28 July 1995 / T183
GAO’s Roswell records search and the limits of missing files
U.S. federal archives and agencies
Witness account
At Representative Steven Schiff’s request, the General Accounting Office searched for records concerning the 1947 Roswell incident and examined relevant reporting requirements. Its report, released on 28 July 1995, identified surviving contemporary material including the July 1947 unit history and the FBI teletype, while documenting that some administrative files and outgoing messages had been destroyed.
Public record
GAO found that disposition documentation did not identify precisely who destroyed certain records, when or under which authority. It also noted comparable record-management deficiencies elsewhere. The report is a primary source for the scope, findings and limitations of the search, including the agencies and collections examined.