For years, the world has wondered why the government has set up such a secretive base. Other countries have even had surveillance from satellites on this area. It is a classified place the government never wishes to escape its grasp. Our government has kept Area 51 shrouded in secrecy and the public has never, and may never know its true purpose.

Area 51 is located in Lincoln County, Nevada at 37° 14′20”N 115° 48′58”W. [1] Area 51 is a part of the Nellis Range Complex (NRC), which is a restricted land and includes “no fly zones.” It is owned by the United States Department of Defense and the United States Air Force. Area 51 is approximately a 60 square mile base that sits on the dried up Groom Lake (giving it one of its names). Groom Lake shares a border with the Yucca Flats Region of the Nevada Tests Site (NTS). This is where the tests and storage of nuclear weapons takes place. Area 51 was built during World War II and was used for bombing and artillery practice. But after the War, it was left abandoned.

In 1955, however, it (Renamed as “Watertown Strip” by a commander’s home town, then named as “Paradise Ranch,” or just “The Ranch” by workers) was reopened as a secret test sight for spy planes. There was a puny team of personnel, undersized buildings, and petite homes provided for their stay. The dried lakebed was used as the runway, ensuring that less would be spent on building a new one. In 1970, projects in Groom Lake expanded, as did the base when USAF Systems Command took over. Toward 1980, the base expanded once again. This is about the time when most projects here went top-secret. All developments went under the public radar to a status of “unknown”.

Although, what is known is that a larger runway was added, most buildings were expanded plus the construction of some new ones. Also, the workers at Groom Lake jumped to a total of about 2000. At McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, EG&G operate daily shuttles to government areas in Nevada. These Boeing 737-200 aircrafts, painted white with red trim, are said to use JANET as a call sign, either meaning “Joint Air Network for Employee Transportation,” or perhaps the government is toying with us and its name may mean “Just Another Non-Existent Terminal.” Some of these airlines, registered to the United States Air Force, even fly to Groom Lake. Meaning, workers fly in to Area 51 everyday. For the commuting workers, there is, reportedly, a white bus that travels to Groom Lake every morning.

Area 51 is surrounded by intense security. About four years after the expansion of 1980, security also grew to new levels. The Nellis Range Complex (NRC) was expanded to cut off the view of the base from the mountains. But a mistake left some area still visible. The area was revised again to include the forgotten land. Whenever you drive down the road leading to Area 51, maybe just passing by, you will notice warning signs everywhere you look. Most include statements that photography is not permitted. This even includes just pointing a camera in the direction of the base! The signs also have bolded words saying that deadly force is authorized.

Even before you come close to the checkpoint of Area 51, you will notice guards following you in desert camouflage Jeeps and Fords from the hills above the side of the road. Sometimes you will see FLIR-equipped Sikorsky MH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters following in the air. You may wonder, “How did they know I was even here?” Well, under and along the side of the roads leading to area 51, there are futuristic sensors that notify security when a car drives along the road. You may even spot a surveillance cameras hanging from a cactus! These guards carry M16s but throughout Area 51’s existence, there have been no reported deaths caused from violation of any terms. The usual course of action is a fine of $600 payment and you could end up with a visit from FBI agents questioning you on your reason for trespassing or any other violation of warnings. [1]

The age-old query that all mankind has forever pondered, “Are we alone in this universe?” The thought that life throughout an endless universe has only occurred once on our special planet has been a commonly held idea. But still, our imaginative minds have wandered to thoughts of far off galaxies and planets of extra-terrestrial life with scientific advances of which we can only dream. The proof of that possible life has yet to surface. The evidence of this, some theorize, is hidden away from the public eye by government secrecy. They believe Area 51 is the holding ground for aliens and their spacecrafts that the government has recovered from crash sites such as the Roswell in 1947. Next, scientists capture the aliens and perform autopsies on them at Area 51.

Supposedly, Area 51 welcomes visitors from outer space. Some also believe that we are back-engineering crashed UFOs to find out how they work. Still, others think that the United States government has a treaty with the aliens to allow us to study them and their technology at Groom Lake for permission to abduct and study us. For example, they give us some of their flying saucers, weapons (which may include laser guns and other futuristic devices) and allow us to communicate with some of them. In return, we permit them to abduct anyone they want. A man who went by “Victor” provided a tape of one of these an alien conferences or interrogation. It shows a dark room with an alien who seems distressed.

After about 2 minutes, it looks like it started choking and a medical team entered the room. This tape brought forth controversy over its authenticity and government cooperation with a new race from the stars. All of these alien theories are a little far-fetched but could be possible. After all, there have been reports of spacecrafts all around Area 51. The highway nearby was even renamed the “Extraterrestrial Highway.” A more plausible theory for Groom Lake is a testing ground for concept planes and other flying devices. We have proof that Area 51 was at least once a testing ground.In 1955, the U-2 spy plane was flown and tested at Groom Lake. It eventual became a designated plane when it flew over the Soviet Union in 1956 by orders of the CIA. This flight gave the Soviet Union motive to focus their satellites on Area 51, giving us the first glimpse of the base. The successor of the U-2, the Blackbird (officially named SR-71) was also tested here.

The final evidence of plane testing was the Have Blue (Smaller Cousin of the F-117). It was flown at Groom Lake in 1977 and tested in flight, stealth, and weapons before it became an official plane. We do know that recently at Area 51, there has been some mistreatment of workers and illegal handling of nuclear waste. Two widows have sued over the loss of their husbands. Apparently, they had been ordered to dump and burn toxic waster into pits. The condition, called fish scales, spread all over there bodies. “He was a pretty tough guy, but he burst through the door yelling in fear,” she [wife of a deceased husband caused by the chemicals] recalls. “Every hour, I’d have to take a washcloth and take off some more skin.” [2] Even after ten years, there has been no verdict since the government is playing the classified card. [2] Whatever is happening on the base must use or have these harmful chemicals as a byproduct.

Area 51 is corroboration of just how much the government is hiding from the people. We have a right to know all of its depths. But until the government comes clean, all we have is speculation and theories. None of which can be proven. Accusations are of hope and wonder to what is concealed in the plain base in Nevada. Of course, it is just senseless hope that one day, we will know the truth of something immense and important that will shatter all differences of mankind. If a new threat of interstellar proportions were upon us, all small quarrels and wars would be forgotten. We would ban together as one of the human race. It is very hard to comprehend that something as small as a military base could do this, but it is possible, a very impossible possible.

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