History project award winners get first-hand view of subject matter Published Aug. 15, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- It's safe to say most people who come to Laughlin specifically for the airplanes are here to fly. However, when two eighth graders from Boerne Middle School North visited Del Rio with their history teacher and families Aug. 9, their focus was nowhere near the flight line. They came to see Laughlin's static U-2. The students, Katarina Bujnoch and Emily Boyer, recently earned 12th place in a national competition for a project they completed on the Cuban Missile Crisis. Their research for the project put them in touch with pilots from the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, which flew the U-2 Dragonlady out of Laughlin during the period of the crisis, said their American History teacher, Bryan Degner. "They did several telephone and online interviews with former U-2 pilots," Degner said. Some contacted them after the project was complete, but still had some interesting things to say, he added. The girls had no idea such a huge player in the historic event was right down the road from them in the form of Laughlin until they began researching the U-2 and its role flying recon missions over Cuba in the '60s. According to Degner, when they realized the base was so close they decided to take a drive out and see for themselves the hotbed of history that is Del Rio. They visited the Laughlin Heritage Museum on Main St., where their project is now on display and will remain for the next few months, in addition to Laughlin's air park. Todd Schroeder, 47th Flying Training Wing historian, coordinated the base visit and escorted the girls and their entourage through the air park, explaining the history of each plane on display. For Katarina and Emily, placing 12th out of 95 entries at the national level was a gratifying experience. "It's good to see our hard work pay off like this," Emily said while Katarina nodded in agreement.