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NARRATOR:
In 2019, a call went out
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to storm the gates of the
world's most top secret
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military installation.
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NICK POPE:
This was the place
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that people were attempting
to back engineer
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extraterrestrial technology.
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NARRATOR:
Millions responded.
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JEREMY CORBELL:
This information
had been percolating
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for 30 years, and then bam!
A perfect storm.
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BILL BIRNES:
On the Internet, on the radio,
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promoters were talking
about let's storm Area 51.
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NARRATOR:
The military vowed
to protect the base
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by any means necessary.
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The DoD said
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we would bomb millennials
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if they actually tried to storm
the gates of Area 51.
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NARRATOR:
But still, thousands
met the call to action.
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What's behind those gates
is one of the last mysteries.
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I want the government to
release the records now, today.
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NARRATOR:
Was this the beginning
of a movement
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that will finally tear down
the walls of government secrecy
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and expose the truth
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about an extraterrestrial
presence on planet Earth?
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GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS:
People are interested
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in the extraterrestrial
question,
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and they want answers.
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NARRATOR:
There is a doorway
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in the universe.
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Beyond it is
the promise of truth.
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It demands we
question everything
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we have ever been taught.
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The evidence is all around us.
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The future is right
before our eyes.
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We are not alone.
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We have never been alone.
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College student Matty Roberts
creates a post on Facebook.
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In it, Roberts calls on
his friends to storm
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the top secret
U. S. military base
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called Area 51,
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a place that has
long been rumored
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to be housing crashed
extraterrestrial spacecraft.
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As part of the post,
Roberts invites his readers
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to click to indicate
if they're attending.
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I had shared it to my own
personal Facebook page,
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and I think it amassed
probably about 40 RSVPs,
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the people that were interested
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or had tagged
themselves as going.
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NARRATOR:
Roberts has no idea
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whether the post will
simply reach his own circle
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of friends and acquaintances
on Facebook
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or if it will spread further
into cyberspace.
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He gets his answer
two days later
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when his phone begins buzzing
with RSVP notifications.
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First a few hundred.
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Then a few thousand.
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ROBERTS:
It just kept
kind of snowballing.
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And it took about three days
for it to really take off,
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and it just took
off like wildfire.
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And then that's when
it got posted on reddit.
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And when it got
posted on reddit,
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it really took off.
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NARRATOR:
Within a week,
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the number of RSVPs
soars to over a million.
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And then on July 11,
the news got ahold of it.
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Now a new Facebook event
talks about organizing
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a large mob to raid the base.
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They were trying to organize
a big mob to storm Area 51,
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where all the aliens are.
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Officials are saying stay away,
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this is not something
you want to go to.
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REPORTER:
There are even signs that
warn it's a restricted area,
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that it's unlawful to enter
the area without permission,
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and that use of deadly
force is authorized.
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In short, don't go.
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NARRATOR:
News commentators point out
that if even a small fraction
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of those who responded show up,
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the proposed storming
could quickly turn violent.
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Alarmed at the overwhelming
response to Roberts' post,
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U.S. military officials
issue a warning.
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In ominous language,
it states that
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"The U. S. Air Force
always stands ready
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to protect America
and its assets."
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Within days, Matty Roberts
gets a visit from the FBI.
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ROBERTS:
FBI did show up to my house.
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They asked me to send them
anybody that's trying
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to radicalize this thing,
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in the form of actually
storming the base,
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and actually causing
harm to people.
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They were really concerned about
people sending me death threats.
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NARRATOR:
In the wake of the FBI's visit,
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Roberts claims that he
was joking all along,
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and that he never
actually intended
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for anyone to heed his call.
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ROBERTS:
I was just kind of like,
I didn't think anybody was gonna
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take it too seriously 'cause
when I created the event
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on Facebook,
it was meant as a joke,
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kind of, like, tongue in cheek.
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Never intended for
it to go this far.
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It was terrifying.
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NARRATOR:
But whether Roberts wanted
people to take him seriously
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or not, by early July,
it seemed nothing could derail
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what he had set in motion.
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Matty Roberts' original post
has now been reposted
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hundreds of thousands of times.
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Over two million people
have indicated
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they plan to descend
on Area 51 in September,
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and storm the top secret base.
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No one has any idea how
many might actually attend,
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and both the government and the
media gear up to blame Roberts
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if things turn into
an ugly confrontation
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between the military and tens of
thousands of UFO enthusiasts.
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In order to take the
pressure off of himself
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and his associates, Roberts asks
that his followers call off
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any plans to actually invade
the base on September 20.
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Instead, he announces
an alternative idea:
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a peaceful celebration
called Alienstock,
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which he begins organizing in
the tiny town of Rachel, Nevada,
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just outside Area 51.
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He promises a festival of music,
art and all things alien.
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POPE: In the weeks before the
event, there are efforts aimed
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at scaling down the rhetoric and
averting a potential tragedy.
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BIRNES:
The government just did a whole
counter‐media program,
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letting folks know that they're
not taking this as a game,
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they don't think it's funny.
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No, it's not Woodstock.
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You want to have a rock
festival outside of Rachel?
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Hey, have a nice day, right?
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But you cross Area 51,
we take it seriously.
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You will be arrested,
prosecuted,
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likely convicted
and sent to jail.
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NARRATOR: Ten days before
the event, two Dutch YouTubers
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penetrate the Area 51 perimeter,
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hiking three miles
into the restricted area.
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Their arrests make national
headlines, and add to concerns
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that the upcoming gathering
could easily get out of hand.
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POPE:
Astoundingly, they were
sentenced to a year in jail.
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The message was clear: we are
going to come down on you hard.
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KEVIN ALMEIDA:
I think behind those gates
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is something that
nobody can explain,
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not even the people
that work there.
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I have no answers,
but I'm gonna find out.
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That's why I came here,
3,000 miles,
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to find out those answers.
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NARRATOR:
On the day the event begins,
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the Department of Defense
posts an ominous tweet.
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It features a picture
of a B‐2 bomber,
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along with a heading that states
that this is the last thing
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millennials will see if they
attempt the Area 51 raid today.
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The tweet is quickly deleted.
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They made a case of saying
that it would be considered
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an act of terrorism.
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Even saying we would
bomb millennials
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if they actually tried to
storm the gates of Area 51.
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That was a little severe.
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POPE:
Now, they cleverly didn't
exactly say what would happen,
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but there was a palpable
threat left hanging in the air.
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NARRATOR:
Faced with the military's
willingness to defend Area 51
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at all costs, many potential
attendees change their plans
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and decide not to attend.
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But while the government
warnings are largely effective,
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on the night of September 20,
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nearly 100 people refuse
to be intimidated,
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and gather at the gates.
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ZACK ETKIND: I think behind the
gate there could very well be,
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uh, technology that
the government is not
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informing us of.
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There's a lot of people that
are, like, watching this event
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being like, "This is the night.
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This is the night
we find some aliens."
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They can't catch us all!
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KYLE KALLMAN:
People are prepared
for a bloodbath,
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but I have seen nothing.
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The cops have been out
in a show of force,
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and they are gonna
make it very unpleasant
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for anybody who crosses.
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NARRATOR:
Both sides show restraint,
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and a potentially deadly
confrontation is averted.
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Only two people are detained by
authorities for minor offenses.
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Over the next three days,
approximately 3,000 more people
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make the journey to Area 51
in a show of solidarity,
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and in protest of
government secrecy.
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There's a huge alien
community around the world.
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It was a matter of time before
this was gonna happen.
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I don't think the government's
being honest,
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'cause I think they would
freak us out if they told us
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what was inside that
big ol' mountain there.
