1 00:00:02,339 --> 00:00:04,561 Air Force veteran John Degrote has been 2 00:00:04,561 --> 00:00:06,728 content to stay on his farm near Sioux 3 00:00:06,728 --> 00:00:08,617 Center , Iowa . Since leaving the 4 00:00:08,617 --> 00:00:10,840 military over 50 years ago , the 5 00:00:10,850 --> 00:00:12,739 situation was quite different for 6 00:00:12,739 --> 00:00:14,739 Degrote . In the early 19 sixties . 7 00:00:14,739 --> 00:00:16,906 When leaving home for military service 8 00:00:16,906 --> 00:00:19,079 was not optional , the United States 9 00:00:19,090 --> 00:00:21,257 was at war . And after talking to some 10 00:00:21,257 --> 00:00:23,423 friends , De Groat decided to join the 11 00:00:23,423 --> 00:00:25,423 Air National Guard in Sioux City in 12 00:00:25,423 --> 00:00:27,819 1964 we thought that sounded better 13 00:00:27,829 --> 00:00:30,280 than getting drafted . De Groat was 14 00:00:30,290 --> 00:00:32,790 assigned as an F 100 fighter jet crew 15 00:00:32,799 --> 00:00:34,840 chief where he says he is still not 16 00:00:34,849 --> 00:00:37,000 forgotten . His assigned tail number 17 00:00:37,009 --> 00:00:40,220 986 , even after 50 years 18 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,479 and service number . You'll never 19 00:00:43,490 --> 00:00:45,759 forget that when North Korea seized the 20 00:00:45,770 --> 00:00:48,020 US Navy intelligence ship , the US S 21 00:00:48,029 --> 00:00:51,639 Pueblo on January 23 1968 the Groats 22 00:00:51,659 --> 00:00:53,700 Air Guard unit was activated within 23 00:00:53,709 --> 00:00:56,290 days . The 1 85th tactical fighter 24 00:00:56,299 --> 00:00:58,355 group was in formation in Sioux City 25 00:00:58,355 --> 00:01:00,243 listening to the activation order 26 00:01:00,243 --> 00:01:01,910 before the end of the month , 27 00:01:04,089 --> 00:01:06,089 Major General Junior F Miller , the 28 00:01:06,089 --> 00:01:07,200 admin General Viola 29 00:01:10,059 --> 00:01:12,680 as the Adjutant General of Iowa and on 30 00:01:12,690 --> 00:01:15,940 behalf of the more than 10,000 officers 31 00:01:15,949 --> 00:01:19,319 and men of the Iowa National Guard . I 32 00:01:19,330 --> 00:01:22,089 want to express each member of the 1 33 00:01:22,099 --> 00:01:24,989 85th , our pride in having you as a 34 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,269 part of our national defense team . We 35 00:01:27,279 --> 00:01:29,446 look forward to the day when your unit 36 00:01:29,446 --> 00:01:31,668 reverts to inactive status as a part of 37 00:01:31,668 --> 00:01:35,000 the Iowa National Guard by May of 1968 . 38 00:01:35,010 --> 00:01:38,129 About 350 airmen from the unit's 1 74th 39 00:01:38,139 --> 00:01:40,400 fighter squadron arrived in Vietnam 40 00:01:40,470 --> 00:01:42,470 where they immediately began flying 41 00:01:42,470 --> 00:01:45,010 combat sorties . Slow days saw only a 42 00:01:45,019 --> 00:01:47,241 couple of sorties most days , however , 43 00:01:47,241 --> 00:01:49,900 saw a 3rd and 1/4 launch . Regular air 44 00:01:49,910 --> 00:01:52,077 force had a lot of 100 there too , you 45 00:01:52,077 --> 00:01:54,299 know , but they had a lot more problems 46 00:01:54,299 --> 00:01:56,521 than we did because yeah , ours were in 47 00:01:56,521 --> 00:01:58,632 pretty good shape when they went down 48 00:01:58,632 --> 00:02:00,688 there . Uh There's a lot of wear and 49 00:02:00,688 --> 00:02:02,854 tear over there . You know , after the 50 00:02:02,854 --> 00:02:05,021 year long deployment , Degroat decided 51 00:02:05,021 --> 00:02:07,243 not to reenlist instead choosing a much 52 00:02:07,243 --> 00:02:09,410 quieter life at his home on the farm . 53 00:02:09,460 --> 00:02:11,759 It turns out that Degroat old aircraft 54 00:02:11,770 --> 00:02:15,139 541986 has also been living a quiet 55 00:02:15,149 --> 00:02:17,205 life after it was transferred to the 56 00:02:17,205 --> 00:02:19,427 Air Force Armament Museum outside Eglin 57 00:02:19,427 --> 00:02:21,839 Air Force Base in Florida where it is 58 00:02:21,850 --> 00:02:24,649 still on display . The plaque by the 59 00:02:24,660 --> 00:02:26,827 display explains that the aircraft was 60 00:02:26,827 --> 00:02:29,049 painted with a different tail number in 61 00:02:29,049 --> 00:02:30,938 honor of the historic F 100 misty 62 00:02:30,938 --> 00:02:33,160 squadron . The aircraft's original tail 63 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,104 number can still be seen below the 64 00:02:35,104 --> 00:02:37,216 horizontal stabilizer confirming that 65 00:02:37,216 --> 00:02:39,104 it is indeed the groat's old tail 66 00:02:39,104 --> 00:02:41,271 number . The plaque also explains that 67 00:02:41,271 --> 00:02:43,271 the pilot's name on the side of the 68 00:02:43,271 --> 00:02:45,271 aircraft is a fellow Northwest Iowa 69 00:02:45,271 --> 00:02:47,271 native and medal of honor recipient 70 00:02:47,271 --> 00:02:50,039 written simply as Major Bud Day , Misty 71 00:02:50,050 --> 00:02:52,690 one this Veterans day as de groat 72 00:02:52,699 --> 00:02:54,921 finishes another harvest . He's looking 73 00:02:54,921 --> 00:02:57,032 forward to another peaceful winter on 74 00:02:57,032 --> 00:02:59,449 the farm . 50 years after his service , 75 00:02:59,460 --> 00:03:01,682 he can also find some solace and that a 76 00:03:01,682 --> 00:03:03,849 piece of his military history is being 77 00:03:03,849 --> 00:03:05,516 well preserved and honoring a 78 00:03:05,516 --> 00:03:08,160 significant figure in air Force history 79 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:10,960 in Sioux Center , Iowa . I'm Vince 80 00:03:11,309 --> 00:03:11,380 Degroat .