By Anthony Bragalia
The UFO Iconoclast(s)
3-6-09
A firefighter who was with the Roswell Fire Department in 1947 has confirmed that the mysterious crash in the New Mexico desert that Summer was in fact of an unearthly craft!The UFO Iconoclast(s)
3-6-09
The firefighter, now age 90, related stunning information to this author in a lengthy interview conducted recently. Respected Roswell author Kevin Randle also talked with the involved fireman to confirm the details of his story.
Some time ago I located the son of Rue Chrisman. Rue was the Fire Chief for the Roswell Fire Department in 1947, passing in 1981 at age 98. Chrisman's son explained to me that he knew that the town's Fire Department was somehow involved in the crash event. But the son was sparse in his conversation, not really wishing to elaborate. When pressed, the son said, "It did happen. There was a big coverup. The crash was real." I asked him how he knew of this, he paused and said, "I knew too many who knew."
I then asked him if any Roswell Firemen from 1947 are still alive. He replied that there was still "one left." He only mentioned the surviving fireman's surname as "Smith" and that one of his family members attends the same church as the involved fireman. Working with Kevin Randle, we identified and located the elderly gentleman and sought his testimony.
When reached, the Fireman was somewhat hesitant to discuss the matter. But after some "small talk" he warmed up to discussion. In a far-ranging conversation, the Fireman related these incredible details:
- An intimidating Colonel from Roswell Army Air Field visited the Roswell Fire Department immediately after the crash. The Colonel explained to the fireman who were at the department that day that an "unknown object from someplace else" had crashed in the desert outside Roswell. The Colonel warned that no one was to speak about the event to anyone ever. He also commanded them that nobody was to go out to the site or respond to any inquiries about the event. He explained that "everything was being handled by the military."
- Dan Dwyer, another Roswell Fire Department firefighter, did manage to go out to see the crash site, defying the Colonels orders. He confirms some of the details that Dan Dwyer's daughter, Frankie Rowe, has related in numerous interviews over the years. Frankie maintains that her father was able to view the craft and its occupants.
- Dan related to him that the area surrounding the crash was secured and cordoned by armed guards. Firemen went out there on their own volition, not as a "department." The Fireman did not want to talk too much about Dan Dwyer and Frankie Rowe though.
- The crash was of a craft not from Earth. The Fireman explained that it was not a balloon or any type of military experiment. He said that it was a "UFO." When I said to him that the term "UFO" was not used back then...he said it was "unidentified- a flying saucer." I asked him how he knew this and he stated that he was certain it was because of "what I was told at the time it happened." He explained that the Colonel did not know what the craft was or from where it came...and that there was great concern over the situation.
- The Roswell City Manager knew about the event and came into the Fire Department to personally and forcefully order the department to say nothing of the crash. Although the Fireman could not recall the City Manager's name at the time, I knew who it was. When I mentioned the name "C.M. Woodbury" to him, he said that did seem to be the name. As it happens, C.M. Woodbury would have been a very intimidating individual with whom to reckon. This is because C.M. Woodbury was known as the "Iron Major" - a decorated War vet of the notoriously effective 752nd Tank Battallion. Woodbury was also very close friends with Butch Blanchard, the Roswell Army Air Field base Commander.
- The Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) base Fire Department was heavily involved in the crash recovery. The Fireman explained that "this is where the confusion comes from." The Fire Department that was most heavily involved in the crash retrieval was not so much the city fire department but the base's own Fire Department. He asserted that the RAAF firemen "knew the most" about the event. He was unfortunately unable to recall the names of these firemen.
- The Roswell Sheriff's Department was engaged in the coverup of the crash. The Fireman confirmed that Deputy Tommy Thompson was someone he knew at the Sherrif's office who was told to "keep the quiet."
- When asked how he "dealt with the fact that a craft from another world had crashed near Roswell," the Fireman replied that they had no idea what the implications were, "we just didn't really ever think about those kind of things at that time, but I do now."
The Fireman's testimony is nothing short of amazing. It confirms the unknown nature of the Roswell crash in 1947. It is, however, testimony. I appreciate the difficulties with "testimony." Testimony includes utterances that are presented as evidence for the claims they express. There is an inherent problem with all testimony. The speaker's reliability and sincerity are supported only by words rather than documents, photographs or other physical evidence. I appreciate that the Fireman's words are not sufficient to justify the belief that the crash at Roswell was extraterrestrial.
However, when testimony is given by an individual who is in fact who he says he is- and who did not come forward but instead was "found," we should pay attention to that testimony. And the truth of the event does not depend on taking the speaker's word alone as evidence of truth. But the Fireman's testimony is of special importance because he has never come forward publicly before with his story and he has no apparent reason or motivation to lie. The Fireman's full name will not be released until his death. He is in the last years of life, living out his days peacefully with close family. Author Kevin Randle also talked with the Fireman after I did, and agrees that a barrage of calls and contacts to the elderly man by skeptics and others would be a disservice to an old man.
It is said that when a man becomes a Fireman, his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. In this case though, the old Fireman's greatest act of bravery was to tell what he knew about the Roswell event for the sake of history and truth.
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