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NARRATOR:
But there are many who believe
that without the serious threat
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of military action,
the turnout might have been
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significantly larger.
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MARTELL:
The government caused
a lot of confusion,
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and pretty much
discouraged most people
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from showing up to the event.
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POPE:
In the days and weeks leading
up to September the 20th,
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there was a mass of
confusing reports about
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what might actually take place.
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And one wonders, did this play
into the hands of the government
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and work to their advantage?
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NARRATOR:
If government threats did
indeed suppress the turnout
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at the Area 51 festivals,
what could they be protecting?
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Is it only military secrets...
or something else?
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For ancient astronaut theorists,
the answer is obvious.
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So it seems a lot of people are
asking the same question:
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what is it that the government
is hiding at Area 51?
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LINDA MOULTON HOWE:
The United States began
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with a policy of
lies and denial.
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Let's call it for what it is...
counterintelligence.
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UFOs and ETs have
been at the top
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00:11:01,119 --> 00:11:04,914
of the counterintelligence
list since World War II.
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Our government doesn't
want us to know the truth.
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TSOUKALOS:
We know for a fact
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that for over 50 years,
not just the U. S. government
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00:11:13,923 --> 00:11:17,927
but governments from around
the world have always denied
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00:11:17,927 --> 00:11:21,431
the UFO question or the
extraterrestrial question.
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NARRATOR:
Could the U. S. government be hiding
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00:11:25,476 --> 00:11:31,858
not only crashed UFOs, but even
extraterrestrials at Area 51?
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00:11:31,858 --> 00:11:34,569
Perhaps further
clues can be found
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at the very entrance
of the secret base,
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an entrance that has been
strictly off‐limits for decades.
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NARRATOR:
Could Area 51 truly harbor
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extraterrestrial secrets?
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And if so, how did it all begin?
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Perhaps answers can be found
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in the murky history of the
mysterious desert base.
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We actually have to go back
to the attack on Pearl Harbor
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in December 1941.
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The government said
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00:12:08,603 --> 00:12:12,232
we can never allow something
like this to happen again.
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So, let's move or create
some of these installations
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and facilities further
into the country.
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NARRATOR:
Area 51 was built around
a salt flat known as Groom Lake.
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A runway now slices
across the dry lake bed.
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The reason why Groom Lake
was chosen was very simple:
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Groom Lake itself was a dry bed
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but it was extremely long,
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and it could double
as a huge runway.
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Some of these aircraft
required long runways.
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00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:50,645
For many years, Area 51
enthusiasts were able to watch
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00:12:50,645 --> 00:12:55,483
with high‐powered binocular
lenses and see base activity.
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00:12:55,483 --> 00:12:57,360
None of that is
possible anymore.
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00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,238
They've gone to great lengths
to keep whatever's happening
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00:13:00,238 --> 00:13:02,198
at Area 51 a secret.
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NARRATOR:
For the better part
of a century,
243
00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:09,163
the U. S. government denied
the very existence of Area 51.
244
00:13:09,163 --> 00:13:10,957
But why?
245
00:13:10,957 --> 00:13:15,336
The official Area 51 now
admitted by the government
246
00:13:15,336 --> 00:13:20,341
is this facility where aircraft
were developed and test‐flown.
247
00:13:20,341 --> 00:13:22,885
The U‐2 spy plane.
248
00:13:22,885 --> 00:13:24,971
The SR‐71 Blackbird,
249
00:13:24,971 --> 00:13:28,766
and of course, more recently,
stealth technology.
250
00:13:28,766 --> 00:13:31,060
So that's the official Area 51...
251
00:13:31,060 --> 00:13:34,439
highly secret, secure, remote.
252
00:13:34,439 --> 00:13:38,318
But then there's
the unofficial Area 51
253
00:13:38,318 --> 00:13:41,738
where people say that there was
an even bigger secret there.
254
00:13:41,738 --> 00:13:46,325
And that was
extraterrestrial technology.
255
00:13:56,169 --> 00:13:58,046
NARRATOR:
To further investigate
256
00:13:58,046 --> 00:14:01,549
what might be hidden at
the secret Area 51 base,
257
00:14:01,549 --> 00:14:05,178
former British Ministry
of Defense officer Nick Pope
258
00:14:05,178 --> 00:14:08,056
and filmmaker Jeremy CORBELL
259
00:14:08,056 --> 00:14:10,975
have enlisted the help
of local resident Joerg Arnu.
260
00:14:10,975 --> 00:14:15,271
Joerg, who has lived in nearby
Rachel, Nevada for 15 years,
261
00:14:15,271 --> 00:14:20,610
has been a firsthand witness
to Area 51's recent history.
262
00:14:20,610 --> 00:14:23,404
What's the strangest, uh,
interaction you've seen
263
00:14:23,404 --> 00:14:25,406
of people coming in
or out of the base?
264
00:14:25,406 --> 00:14:28,076
Heavy construction equipment
going into the base
265
00:14:28,076 --> 00:14:29,452
when they were
doing construction.
266
00:14:29,452 --> 00:14:31,287
And also, sometimes you see
267
00:14:31,287 --> 00:14:34,373
military vehicles being
dragged into the base.
268
00:14:34,373 --> 00:14:36,167
They set them up inside
269
00:14:36,167 --> 00:14:39,087
the bombing ranges
for shooting targets.
270
00:14:39,087 --> 00:14:41,422
Um, just pull over here.
271
00:14:41,422 --> 00:14:43,549
There's a sheriff's
vehicle coming our way.
272
00:14:43,549 --> 00:14:45,259
We don't want any trouble.
273
00:14:45,259 --> 00:14:46,803
We don't want to block them.
274
00:14:46,803 --> 00:14:48,888
We don't want to go any further.
275
00:14:48,888 --> 00:14:50,765
POPE:
This is extra security.
276
00:14:50,765 --> 00:14:53,601
I don't think we've ever
seen quite this much.
277
00:14:57,897 --> 00:15:00,149
NARRATOR:
In light of the tension
278
00:15:00,149 --> 00:15:02,610
surrounding the Storm Area 51 event,
279
00:15:02,610 --> 00:15:05,613
the military has implemented
a zero‐tolerance lockdown
280
00:15:05,613 --> 00:15:09,075
at the gate of the secret base.
281
00:15:09,075 --> 00:15:11,410
POPE:
So, here we are.
282
00:15:11,410 --> 00:15:14,664
I think this is about
as far as we can go.
283
00:15:14,664 --> 00:15:16,666
The point of no return, right?
284
00:15:16,666 --> 00:15:19,085
ARNU:
Yes. We cannot go any further.
285
00:15:19,085 --> 00:15:21,420
POPE:
All this barbed wire here,
286
00:15:21,420 --> 00:15:23,422
all the security measures,
287
00:15:23,422 --> 00:15:26,008
this is the point at which
288
00:15:26,008 --> 00:15:28,594
if you take one step further,
289
00:15:28,594 --> 00:15:33,057
the full force of security
will come down on us, right?
290
00:15:33,057 --> 00:15:35,268
Make no mistake,
we step one step
291
00:15:35,268 --> 00:15:37,562
into that territory, and
everything is going to change.
292
00:15:37,562 --> 00:15:40,189
If I came up here,
is anybody going to talk to me?
293
00:15:40,189 --> 00:15:41,524
‐Are they going to say
anything to me?
‐No.
294
00:15:41,524 --> 00:15:45,528
No. These are signs that
spell out in plain English:
295
00:15:45,528 --> 00:15:48,739
bad things are going to happen
to you if you cross this line.
