Soybean farmer values the time he spent in the military BY JEFF HUTTON
F
or Lane Volkert, the hard work instilled in him on his family’s farm helped to shape him as a member of the Iowa Air National Guard and his service during the Vietnam War. Fifty years after he was honorably discharged from the military, this Veterans Day is a time of reflection for the 74-year-old soybean and corn farmer from rural Holstein. It’s also a time to honor those, like Volkert, who honorably served their country through conflict, hardship and uncertainty, and remember those who didn’t return home.
Chore boots to combat boots Growing up on a farm in western Iowa, demanding work wasn’t just something you did, it was part of who you were, says Volkert, who joined the Iowa Air National Guard when he was a senior in high school.
30 | NOVEMBER 2023 | IASOYBEANS.COM
“I was a farm kid before I joined the military at 17,” Volkert says. “I grew up baling hay and pitching manure. You learned responsibility on the farm.” That responsibility paid off for Volkert and other farm boys who did well in the trenches, in the field and flying above the chaos in Southeast Asia. He credits his rural upbringing for the discipline and work ethic that transformed him from a farm kid to a military man. While in the guard, Volkert served as crew chief on a fighter jet, gaining valuable knowledge on mechanical issues and working under pressure — important lessons he applies to his farming operation today. Of the six years he served, 2½ years were active duty, including time in Vietnam, where he was part of a chopper crew that was shot down by enemy fire. Volkert and the other crew
members survived the harrowing event. “Being shot down was probably the worst memory I have of my entire military experience,” Volkert says. “It was a war that should never have happened.” But he and other service members from the farm fields of Ida County and elsewhere in Iowa, were proud to serve and were rewarded for their hard work and bravery. He earned a commendation medal for his service. “Those good roots paid off,” Volkert says. Following his time in the service, Volkert returned to the farm, applying lessons and skills he learned in the military. He worked part-time as a mechanic until he and his brother could acquire more farmland and begin farming in earnest.
