HIGH being incorporated in
NASA’s Project MERCURY.

After MAN HIGH, and again in association with Stapp, Kittinger
directed Project EXCELSIOR, a study of human free-fall
characteristics following aircraft escape at extremely high
altitudes. After extensive testing with anthropomorphic dummies,
Kittinger made three parachute jumps from high altitude balloons:
76,400 feet on November 16, 1959; 74,700 feet on December 11,
1959; and 102,800 feet on August 16, 1960. For these courageous
scientific achievements Kittinger was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross, the Harmon Trophy by President Eisenhower, the
still-standing world records for highest parachute jump and length
of a free-fall—and the distinction of being the only living person
to exceed the speed of sound without an aircraft or spacecraft!

With the completion of EXCELSIOR, Kittinger became the pilot,
project officer, and project engineer for STARGAZER, an
astronomical observation experiment. This was the third and final
Air Force manned high altitude balloon project, Kittinger had flown
in all three.

In 1963, he was assigned to the Air Commandos (now Special
Operations) and flew two combat tours in Southeast Asia in B-26
and A-26 aircraft. After a tour in Germany as a liaison officer
with the U.S. Army Special Forces, Kittinger returned to Southeast
Asia in 1971, flying F-4 aircraft and commanding the famous 555th
“Triple Nickel” Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn AB, Thailand. On
March 1, 1972 Kittinger engaged and destroyed a MiG-21 over North
Vietnam and is credited with an aerial victory. On May 11, 1972,
after 483 combat missions and more than 1,000 combat flying hours,
Kittinger was shot down over Hanoi and spent 11 months as a POW in
the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.” When placed with other POWs following
solitary confinement and severe torture, Kittinger was moved
repeatedly by his North Vietnamese captors due to his effectiveness
in motivating other prisoners to maintain strong resistance
postures.

Kittinger retired from the Air Force in 1978 and became involved
in both sport aircraft flying and gas ballooning. He operated
Rosie O’Grady’s Flying Circus in his hometown of Orlando, Fla.,
performing skywriting, banner towing, and hot air and helium
balloon demonstrations at nearby Walt Disney World. He also
captured the coveted Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Championship an
unprecedented four times (three consecutive), entitling him to
retire the trophy.

In September 1984, Kittinger made history again, when, in the
tradition of Lindbergh, he became the first person to make a solo
crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by balloon.

Kittinger’s military decorations include the Silver Star with
one oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster,
Distinguished Flying Cross with five oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star
Medal with “V” device and two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with
23 oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster, POW
medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm.

Kittinger’s indomitable spirit, personal courage and dedication to
duty are legendary. His ability to achieve seemingly unattainable
objectives while earning the respect and absolute loyalty of those
who served with him defines this rare breed of warrior-leader.

In October 1995, he received yet another honor and was named a
recipient of the prestigious “Elder Statesman of Aviation” award by
the National Aeronautics Association. This honor is bestowed upon
an individual who over a period of years, has made “significant
contributions to aeronautics” and for “reflecting credit upon
himself and America.” Without a doubt, there are few that exemplify
these virtues more than this truly distinctive American, Joseph W.
Kittinger, Jr.

The “Wreckage” in the Rear of the Ambulance

The various types of wreckage described in the rear of an ambulance at the Walker AFB hospital also appear to be related to the 1959 balloon accident. Some of this wreckage allegedly had odd inscriptions, touted by UFO theorists as “alien” hieroglyphics.

A requirement of balloon pilot training missions were that they be closely monitored by balloon recovery and medical personnel.[207] Ground crews from Holloman AFB followed the balloon flight from its launch site there to its landing site 10 miles northwest of Roswell.[208] Two of the vehicles that followed the balloon were Dodge M-43 ¾-ton field ambulances and a third was an M-37 ¾-ton utility vehicle or “weapons carrier.”[209] One ambulance was assigned to this mission for its standard use—a medical response vehicle. The other ambulance had been converted by the Holloman AFB Balloon Branch and served as a communications vehicle on balloon recovery missions.[210] The additional communications equipment, mounted in the rear compartment of the ambulance, drastically altered what someone expected to see in an ambulance of this type.