296
00:15:48,739 --> 00:15:50,491
‐POPE: Right.
‐ARNU: It's very clear.
297
00:15:50,491 --> 00:15:51,576
So now look,
298
00:15:51,576 --> 00:15:54,704
if we walked past that barrier,
299
00:15:54,704 --> 00:15:56,497
up that road, what would we see?
300
00:15:56,497 --> 00:15:58,082
What would we find?
301
00:15:58,082 --> 00:16:02,170
We would be walking down
about 20 miles of paved road
302
00:16:02,170 --> 00:16:06,257
into the valley that
Area 51 is located in.
303
00:16:06,257 --> 00:16:09,719
In between here and the base,
304
00:16:09,719 --> 00:16:11,304
there's more security
checkpoints,
305
00:16:11,304 --> 00:16:13,556
there's more road sensors.
306
00:16:13,556 --> 00:16:15,933
If you were to get to Area 51,
307
00:16:15,933 --> 00:16:18,144
you're standing there
and you look around
308
00:16:18,144 --> 00:16:21,731
and it looks like any other
military Air Force base.
309
00:16:21,731 --> 00:16:23,983
But the good stuff
is all in hangars.
310
00:16:23,983 --> 00:16:25,651
It is not out in the open.
311
00:16:25,651 --> 00:16:27,486
It's not like, you know,
they got the saucer
312
00:16:27,486 --> 00:16:28,988
right there on the runway.
313
00:16:28,988 --> 00:16:30,907
‐So, there are hangers
obviously.
‐Yeah.
314
00:16:30,907 --> 00:16:32,617
But, uh, there are even rumors
315
00:16:32,617 --> 00:16:35,244
of huge underground facilities,
316
00:16:35,244 --> 00:16:38,539
facilities carved into the
sides of the mountains.
317
00:16:38,539 --> 00:16:42,043
There are people that talk
about underground facilities.
318
00:16:42,043 --> 00:16:45,004
They keep tabs on people
that watch the base.
319
00:16:45,004 --> 00:16:47,632
They know exactly when
somebody's up on Tikaboo Peak,
320
00:16:47,632 --> 00:16:50,134
for instance, one of
the view spots of the base.
321
00:16:50,134 --> 00:16:53,888
NARRATOR:
Located 26 miles
from the Area 51 base,
322
00:16:53,888 --> 00:16:57,350
Tikaboo Peak is the
only public land
323
00:16:57,350 --> 00:16:59,727
where people can actually see
the Groom Lake runway
324
00:16:59,727 --> 00:17:01,437
and hangars.
325
00:17:01,437 --> 00:17:04,106
And they know exactly, "Okay,
right now is a good moment
326
00:17:04,106 --> 00:17:05,608
to fly our good stuff,"
327
00:17:05,608 --> 00:17:07,276
and that's when they
bring out the good stuff.
328
00:17:07,276 --> 00:17:09,070
I've actually been
on Tikaboo Peak
329
00:17:09,070 --> 00:17:10,696
when they did a test‐flight
330
00:17:10,696 --> 00:17:13,199
and it was the
most amazing thing.
331
00:17:13,199 --> 00:17:15,284
We look at the base
and all of a sudden,
332
00:17:15,284 --> 00:17:18,996
in the middle of the night,
all the runway lights come on.
333
00:17:18,996 --> 00:17:20,957
I mean, it's‐it's the most
amazing thing to watch.
334
00:17:20,957 --> 00:17:23,834
All of a sudden,
the‐the desert in front of you,
335
00:17:23,834 --> 00:17:25,670
below you, becomes alive.
336
00:17:25,670 --> 00:17:28,297
You see a light taxiing
to the runway,
337
00:17:28,297 --> 00:17:30,216
the light takes off,
338
00:17:30,216 --> 00:17:32,176
the runway lights go out,
the light goes out,
339
00:17:32,176 --> 00:17:35,179
and that was the end of that.
340
00:17:35,179 --> 00:17:37,723
I mean, literally feet
above the runway,
341
00:17:37,723 --> 00:17:39,767
the lights just went out.
342
00:17:39,767 --> 00:17:41,561
‐That's ultra‐high security.
‐Yes.
343
00:17:41,561 --> 00:17:43,354
And whatever that thing was,
344
00:17:43,354 --> 00:17:46,941
‐clearly they were really
trying to protect it...
‐Yes.
345
00:17:46,941 --> 00:17:50,236
...and minimizing that anyone
could get eyes on it.
346
00:17:50,236 --> 00:17:51,862
Correct.
347
00:17:51,862 --> 00:17:54,615
NARRATOR:
Could claims
that the U. S. military
348
00:17:54,615 --> 00:17:58,286
discovered otherworldly
spacecraft be true?
349
00:17:58,286 --> 00:18:00,454
Might some of post‐war America's
350
00:18:00,454 --> 00:18:02,331
greatest technological
accomplishments
351
00:18:02,331 --> 00:18:03,666
have been the result
352
00:18:03,666 --> 00:18:07,169
of reverse engineering
alien vehicles?
353
00:18:07,169 --> 00:18:10,548
Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,
354
00:18:10,548 --> 00:18:13,801
and insist that the truth
about Area 51
355
00:18:13,801 --> 00:18:16,929
was actually revealed
decades ago,
356
00:18:16,929 --> 00:18:20,641
not by UFO enthusiasts
or whistle‐blowers,
357
00:18:20,641 --> 00:18:23,728
but by two of the men
most responsible
358
00:18:23,728 --> 00:18:27,315
for maintaining the government's
most vital secrets.
359
00:18:37,742 --> 00:18:40,411
NARRATOR:
In the midst of World War II,
360
00:18:40,411 --> 00:18:44,040
the government presses the
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
361
00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:47,627
to develop the next generation
of military planes...
362
00:18:47,627 --> 00:18:51,213
jet fighters designed to
outflank propeller aircraft
363
00:18:51,213 --> 00:18:54,592
and help turn the tide of war.
364
00:18:56,636 --> 00:18:59,096
A team headed by
Lockheed engineer
365
00:18:59,096 --> 00:19:01,015
Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
366
00:19:01,015 --> 00:19:06,103
delivers the first production
model in just 143 days.
367
00:19:06,103 --> 00:19:08,689
Their P‐80 Shooting Star
368
00:19:08,689 --> 00:19:12,818
initiates the jet age
for the U. S. military.
369
00:19:12,818 --> 00:19:15,863
Kelly Johnson's secret research
and development team
370
00:19:15,863 --> 00:19:18,824
ultimately becomes known...
371
00:19:18,824 --> 00:19:20,951
as "Skunk Works."
372
00:19:20,951 --> 00:19:22,995
DOLAN:
Clarence Kelly Johnson
373
00:19:22,995 --> 00:19:26,165
was the first head of Lockheed's
Skunk Works division
374
00:19:26,165 --> 00:19:29,627
back in the '50s and '60s,
up until 1975.
375
00:19:29,627 --> 00:19:33,047
He's the developer
of the U‐2 spy plane
376
00:19:33,047 --> 00:19:35,508
which was able to fly
at the incredible altitude
377
00:19:35,508 --> 00:19:36,967
of 80,000 feet,
378
00:19:36,967 --> 00:19:38,719
equipped with
photographic capabilities
379
00:19:38,719 --> 00:19:40,513
that were astonishing.
380
00:19:40,513 --> 00:19:44,266
And he is a great legend in the
aviation community, for sure.
