Roswell crash anniversary sends alien “believers” to New Mexico

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Roswell crash anniversary sends alien "believers" to New Mexico

Thousands of people are converging in the town of Roswell on a very special anniversary. 67 years ago this week, true believers say a UFO crashed in the desert outside the town in the state of New Mexico. CCTV’s Sean Callebs reports from Roswell.

Like it or not, a UFO, or at least the specter of aliens, put Roswell, New Mexico on the map.

Roswell is basically in the middle of nowhere. However, the attraction to “what’s out there” is strong enough to lure more than 175,000 people a year to the UFO Museum in the heart of the town.

This much is agreed upon: sometime in early July of 1947, some kind of wreckage was found on a ranch about 70-miles outside of the city. The U.S. military first said it was a “flying saucer.” Then, quicker than you can say “E-T,” the Army back-tracked and said it was just the remnants of a weather balloon.

Roswell crash anniversary sends alien

Thousands of people are converging in the town of Roswell on a very special anniversary. 67 years ago this week, true believers say a UFO crashed in the desert outside the town in the state of New Mexico. CCTV's Sean Callebs reports from Roswell.

To this day, people wonder, of all the places on earth, why aliens would pick rural New Mexico to visit.

Don Schmitt is an author who has written a number of books on Roswell. He claims to have interviewed 600 or so people associated with the “event. “Schmitt is convinced this was the trigger that interested aliens in our world. The atomic age was ushered in at the Trinity site, just a few hours drive from where the UFO allegedly crashed.

Despite an ounce of tangible proof, people believe. Others argue they are truly out of their heads searching for answers.

Each year, there are an estimated 70,000 reported UFO sightings. That comes out to about 192 a day. Still, there has never been a confirmed tracking of a UFO entering earth’s atmosphere, at least not that anyone knows of.

Laughed at, or ridiculed for decades, many who “believe” point to studies that show nearly half the people in the U.S. are convinced that UFOs are real. As the only registered lobbyist in Washington on extraterrestrial issues, Stephen Bassett says he is fighting for an end to the “truth embargo.” Others call it the Washington cover-up.

There’s one other thing UFO believers don’t have: any physical proof at all that aliens have been to earth.

Until they get their hands on that evidence, or aliens come in from the dark, believers will have to continue poring over old newsprint, grainy photos and sticking to their imagination.

Follow Sean Callebs on Twitter @seancctv