Dennis related that he was walking fast when he observed what he thought was wreckage in the rear of an ambulance.[211] This quick glance apparently resulted in descriptions of two pieces of wreckage leaning against the interior of the rear compartment of the ambulance that “was kind of like the bottom of a canoe ... like stainless steel ... with kind of a bluish-purplish tinge to it.”[212] UFO theorists have suggested that these objects were alien spaceship “escape pods” recovered by the Army Air Forces. However, this appears to be a remarkably accurate description of two steel panels painted Air Force blue on a converted ambulance used by the Balloon Branch for this mission.

The “inscription or something,”[213] the so called “hieroglyphics,” were a probable reference to the lettering painted on the equipment support rack above the panels. The lettering on the rack would be visible, but probably not readable, to an observer that quickly walked past the ambulance. Other wreckage “all over the floor” that was “like broken glass,”[214] was a probable reference to the clear plastic 30-foot polyethylene balloon that was recovered following the balloon training mission and placed in the back of the converted ambulance or the weapons carrier for later disposal.

Dennis also recalled that he parked the vehicle he was driving near three field ambulances and then walked up the ramp into the hospital.[215] The description of ambulances near a “ramp” is consistent with the recollections of the Balloon Branch Communication Technician who drove the converted ambulance to the Walker AFB hospital following the balloon accident. While waiting for the injured pilots, A2C Ole Jorgeson, now a retired Master Sergeant, recalled in a recent interview that he parked the converted ambulance near a ramp at the hospital.[216] A review of Walker AFB hospital records revealed that there was only one ramp. The ramp was attached to the hospital dispensary, Walker AFB Bldg. 317.[217] The other ambulances described by the witness were either the other ambulance from Holloman AFB that provided medical support of the balloon flight or the two “standby” ambulances, that in May 1959, were routinely positioned adjacent to the ramp behind the dispensary at Walker AFB.[218]

Additional Security at the Walker AFB Hospital

The witness described what appeared to be a heightened state of security at the hospital when he allegedly took the injured airman there for treatment. UFO theorists contend the heightened security at the hospital was because alien remains were being autopsied. However, it appears that the witness described the security measures taken by Walker AFB personnel due to the unusual circumstances of the arrival of the balloon crew.

In 1959, Walker AFB was a part of the 47th Air Division of Strategic Air Command (SAC). It was home of the 6th Bombardment Wing (6th BW), equipped with the nuclear capable B-52 Stratofortress bomber (the 509th BW was reassigned to Pease AFB, NH on July 1, 1958).[219] The mission of the 6th BW, to strike the enemy with nuclear weapons anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice, demanded a heightened state of security at all times. One of the methods instituted during this period to maintain the high standards of security and effectiveness of SAC units, was unannounced “surprise” visits of Headquarters SAC inspection teams. A favored method of transportation for these surprise visits was a helicopter. When a SAC inspection team landed at a base, often the first evaluation they made was of the security response to their unannounced arrival. Failure of security personnel to properly challenge unidentified visitors, regardless of their method of arrival, was considered a serious breach of security.

When transported to Walker AFB for medical treatment, unexpected and at an early hour, the balloon crew, not surprisingly, was met by armed security personnel.[220] The security personnel escorted them to the hospital and remained with them until their identities and purpose of their visit were verified. Kaufman, one of the balloon pilots, recalled that their presence at Walker AFB was initially met with skepticism.

“The [helicopter] pilot called the tower and said ... having come from an experimental base, it was nothing unusual for him to have a balloon accident. ‘We’ve got an injured pilot on board. There’s been a balloon accident and we would like the flight surgeon and an ambulance to meet us at the tower.’ The tower established the fact that yes, we were an Air Force chopper and that we seemed to have somebody injured and what had we been doing? We had been shooting touch and go landings in a balloon?... We got clearance to land ... right in front of the tower, and we were met by an ambulance and several MPs with machine guns.”[221]

According to the medical technician who arrived on the helicopter with the pilots, he had difficulty persuading a flight surgeon to attend to the injured pilots. SSgt. Roland H. “Hap” Lutz, now a retired Chief Master Sergeant, recalled when he first contacted the Walker AFB hospital explaining that he had three persons injured in a “gondola accident,” the flight surgeon told him to “Go home and sleep it off.”[222] Fulgham, the injured pilot, recalled that when they got to the hospital, “there was this controversy going on in the hospital about who in the hell we were ... we weren’t supposed to be there and nobody knew anything about Air Force officers flying balloons ... we could have been ... [trying] to penetrate the security.”[223] Walker AFB security officials were satisfied of the pilots’ identities when they spoke to Colonel Stapp, commander of the Aero Medical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