381
00:19:44,266 --> 00:19:47,478
NARRATOR:
Despite his mainstream credentials,
382
00:19:47,478 --> 00:19:50,481
Johnson becomes
the primary witness
383
00:19:50,481 --> 00:19:54,151
to a now‐famous UFO sighting
in Agoura, California,
384
00:19:54,151 --> 00:19:57,738
on December 16, 1953.
385
00:19:57,738 --> 00:19:59,824
His report of the encounter,
386
00:19:59,824 --> 00:20:01,784
and his personal
sketches of the craft,
387
00:20:01,784 --> 00:20:04,078
were preserved
by Project Blue Book,
388
00:20:04,078 --> 00:20:06,205
the U. S. government's
official account
389
00:20:06,205 --> 00:20:09,291
of the UFO phenomenon
at the time.
390
00:20:09,291 --> 00:20:12,545
DOLAN:
He was with some of
his colleagues at the time
391
00:20:12,545 --> 00:20:14,755
when he saw a very,
very unusual object
392
00:20:14,755 --> 00:20:18,259
that he could not explain
in any kind of technology
393
00:20:18,259 --> 00:20:20,261
that was familiar
to him at the time.
394
00:20:20,261 --> 00:20:25,015
NARRATOR:
During an era of official
skepticism about UFOs,
395
00:20:25,015 --> 00:20:27,309
Johnson risks his career
396
00:20:27,309 --> 00:20:29,854
by reporting the sighting
to his superiors.
397
00:20:29,854 --> 00:20:34,316
But instead of being
penalized or demoted,
398
00:20:34,316 --> 00:20:36,986
Johnson is seemingly
rewarded two years later,
399
00:20:36,986 --> 00:20:39,613
when he plays a pivotal
role in founding America's
400
00:20:39,613 --> 00:20:45,119
most secret military base:
Area 51.
401
00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,747
Kelly Johnson was
the person that identified
402
00:20:47,747 --> 00:20:51,375
the location where Area 51 is
as a good strategic location.
403
00:20:51,375 --> 00:20:56,213
It is fundamentally located
in the right part of the world
404
00:20:56,213 --> 00:20:58,090
without prying eyes.
405
00:20:58,090 --> 00:21:03,345
NARRATOR:
But was Area 51 founded merely
to test experimental aircraft,
406
00:21:03,345 --> 00:21:06,682
as the military insists?
407
00:21:06,682 --> 00:21:11,479
Or did Kelly Johnson choose
the location as the best place
408
00:21:11,479 --> 00:21:15,024
to reverse engineer
the very alien spacecraft
409
00:21:15,024 --> 00:21:17,985
he believed he saw
with his own eyes?
410
00:21:21,197 --> 00:21:24,074
Kelly Johnson died in 1990,
411
00:21:24,074 --> 00:21:28,662
without ever disclosing
the secrets of Area 51.
412
00:21:28,662 --> 00:21:31,624
But a key person
in his inner circle
413
00:21:31,624 --> 00:21:34,919
openly expressed his belief
that extraterrestrials
414
00:21:34,919 --> 00:21:37,963
are present on Earth.
415
00:21:45,221 --> 00:21:48,808
Aviation designer
Benjamin Robert Rich
416
00:21:48,808 --> 00:21:52,978
succeeds Kelly Johnson as the
second director of Skunk Works.
417
00:21:52,978 --> 00:21:56,524
He will eventually become known
as the "father of stealth."
418
00:21:58,526 --> 00:22:01,028
Ben Rich was one
of the real legends
419
00:22:01,028 --> 00:22:03,113
of the history
of American aviation,
420
00:22:03,113 --> 00:22:04,865
and‐and the classified
world in general.
421
00:22:04,865 --> 00:22:07,159
And he's famously
known as the man
422
00:22:07,159 --> 00:22:10,621
who's really behind the design
of the F‐117A Nighthawk.
423
00:22:10,621 --> 00:22:12,373
That's the stealth fighter
424
00:22:12,373 --> 00:22:16,669
which would revolutionize
aviation in the 1980s and 90s.
425
00:22:18,379 --> 00:22:22,800
NARRATOR:
Another aviation expert
and colleague, Jim Goodall,
426
00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,636
heard rumors that Ben Rich
had information
427
00:22:25,636 --> 00:22:28,556
confirming the existence
of UFOs,
428
00:22:28,556 --> 00:22:31,016
so he decided to ask,
point blank,
429
00:22:31,016 --> 00:22:35,187
what this legendary head
of Skunk Works really believed.
430
00:22:35,187 --> 00:22:38,524
JIM GOODALL:
Mr. Ben Rich
was a friend of mine,
431
00:22:38,524 --> 00:22:41,777
and just before he passed away,
I asked him, I said,
432
00:22:41,777 --> 00:22:43,612
"Do you believe in UFOs?"
433
00:22:43,612 --> 00:22:45,322
He said, he said, "Jim,
434
00:22:45,322 --> 00:22:47,324
"we have things
out in the desert
435
00:22:47,324 --> 00:22:50,995
"that are 50 years beyond
what you can comprehend.
436
00:22:50,995 --> 00:22:53,247
"Not what you think
you can build in 50 years,
437
00:22:53,247 --> 00:22:55,541
"but what you can comprehend.
438
00:22:55,541 --> 00:22:58,961
"And if you've seen movies
like Star Trek and Star Wars,
439
00:22:58,961 --> 00:23:01,255
we've been there, done that."
440
00:23:01,255 --> 00:23:06,302
To me, I think it was
a deathbed confession.
441
00:23:06,302 --> 00:23:08,220
CORBELL:
This is a man that would know
442
00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:11,473
what technologies we have
in our inventory as humans
443
00:23:11,473 --> 00:23:13,017
and what we don't.
444
00:23:13,017 --> 00:23:16,604
Ben Rich was a believer in UFOs.
445
00:23:16,604 --> 00:23:19,982
I think beyond believer,
I think he knew.
446
00:23:19,982 --> 00:23:23,652
NARRATOR:
But of all the people
who worked at Area 51,
447
00:23:23,652 --> 00:23:29,033
perhaps the most famous,
or infamous, is Bob Lazar.
448
00:23:29,033 --> 00:23:33,704
No one has been more
inflammatory, or controversial.
449
00:23:33,704 --> 00:23:36,332
As far as alien enthusiasts
are concerned,
450
00:23:36,332 --> 00:23:38,918
Lazar has done more to turn
451
00:23:38,918 --> 00:23:41,086
a previously unknown
military base
452
00:23:41,086 --> 00:23:43,380
in the middle of an
obscure Nevada desert
453
00:23:43,380 --> 00:23:47,468
into the white‐hot center of
America's obsession with UFOs,
454
00:23:47,468 --> 00:23:51,555
aliens and government
conspiracies.
455
00:23:51,555 --> 00:23:54,224
But who is Bob Lazar?
456
00:23:54,224 --> 00:23:57,895
And what did he see at Area 51?
457
00:24:06,236 --> 00:24:09,990
Who among us has not heard
about an alleged UFO cover‐up?
458
00:24:09,990 --> 00:24:11,867
NARRATOR:
On local TV station KLAS,
459
00:24:11,867 --> 00:24:15,037
investigative reporter
George Knapp
460
00:24:15,037 --> 00:24:17,998
interviews a man going by
the name "Dennis"
461
00:24:17,998 --> 00:24:20,751
and shot in silhouette
to hide his identity.
462
00:24:20,751 --> 00:24:25,047
The man claims to work at the
secret military installation
463
00:24:25,047 --> 00:24:28,050
that the U. S. government
still maintains does not exist.
464
00:24:28,050 --> 00:24:31,637
And according to him,
the base does, in fact,
465
00:24:31,637 --> 00:24:34,431
hold extraterrestrial
spacecraft.
