Groom Lake was the area on the map where 'Skunk Works' started (was created as an idea), at the time, was best place to do work where no one who notice... (FAR from populace)..
(skunk works) was the original name of the program.. They brought us the early model high alt recon (U-2.. and after that the SR-71)... then the stealth..
"AREA 51" was the grid location on the map (at the time).. .. .. (Govt. has said it is the wrong grid... but 5 was the grid at the time) but, for 'some reason', it changed..
I know the area.. we did our yearly 'Red Flag' there (Nellis AFB)..
Anyway, Area 51 is real.. Groom Lake is real.. was Groom Lake before the name 'Area 51' existed..
What happens there, only the people involved will know ;:p
Speaking of the SR-71.. I think many people now have at least heard of it.. but they have no idea WHAT it WAS.. original intent (the previous models and fails (because it was faster than bullets/rockets/missiles as the AN-12 (smaller version)))... So much out there, I think people would freak out that we had this technology back between 1956 (or so) and 1968..
More or less, it was to be a bomber/interceptor... but the prototypes 'killed' themselves because they were downed from there own projectiles :/
SO, it became the replacement for the U-2...
My Bird was the f-16.. but I always loved the Blackbird.... when I got out of the service, they were running competition between the y-22 and the y-23..
y-22 won, and I wanted to be part of that, but it would be a decade before it became active :/
I tried to post the pic, but it was REALLY big in the preview.. so I will post the link instead:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Lockheed_Martin_F-22A_Raptor_JSOH.jpg