Frank Murray Signed Once Upon a Time at Area 51 Book (PSA) (d) CIA Oxcart Program A-12 Pilot

"Hand-Signed ""Once Upon a Time at Area 51"" Book by A-12 Oxcart Pilot Frank Murray – PSA/DNA Authenticated

Presented for auction is a softbound edition of Once Upon a Time at Area 51, personally hand signed and inscribed by Frank Murray, former CIA A-12 Oxcart pilot, one of the select few men entrusted with flying the world's fastest and highest-flying aircraft. Murray has added his distinctive call sign ""Dutch 20"" beneath his autograph, a meaningful nod to his operational role in one of the most secretive aviation programs in U.S. history.

About Frank Murray

Frank Murray is a retired U.S. Air Force pilot and CIA test pilot who flew the Lockheed A-12 Oxcart, a revolutionary reconnaissance aircraft developed by the CIA and predecessor to the SR-71 Blackbird. As a pilot for the CIA’s Operation Black Shield, Murray flew numerous top-secret surveillance missions in the A-12 during the height of the Cold War, providing critical intelligence while operating out of Groom Lake (Area 51) and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.

Murray was among the elite group of only six pilots authorized to fly the A-12 in operational missions. His extensive career and firsthand insights into the Oxcart program are documented in this rare book, offering a glimpse into a world few ever knew existed.

About the Oxcart Program

The Oxcart Program was a covert CIA initiative launched in the 1950s to develop a high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft capable of evading Soviet air defenses. The result was the Lockheed A-12, engineered by the famed Skunk Works team under Clarence “Kelly” Johnson. The A-12 could fly at speeds exceeding Mach 3 and altitudes above 90,000 feet, setting the foundation for future technological marvels like the SR-71.

Operating out of Area 51, the A-12 flew missions over hostile territories, gathering vital photographic intelligence at unprecedented speeds and altitudes. The program remained classified for decades and was only declassified in the 1990s.

Item Details

Title: Once Upon a Time at Area 51

Author: Frank Murray

Signature: Hand signed by Frank Murray with the inscription ""Dutch 20""

Binding: Softbound

Authentication: Comes with PSA/DNA Certificate of Authenticity

Condition: Excellent

This signed edition is a historically significant piece, representing both Cold War intelligence history and the men behind America’s most secretive aviation projects. A perfect acquisition for collectors of military aviation, CIA memorabilia, and aerospace history."

A portion of the sale of this auction will be donated to the General James. H Doolittle Scholarship Fund. The General James H. Doolittle Scholarship Fund was founded to assist college students by awarding one scholarship annually in the maximum amount of $5,000 to a deserving student who is pursuing a baccalaureate or advanced degree in aeronautical engineering or an aerospace science. Students are selected based on their scholastic achievement, school and community participation, demonstrated leadership potential and financial need. More information can be found at the Doolittle Scholarship Funds’ website.

The autograph(s) includes an official PSA/DNA hologram and matching COA for authenticity purposes.

Authentication: PSA COA

Due to the uniqueness of each item, please refer to the photos provided in this auction. We offer high resolution images of each item rather than a written description of condition.

This item is being shipped from the Pristine Auction warehouse.