Saturday, July 13, 2019

Jesse Marcel's Journal - Update 1


A while back, we learned that Jesse Marcel, Sr., had kept some sort of journal that family members had just discovered. I wasn’t overly concerned with the length of time it took for this discovery. Just a couple of years ago I found a stack of letters my father had written home from the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. They had been in an old suitcase just passed from hand to hand in the family. I had no idea what was in it until I opened it.

Major Jesse Marcel
So, when the Marcel family said they had just located these journals, I wasn’t surprised nor did I think it was some sort of trick. They wanted to take time to review the information and gather the documentation to prove that the journals had been written by the senior Marcel long ago.

I said that when I learned anything new, I would report it here and I have learned something new. Months and months ago the family decided that they needed the help of a linguist who had a working knowledge of cryptic writing. They thought that something might be encoded in the journals that would be of interest because Marcel had been an intelligence officer.

Let me say here that I served in a position similar to that in which Marcel served. We were both air intelligence officers. True, our assignments had been decades apart… he in the late 1940s and me in the mid-1970s, but the jobs were essentially the same. I know this because I have read the unit histories of the military organizations with which he served. For example, in the Army, the verifications of the information supplied by the soldier for a security clearance fell to the intelligence officer. Marcel, according to the 509th Unit History had been doing that in Roswell. Before we deployed to Iraq, I had been doing that for our unit. Similar tasks separated by decades.

I can, therefore, make a number of extrapolations about what Marcel would have been doing, and based on my experiences, know how the various assignments would have been completed. There was no point in which I was introduced to any sort of comprehensive training that would have involved cryptic writing. Sure, there were the basics covered in a couple of courses, but nothing that would have been beneficial in creating a code hidden in the context of an everyday, personal journal.

But none of that is extremely important. The mere question and then search for a linguist with a knowledge of cryptic writing tells us what we want to know. It tells us there is nothing in these journals that reference the UFO sighting, the crash, the retrieval or the recovery of alien bodies. If there was, there would be no reason to attempt to “read between the lines.” No need to search for hidden messages in the journal. If it is not obvious, then I suggest it is not there.

For those who think that Marcel would have been hiding this stuff because, at the time, it would have been classified and such a journal entry would be dangerous, I say, remember, he told what he knew. We, in the UFO community, didn’t learn about this until 1978, but he had been talking about it with his ham radio buddies prior to that. And we have no journal entries prior to that point that suggest the alien spacecraft. No, I fear this is another dead end, based solely on the query about a linguist and cryptic writing.

True, this is speculation based on a simple question asked by the members of the Marcel family, but it is also a worrisome question. If there had been anything mentioned in the journals that suggested the UFO crash, then the question wouldn’t have been necessary. That it was asked suggests that nothing was found that related to it.

21 comments:

Tom Livesey said...

I agree that you are probably right, but surely this is worth a try? With rare texts it is worth squeezing the lemon for every possible angle. The key for me would be whether there is any clue or indication in the surface text that suggests a hidden message. I know from studying this that people who write esoterically will leave a nod to that in what is exoteric. Until we see the journal we do not know if the call out to cryptology is just a random development or something prompted by a statement in the actual text of the journal. Regards, Tom.

starman said...

I knew nothing would come of this. Why don't they just show us the alleged journal? What have they got to hide? A hoax?

starman said...

It's not surprising your father's letters from WWII long escaped attention as he was not famous. In sharp cpntrast, Marcel was a controversial figure for decades before these journals were allegedly found. Family members and researchers would've long ago scrutinized all his personal property, seeking information which might shed light on Roswell or at least, his educational record. Prior to this there were a number of examples of alleged witnesses or documents surfacing many years after the Roswell case was reopened. Why did it take so long for so much to become known? The reason, unfortunately, is that it takes time to concoct hoaxes, one after the other. I'm not a skeptic. But muddying Roswell has long been a goal of disinformation agents.

Woody said...

A fair and reasonable assessment, Kevin.

Brian B said...

Indeed. I would think that had this event been as historic and emotionally charging as Marcel (Sr.) had claimed decades after the event, that he would have written something about it in his private journal. After all a private journal is a private journal. The government doesn’t control your thoughts or your private journals.

Obviously no one read it until recently, and had it been something which contained crashed alien stories I’m sure the family would have been far more interested in finding great grandpa’s old diary.

