MOSS BLUFF — Members of the Air Force Thunderbirds told Sam Houston High School students in a school assembly on Friday to “never give up and don’t be afraid to fail.”
The Thunderbirds, in town for the Chennault International Airshow, are stationed in Las Vegas and travel all over the world to perform in about 70 shows a year.
The Thunderbirds, a jet demonstration team, will headline the airshow. The squadron is known for its precision formation flying and its red, white and blue F-16 Fighting Falcons.
“In one part of the show, I pull 9 G’s, go inverted, and pull straight down to the earth and then right in front of the crowd, and everyone gets that real ‘wow factor,’ ” said Maj. Nick Krajicek, who hails from West Point, Neb.
Krajicek said he wasn’t sure right out of high school what he wanted to do with his life but “I knew I didn’t want to be stuck working on a pig farm in Nebraska.”
“I initially wanted to be a helicopter pilot and I went to helicopter flight school and ended up flying helicopters for six years,” Krajicek said.
“I wanted to be a Thunderbird and was told several times that I wouldn’t make it. I actually didn’t make it the first time I tried and it really crushed me. But I believe you should never take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Staff Sgt. Cody Fouratt is from Roswell, N.M., and is the crew chief for the Thunderbirds. He told students, “My job is being completely responsible for making sure that the jets are safe to fly. Just like all of you sitting in the audience today, I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was your age. But I eventually joined the Air Force and went into the mechanical field. Through that decision, I have had more opportunities in life than I could have ever dreamed of.”
Twin sisters Haylee and Baylee Bergeron, both juniors, waited in line to take photos and get autographs after the presentation before both taking a selfie with Fouratt.
“Today was very inspiring,” said Haylee Bergeron. “I learned a lot and really enjoyed hearing everything they had to say.”
Another junior, Hannah Young, said, “I didn’t realize how much they get to travel, so I liked that aspect,” she said. “Look at my pic; I took a selfie with Cody.”
After their show in Lake Charles this weekend, the Thunderbirds will head to shows in California, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan and Montana over the next couple of months.
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