The “Red-headed Captain” and Dr. J. Allen Hynek

Captain Kittinger, the STARGAZER high altitude balloon pilot and
project engineer, had extensive professional contact with Dr.
J. Allen Hynek, an astronomer and STARGAZER project scientist.
Additionally, Hynek was also one of the scientific consultants in
the Air Force study of UFOs, Project BLUEBOOK. Hynek is best known,
however, for his apparent endorsement of extraterrestrial theories
concerning UFOs after concluding his associations with the Air
Force.

When asked about his recollections of Hynek, Kittinger stated
that when they were associated, from 1958 to 1963, they discussed
UFOs at length.[224] At that time, Hynek was steadfast in his
opinion that most, if not all, UFO sightings could be resolved by
applying known scientific analysis.[225] Kittinger said he was
“flabbergasted” when, years later, Hynek appeared to reverse his
opinion and endorse extraterrestrial explanations.[226] Hynek’s
reversal in philosophies led to numerous commercial endeavors, most
notably as a technical advisor for the science-fiction film _Close
Encounters of the Third Kind_.

Also, based on his experience with project STARGAZER, Hynek was
familiar with balloon operations at Holloman AFB, visiting the
Holloman Balloon Branch several times.[227] Interestingly, there
is no record that Hynek, who died in 1986, ever endorsed what is
now presented as the “best evidence” of UFOs, the so-called Roswell
Incident, which was actually a conglomeration of numerous events,
some with origins in Holloman AFB launched balloons.

The Alien at the Hospital

In at least one account of the Roswell Incident, a witness claimed he observed a “creature” walk under its own power into the hospital.[228] While the specifics of this particular sighting cannot be verified, the injury that caused Fulgham’s head to swell, resembling the classic science-fiction alien head, makes this account (and some others) that at first appeared to be the work of over-active imaginations, seem possible.

CLINICAL RECORD COVER SHEET 8511

1. ADMISSION NOTES
1045 hrs
A or N: No

2. WARD 1

3. TYPE OF CASE
IRJ

4. LAST NAME—FIRST NAME—MIDDLE INITIAL
FULGHAM Dan D

5. SEX
M

6. Religion
P

7. PREV. ADM.
NO

8. REGISTER NO.
16059

9. SERVICE NO.
44734A

10. GRADE
Capt

11. RATING OR DESIG.
Sr Pilot

12. DEPARTMENT
Air Force

13. ORGANIZATION AND BRANCH OF SERVICE
ARDC Wright Patterson(a)

14. FLYING STATUS
Yes

15. NAME AND ADDRESS OF EMERGENCY ADDRESSEE
Joyce Fulgham (W)
5540 Gross Drive Dayton Ohio

16. AGE
31

17. RACE
Cau

18. LENGTH OF SERVICE
12 yrs

19. DATE OF ADMISSION
12 May 59

20. SOURCE OF ADMISSION
From duty

21. ADMITTING OFFICER
L. E. Eason Capt USAF MC

22. CONTINUATION OF ITEMS 12 AND 20.
(a) AFB, Ohio

23. DIAGNOSES
8715 Hematoma, traumatic, n.e.c. forehead LD: Pending AF Form 348

AI: Approximately 0600 hours, 21 May 1959, North of Roswell, New
Mexico, patient states he was taking part in a military project
involving balloon testing. When he and two others landed in the
balloon the “gondola” upset, and hit him in the head causing injury.