But no, there’s nothing in it related to an alien crash.

And if it were true, then yes he would have written about it. Who wouldn’t? Especially if he was really into journaling his life as it unfolded.

Seems once again Marcel was recalling blurry events from his memory emphasizing the debris he found amidst a nation all crazed about saucer sightings, and hence his aging memory and story telling habit got the best of him, and all the ufologists who believed him from the very beginning.

Why has the family hidden the journal? Why have they asked portions of it to be decrypted?

We can only guess. But one good reason they aren’t showing us the journal MIGHT be that Marcel DID write about it — but what he wrote about is how he got so frustrated and mixed up into thinking what he found was a crashed saucer and what he later discovered himself was indeed nothing but balloon debris.

Now that’s worth hiding.

If true, the family would never release that information less they dishonor the reputations of the Marcels.

Who is going to tell the world that great grandpa was wrong (and his son also) after all the years of supporting their stories and defending their integrity.

No, best to keep that all hidden away from the public.

People demand government transparency, while potentially they hide evidence that might defame the old Roswell story.

So they get a cryptologist to read through Marcel’s notes about it being nothing more than a balloon in hopes of finding something hidden in the message.

Makes sense to me. And so then they learn the truth — it was not a crashed saucer. So they just agree they all need to keep the journal from public eyes.

Byron Weber said...

For an explanation of what might have happened at Roswell look at RAND Corporation for an explanation. They were open about their interest in ufo's until Blue Book began and afterwards they went black. I have good reason to believe they hold the answers as well as the technology. My assumptions are based on a personal exchange with Michel Rich, the son of Ben Rich, and subsequent events that occurred between 1995 (marking the closure of Freedom Ridge) and 2000. Michael Rich is now CEO of Rand Corporation.

TheDimov said...

Marcel sr was loyal, did his job, and kept the secrets he had to. Why would he therefore HAVE to blurt out things in a journal? In fact I would say he would take care to do the exact opposite, and keep things very close to his chest, as he did.

If anything I would say its Marcel jr's journals - if any - that need looking into. They were such a tightknit family; surely if anyone Marcel sr would have told his son and wife about the aliens, if there were any.

John Steiger said...

Brian B: Point 1) "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." Stanton Friedman, among others.

Point 2) Are you so insecure in your belief that Roswell in not ET, that you feel the need to trumpet the speculation (without knowing for certain) that since Marcel's private journal does not reference a Roswell ET event, then it cannot possibly be true?

Point 3) When will YOU learn the truth? It was a crashed saucer, because that it the best answer after an impartial examination of the credible evidence.

Adam S. said...

A bit funny that no one has asked two pertinent questions. 1) Does the journal include the Summer of 1947 and 2) What did he specifically write around the time frame of the crash? For instance, regardless of what the crashed object was, Marcel was publicly humiliated with the weather balloon photo and everything. Did he mention any feelings in regards to that? From what I read here, it sounds like nothing was mentioned about the event. So, just confirming this.

I don't believe there was anything significant to the Roswell event, at least in itself. But, I have a pretty good feel for why it was promoted so heavily in the 80s and into the 90s.

starman said...

I don't think bona fide journals even exist. Why aren't they openly revealed?? Because researchers would quickly determine they were phony, as the paper and ink isn't old enough, or the handwriting isn't Marcel's? If they exist and are genuine, the family would've found and revealed them long ago, as ANY journal from Marcel is potentially of great interest.
I also doubt the "journals" are hidden because they show Marcel's frustration at failing to recognize balloon debris. Had he, Blanchard and others goofed badly, they would've been demoted or fired. But as Rudiak noted long ago, the opposite happened.
And what ballon debris?? Did you read KDR's view of MOGUL in his latest book on the subject?

Woody said...

Will dribs and drabs be leaked from the journal in tantalising fashion of questionable authenticity and time-frame position and veracity of origin ? Will it be another 'Penniston notebook' to lash further damage upon a long-dead horse ? I hate to sound so grim but what much more can be expected ? It actually sounds just like ufology and the dependence on case-lore to keep long-time fans enchanted and to spark pale fires in new generations.

TheDimov said...

Penniston did claim to the Sky Crash authors shortly after the event, and then a few years later to Linda Molton-Howe which is transcribed in one of her books. He didn't know what it was and so he did nothing wrong in my opinion, people just never look into it properly.

