TD Barnes

Thornton D. "TD" Barnes is a distinguished author, entrepreneur, and former military intelligence specialist. Born in Dalhart, Texas and raised on a ranch near Clayton, New Mexico and Dalhart, Texas, he cultivated a passion for exploration. After high school in Oklahoma, Barnes embarked on a ten-year military journey, initially serving in Korea as an intelligence specialist. While in the Army, he also specialized in missile and radar electronics, defending against Soviet threats and later attending the Artillery Officer Candidate School. An injury ended his military career, but Barnes soon transitioned to aerospace endeavors. He worked on pivotal projects at NASA's High Range in Nevada, including the X-15 and the NERVA nuclear rocket project. He participated in five atomic bomb test at the Nevada Test Site. Furthermore, he participated in the CIA's Mach 3 A-12 Project OXCART and stealth projects at Area 51. Barnes founded and led an oil and gas exploration company outside the aerospace sphere for over 40 years, delving into uranium and gold mining ventures. He's dedicated to preserving Area 51's history, serving as president of Roadrunners Internationale and the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame Director Emeritus. His contributions have been spotlighted in documentaries on National Geographic, the History Channel, and other major networks. Barnes has authored several books, including "The Secret Genesis of Area 51,” "The CIA Area 51 Chronicles,” “CIA Station D - Area 51,” and a series of books about the NASA astronaut projects, Gemini, Mercury, Apollo, Skylab, the ISS, and the Space Shuttles. He currently resides in Henderson, Nevada, continuing to influence aerospace, exploration, and literature, focusing on the formally highly classified of the CIA’s era at Area 51.