How did Jesse Marcel make a mistake like that?

I always wondered how an intelligent man like Major Jesse Marcel, who was an intelligence officer for the USAF, confused a weather balloon for a UFO.

I honestly don't think he was lying, and that he was a good patriot - It's one aspect of the story I could never figure out, giving a man of his background and security clearance. IE - his location, and association with the 509 bomber group (the ones who carried the atomic bomb).

The other so called witnesses came out of the woodwork years later - obviously smelling a few quid, books, 15 mins of fame and the like. In fact, Marcel never said anything about alien bodies being at the crash site at all.

Fear not, I still don't thin it was a UFO.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VQcCFe8IBiU
(maybe a slight dramatization of real events)

Well the mind plays tricks as we all know and there can be so many factors involved, biological, psychological, social, peer pressure, environment etc.

Something the troofers do not even think about before making conclusions,

Den.

Yeah that's true... I'm probably giving him too much credit 'cause of his background. Every one is fallible.