Philip J. Corso served as a U.S. Army intelligence officer from 1942 to 1963 and retired as a lieutenant colonel. His verified assignments included roles in Europe during and after World War II, intelligence duties in the Far East Command during the Korean War, and staff positions at the National Security Council from 1953 to 1957.
In 1997 Corso published The Day After Roswell, asserting that in 1961 as head of the Army's Foreign Technology Division he had received and parceled out extraterrestrial materials from the 1947 Roswell crash to private contractors. The book described this as the source of technologies including fiber optics and integrated circuits.
- U.S. Army service February 23, 1942 to March 1, 1963; rank Lieutenant Colonel.
- Published The Day After Roswell in 1997 with co-author William J. Birnes.
- Appeared on Coast to Coast AM July 23, 1997 discussing Roswell claims.
- Died July 16, 1998 in Jupiter, Florida.
- Post-Army staff assistant to Senator Strom Thurmond 1963–1964 and 1973–1974.
- United StatesBorn and served
- United States Army1942–1963
- Lieutenant ColonelRetired 1963
- National Security CouncilStaff 1953–1957
- Foreign Technology DivisionArmy Research and Development 1961
- Strom ThurmondStaff assistant 1963–1964, 1973–1974
- Legion of MeritAwarded during service
- Bronze Star MedalAwarded during service
Background
Philip James Corso was born May 22, 1915 in California, Pennsylvania. He entered the U.S. Army on February 23, 1942 and served in intelligence positions in Europe through the end of World War II. One assignment placed him as chief of the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps in Rome. He remained in Europe after the war until 1947.
During the Korean War Corso performed intelligence duties under General Douglas MacArthur in the Far East Command. He served as Chief of the Special Projects branch of the Intelligence Division from 1950 to 1953. His responsibilities included tracking enemy prisoner-of-war camps in North Korea.
From 1953 to 1957 Corso held a staff position on President Eisenhower's National Security Council. He returned to Army assignments in Washington and Europe before his final active-duty posting. Records show promotion to lieutenant colonel in 1953.
In 1961 Corso was assigned to the Foreign Technology Division within Army Research and Development at the Pentagon. He worked under Lt. Gen. Arthur Trudeau. Official personnel records indicate the assignment lasted approximately one year, with the chief role limited to about 90 days.
Corso retired from the Army on March 1, 1963. He immediately joined the staff of Senator Strom Thurmond as a national security specialist. He held similar positions with Representative Michael A. Feighan and returned briefly to Thurmond's office in the 1970s.
In 1997 Corso released The Day After Roswell. The memoir described a secret program that distributed Roswell crash materials to contractors such as IBM, Bell Labs, and Hughes Aircraft. It credited these transfers with advances in night vision, fiber optics, lasers, and integrated circuits.
The book received immediate public attention and a foreword initially attributed to Senator Thurmond that was later withdrawn. Corso appeared on Coast to Coast AM in July 1997 to discuss the claims. Critics identified factual errors in the text and noted the absence of supporting documentation.
Corso died of a heart attack on July 16, 1998 in Jupiter, Florida at age 83. He was buried at Florida National Cemetery. No official records have confirmed the Roswell technology-transfer claims made in the book.
Legacy
Philip J. Corso died July 16, 1998. His 1997 memoir remains the primary source of his Roswell claims and continues to be cited in UFO literature despite documented errors and lack of corroboration.
The book prompted renewed public interest in the Roswell incident but drew criticism from researchers and historians for inaccuracies in dates, locations, and technical details.
Last updated 25 October 2026