Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Area 51 by Michael Cody


Image result for pic of area 51
Mix aliens, artificial gravity, UFO’s and weapons of mass destruction from other worlds and what do you get? Area 51 is probably what comes to mind. Area 51 is a U.S. Air Force base created in 1955 in southern Nevada whose purpose is publicly unknown (Stanglin). Since the purpose is so unclearly stated many people theorize that the government has been working with aliens, and creating alien spacecraft. The legend of Area 51 still remains one of the government's most guarded secrets, but today let’s examine some of the theories and popular claims about the infamous Area 51.

Character Analysis

What is Area 51? If you look up “secrecy” or “security”, Area 51 should be the first thing thing to pop up. But, what is it about Area 51 that makes it so secret? What about Area 51 makes it so secure? From the fences surrounding this Air Force base on the southern part of Nevada, to the laws preventing certain things about Area 51 to be revealed, to the patrol men surrounding Area 51 and the intense secrets that are yet to be uncovered, these are just a few of the internal and external conflicts that will be examined.

            In 2013, the CIA finally confirmed to the public that Area 51 did exist (News). This is rather interesting due to the fact that the site where Area 51 is located was acquired by the government in 1955. But, if it has been around since 1955, by now it seems someone would have  spoken about it. Well, as it is simply stated by the Air Force, employees there cannot talk about the work they do (Leiby). Every single thing and every single person connected to the base is classified --  it is a part of the military’s multibillion-dollar “black budget” operations. Any activities from  both the past and present are not allowed to be discussed (Leiby). It is clear that this place is not  something easily talked about, much less a topic if you worked there.

The topic of Area 51 was brought up to the public eye back in 1994 when when an environmental lawsuit was settled. This lawsuit was started because people wanted to sue the United States Air Force for their alleged burning of large amounts of unknown chemicals at Groom Lake where Area 51 is located (Leiby). But, the charges were later dropped due to President Bill Clinton’s Presidential decision. But, one previous employee is still trying to sue to this day stating "I left there because I was medically de-accessed by the military site physician because of my breathing problems," he said before the hearing. "I had coughed so hard that I separated the ribs on this side of my chest." Dunham said the Air Force "has absolutely denied that anything occurred at the location. I am the individual who signed for the 100 gallons of diesel fuel, and I observed the pit being ignited. That was my job" (Journal). It is obvious that the government will go to great lengths to keep any and everything a secret about Area 51 even when concerning people’s health, so how far will they go with their security?

            When Area 51 security comes to mind, most people would think about big signs reading “TURN BACK NOW”, fences and guards on patrol and for the most part this is all true. There are signs around the base that say “Deadly force is authorized against trespassers” (Oldham). There are actually no fences surrounding the base, with that said there still are plenty of warning signs and pairs of guards in four wheeled vehicles patrolling the perimeter of the base (Kiger). However, this could be considered just average security if it weren’t for Area 51 taking it to the next step, by having its own restricted air space. This security can be attested to by Richard Co, a former U.S. Air Force pilot right after he is told to immediately leave Area 51’s restricted air space, “They obviously want to keep an eye on us, because anytime civilians are operating so close to restricted air space they prefer to obviously know where we are and what our intentions are” (National Geographic).

            To most people, it is intriguing as to why such an air base exists, after all there are no other air bases like it in the United States. It is something so popular and is discussed about so often even president Obama mentions it when he said “I think I just became the first president to ever publicly mention Area 51” (Konstantinides). But, at the same time, so little is known about it, that’s what makes this place such a mystery. The few things we know are what make it so mysterious.  Yet, until the secrets are spilled and the guards are gone, secrecy and security are the only two things that will be known about Area 51.
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Conspiracy Descriptions (Main Idea and Details with Survey Results)

            Ever since the creation of Area 51 in 1955, conspiracy theories have followed along in its footsteps. But, how many of these conspiracy theories are even plausible? The following paper will review the conspiracies that aliens are helping to run Area 51 and that Area 51 creates and tests both UFOs and alien spacecraft .

            The first theory that will be discussed is the belief that aliens are at Area 51. This is one of the most known and believed theories. Now, what proof are there of aliens being at Area 51? There is a man by the name of Dan Burich who claims to have been an employee working at Area 51. He also claims to have been working with an alien life form by the name of “J-Rod” who was described as a telepathic translator ("Dr. Dan Burish - Area 51 Scientist - A Total Fraud?"). Some people even go even further  as they believe that aliens are running the whole operation at Area 51 and are planning to create a alien/human hybrid species. These conspirators say that every time the government denies that they are working with aliens, it is in fact the aliens forcing them to say that (Kiger).

            Clearly there is not much evidence to support these claims that aliens are involved at Area 51. For starters, the government doesn’t reveal anything about Area 51 due to the fact that everything that goes on there is considered top secret. Secondly, the government denies that Dan Burisch ever worked for Area 51 because he was a parole officer and getting his PhD during the time he said he worked there. Therefore there is evidence that he never worked at Area 51 at all.  It does seem like he is just seeking attention.

