Jul 08 2007
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Roswell UFO Festival: Days 2 and 3
Late Friday night at one of those ubiquitous local restaurants that try hard to look like chain establishments, Nick and I were encouraged by FATE magazine publisher Phyllis Galde to arrive early Saturday morning to meet one of the few surviving witnesses to the Roswell crash debris.
Jack Trowbridge is a 91-year old veteran of the Army (and later U.S.) Air Force. Of course, Nick and I were late, but this turned out to be an advantage, because Galde set us up in a private room with him. Trowbridge’s son John sat across from us and videotaped while we shot impromptu questions. Trowbridge was apparently at Jesse Marcel’s home playing a weekly bridge game with other men from the Roswell Air Field when Marcel arrived home on the night of July 7th, 1947. He spoke about handling the “memory metal” which, when wadded up, would reform into its original shape. For a 91 year-old man, Trowbridge is remarkably alert and animated, and we enjoyed meeting him.
Curiously, this bridge game episode has never been mentioned in past accounts, and Jesse Marcel Jr. has not publicly recalled seeing any of this strange metal, only a lot of debris and the well-known I-beams with strange designs embossed on them.
There are two “conventions” going on here. Ours is sponsored by the City of Roswell and was organized by the very capable Guy Malone, who provided us with excellent accomodations, food, and publicity. The other is being run by the International UFO Museum, and featured speakers like Stanton Friedman, Paul Davids, Yvonne Smith, Jesse Marcel Jr., Don Schmitt and Lloyd “Starchild Skull” Pye. I thought we might be escorted out of the museum when we showed up with our rival speaker’s tags, but civility prevailed. Next to the alien autopsy props from his HBO film “Roswell,” Paul Davids held court and offered DVD copies of his films for sale. Stan Friedman told me that he sold out all copies of his new book on the Barney and Betty Hill case.
At 8:45 on Saturday night, we assembled in a parking lot next to the Roswell Planetarium to line up for a parade through downtown. Adam Gorightly was seated next to me in the back of a 1929 Ford pickup, driven by a kind old dude named Eduardo. We were given small glow tubes to wear since the parade happened in darkness, although we ended up throwing them to kids along the route. It was the first time I’d been in a parade, and it was sort of strange but also quite fun. People along Main Street waved and smiled, even though they had no idea who we were. Adam hollered things like “Greetings Roswellians!” at kids and “Good evening, ladies!” whenever we passed a gaggle of local beauties.
Sunday was a bit more sedate, but started out in a panic as I forgot the notes for my talk. Adam was a hero and went back to hotel for them, arriving just in time. The presentation was called “The 1950s Contactees: A Bunch Of Liars, or an Unrecognized Art Movement?” There were only about 20 people at this one, but the crowd seemed to enjoy the info, laughing at the right times, and sometimes unexpectedly at others. The best part was the question and answer segment, where I got to let loose on what I really thought of mind-controlled channelers and evil cults.
Adam’s talk about Contactees and Ritual Magic was even more detailed than mine, although there were a few areas of overlap. He has discovered that there is a definite correlation with developments in the world of ritual magic and corresponding years of UFO “flaps.” For instance, in 1947, when magician/ rocket scientist Jack Parsons said he had performed a ritual to innaugurate a new “aeon” on the planet, there was a huge spike in UFO sightings and reports. Ditto for 1973, when sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick and fellow author Robert Anton Wilson reported contact with beings saying that they were from the Sirius star system. Fascinating stuff, especially in light of the rumors of U.S. government interest in ritual magic and its realtionship to UFO entities, which is a subject that Nick is researching at the moment.
The final “act” at this year’s convention was a massive group panel discussing the “disclosure” issue, among other things. Stephen Bassett is the reigning researcher on this issue, and took pains to explain his views on the implications for our society if the government reveals all it knows about UFOs. I chimed in with a few encouraging words about the current state of MUFON (hopeful) and a guess about what the government really knows (not as hopeful.) Turkish researcher Farah Yurdozu described the history of anomalous entites in the Middle East and how her government and media doesn’t seem to hide reports of UFO activity.
It was refreshing to see a complete lack of squabbling amongst researchers. Perhaps the UFO community is closing ranks to create some sort of organized front in a push to get the subject taken seriously by the society at large, if at least a little. There wasn’t even a peep of acrimony behind the scenes or behind backs, which seems standard at other UFO gatherings. It gives me a sort of hope for this field which I haven’t felt in years, and with luck will continue long after this busy weekend, where the eyes of the world media were watching for three days. Civility and tolerance have not been words I associated with Ufology until the last few days. This may be a credit to the organizers as much as anything else.
Talk at ya when I get home in a couple of days.
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July 8th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
“Perhaps the UFO community is closing ranks to create some sort of organized front in a push to get the subject taken seriously by the society at large, if at least a little.”
Sounds like you are suffering from heat exhaustion or some kind of Roswell related dementia.
Seriously, though, great recap. You made me wish I’d attended.
Sorry for our lack of correspondence during my San Diego trip, but it was only a 5 day affair, so my free time was actually quite limited and I think you were Roswell bound for a good portion of my SD visit.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:33 am
That sounds pretty awesome. I wish I had gone, logistical considerations prevented me from doing so.
It sounds like a bit of a change from 2002, when I was the only person to laugh at Jim Moseley’s jokes, and the museum informed him he would not be invited back. The museum had also scheduled a Raelian representative, until I think they realized it was they had done, and cancelled. The Anti-UFO Christians across the street, Alien Resistance, let the guy speak there instead. I still don’t understand that.
Anyway, I’m glad to hear your quite diverse panel got on well. People complain about the carnival atmosphere, but I have to imagine a fun environment is more conducive to cooperation than the sterile and uncomfortable back rooms and endless unmarked hallways of convention centers.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:23 am
I bet Jack Trowbridge could take out Adam with a mean game of bridge.
July 9th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Were any of the lectures or discussions recorded for those of us who couldn’t attend the festivities?
July 10th, 2007 at 12:02 am
Tim,
The panel discussion on Sunday afternoon was entitled “The Disclosure Debate,” but there was very little debate about the subject. I attempted to interject my opinion that there was little to disclose, and that the powers that be have a better stake in keeping us in the dark on how much they actually know. This probably crossed me off Stephen Bassett’s list of people to invite to the X-Conference, but who knows? I don’t know him that well.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:06 am
spooky,
The UFO Museum seems to have little or no sense of humor. I took a peek at their library and Project Beta and Bodysnatchers in the Desert were not on their extensive shelves.
You’re right that the convention was better as a result of the open floorplan and schedule.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:08 am
Carlos,
The organizers are offering DVDs of all lectures for sale. I suspect that the UFO Museum will do the same, but I can’t seem to find any reference to this on their site quite yet.
July 10th, 2007 at 9:52 am
It was fun! I loved meeting you and Nick and adding some things to my bookshelf. But now, it’s back to work. I’ve gotta get volunteers, get people to bring food, make flyers, copy flyers, get someone to pass out the flyers (or do it myself, like last time), type up my newest article…and I’m still not ready for my trip to New Orleans…
Oh well. Thanks for making my weekend off a great one!
~Y
July 11th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
I’ll keep an eye open for them. Thanks, Greg.