The Roswell Report: Case Closed

Fig. 20. Balloon Branch
Communications Technician,
A2C Ole Jorgeson, now a
retired Master Sergeant, in the
rear compartment of an M-43
ambulance. Ambulances of
this type were converted
by the Balloon Branch to
communications vehicles in
the late 1950s. It appears the
witness described the two
panels painted Air Force
blue (lower right and left
of ambulance) as "bluish-
purplish" "wreckage" that
looked "kinda like the bottom
of a canoe" and the stenciled
writing above them as
"hieroglyphics"-See figs. 21
and 22 on next page. (photo
collection of Ole Jorgeson)
The "Wreckage" in the
Rear of the Ambulance
The various types of wreckage described in the rear of an
ambulance at the Walker AFB hospital also appear to be related to the 1959
balloon accident. Some of this wreckage allegedly had odd inscriptions,
touted by UFO theorists as "alien" hieroglyphics.
A requirement of balloon pilot training missions were that they
be closely monitored by balloon recovery and medical personneP07 Ground
crews from Holloman AFB followed the balloon flight from its launch site
there to its landing site 10 miles northwest of RoswelF08 Two of the
vehicles that followed the balloon were Dodge M-43 3/4-ton field
ambulances and a third was an M-37 3/4-ton utility vehicle or "weapons
carrier."209 One ambulance was assigned to this mission for its standard
use-a medical response vehicle. The other ambulance had been converted
by the Holloman AFB Balloon Branch and served as a communications
vehicle on balloon recovery missions. 210 The additional communications
equipment, mounted in the rear compartment of the ambulance, drastically
altered what someone expected to see in an ambulance of this type.
Dennis related that he was walking fast when he observed what
he thought was wreckage in the rear of an ambulance. 211 This quick glance
apparently resulted in descriptions of two pieces of wreckage leaning against
the interior of the rear compartment of the ambulance that "was kind of like the
bottom of a canoe .. .like stainless steel... with kind of a bluish-purplish tinge to
it."212 UFO theorists have suggested that these objects were alien spaceship
"escape pods" recovered by the Army Air Forces. However, this appears to be a
remarkably accurate description of two steel panels painted Air Force blue on a
converted ambulance used by the Balloon Branch for this mission.
113