Some Final Thoughts on Roswell 2024.

Greetings. I make efforts to not focus on the Roswell case during the course of the calendar year, but I will make an exception here. Emotional factors demand it.

It had been five years since I had last made the journey to Roswell, New Mexico, and it had been far too long. The town itself had not changed all that much, which I expected, but the changes within the hallowed halls of the International UFO Museum and Research Center were truly awe-inspiring. The UFO Museum looks far more professional than in years past, although I am still in some disagreement with the content and conclusions of some of the new displays. The UFO Museum's Library and Research Center seemed to have grown, and that is saying something considering that it is one of the largest such caches of information on the UFO problem currently in existence. As always, the staff at the UFO Museum was helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable, always ready to assist in any way possible. They are a credit to the town, the UFO Museum, and to the entire Roswell community. 

While attending this year's Roswell UFO Festival, I did not make any effort to explore the sensationalized world of vendors, parades, costume contests, and other counterproductive events put on during the event. Such activities don't attract me in the least, and the 100-plus degree (Fahrenheit) heat doesn't help. So as with all Roswell UFO Festivals past, I spent the vast majority of my time inside the UFO Museum, with friends new and old, attending lectures delivered by the credible researchers on the schedule, and avoiding the "others." While my discussions with friends Donald R. Schmitt, Kevin D. Randle, Dennis Balthaser, and Frank Kimbler shall remain private and personal, it was gratifying to be able to spend quality time with each of them, catching up on life's events and the enigma that is the UFO phenomenon. I only see them in Roswell, and email exchanges are less than satisfying, so the time spent in their company was emotional to say the least. I miss them all. 

As it pertains to the UFO problem and the lectures offered by the speakers, while the "others" delivered lectures containing the usual UFO fare, Don, Kevin, Dennis, and Frank delivered talks that focused on defensible, evidence-driven conclusions, not wild opinions or unsupportable suppositions. In addition, Don and Kevin used the dreaded "hoax" term more times than I can count, and I can count pretty frigging high. When they discussed the Aztec, Aurora, Maury Island, and San Agustin cases, Don and Kevin called them what they are, hoaxes, something few in the UFO subculture have the balls to do. Such a straightforward approach is refreshing in today's UFO environment, since most other researchers don't have the professional integrity or intestinal fortitude to be blunt and steer far, far away from the nonsense that is the UFO entertainment industry. That alone is what sets the Roswell UFO Festival apart from the others, and those who have their integrity intact know exactly what I mean. 

In closing, this year's trip to Roswell was an opportunity to heal, to reassess, and to reconnect with old friends. Good times with good people. The countdown to Roswell 2025 has already begun.  

Thank you for your time and consideration.