24. OPERATIONS AND SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC PROCEDURES
None

25. SELECTED ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
None

26. PHYSICAL PROFILE

27. DATE DURATION THIS FACILITY

ALL 3 IN HOSPITAL OR INFIRMARY 3

28. NATURE OF DISPOSITION
Duty

29. DATE OF DISPOSITION
24 May 59

30. SIGNATURE OF ATTENDING PHYSICIAN
LESLIE E EASON CAPT USAF HC

31. SIGNATURE OF REGISTRAR OR RECORDS OFFICER
ROLAND E DOZOIS CWD W-3 USAF

32. NAME AND LOCATION OF MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY
6580TH USAF HOSPITAL HOLLOMAN AFB NM

33. REGISTER NUMBER
16059
]

When the balloon gondola struck Fulgham’s head, he received, according to his clinical record from May 21, 1959, an “Extensive hematoma forehead and ant [anterior] scalp.”[229] A hematoma is a localized blood-filled swelling, that in this instance was on the forehead. The hematoma resulted in immediate facial swelling, two black eyes and later caused his skin to turn yellow.[230]

The rapid onset of the swelling caused both of Fulgham’s eyes to close. As it progressed, according to Kittinger who accompanied Fulgham at the hospital, “His whole face had swollen up and his nose barely protruded.”[231] This appearance lead Kittinger to characterize Fulgham’s appearance at the time as “just a big blob” and “grotesque.”[232]

When interviewed, Fulgham remembered that even though he didn’t feel bad, “I didn’t know how bad I looked.” There was no attempt to hide or limit Fulgham’s exposure to persons in the hospital that day. In fact, when he arrived at the hospital Fulgham recalled that he stopped outside the building to smoke a cigarette. Kaufman also recalled that the injured pilots, Fulgham and Kittinger, waited for treatment on a bench in the hallway of the hospital. Kaufman added that a number of military wives were present in the hospital that day for prenatal care, and there was no effort to keep Fulgham from their view.[233]

=“Bodies” with Large Heads and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio=

UFO theorists contend that the U.S. Army Air Forces secretly shipped the alien bodies with large heads to Wright-Patterson AFB for further processing and deep-freeze storage. However, it is likely that, in this account, this is a reference to Fulgham’s return to Wright-Patterson AFB following the balloon mishap.

Although Fulgham did not require hospitalization at Walker AFB, upon his return to Holloman AFB he was admitted to the base hospital for observation. Three days later on May 24, 1959, the balloon pilots were flown from Holloman to Wright-Patterson AFB on a specially arranged flight aboard a C-131 hospital aircraft.[234]

The return to Wright-Patterson AFB was directed by Stapp and coordinated by Kittinger.[235] The preliminary arrangements for this flight were made by Kittinger while at the Walker AFB hospital.[236] Kittinger recalled that conversations with Stapp regarding their return to Wright-Patterson AFB were made by phone in busy areas of the hospital and these conversations could have been overheard by nearly anyone present.[237]

Upon their arrival at Wright-Patterson, Fulgham, who Kittinger did not want to transport on a commercial flight due to his odd appearance, still could not open his eyes and had to be led down the steps of the aircraft. Kittinger recalled that Fulgham’s wife was waiting at the bottom of the aircraft steps when they arrived.

“They dropped the ramp and I looked down at the bottom and there was Dan Fulgham’s wife,” Kittinger said. “Dan couldn’t see ... so I grabbed him by the arm ... Dan’s wife sees me leading this blob down the staircase ... and she looks right at me and says, ‘Where’s my husband?’ I said, ‘Ma’am, this is your husband’. I presented her this blob that I was leading down the ramp. And she let out this scream you could hear a mile away. He was such a horrendous looking thing that she had no idea that the thing I was leading down that ramp was her husband.”[238]

Fulgham recalled that upon his return to work at the Aero Medical Laboratory he received reactions of “immediate compassionate sympathy” from persons he encountered, including his secretary, who cried when she saw him.[239] Within several weeks, Fulgham returned to flying status with no permanent effects. Fulgham went on to complete a distinguished career in the Air Force and retired as a colonel in 1978. Fulgham’s assignments included combat tours in fighter aircraft in both Korea and Vietnam, as well as an assignment as an experimental parachutist and physiologist for the space program.

Summary

In this section, documented research revealed that the reports of “bodies” at the Roswell AAF hospital were grossly inaccurate and most probably had origins in actual Air Force mishaps. Examinations of official records of the alleged primary witnesses revealed that the “missing nurse” was never missing, and the pediatrician did not arrive at the Walker AFB hospital until 1951—four years _after_ the alleged incident. The many fundamental errors in the story, combined with the substantial similarities to the actual mishaps, show that the most credible account associated with the “Roswell Incident” is certainly not extraterrestrial and is unrelated to any events that occurred in July 1947.

