Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 21, 1993 TAG: 9303210232
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Reviewed by Paul Dellinger
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
1947 UFO OR WEATHER BALLOON?
CRASH AT CORONA. By Stanton T. Friedman and Don Berliner. Paragon House. $19.95.OK, something crashed on empty farm land near Corona, N.M., in 1947. A weather balloon, the government said. Friedman and Berliner say not one but two UFOs, and interview people who support that.
A rancher found remains of whatever it was. A nearby Air Force base commander issued a press release announcing the recovery of a flying disc, sparking a story that died with the balloon explanation.
It died, that is, except in books from "Behind the Flying Saucers" (1948) up to "UFO Crash at Roswell" (1991), and now this one in which the authors tracked down those still around who were involved in the investigation. Some still insist alien humanoid bodies were recovered.
Some of the "evidence" admittedly is speculative - like the Majestic-12 documents supposedly showing UFO incidents like this reported to the White House, which may be forgeries. Starting with a belief in the extraterrestrial explanation can push researchers to concentrate on what supports that, although the authors do a good job of demolishing other "explanations" cited.
A core of people who saw whatever made the mess describe metals and materials inconsistent with a weather balloon, and a level of military involvement that seems excessive just for that. But people do get excited over the possibility of having seen something out-of-this-world. From a span of 45 years, it is hard to judge credibility but harder still not to become fascinated by it all.
Paul Dellinger, a reporter for this newspaper, has followed the UFO phenomenon for years.