LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members of the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and their spouses returned to Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, Sept. 22, 2017; the base they were assigned to when the Cuban Missile Crisis was at its height during the 1960s.
The 4080th SRW reunions, held since 1977, have been sponsored by the Laughlin Heritage Foundation, a Del Rio civic organization. These reunions commemorate the U-2 Dragon Lady program and the members who served in it.
The U-2 mission at Laughlin was brief according to Katherine Nielander, 47th Student Squadron bookstore manager and visitor coordinator. The U-2 presence at Laughlin spanned from 1957 to 1962.
From 1957 to 1962, Laughlin was home to the 4080th SRW, whose mission was to "provide a reconnaissance capability and gather meteorological data from high altitudes for operational forecasting in the U-2 and RB-57 Canberra aircraft. During this Cold War chapter, the unit made history through its role in reconnaissance missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Although it was a brief mission, the service members who were stationed together during this time bonded and grew to be more than a unit.
“We were more like a family than a military unit,” said James Ballard, a former 4080th SRW assistant crew chief. “It’s about getting together. We worked together for so long, it’s like we’re family.”
The contribution of the 4080th SRW is remembered as the wing’s Airmen and their loved ones revisit a base where they had many Air Force experiences.
"These are the men and their spouses whose global [reconnaissance] efforts [were] at a great cost in equipment and more importantly, lives,” said Nielander.
The 4080th suffered the only combat casualty during the Cuban Missile Crisis when Maj. Rudolph Anderson, Jr., was fatally shot down in Cuban airspace. The reunion was held in Anderson Hall, named after the Airman who gave his life for his country.
These reunions, in memory of their service, provide an opportunity for these Airmen to get back together and remember what they did and what they lost.
“Most of the time we converse and talk about old times and the problems of tomorrow,” said Ballard. “We did the best we could, enjoyed our temporary duties, and came home.”
The 4080th SRW has been meeting for 40 years, proving how strong their family unit has grown, thus making them truly a part of Team XL. During the reunion, attendees mentioned it being the last one, however, time will tell if these warriors can stay apart.
(1st Lt. Benjamin Ernst, 47th Student Squadron, contributed to this article)