Brian B said...

@ John Steiger

Point 1) "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." Stanton Friedman, among others.

>>> “The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd.”
- Bertrand Russell

Point 2) Are you so insecure in your belief that Roswell in not ET, that you feel the need to trumpet the speculation (without knowing for certain) that since Marcel's private journal does not reference a Roswell ET event, then it cannot possibly be true?

>>> You’re now telling me that “speculation without knowing for certain” is a problem, while you hypocritically tell us that just because you have no proof of something it’s appropriate to believe in it. Ha ha.

Point 3) When will YOU learn the truth? It was a crashed saucer, because that it the best answer after an impartial examination of the credible evidence.

>>> Truth? Tell that to Kevin. Better yet read his book “Roswell in the 21st Century” and you’ll finally realize the evidence for everything you believe in isn’t there.

KRandle said...

All -

I don't believe there is anything nefarious in the Marcel family taking time to review the material in the journals. I believe they have been disappointed in the results, and the idea of some sort of hidden message is their last resort. They haven't really released anything, other than they had found the journals, and my commentary here was based on their asking a question. My speculation could be wrong, but I fear that nothing of consequence will be found in the journals...

Paul Young said...

Brian Bell...
We can only guess. But one good reason they aren’t showing us the journal MIGHT be that Marcel DID write about it — but what he wrote about is how he got so frustrated and mixed up into thinking what he found was a crashed saucer and what he later discovered himself was indeed nothing but balloon debris.


That might be true if Marcel was the only person who thought that what was found on the Foster Ranch wasn't highly unusual.
If what Marcel found was literally only the trash that was later photographed in Ramey's office...then it was the "top brass", back at Roswell, who decided it was significant enough to transport to "higher headquarters", who would have had more to be embarrassed about than Marcel.

Let's not forget one thing here. Marcel wasn't embarrassed by what he actually found...he was embarrassed that his name (and face) was associated with the very clumsy cover-up that began that afternoon in Ramey's office.
And that, by all accounts, gnawed away at him for the rest of his life.

Paul Young said...

TheDimtov...

Mate... let me tell you that Penniston's reputation is now in tatters. Not because I don't believe his account of the events of the first night, shared with Adrian Bustinza and John Burroughs, but because he was OBVIOUSLY trying to cash in with this ADDITIONAL binary code bollocks to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary.
I mean, come off it!!! If that's not obvious embellishment then I don't know what is. (Not that Linda would ever question it...or anything else, for that matter.)
I wrote and asked him what he had planned for the fortieth anniversary...Yep...still awaiting a reply.
If you haven't seen this before,Dimtov...have a look at this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB9pnL4fSH0

TheDimov said...

Paul : is Penniston cashing in, sure is in my opinion, writing another book as we speak and good luck to him. But as I said, he was searching for answers very early on about the binary codes, and the transcript is in Howe's book from 1986 about his hypnosis session about them, and prior to that around 1980 he told the Sky Crash author in her car about these numbers he had in a book that he didn't understand. He kept that in for 6 years before then telling Howe in 1986.


He didn't know what to make of the codes after Howe's hypnosis session when the time travel thing was revealed, he had no idea what to make of it all. I do believe him, but yes I think he is also cashing in bigtime but good luck to him. I don't think though that he is lying.

John Steiger said...

Brian B: 1) Your citation of Bertrand Russell's quotation is beside the point and without bearing re: your opinion as to the contents of Marcel's journal.

2) I have neither stated nor argued what you allege. The joke is on you.

3) I have purchased and read "Roswell in the 21st Century" as well as many other of Dr. Randle's wonderfully informative books on UFOs, including to my knowledge all of his works concerning the Roswell UFO crash event. Kevin is aware that I disagree with his revised conclusion in the book you cite, and we respectfully disagree on this point and the state of the Roswell crash analysis at present.

Lastly, I believe you need to catch up on your Roswell reading.

Zak MacKracken said...

There will be a TV show on history channel in december a 3 part series , the last part which will air on 26 th december will deal with the diary
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt11876688/

KRandle said...

Zak -

I was part of that production... we filmed in February and am familiar with what went on. I'll be posting more about the diary, and the Ramey memo as those aspects of the program are broadcast.

Randall Osczevski said...
This comment has been removed by the author.