The Roswell Report: Case Closed

Fig. 24. Walker AFB
Building 317, hospital
dispensary with attached
ramp, as it appeared in June
1954. It is in this building
that UFO theorists allege
that "alien autopsies" were
accomplished in July 1947.
However, this was the same
building that Capt. Fulgham
received treatment
following the balloon
accident on May 21, 1959.
Persons apparently observed
him and later related the
unusual circumstances
surrounding the balloon
mishap as part of the
"Roswell Incident."
(U.S. Air Force photo)
Fig. 25. Main gate at Walker
AFB, N.M., formerly Roswell
AAF, as it appeared in 1954.
During the 1950s, the highly
secure base was the home of
the nuclear capable 509th and
6th Bombardment Wings of
Strategic Air Command.
(U.S. Air Force photo)
security personnel. 220 The security personnel escorted them to the hospital
and remained with them until their identities and purpose of their visit were
verified. Kaufman, one of the balloon pilots, recalled that their presence at
Walker AFB was initially met with skepticism.
"The [helicopter] pilot called the tower and said ... having come
from an experimental base, it was nothing unusual for him to have a balloon
accident. 'We've got an injured pilot on board. There's been a balloon
accident and we would like the flight surgeon and an ambulance to meet us
at the tower.' The tower established the fact that yes, we were an Air Force
chopper and that we seemed to have somebody injured and what had we
been doing? We had been shooting touch and go landings in a balloon? ... We
got clearance to land ... right in front of the tower, and we were met by an
ambulance and several MPs with machine guns."221
116