Conclusion

When critically examined, the claims that the U.S. Army Air Forces recovered a flying saucer and alien crew in 1947, were found to be a compilation of many verifiable events. For the most part, the descriptions collected by UFO theorists were of actual operations and tests carried out by the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s. Despite the usual unsavory accusations by UFO proponents of cover-up, conspiracy, intimidation, etc., documented research revealed that many of the activities were actually historic scientific achievements of which the Air Force is very proud. However, other descriptions are believed to be distorted references to Air Force members who were killed or injured in the line of duty. The incomplete and inaccurate intermingling of these actual events were grounded in just enough fact to weave a sensational story, but cannot withstand close scrutiny when compared to official records.

To analyze reports of alien bodies that at first appeared to be so offbeat as to not be remotely based in fact, it was necessary to evaluate a wide range of books, interviews, videos, etc., that a less objective review might have rejected out of hand. Only through an inclusive evaluation of these sources were Air Force researchers able to understand the interconnectivity of the widely separated events believed responsible for this “incident.” And, in opposition to critics who believe Air Force research involving this subject is anything but objective, this research relied almost exclusively on the descriptions _=provided by the UFO proponents themselves=_. When collected and examined, the actual statements of the witnesses—not the extraterrestrial interpretations of UFO proponents—indicated that something was very wrong. When these descriptions were compared to documented Air Force activities, they were much too similar to be a coincidence. Soon, it became apparent that the witnesses or the UFO proponents who liberally interpreted their statements were either 1) confused, or 2) attempting to perpetrate a hoax, believing that no serious efforts would ever be taken to verify their stories.

In preparing this report, attempts were made not to only explain _what_ conclusions were reached, but _how_ they were reached. This undertaking was to try to de-mystify the research process by outlining the simple and logical research techniques that identified the underlying actual events. In regard to statements of witnesses that were clearly descriptions of Air Force activities, such as those that described anthropomorphic dummies, these could be generously viewed as situational misunderstandings or even honest mistakes. Other descriptions, particularly those believed to be thinly veiled references to deceased or injured Air Force members, are difficult to view as naive misunderstandings. Any attempt to misrepresent or capitalize on tragic incidents in which Air Force members died or were injured in service to their country significantly alters what would otherwise be viewed as simple misinterpretations or honest mistakes.

IN MEMORIAM

WIRED P. CHAMPLAIN, 1ST LT. U.S.A.F. RONALD J. NIELSEN, AIRMAN 1/C

U.S.A.F.

ROBERT W. MITCHELL

WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE RECOVERY OF INSTRUMENTS FROM THE
STRATOSPHERE 25 AUGUST 1955]

Finally, after reviewing this report, some persons may legitimately ask why the Air Force expended time and effort to respond to mythical, if not comedic, allegations of recoveries of “flying saucers” and “space aliens.” The answer to those persons is:

• Initially the Air Force was required to respond to an official
request from the General Accounting Office.

• High altitude balloon research, aircraft escape systems, and
other technologies that were misrepresented as part of the Roswell
Incident, accounted for significant contributions to the knowledge
of the atmosphere, to the quest for space flight, and to the
defense of this nation. The U.S. Air Force is exceedingly proud of
these accomplishments. Distorted and incomplete descriptions of
these activities do not pay tribute to these important exploits
or to the individuals who, often at great personal risk, boldly
carried them out.

• A sobering reality of the mission of the U.S. Air Force, as
evidenced by the aircraft mishaps described in this report, is
that defending this nation is a dangerous profession. On a daily
basis, members of the U.S. Air Force perform hazardous missions in
many locations throughout the world. Unfortunately, these missions
sometimes result in injuries or deaths. It is the right—and indeed
the duty—of the Air Force to challenge those who attempt to exploit
these human tragedies wherever, and whenever, they are discovered.

• The misrepresentations of Air Force activities as an
extraterrestrial “incident” is misleading to the public and is
simply an affront to the truth.

