Message posted by Peter Merlin on March 13, 2010 at 10:31:40 PST:
Yes, the President of the United States could visit the Groom Lake facility (once known as Watertown and later Area 51). He is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Armed Force and the Groom Lake base is simply an Air Force base, even if it is the site of classified operations. No U.S. president is known to have visited Area 51, probably because of the attendant publicity that would follow. While traveling, the president is typically accompanied by a number of news media representatives (even on board Air Force One). Even if the president were to slip away for a private tour, a deviation from his schedule might draw unwanted attention. In 1962, president John F. Kennedy visited the Nuclear Rocket Development Station (NRDS) at the Nevada Test Site. The visit was well documented by the media. An official map titled, "Visit of the President to the Nuclear Development Station, Nevada - December 8, 1962," shows the boundaries of the Nevada Test Site, the NRDS, and the Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range. Groom Lake and Watertown are clearly labeled, as well.
In Reply to: Could the president visit Area 51? posted by Skyflite on March 13, 2010 at 7:32:03 PST:
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