Featured Article - July 2009
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Space Cowboys (Excerpt)
Every Fourth of July weekend, revelers trek miles—possibly light-years—to visit ranch country, Roswell's annual UFO Festival, and the site of the spaceship crash that started it all. Join Brandon Call for a close encounter of the festive kind.
It’s noon on the Fourth of July. Elsewhere in the United States, revelers are busy launching fireworks and barbecuing meat, but here—from the strangely dressed visitors to downtown Roswell’s UFO-themed storefronts—I see no red, white, and blue.
But there’s plenty else for the eyes. Out of This World Coffee is an oasis in the 95 degree heat, and the perfect people-watching spot. A younger man in an orange NASA jumpsuit orders an iced latte. A 60-something woman in a silver tankini and green body paint complains that she’s melting in the “wretched dry heat.” At the next table are a few men dressed in Star Trek uniforms. A pig-tailed girl wears a tie-dyed T-shirt that reads “we come in peace.”
After slurping down my lemonade, I make a beeline for North Main Street and the mecca of ufology: the International UFO Museum and Research Center. Here, I learn that everything UFO began in New Mexico more than 60 years ago, when W.W. “Mack” Brazel reported debris scattered over his ranch near Corona, outside Roswell. Later, on July 8, the commander of the military’s 509th Bombardment Wing, Colonel William Blanchard, issued a press release stating that a crashed disc had been discovered outside Roswell.
Meanwhile, the story goes, at a second debris field, a small group of archaeologists happened on a crashed flying saucer—and bodies. The Army was quick to identify the wreckage as a weather balloon and deny the presence of any extraterrestrials. In a flurry of backtracking, the first press release was rescinded. As quickly as it had begun, the media furor was over, and witnesses abruptly stopped giving interviews. But after perusing old newspaper clippings and firsthand affidavits, I’m convinced that something crashed in the desert 30 miles northwest of here. Now, I’m on a mission to determine exactly what.
First on my quest is a talk with ufologist Donald R. Burleson, author of The Golden Age of UFOs and UFOs and the Murder of Marilyn Monroe. Burleson, who holds a PhD in English literature, speaks with certainty: “Some people smile indulgently when one mentions UFOs, but increasingly it’s becoming possible to discuss the issue pretty broadly in an academic setting. The more spectacular the UFO sighting, the more difficult it is for anyone to dismiss the phenomenon as nonsensical or wrong-headed.”
Next, I sit in on a lecture about UFO abductions. The main speaker, John Carpenter, is a licensed psychiatric therapist from Missouri who volunteers his services to people who believe they may have been abducted. In excruciating detail, audience members join in with accounts of how alien life forms poked and prodded them. By the fifth testimonial, I feel as if I’m attending a support group—abductees anonymous.
After a long day, I settle into a corner booth at a downtown diner and order a milkshake. Here I sight my first star: Dee Wallace Stone, the female lead of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Recalling the line “E.T. phone home,” I quickly call my own mom before heading to my hotel for the night.
To read more about the UFO Festival, pick up the print edition on newsstands now!
IF YOU GO:
• The Roswell UFO Festival is held July 2–5. For info: www.ufofestivalroswell.com
• Book your hotel well in advance—the Festival is a popular attraction for the city of Roswell (pop. 45,293). For info: www.roswellnm.org
• For a pleasant and quiet place to stay, try the Country Club Bed and Breakfast. Innkeepers Joe and Bea Hammond are especially friendly, and the breakfast is de-lish! For info: www.countryclubbnb.com, (575) 624-1794
• If you want to really jump in, remember your alien regalia—the wackier, the better. Many national morning TV shows broadcast from the festival, and you’re assured screen time if you’re dressed for the occasion.
• Summer in southern New Mexico is hot! We’re talking 90 degrees and up. Bring sunblock and water.
• Eats: Don’t miss the local McDonald’s shaped like a flying saucer (720 Main St.). For authentic Mexican, try Amigos Mexican Restaurant, Tia Juana’s Mexican Grill & Cantina, and Red Onion Restaurant. There are also some locally owned and operated Italian hotspots: Portofino Italian Restaurant and Pasta Café. For some good ol’ barbecue, try Peppers Grill & Bar. For info: www.tiajuanas.net, www.pastacafeitalianbistro.com, www.peppers-grill.com
• Tired of aliens? Visit the Roswell Museum and Art Gallery for more sophisticated fun. And you’re only a daytrip away from White Sands National Monument and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.—Brandon Call