466
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:38,852
GEORGE KNAPP: Exactly what's
going on up there?
467
00:24:38,852 --> 00:24:43,023
BOB LAZAR: Well, there's
several, uh, actually nine, uh,
468
00:24:43,023 --> 00:24:45,067
flying saucers, flying disks,
469
00:24:45,067 --> 00:24:48,487
uh, that are out there
of extraterrestrial origin.
470
00:24:50,656 --> 00:24:52,032
POPE:
Here was someone
471
00:24:52,032 --> 00:24:53,617
who claimed to have
worked at Area 51,
472
00:24:53,617 --> 00:24:57,496
back engineering
alien technology.
473
00:24:57,496 --> 00:25:00,916
UFOs that had crashed,
possibly at Roswell,
474
00:25:00,916 --> 00:25:03,460
and trying to figure out
how they worked.
475
00:25:03,460 --> 00:25:08,340
And then maybe
building one ourselves.
476
00:25:10,217 --> 00:25:11,677
NARRATOR:
Frightened that the government
477
00:25:11,677 --> 00:25:14,513
might try to harm him
if he remains anonymous,
478
00:25:14,513 --> 00:25:17,182
the whistle‐blower
and reporter George Knapp
479
00:25:17,182 --> 00:25:21,061
wrestle with the idea
of revealing his name.
480
00:25:21,061 --> 00:25:24,523
The day that we unveiled
his identity to the world,
481
00:25:24,523 --> 00:25:27,484
he's in the station
and he grabs the tape,
482
00:25:27,484 --> 00:25:30,070
he said, "I've changed my mind,
not gonna do it."
483
00:25:30,070 --> 00:25:32,406
Right up to the end,
he was fighting it
484
00:25:32,406 --> 00:25:35,117
and arguing with himself
about whether it's a good idea,
485
00:25:35,117 --> 00:25:36,577
even though his life
had been threatened,
486
00:25:36,577 --> 00:25:39,872
his life had been
turned upside down.
487
00:25:39,872 --> 00:25:41,457
NARRATOR:
In the end,
the whistle‐blower decided
488
00:25:41,457 --> 00:25:42,916
to come out from the shadows
489
00:25:42,916 --> 00:25:46,378
and reveal his name... Bob Lazar.
490
00:25:48,088 --> 00:25:50,382
The one good thing Bob Lazar
did was came forward
491
00:25:50,382 --> 00:25:53,218
with George Knapp
in 1989 on May 15,
492
00:25:53,218 --> 00:25:56,555
and by doing that,
he protected himself.
493
00:25:56,555 --> 00:25:59,850
He was scared for his life,
and he protected himself
494
00:25:59,850 --> 00:26:03,979
by telling you what happened
to him in one shot, straight up.
495
00:26:03,979 --> 00:26:06,940
NARRATOR:
From that day onward,
496
00:26:06,940 --> 00:26:11,070
Bob Lazar has remained the most
controversial UFO whistle‐blower
497
00:26:11,070 --> 00:26:15,449
in history, and going public
came at a heavy price.
498
00:26:15,449 --> 00:26:19,745
A price many believe was
exacted by a government
499
00:26:19,745 --> 00:26:24,333
determined to hide
the truth about Area 51.
500
00:26:24,333 --> 00:26:27,086
Not only was Bob's house
broken into and they'd
501
00:26:27,086 --> 00:26:30,089
move stuff around, they'd write
things on the, on the wall.
502
00:26:30,089 --> 00:26:32,132
He's got an Uzi
peeking out the window.
503
00:26:32,132 --> 00:26:33,801
The fear was real.
504
00:26:33,801 --> 00:26:36,470
The threats that were made
against him were real.
505
00:26:36,470 --> 00:26:38,138
The surveillance was real.
506
00:26:38,138 --> 00:26:40,682
NARRATOR:
Faced with such harassment,
507
00:26:40,682 --> 00:26:44,561
Lazar retreated from
public view for decades.
508
00:26:44,561 --> 00:26:47,815
I don't like being
in the public eye.
509
00:26:47,815 --> 00:26:49,691
I don't have money
for doing this,
510
00:26:49,691 --> 00:26:52,361
and quite frankly,
I could make up a better lie,
511
00:26:52,361 --> 00:26:55,322
but I have no motivation to lie.
512
00:26:55,322 --> 00:26:58,408
NARRATOR:
But if Bob Lazar's claims are true,
513
00:26:58,408 --> 00:27:00,911
just how much could he expose
514
00:27:00,911 --> 00:27:04,706
about what's really
going on at Area 51?
515
00:27:04,706 --> 00:27:09,503
On December 4, 2018,
516
00:27:09,503 --> 00:27:12,464
Lazar finally decided
to end years of silence
517
00:27:12,464 --> 00:27:16,718
and tell his full story
to filmmaker Jeremy CORBELL
518
00:27:16,718 --> 00:27:18,512
in an explosive
documentary entitled
519
00:27:18,512 --> 00:27:24,309
Bob Lazar: Area 51
and Flying Saucers.
520
00:27:24,309 --> 00:27:27,145
LAZAR:
In the late 1980s,
521
00:27:27,145 --> 00:27:31,483
the U. S. government
had recovered alien spacecraft,
522
00:27:31,483 --> 00:27:32,901
several of them,
523
00:27:32,901 --> 00:27:36,154
and the technology,
in the Nevada desert
524
00:27:36,154 --> 00:27:39,324
that they were keeping
quiet and analyzing.
525
00:27:39,324 --> 00:27:40,742
That's a fact.
526
00:27:40,742 --> 00:27:44,288
That's all my story was,
527
00:27:44,288 --> 00:27:48,083
was that I was just one of the
people working on these craft.
528
00:27:48,083 --> 00:27:53,714
There probably wouldn't be
this awareness of Area 51
529
00:27:53,714 --> 00:27:55,215
without Bob Lazar.
530
00:27:55,215 --> 00:27:59,052
And now we have the film,
and suddenly
531
00:27:59,052 --> 00:28:01,972
he's back in the media
and the public eye.
532
00:28:04,016 --> 00:28:06,643
NARRATOR:
The most extraordinary
technology that Lazar claims
533
00:28:06,643 --> 00:28:09,146
to have encountered at Area 51
534
00:28:09,146 --> 00:28:12,274
was an alien reactor,
one that he believes
535
00:28:12,274 --> 00:28:15,402
has the potential
to change the world.
536
00:28:15,402 --> 00:28:19,156
LAZAR:
The first time they showed me
the reactor in operation,
537
00:28:19,156 --> 00:28:21,325
just seeing something like that
538
00:28:21,325 --> 00:28:24,286
immediately starts that whole
chain reaction in your mind
539
00:28:24,286 --> 00:28:26,455
going, "Wow, wait,
if you can do this,
540
00:28:26,455 --> 00:28:28,123
"we don't need jet and
rocket engines anymore.
541
00:28:28,123 --> 00:28:29,833
"That means there's... wait...
542
00:28:29,833 --> 00:28:31,835
there's no use for cars."
I mean, boom,
543
00:28:31,835 --> 00:28:33,587
the whole thing changes.
544
00:28:33,587 --> 00:28:36,590
The entire world economy,
everything,
545
00:28:36,590 --> 00:28:39,593
would go end‐on‐end,
just if we had
546
00:28:39,593 --> 00:28:42,054
an answer to how
that machine worked
547
00:28:42,054 --> 00:28:44,556
that I was sitting there,
touching.
