Page 53 - July - August 2019 - v3_june_july_2009_Neat

Getting Ready For Area 51 Invasion 53

'It's a Frenzy':

Communities Near Area

51 Brace for Influx of

UFO Tourists

Continued from Page 50

“This is our little part of the desert,”
Shepherd, who works on an alfalfa farm, said.
“We want people to respect it.”
About 40 miles south of the Little
A’Le’Inn is the Alien Research Center, a novelty
shop that has become a popular spot for tourists
driving down the Extraterrestrial Highway. The
shop carries everything from alien-shaped salt-
and-pepper shakers to “Star Wars” collectibles.
Misty Ingram, 38, who has worked at the shop
for about a year, said she hasn’t been able to
keep T-shirts on the rack in the last few weeks.
The best-selling item recently: black T-
shirts with red and white lettering that reads,
“Area 51, Groom Lake Research Facility S-4,
WARNING, restricted area, use of deadly force
authorized.” The shirts are meant to imitate the
signage at the guarded gates around the facility
that tourists trek to see each year.
“I think it’s ridiculous that anyone thinks
Holaday grew up in Alamo, a ranching and While the trip to the mailbox wasn’t the
they are going to get into Area 51,” Ingram said.
agricultural community of about 1,000 pilgrimage for Holaday that it was for the UFO
She believes the event will morph into
residents, where neighbors pull their cars over to enthusiasts, he did have a new experience sitting
more of a makeshift festival than a raid. The
shop’s phone has been ringing with vendors stop and chat when they see each other. The still and staring at the stars for hours that night,
ranging from bakeries to tattoo artists asking if town is so close to the Nevada Test and Training as he waited with the others for aliens to appear.
they can set up in the store’s parking lot in Range that many locals have a story about a “You know, it’s like you’ve lived here
September. military jet flying so low, it felt as if it were your whole life,” he said. “But you’ve never
Ingram, a mother of three who has lived hovering just above their head. They are used to looked up.” []
sonic booms from speeding aircraft rattling their
in Alamo for 12 years, said she’s excited for the
windows. SOME AREA 51 FACTS AND SECRETS
business, but is concerned about safety, noise
Holaday’s father, who did some cattle
and traffic jams on the two-lane highways that
ranching, was also a maintenance worker at - The name ‘Area 51’ derives from its marking
connect the valleys in Lincoln County.
“Most of us live all the way out here for Area 51. Growing up, it was understood that his on 1950’s Nevada Test Site maps. Today, the
a reason,” Ingram said. “It’s to get away from father did not discuss the details of what he saw official name of Area 51 is Air Force Flight Test
things like this.” while working at the military facility. Center, Detachment 3, or AFFTC Det. 3 for
Holaday grew up in Alamo, a ranching About 12 years ago, Holaday learned short.
and agricultural community of about 1,000 that the Alamo Inn was for sale. He decided to - Area 51 was also referred to as Groom Lake
return from New Jersey, where he’d been living (the name of the dry lake Area 51 was built
residents, where neighbors pull their cars over to
for work, to buy it and raise his two children in around), Paradise Ranch (a half-serious way to
stop and chat when they see each other. The
his hometown. entice employees to accept positions at the
town is so close to the Nevada Test and Training
Soon afterward, a group began hosting a remote, rustic base), Watertown (the official
Range that many locals have a story about a
military jet flying so low, it felt as if it were UFO conference there. For five or six years, the name of the test site, given in 1956), and
hovering just above their head. They are used to group held panels at a nearby senior center and Dreamland (after an Edgar Allan Poe poem).
sonic booms from speeding aircraft rattling their then returned to the Alamo Inn in the evening. - Area 51’s nickname DREAMLAND was
windows. They barbecued and then sat around a campfire allegedly derived from an Edgar Allan Poe poem
Holaday’s father, who did some cattle talking shop. by the same name. It admonishes that “the
Holaday often joined them, giving little traveler, traveling through it, may not-dare not
ranching, was also a maintenance worker at
credence to the theories, but still amused and openly view it; Never its mysteries are exposed,
Area 51. Growing up, it was understood that his
fascinated. to the weak human eye unclosed.”
father did not discuss the details of what he saw
“They said a lot of strange things,” he - When Area 51 was chosen as the testing site for
while working at the military facility.
About 12 years ago, Holaday learned said, “but honestly, I also learned a lot from the OXCART, a new, 8,500-foot runway had to
that the Alamo Inn was for sale. He decided to them, too, about looking at the stars.” be built. So as not to draw attention, contractors
return from New Jersey, where he’d been living One night, after putting out the campfire, worked under cover of night.
for work, to buy it and raise his two children in Holaday drove with the group down the - Flying at 2,200 mph, it took OXCART pilot
his hometown. Extraterrestrial Highway into Tikaboo Valley to 186 miles just to make a U-turn. To
a single black mailbox in a dusty lot on the side accommodate the plane, an additional 38,400
Soon afterward, a group began hosting a
of the road. Holaday said the mailbox belonged acres of land around the base had to be
UFO conference there. For five or six years, the
to a local rancher, but somehow over the years withdrawn from public access and the restricted
group held panels at a nearby senior center and
truth stretched into conspiracies and many came airspace expanded to create a 440-square mile
then returned to the Alamo Inn in the evening.
They barbecued and then sat around a campfire to believe it was a spot where aliens box.
talking shop. communicated with humans. (The original - Over half of all UFO reports from the late
Holaday often joined them, giving little mailbox has since been replaced, but on a recent 1950s through the 1960s were accounted for by
credence to the theories, but still amused and visit it was still stuffed with hand-scrawled manned reconnaissance flights (namely the U-2)
fascinated. notes, including one that read, “Dear Aliens, over the United States. []
please take Donald Trump.”)