Area 51 

"666", the 'mark of the beast'.    Some people say that's what it means, but it also could mean sixth hour of the sixth day of the sixth month -- June 6th, at six in the morning! A perfect time to hold a rally on Groom Lake road, right up close to the Area 51 border!

At least that's what Norio Hayakawa thought, when over a year before, he made plans for the gathering. Of course the plan went through changes.  At first, it was compared it to the "Million Man March" in Washington, D.C., but that seemed a bit optimistic. Others wanted to rush the border and go right up to the base. Sure, if you enjoy the accommodations at the Lincoln County jail.

In the end though, sanity prevailed and on June 6, 1998, a rational group of 100 to 150 people showed up on that cool summer morning for the first annual " People's Rally at Area 51". The actual count was difficult to judge. A BLM ranger told me it looked like a little over 100; Norio estimated the number at 150. But people were coming and going all the time, so both may be right. Grandson Mike and I didn't get there until 6:30 and some folks were still arriving when we left sometime after 8:00.

One surprise to me was the presence of the BLM rangers. Some 4 to 6 of them were on hand, not only being very helpful with parking and traffic, but actually talking to the visitors, answering questions and doing their best to insure that everything went smoothly. And they had their work cut out for them. Take a look at the variety of vehicles that showed up. Even a tour bus from Los Angeles and an eighteen wheeler tractor!

Although it certainly wasn't needed, the famous cammo dude security personal turned out in force. We saw at least four of the white Jeep Cherokees near Groom Lake Road, and later that day two more were observed where a road which leads to Bald Mountain crosses the Nellis Range border. All I could think was that these guys sure made lots of overtime that week!
One brave young investigator, RADEOAKTV, walked along the border right up near two guards sitting in their Cherokee and tried to talk to them. As usual, they made no response. Fortunately, they also made no response when he took their picture from less that 20 yards away.

And just in case the guards overlooked something, this surveillance camera was doing its job from a ridge with a good view of the entire proceedings. It's a little hard to see against the light sky, but the camera was pointing right at me, on the left side of the pole. The UHF and microwave antennas were pointing toward the radar and radio repeater site atop Bald Mountain.

Of course there were speakers. Everyone who wanted to address the crowd was given an opportunity. While I didn't agree with everything said, it all seemed well thought out and rational; certainly nothing seemed like the "Loonfest" that some people had predicted. When we arrived Anthony Hilder was speaking, and later we listened to Norio Hayakawa himself. Also, a list of proposals were to be presented that morning which seemed quite reasonable. They're posted on the GroomWatch web site. While I don't think the border will be fenced -- the Medlin's have an agreement to be able to let their cattle freely graze into the range -- it certainly could be better marked to prevent unknowing tourists from accidentally crossing the line. And a Public Information Officer for Groom Lake, probably with an office at Nellis, just might be a possibility, considering that the Air Force finally acknowledges that the base exists.

So, was it a success?? That depends on how you want to measure it. For immediate results, probably not. Yet I don't think that was the purpose. I think the real purpose was long range, letting officials know that the public is aware of "Area 51", knows about the abuses taking place there and won't let those in charge forget it. The second rally took place on June 6, 1999, and the third, "The Millennium Rally", will be held on June 6, 2000. While I had to miss the second, I definitely plan to be there in 2000, and I wish Norio and all those who help him, continued success. And yes, I do think the "People's Rally, 1998" was a big success.