548
00:28:44,556 --> 00:28:49,394
NARRATOR:
Jeremy Corbell's documentary
caused a sensation,
549
00:28:49,394 --> 00:28:54,107
bringing Bob Lazar and Area 51
into the spotlight once again.
550
00:28:54,107 --> 00:28:57,819
Ultimately,
it provided the spark
551
00:28:57,819 --> 00:29:00,614
that ignited the
Storm Area 51 movement.
552
00:29:00,614 --> 00:29:02,699
ALEX DISCHINGER:
We're all here thanks to Bob Lazar
553
00:29:02,699 --> 00:29:07,120
and, uh, his good work
and bravery, to be honest.
554
00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:08,747
I think, you know,
with the Internet,
555
00:29:08,747 --> 00:29:10,791
we're just gonna continue
to see more and more people
556
00:29:10,791 --> 00:29:12,209
explore the ideas.
557
00:29:12,209 --> 00:29:13,835
It's gonna grow
hotter and hotter
558
00:29:13,835 --> 00:29:15,712
as people continue to question.
559
00:29:17,381 --> 00:29:19,007
NARRATOR:
Is the U. S. government
560
00:29:19,007 --> 00:29:22,219
still operating a longstanding
campaign to suppress
561
00:29:22,219 --> 00:29:25,222
the truth about Area 51?
562
00:29:25,222 --> 00:29:26,640
Perhaps further clues
563
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,434
can be found in
information exposed
564
00:29:29,434 --> 00:29:32,187
by other whistle‐blowers.
565
00:29:32,187 --> 00:29:34,815
Whistle‐blowers who
claim that Bob Lazar
566
00:29:34,815 --> 00:29:37,859
isn't the only one who
has discovered the truth
567
00:29:37,859 --> 00:29:40,404
and then been harassed
and discredited
568
00:29:40,404 --> 00:29:42,406
by the U. S. government.
569
00:29:48,245 --> 00:29:51,039
NARRATOR: Critics of Bob Lazar
and his audacious claims
570
00:29:51,039 --> 00:29:54,793
about alien craft being
studied at Area 51
571
00:29:54,793 --> 00:29:57,629
insist that there is no proof
of him ever having worked
572
00:29:57,629 --> 00:30:00,215
at the top secret
military facility.
573
00:30:00,215 --> 00:30:02,134
They suggest that his stories
574
00:30:02,134 --> 00:30:03,802
are simply made up.
575
00:30:05,804 --> 00:30:09,307
But a powerful new witness
has come forward
576
00:30:09,307 --> 00:30:12,060
to corroborate Lazar's story,
577
00:30:12,060 --> 00:30:15,689
former Air Force pilot
David Fruehauf.
578
00:30:15,689 --> 00:30:18,650
DAVID FRUEHAUF:
It's only been for me, personally,
579
00:30:18,650 --> 00:30:20,527
in the last few years,
580
00:30:20,527 --> 00:30:23,321
all of a sudden,
Bob Lazar's statements
581
00:30:23,321 --> 00:30:24,781
and all the things he had said
582
00:30:24,781 --> 00:30:26,992
have gelled now to the point
583
00:30:26,992 --> 00:30:29,244
where I think
he's very credible.
584
00:30:30,912 --> 00:30:32,706
NARRATOR:
While critics routinely claim
585
00:30:32,706 --> 00:30:35,542
that Lazar's supporters
lack any credibility,
586
00:30:35,542 --> 00:30:38,670
they can hardly make
that claim about Fruehauf.
587
00:30:48,555 --> 00:30:53,185
U.S. Air Force Captain
David Fruehauf
588
00:30:53,185 --> 00:30:55,020
joins an elite group of pilots
589
00:30:55,020 --> 00:30:57,230
flying America's most
sophisticated spy plane,
590
00:30:57,230 --> 00:30:59,232
the SR‐71.
591
00:30:59,232 --> 00:31:03,862
FRUEHAUF:
I was an SR‐71 pilot
for four and a half years.
592
00:31:03,862 --> 00:31:06,406
The aircraft,
as far as performance went,
593
00:31:06,406 --> 00:31:09,534
it was an hour
from coast to coast.
594
00:31:09,534 --> 00:31:13,371
It would warp your mind
with that kind of performance.
595
00:31:13,371 --> 00:31:17,501
And you just felt so
proud that you were...
596
00:31:17,501 --> 00:31:20,253
had an opportunity
to‐to fly that airplane
597
00:31:20,253 --> 00:31:23,507
and to be a part of that
unit and those people.
598
00:31:23,507 --> 00:31:24,925
It was family.
599
00:31:24,925 --> 00:31:28,386
NARRATOR: No one is surprised
when the military assigns
600
00:31:28,386 --> 00:31:30,555
such an elite pilot
601
00:31:30,555 --> 00:31:34,601
to duties at America's most
top secret Air Force base.
602
00:31:34,601 --> 00:31:36,937
FRUEHAUF:
I worked at Area 51
603
00:31:36,937 --> 00:31:42,234
for six years,
from 1979 till 1985.
604
00:31:42,234 --> 00:31:46,404
You had to have a special
clearance, a top secret SBI,
605
00:31:46,404 --> 00:31:48,782
Special Background
Investigation.
606
00:31:48,782 --> 00:31:52,285
Fortunately, I had gotten that
while I was flying the SR,
607
00:31:52,285 --> 00:31:54,454
so it was an easy
transition for me
608
00:31:54,454 --> 00:31:58,458
to move from the SR‐71
and my clearances and all
609
00:31:58,458 --> 00:32:01,128
over into Area 51.
610
00:32:01,128 --> 00:32:03,588
NARRATOR:
Along with his colleagues,
611
00:32:03,588 --> 00:32:08,260
Fruehauf commuted each day from
McCarran Airport in Las Vegas
612
00:32:08,260 --> 00:32:10,262
to Area 51,
613
00:32:10,262 --> 00:32:15,142
using a mysterious government
carrier named Janet Airlines.
614
00:32:15,142 --> 00:32:17,978
BIRNES:
One of the great stories
about Area 51
615
00:32:17,978 --> 00:32:19,980
comes from engineer TD Barnes.
616
00:32:19,980 --> 00:32:21,606
Here's what he said.
617
00:32:21,606 --> 00:32:24,234
"If there were UFOs
being reversed engineered
618
00:32:24,234 --> 00:32:26,695
at this base,
I wouldn't know about it,"
619
00:32:26,695 --> 00:32:30,157
because you flew out
in an airline, Janet Airlines,
620
00:32:30,157 --> 00:32:32,200
and the windows were blacked out
621
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:33,785
so you didn't know
where you were going.
622
00:32:33,785 --> 00:32:35,453
NARRATOR:
Fruehauf noticed
623
00:32:35,453 --> 00:32:37,455
that on his daily commutes,
624
00:32:37,455 --> 00:32:40,458
a select group of scientists
and military personnel
625
00:32:40,458 --> 00:32:44,045
also boarded the
Janet 737 in Las Vegas.
626
00:32:45,463 --> 00:32:47,674
When the plane
landed at Area 51,
627
00:32:47,674 --> 00:32:50,427
this group boarded a bus
628
00:32:50,427 --> 00:32:52,512
and headed to an even
more secretive facility
629
00:32:52,512 --> 00:32:56,516
code‐named Site Four, or S‐4.
630
00:32:56,516 --> 00:33:00,645
FRUEHAUF:
When I was there,
we knew about S‐4,
631
00:33:00,645 --> 00:33:02,355
but we didn't know
what they did.
