Walter Haut served as a U.S. Army Air Forces first lieutenant and public information officer at the 509th Bomb Group at Roswell Army Air Field in 1947. He flew B-29 combat missions in World War II and participated in the 1946 Operation Crossroads atomic tests before his assignment in New Mexico.
In a 2002 sealed affidavit released in 2007, Haut stated he attended a July 8 staff meeting where debris samples were examined and was taken to a guarded hangar where he saw an egg-shaped craft and two child-sized bodies with large heads under a tarp. He concluded the craft and crew were from outer space.
- First lieutenant and public information officer, 509th Bomb Group, Roswell Army Air Field, 1947
- Issued official July 8, 1947 press release announcing recovery of a flying disc
- Signed 1993 affidavit affirming belief in extraterrestrial craft
- Signed sealed December 26, 2002 affidavit describing personal observation of craft and bodies
- Co-founded International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell in 1991
- United StatesBorn and served
- U.S. Army Air ForcesFirst lieutenant, 1942–1948
- 509th Bomb GroupPublic information officer, 1947
- Operation CrossroadsInstrument drops, Bikini Atoll, 1946
- International UFO Museum and Research CenterCo-founder and president 1991–1996
- Purple HeartAwarded for World War II service
Background
Walter George Haut was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 2, 1922. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and trained as a B-29 Superfortress bombardier. Haut completed multiple combat missions over Japan and earned the Purple Heart for wounds received in action.
Following the end of the war, Haut participated in Operation Crossroads, the 1946 atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. He flew missions dropping instrument packages to record blast data from the detonations. The assignment placed him at the forefront of early nuclear testing operations.
In 1947, Haut received orders to Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico, as public information officer for the 509th Bomb Group, the unit that had flown the atomic missions against Japan. Base commander Colonel William Blanchard was a personal friend. Haut's duties included handling media relations for the highly classified atomic bomb unit.
On the morning of July 8, 1947, Blanchard dictated a press release to Haut announcing that personnel had recovered a flying disc from a ranch northwest of Roswell. Haut delivered copies to local radio stations and newspapers. The release generated immediate national attention before being retracted the same day with a weather balloon explanation.
Haut left military service approximately one year after the Roswell events. He settled in Roswell and maintained a low public profile on the incident for decades. Early interviews described him as having only a minor role and limited direct knowledge of recovered materials.
In 1991, Haut co-founded the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell with two partners. He served as its president until 1996, helping establish a permanent public exhibit on the 1947 events and related topics.
Haut signed a notarized affidavit on May 14, 1993, stating he believed the recovered material was a craft from outer space and that senior officers had not mistaken it for a balloon. The document was published in ufology literature.
In December 2002, Haut signed a longer sealed affidavit in the presence of his daughter, a notary, and a witness. The statement remained sealed until after his death and was published in 2007. It described a staff meeting with debris samples and a personal visit to a guarded hangar containing an egg-shaped craft and two small bodies.
Haut died of natural causes in Roswell on December 15, 2005, at age 83. The 2002 affidavit was released posthumously as specified in the document. His accounts have been cited in multiple books and recent U.S. government file releases.
Legacy
Walter Haut died on December 15, 2005, in Roswell, New Mexico. His 2002 sealed affidavit, released in 2007, remains a central document in discussions of the Roswell incident and has appeared in official U.S. government archives as recently as 2026.
Haut is remembered for issuing the only official military press release confirming recovery of a flying disc and for his later statements describing direct observation of craft and bodies. The International UFO Museum he helped found continues to operate in Roswell.
Last updated 25 October 2026