1997: Corso publishes Roswell reverse-engineering claims

Publication Details In June 1997, retired US Army Colonel Philip J. Corso, co-authoring with William J. Birnes, published The Day After Roswell. The book details Corso's supposed role in a classified program distributing alien artifacts from the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico crash to companies like IBM, Hughes Aircraft, and Bell Labs for reverse-engineering without revealing origins.

Key Claims Corso described serving as special assistant to Lt. Gen. Arthur Trudeau at Army Research and Development, managing the Foreign Technology Desk. He claimed items from the extraterrestrial craft inspired developments in fiber optics, integrated circuits, and other modern tech. Additional assertions included a secret war against aliens, with the Strategic Defense Initiative as a victory, and references to Project Horizon, a 1959 lunar base plan.

Foreword Controversy The initial edition featured a foreword by Senator Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), Corso's former aide, praising it as military history. Thurmond demanded retraction upon learning of UFO elements, denying any cover-up knowledge.

Significance and Criticism This memoir fueled Roswell lore but faced skepticism for factual errors, chronological issues, and Corso's lack of technical qualifications. UK archives later dismissed claims due to his unreliable history. It became a bestseller despite critiques.