632
00:33:02,355 --> 00:33:04,816
All we knew was there was
certain people that got on
633
00:33:04,816 --> 00:33:09,237
the 737 in the morning,
and we got to Area 51,
634
00:33:09,237 --> 00:33:12,657
they would take and go off in
a different direction in a bus
635
00:33:12,657 --> 00:33:14,201
and then we went
on to the north,
636
00:33:14,201 --> 00:33:16,369
going up towards the hangars.
637
00:33:16,369 --> 00:33:20,999
NARRATOR:
Fruehauf never knew exactly
what was going on at Site Four
638
00:33:20,999 --> 00:33:23,752
during his time at Area 51.
639
00:33:23,752 --> 00:33:27,505
But when he heard Bob Lazar's
story years later,
640
00:33:27,505 --> 00:33:29,716
he found that Lazar's
description of flying
641
00:33:29,716 --> 00:33:34,679
to Area 51 on a Janet 737
and traveling to S‐4
642
00:33:34,679 --> 00:33:37,265
rang true in every detail.
643
00:33:37,265 --> 00:33:41,394
FRUEHAUF:
When I heard, uh, Bob Lazar
describe getting on the 737
644
00:33:41,394 --> 00:33:44,814
and fly to Area 51 and get off
645
00:33:44,814 --> 00:33:49,527
and go through the terminal
and go to, uh, S‐4...
646
00:33:49,527 --> 00:33:52,405
and everything he talked
about and the way he put it,
647
00:33:52,405 --> 00:33:55,367
uh, he sounded totally,
uh, believable to me.
648
00:33:55,367 --> 00:33:58,245
NARRATOR:
Critics contend that no
actual eyewitnesses
649
00:33:58,245 --> 00:33:59,996
have ever come forward
650
00:33:59,996 --> 00:34:05,877
to confirm that Lazar worked at
Area 51, much less at Site Four.
651
00:34:05,877 --> 00:34:08,463
But Fruehauf claims otherwise.
652
00:34:08,463 --> 00:34:10,090
FRUEHAUF:
I know people
653
00:34:10,090 --> 00:34:13,260
that had worked for me,
that after I left there,
654
00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:15,470
they had seen Bob Lazar there,
655
00:34:15,470 --> 00:34:18,014
and they admitted
that to me recently.
656
00:34:18,014 --> 00:34:22,394
I know that his critics
piled on because obviously,
657
00:34:22,394 --> 00:34:26,564
they did not want the word
to come out that there were,
658
00:34:26,564 --> 00:34:29,651
in fact, uh,
UFOs in our possession,
659
00:34:29,651 --> 00:34:32,654
and that he was
revealing a capability
660
00:34:32,654 --> 00:34:36,157
to perhaps our enemies
661
00:34:36,157 --> 00:34:39,911
that we, in fact, were,
uh, alien technologies.
662
00:34:42,372 --> 00:34:44,499
NARRATOR:
But Dave Fruehauf is not
663
00:34:44,499 --> 00:34:47,335
the only highly regarded
aviation expert
664
00:34:47,335 --> 00:34:50,422
to corroborate
Bob Lazar's explosive story.
665
00:34:50,422 --> 00:34:55,719
Jim Goodall is a U. S. Air Force
veteran, military historian
666
00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,431
and investigative author
who befriended Bob Lazar
667
00:34:59,431 --> 00:35:04,019
before Lazar was hired
to work at Area 51.
668
00:35:04,019 --> 00:35:07,939
Back then, Lazar worked
at the Sandia nuclear lab
669
00:35:07,939 --> 00:35:12,110
in Albuquerque,
and was a vocal UFO skeptic.
670
00:35:12,110 --> 00:35:16,489
I have the distinction of
knowing him for quite a while.
671
00:35:16,489 --> 00:35:19,534
Yeah, he had been working
in developing nuclear weapons
672
00:35:19,534 --> 00:35:21,161
for Sandia.
673
00:35:21,161 --> 00:35:22,829
You couldn't put
a gun to his head
674
00:35:22,829 --> 00:35:25,290
to convince him
that UFOs were real.
675
00:35:25,290 --> 00:35:27,542
NARRATOR:
But Bob Lazar's skepticism
676
00:35:27,542 --> 00:35:31,796
about the existence of UFOs
was about to change.
677
00:35:31,796 --> 00:35:34,215
GOODALL:
A year later or so,
678
00:35:34,215 --> 00:35:37,260
there's a silhouetted
guy talking about
679
00:35:37,260 --> 00:35:40,180
doing reverse engineering
on alien spacecraft,
680
00:35:40,180 --> 00:35:43,141
and that‐that silhouette
was Bob Lazar.
681
00:35:44,684 --> 00:35:46,311
NARRATOR:
In an effort to help his friend
682
00:35:46,311 --> 00:35:49,564
prove he worked
at Area 51 and Site Four,
683
00:35:49,564 --> 00:35:52,984
then‐Sergeant Goodall took
Lazar's military tax form
684
00:35:52,984 --> 00:35:56,821
to the Office of Naval
Investigations at the Pentagon.
685
00:35:56,821 --> 00:36:00,659
What happened when
he got there was chilling.
686
00:36:00,659 --> 00:36:03,870
GOODALL:
There's a young, uh, lieutenant
commander behind the desk.
687
00:36:03,870 --> 00:36:07,707
And I handed him
Bob Lazar's W‐2.
688
00:36:07,707 --> 00:36:11,836
He looks at it, said,
"Excuse me for a minute."
689
00:36:11,836 --> 00:36:15,256
And he says,
"The admiral will see you now."
690
00:36:15,256 --> 00:36:19,260
I mean an admiral, to go talk
to an Air Force tech sergeant
691
00:36:19,260 --> 00:36:23,348
is really below his level
of interrogation.
692
00:36:23,348 --> 00:36:26,893
And he's looking at Lazar's W‐2,
and he said,
693
00:36:26,893 --> 00:36:29,938
"Sergeant, I don't know
where in the hell you got this,
694
00:36:29,938 --> 00:36:33,316
"but if I ever see your face
cross my threshold again,
695
00:36:33,316 --> 00:36:36,528
"you'll be the most
sorry son of a bitch NCO
696
00:36:36,528 --> 00:36:38,113
in the United States Air Force,"
697
00:36:38,113 --> 00:36:42,033
as gets Bob's W‐2 and
he puts it in the shredder.
698
00:36:42,033 --> 00:36:44,703
And he says,
"You are dismissed."
699
00:36:44,703 --> 00:36:47,414
CORBELL:
So he was warned
700
00:36:47,414 --> 00:36:50,542
to stop asking questions
about Bob Lazar.
701
00:36:50,542 --> 00:36:53,211
Anybody trying to seek
the truth about Bob Lazar,
702
00:36:53,211 --> 00:36:55,213
there was pressure
applied on them.
703
00:36:55,213 --> 00:36:56,339
And that's just the way it works
704
00:36:56,339 --> 00:36:58,383
when you want to try
to silence somebody.
705
00:36:58,383 --> 00:37:02,929
NARRATOR:
Have the kinds of pressures
exerted against Bob Lazar
706
00:37:02,929 --> 00:37:07,642
continued to obscure the search
for the truth about Area 51?
707
00:37:07,642 --> 00:37:10,895
If so,
will such secrets continue
708
00:37:10,895 --> 00:37:12,772
to remain out of
reach to the activists
709
00:37:12,772 --> 00:37:15,900
of the Storm Area 51 movement?
710
00:37:15,900 --> 00:37:20,071
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,
711
00:37:20,071 --> 00:37:23,992
that will depend on a new
generation of truth‐seekers,
712
00:37:23,992 --> 00:37:26,911
and a powerful movement that is
just beginning to take shape.
