Authored by Darlene McCormick Sanchez via The Epoch Times,
ROSWELL, N.M. - The 1947 crash of an alleged flying saucer on a ranch outside this high-desert town started a neon-lit alien tourism economy of museums, gift shops, and festivals spanning decades.
Nearly 80 years later, new U.S. government disclosures about Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, are boosting that industry with videos of strange objects and encounters with U.S. military ships and aircraft.
This year's release of documents and videos - including some in October referencing the Roswell incident - opened a new chapter in the UFO debate, drawing fresh interest and more visitors to Roswell.
The alleged Roswell crash sits at the center of a 79-year-old conspiracy theory that the U.S. military covered up the capture of a flying saucer and the recovery of alien bodies.
The incident prompted one of the most spectacular headlines in history, which appeared July 8, 1947, in The Roswell Daily Record: "RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region," referring to the Roswell Army Air Field.
But the military quickly walked back the claim, saying it was nothing more than a weather balloon. The hush-hush story faded from the headlines - and may have stayed buried if not for witness interviews that kept it alive across the decades.
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