This comprehensive further examination of the so-called “Roswell Incident” found no evidence whatsoever of flying saucers, space aliens, or sinister government cover-ups. But, even if unintentionally, it did serve to highlight a series of events that embody the proud history of the finest air force in the world—the U.S. Air Force. The actual events examined here, rich in human and scientific triumph, tempered by the stark realities of the dangers of the Air Force mission, are but one small portion of that history. The many Air Force activities cobbled together in the ever changing collage that has become the “Roswell Incident,” when examined in the clear light of historical research, revealed a remarkable chapter of the Air Force story. In the final analysis, this examination simply illustrates once again, that fact is indeed stranger, and often much more fascinating, than fiction.

Notes - Section One

[1] Headquarters United States Air Force, _The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert_ (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1995), 20–22.

[2] ibid.

[3] Don Berliner and Stanton T. Friedman, _Crash at Corona_ (New York: Paragon House, 1992), 14.

[4] Headquarters United States Air Force, _The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert_ (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1995), 20–22.

[5] Ted Bloecher, _Report of the UFO Wave of 1947_ (Washington D.C.: author, 1967), I-13-14.

[6] Combined History, 509th Bomb Group and Roswell Army Airfield, 1 July-31 July 1947, 39, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, AL.

[7] _Roswell Daily Record_, July 9, 1947, 1.

[8] _Socorro_ (N.M.) _Defensor Chieftain_, November 4, 1992.

[9] Don Berliner, _A Rebuttal of the Air Force Project Mogul Explanation for the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico, UFO Crash_ (Mount Ranier, Md.: The Fund for UFO Research, 1995), 2.

[10] Headquarters United States Air Force, _The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert_ (Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1995), Attachment 32, _Synopsis of Balloon Research Findings_, by 1st Lt. James McAndrew, 9.

[11] Don Berliner and Stanton T. Friedman, _Crash at Corona_ (New York: Paragon House, 1992), 14.

[12] Video, _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Gerald Anderson interview (Washington, D.C.: Fund for UFO Research, 1993) (hereafter _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_).

[13] James Ragsdale, transcript of interview with Donald R. Schmitt, January 26, 1994.

[14] Frank J. Kaufman, interview with Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt, January 27, 1990.

[15] _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Maltais interview.

[16] ibid., Anderson interview.

[17] ibid.

[18] ibid., Maltais interview.

[19] _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Anderson interview.

[20] Charles Berlitz and William L. Moore, _The Roswell Incident_ (New York: Berkley, 1980), 61.

[21] ibid.

[22] _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Alice Knight interview.

[23] Ragsdale and _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Anderson interview.

[24] ibid.

[25] _Recollections of Roswell, Part II_, Anderson interview.

[26] Ragsdale.

[27] James M. Grimwood, _Project Mercury: A Chronology_, Report No. SP4001 (Wash. D.C.: NASA, 1963) 2–3, and Lloyd Mallan, _Men, Rockets and Space Rats_, (New York: Julian Messier Inc., 1955) 84–98.

[28] Research Division, College of Engineering, New York University, _Technical Report No. 93.02, Constant Level Balloons_, Section 3, _Summary of Flights_, July 15, 1949.

[29] Capt. Vincent Mazza and Capt. Richard V. Wheeler, _High Altitude Bailouts_, MCREXD-695-66M (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH: USAF Air Materiel Command, September 18, 1950), 10–11.

[30] A. M. Jacobs, “The Flier’s SOS,” _St. Nicholas Magazine_, Vol. LII, No. 10 (August 1925), 1034–1039.

[31] ibid.

[32] Memo, Major H.H. Arnold, Chief Field Service Section, to Commanding Officer, San Antonio Air Depot, subj: Drop Testing of Parachutes, November 2, 1929. National Air and Space Museum Archives, Paul E. Garber Facility, Silver Hill, Md., file no. 452.031, Parachutes-(Dummies) 1927–1929.

[33] J. Allen Neal, _History: Development of Methods for Escape from High Speed Aircraft, Vol. 1_, (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH: Air Research and Development Command, 1958), U.S. Air Force Museum Archives, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

[34] Memo, Ted Smith, to W.A. Daler, subj: Bid for Purchase Request No. 301200, September 17, 1954, National Archives and Records Administration, Accession No. 342-67E-2954, box 5/15, file 28.

[35] H.T.E. Hertzberg, _Anthropology of Anthropomorphic Dummies_, Air Force Medical Research Laboratory, AMRL-TR-69-61, February 1970, 3.

[36] Maj. John P. Stapp, _Human Tolerance to Linear Deceleration,