713
00:37:40,341 --> 00:37:45,472
NARRATOR:
The Storm Area 51 event comes
to an end without incident.
714
00:37:45,472 --> 00:37:46,931
POPE:
Here in Rachel,
715
00:37:46,931 --> 00:37:48,933
people were fearing the worst.
716
00:37:48,933 --> 00:37:50,435
WAYNE DICE:
So everybody's coming out here,
717
00:37:50,435 --> 00:37:52,437
to‐to really,
to see what was gonna happen.
718
00:37:52,437 --> 00:37:54,439
We're out here to make it
a safe event for everybody.
719
00:37:54,439 --> 00:37:57,400
I think the order has come down.
720
00:37:57,400 --> 00:37:59,986
We do not want
mass arrests here.
721
00:37:59,986 --> 00:38:01,946
We do not want trouble.
722
00:38:01,946 --> 00:38:03,782
GEORGE HARRIS: You know,
they had a few arrests,
723
00:38:03,782 --> 00:38:04,949
and, uh, other than that,
724
00:38:04,949 --> 00:38:06,201
they didn't have
any incidents at all.
725
00:38:06,201 --> 00:38:07,577
Everybody behaved.
726
00:38:11,456 --> 00:38:13,291
When we look at all
the disinformation
727
00:38:13,291 --> 00:38:16,252
circling the event
of storming Area 51,
728
00:38:16,252 --> 00:38:19,214
from the media, from the
government, from social media,
729
00:38:19,214 --> 00:38:21,424
it made it a convoluted mess
730
00:38:21,424 --> 00:38:25,011
that was easily something that
most people just chose to avoid.
731
00:38:25,011 --> 00:38:28,973
NARRATOR:
Amid what some consider to be
a concerted government effort
732
00:38:28,973 --> 00:38:31,476
to intimidate UFO believers,
733
00:38:31,476 --> 00:38:36,648
many doubt whether the
Storm Area 51 movement can last,
734
00:38:36,648 --> 00:38:39,651
while others hope that this
small beginning will blossom
735
00:38:39,651 --> 00:38:41,820
into something much larger.
736
00:38:41,820 --> 00:38:46,157
POPE:
What we might find,
when we look back on this,
737
00:38:46,157 --> 00:38:47,992
is that this was the beginning
738
00:38:47,992 --> 00:38:51,371
of some sort of
cultural movement.
739
00:38:51,371 --> 00:38:54,833
Something that will grow,
year on year.
740
00:38:54,833 --> 00:38:57,710
We might find that it starts
741
00:38:57,710 --> 00:39:00,588
as just maybe
a small one‐off event,
742
00:39:00,588 --> 00:39:05,718
but evolves into something
with global recognition...
743
00:39:05,718 --> 00:39:07,387
You're all part of this.
Become active participants,
744
00:39:07,387 --> 00:39:09,389
not passive observers.
745
00:39:09,389 --> 00:39:13,184
POPE:
...and it becomes
a mainstream event.
746
00:39:13,184 --> 00:39:15,186
REDFERN:
I think a lot of people,
747
00:39:15,186 --> 00:39:18,857
particularly due to pop culture,
know of Area 51
748
00:39:18,857 --> 00:39:21,734
and they accept it as gospel
749
00:39:21,734 --> 00:39:25,530
that there really are UFOs
and aliens out there.
750
00:39:25,530 --> 00:39:29,117
That sort of demonstrates how
the public is coming around
751
00:39:29,117 --> 00:39:33,288
to the idea that
alien life is a reality.
752
00:39:35,456 --> 00:39:40,712
KEN LAYNE:
For some people, the events were
a good time and a fun weekend.
753
00:39:40,712 --> 00:39:42,714
It could turn
a handful of people
754
00:39:42,714 --> 00:39:46,426
into the next decade's
prominent researchers
755
00:39:46,426 --> 00:39:50,722
on UFOs and government
secrecy and flying saucers
756
00:39:50,722 --> 00:39:55,685
and government corruption and
the military‐industrial state.
757
00:39:55,685 --> 00:40:00,481
HOWE:
We are at a revolutionary moment.
758
00:40:00,481 --> 00:40:04,569
You've got an entire generation
of young people now
759
00:40:04,569 --> 00:40:06,571
who have been galvanized,
and they will be looking
760
00:40:06,571 --> 00:40:09,908
for legitimate, credible news
761
00:40:09,908 --> 00:40:12,201
about high strangeness
on this planet
762
00:40:12,201 --> 00:40:15,580
in numbers that have
not happened before.
763
00:40:15,580 --> 00:40:19,000
NARRATOR:
For many, the gates of Area 51
764
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,086
are both real and symbolic.
765
00:40:22,086 --> 00:40:25,423
Real in the sense that the
gates may hide evidence
766
00:40:25,423 --> 00:40:28,426
of an actual alien
presence on Earth,
767
00:40:28,426 --> 00:40:31,930
symbolic in that they represent
768
00:40:31,930 --> 00:40:33,473
the government's
wider determination
769
00:40:33,473 --> 00:40:37,477
to cling to secrecy
for as long as possible.
770
00:40:39,437 --> 00:40:42,398
The U. S. government has kept
so many secrets from the people
771
00:40:42,398 --> 00:40:44,776
that I think that's, you know,
a major driving force
772
00:40:44,776 --> 00:40:46,444
for people to come here.
773
00:40:46,444 --> 00:40:48,279
I don't know if this is
a movement that we're seeing,
774
00:40:48,279 --> 00:40:50,865
but the people want
to know the truth, right?
775
00:40:50,865 --> 00:40:53,993
And they want to know if there
are secrets being kept form us.
776
00:40:53,993 --> 00:40:56,120
And I think if that
forms a movement,
777
00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:57,121
that would be awesome.
778
00:40:57,121 --> 00:40:58,957
COLLIN ANDERSON:
What's behind those gates
779
00:40:58,957 --> 00:41:00,541
is one of the last mysteries.
780
00:41:00,541 --> 00:41:05,171
Bottom of the ocean,
Area 51 and aliens.
781
00:41:05,171 --> 00:41:08,007
POPE:
I think the only way
to get the government
782
00:41:08,007 --> 00:41:11,260
to come up with answers
is to keep the pressure on.
783
00:41:11,260 --> 00:41:13,680
Keep demanding answers.
784
00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:18,476
A new generation has to
continue to demand answers,
785
00:41:18,476 --> 00:41:22,313
and do what the past
generation failed to achieve.
786
00:41:22,313 --> 00:41:26,776
NARRATOR:
In the end, some believe
that the harsh treatment
787
00:41:26,776 --> 00:41:29,862
once suffered by Bob Lazar
is being repeated today
788
00:41:29,862 --> 00:41:34,325
in the government's response
to the Storm Area 51 movement.
789
00:41:34,325 --> 00:41:37,078
They fear that
under the onslaught
790
00:41:37,078 --> 00:41:38,663
of official intimidation,
791
00:41:38,663 --> 00:41:41,374
the drive for answers
will slowly fade,
792
00:41:41,374 --> 00:41:45,670
and the secrets of Area 51
will remain hidden.
793
00:41:45,670 --> 00:41:49,173
But others are determined
to make this modest event
794
00:41:49,173 --> 00:41:51,592
the beginning of a mass movement
795
00:41:51,592 --> 00:41:55,013
that will ultimately force
open the gates of secrecy
796
00:41:55,013 --> 00:41:58,558
to finally reveal that both
in the universe at large
797
00:41:58,558 --> 00:42:01,561
and right here on Earth,
798
00:42:01,561 --> 00:42:04,439
we are not alone.