Jim Marrs

In July 1947, an unusual object crashed on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. According to Jim Marrs, the author of the following viewpoint, this object was most likely an extraterrestrial spacecraft. Several eyewitnesses reported seeing strange debris and small humanoid bodies with large heads and eyes, writes Marrs. Although government officials now claim that the wreckage was that of a secret military balloon, the government’s past record of lies and deceit casts doubt on this explanation. Marrs, a journalist based in Dallas, Texas, is the author of Alien Agenda, from which this viewpoint is excerpted.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. When and why did investigators begin challenging the official explanation for the Roswell crash, according to Marrs?
2. According to witnesses Bill Brazel and Sallye Tadolini, what...