            The second conspiracy theory, and the most popular one, is the thought that Area 51 has UFOs in their possession and creates them, as well. The first time Area 51 was accused of housing UFOs was in the mid-1950s when Area 51 had just been built. This continued for as long as Area 51 had been around.  Yet, no one has ever presented solid evidence to support this idea until alleged ex employees began to speak out.  These were “alleged” employees since the government will deny anything involved with who worked at Area 51.  These “former” employees began by stating that they had been working on unidentified flying objects and other alien spacecraft (Potter). The most famous of these workers was Bob Lazaar. He talks in detail about the craft that helped build and how it works by stating, “ the craft does not use an anti-gravitational field ” (Potter). After Bob Lazar leaves his alleged job as an employee at Area 51 he continues even to this day to talk about the spacecraft that he has been working on.

            But, how much of this conspiracy can be backed up? How much can be proven false? Well, most of it can. Most of the UFO sightings all have a logical reason behind them. This is because during the 1950s and much later civilian and military aircraft flew below 40,000 feet but when they began testing the U-2 plane at 60,000 feet an unexpected amount of UFO sightings started to appear. They also had this reddish glow about them because their wings were a reflective silver color making them appear to be really bright red dots in the sky (The Secret History of the U-2). As for Bob Lazar, there is no proof that he worked for Area 51, there is only proof that he hasn’t worked for Area 51. His word is tainted by the fact that he has lied about having degrees from California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Rivenburg). Therefore, according to the government, he actually has no real valid education, which leads many to think that Area 51 would not hire him, that he lied and he never worked at Area 51.

            What is the best solution to these two conspiracy theories? As far fetched as it might be, UFOs at Area 51 would make the most sense. It is an Air Force base, and it would only make sense that they would be testing new flying objects. Now, these may not be the alien spacecraft that many believe.  Due to the intense secrecy of Area 51 there’s no way to disprove that they could very well be alien spacecraft. The acronym for UFO is unidentified flying object, and if Area 51 is so secret then it is very likely that if they are testing aircraft out there they do not have names of the that they are testing released to the public. This would make it impossible to identify the aircraft to anyone other than an employee at Area 51, making it a very weird and sketchy object in the sky to anyone who might see it. However, even though that is the best solution to the conspiracies, in a survey conducted 65% of people at age seventeen to eighteen believe that Area 51 does (20 surveyed) house aliens.

            The conspiracy theories over Area 51 are still very alive and will always have plenty of followers. Whether they be about aliens, aircraft, antigravity, or even darker secrets that may have not come into the public eye, Area 51 will always be a mystery. But, until the government completely comes out about everything it does, all that people can do is continue guessing and continue their efforts to discover  the “truth” about Area 51.

            To this day Area 51 remains one of the United States most well kept and heavily guarded secrets. No one really knows exactly what is going on behind the walls of Area 51. It is this infamous mystery surrounding Area 51that  has developed two highly followed conspiracy theories:

1.      Are there aliens that work, run or are tested on at Area 51?

2.      Is Area 51 creating, holding or testing UFOs?

            Even today over 60 years after the creation of Area 51 there is still no rock solid evidence to prove either one of these theories. Although there is more evidence to help support the conspiracy of UFOs being at Area 51, there are still many more conspiracies that remain just as unsolved.

Works Cited

    "Area 51's Restricted Airspace." - National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.



"Dr. Dan Burish - Area 51 Scientist - A Total Fraud?" Dr. Dan Burish - Area 51 Scientist - A Total Fraud? N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.



Journal, Review. "Area 51 Burning Revealed." Las Vegas Review-Journal. Las Vegas Review, 04

          Sept. 2007. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.



Kiger, Patrick J. "Area 51 and Aliens." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.



Konstantinides, Anneta. "Obama First President to Mention 'Area 51' - Where Early Spy Planes

Looked Like UFOs." ABC News. ABC News Network, 09 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.



Leiby, Richard. "Area 51: Secrets under the Sun." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 20 July

1997. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.



News, BBC. "Area 51 'declassified' in U-2 Spy Plane History." BBC News. N.p., 16 Aug. 2013. Web.

 12 Nov. 2016.



Oldham, Scott. "Popular Mechanics." Google Books. Popular Mechanics, Apr. 2000. Web. 13 Nov.

2016.







Potter, Paul E. "BOB LAZAR’S GRAVITY GENERATOR." BOB LAZAR’S GRAVITY GENERATOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.



Rivenburg, Roy. "Los Angeles Times: Archives." Los Angeles Times: Archives. N.p., 6 May 1993. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.



Stanglin, Doug. "CIA: The Mysterious Area 51 Exists!" USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information

Network, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.



"The Secret History of the U-2 — and Area 51." The Secret History of the U-2 - and Area 51. Ed. Jeffrey T. Richelson. The National Security Archive, 15 Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.


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