Iowa National Guard helicopter carries historic fighter jet from Sioux City to Camp Dodge

It's not every day Iowans see a military plane flying at low-altitude across the state, let alone two strapped to each other.

But on Tuesday, Iowa National Guardsmen sling-loaded a vintage Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star fighter jet onto a CH-47 Chinook, a specialized army helicopter, to return the historic plane from Sioux City back to its post at Camp Dodge, the Iowa National Guard's base in Johnston.

The F-80 shooter jet had previously been on display at Camp Dodge just down the road from the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, but it had been sent to Sioux City last September for repainting, an effort to honor the jet's contributions in U.S. military history.

The U.S. Air Force first debuted the F-80 fighter jet − the first jet ever flown by the U.S. Air Force − near the end of the Second World War. However, the model didn't see combat until the Korean War, where it was used by the U.S. to conduct bombings in support of ground troop operations, according to the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum Curator Michael Vogt.

The deployment of jets over the less efficient and less powerful piston engine and propeller aircrafts marked a major milestone for the U.S. Air Force's capabilities, according to Vogt.

"The advantage of jet aircraft is that you don't have torque and they are easier to control when you take them off," Vogt said. "Another thing about jet aircraft is they can climb to higher altitudes than a piston engine aircraft."

The F-80 marked many more firsts for U.S. military capabilities. It was the first of the Air Force's aircrafts to exceed 500 miles of a straight-and-level flight, according to Vogt, and it also led the U.S. to the first jet versus jet victory, which occurred during the Korean War on Nov. 8, 1951 when an Air Force lieutenant flying the F-80 shot down a Russian-built MiG-15, the Soviet Union's first deployed jet.

On Tuesday, the jet swayed gently with the wind as it traveled the over 100-mile journey while suspended by ropes from the CH-47, its freshly-painted yellow and black stripes proudly displayed along with the words "Iowa ANG," standing for the Air National Guard. The newly restored jet also features an emblem from the 174th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, the predecessor of the 185th Refueling Wing based in Sioux City, according to Vogt.

The entire journey took about an hour, according to the Iowa National Guard, and the CH-47 carried the aircraft at about 100 mph while traveling about 2,100 feet off the ground.

Larry Molenburg remembers working with F-80s and similar jets like the T-33 while deployed in Korea during the war. Now 90 years old, Molenburg served as an active duty air crew member in the U.S. Air Force for nearly 30 years starting in 1952.

On Tuesday afternoon, he looked on as the Chinook gently placed the historic jet on the field at Camp Dodge and reflected on his years of service.

"The jet age was just beginning," he said, marveling at the power of the CH-47 to carry the F-80 across the state. "Back then, they didn't have enough power for a chopper to pick up an airplane," he said.

By the time Molenburg arrived in Korea, he remarked that the F-80 had been virtually "obsolete" and replaced by newer variations like the T-33. Although the U.S. Air Force officially retired the F-80 in 1959, Vogt said its historical achievements shouldn't be overlooked.

"The F-80 excelled as a fighter bomber, dropping bombs in a tactical role to support ground troops," he said.

Vogt said in addition to celebrating the military's technological advancements, preserving history like the F-80 also serves as a way to show gratitude to veterans like Molenburg, who put themselves in harms way to protect the United States and its values abroad.

"You often say that museums are like what scrap bookers put together. They're snapshots and they're memories that connect people in places to a certain time and a certain place," Vogt said. "And so for veterans like Larry, who actually has living memories of these types of aircrafts operated from U.S. air bases and Air Force bases, it's a nice way to honor them."

The historic Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star will now remain on display on 5th Street at Camp Dodge, where it will serve to educate visitors on the history of the U.S. Military and Air Force.