Newly declassified documents, obtained by George Washington University's National Security Archive, appear to for the first time acknowledge the existence of Area 51. Hundreds of pages describe the genesis of the Nevada site that was home to the government's spy plane program for decades. The documents do not, however, mention aliens.
The project started humbly. In the pre-drone era about a decade after the end of World War II, President Eisenhower signed off on a project aimed at building a high-altitude, long-range, manned aircraft that could photograph remote targets. Working together, the Air Force and Lockheed developed a craft that could hold the high-resolution cameras required for the images, a craft that became the U-2. Why "U-2"?
They decided that they could not call the project aircraft a bomber, fighter, or transport plane, and they did not want anyone to know that the new plane was for reconnaissance, so [Air Force officers] Geary and Culbertson decided that it should come under the utility aircraft category. At the time, there were only two utility aircraft on the books, a U-1 and a U-3. told Culbertson that the Lockheed CL-282 was going to be known officially as the U-2.
The next step was to find a place from which the top-secret aircraft could be flown.
Recognizing that people might not be excited about moving to a place called "Area 51" in the middle of the desert, a new name was offered: "Paradise Ranch, which was soon shortened to the Ranch." It was less appealing, however, in popular culture.
There is an unmarked medium sized jet that flies in an out of McCarren here and someone once told me "That's the Area 51 plane that takes people in an out of the base."
ReplyDeleteCould be I guess.
DeleteI was an Air Force brat, grew up on or near bases until 8th grade, I even met Gen. LeMay. Our last base was SAC Headquarters outside of Omaha Neb. My dad was recon in WWII and was also a test pilot. He flew P-51 Mustangs in WWII as Gen. Pattons lead recon officer. He often flew planes for the first time, the B-36, the B-47 and the military version of the Boeing 707. He was dispatched three times over China in the Korean War, recalled all three times, needless to say his payload were nukes.
When I asked him about Area 51 in 1968 he just chuckled a bit and told me it was real!
I took his word.
+51 :)
DeleteTwinsdad,
ReplyDeleteInteresting Post. Thanks.
Jean
I saw Elvis selling oranges at an exit ramp ...
ReplyDeleteJust a point of interest.