William Goche

Born 1934 in Bancroft, IA

U.S. Navy Veteran

William Goche was born 

in 1934 in Bancroft, Iowa into a farming family. After high school, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserves. In 1956, the Korean War had been over for a few years, but Goche was called up by the Navy to do a tour of duty in the Pacific Theater.

He was assigned to the USS Hornet aircraft carrier and flew missions as a radar man aboard a Navy AD5W Skyraider three-seat single engine aircraft with “early warning” radar installed.

“Those were amazing planes,” Goche remembered. “They could carry more armament than the World War II-vintage B-29 bomber.”

After about two years of duty in the Pacific, his tour was up. Goche said the Navy wanted him to head to Vietnam as a gunner on a helicopter. “My wife Mary said she didn’t want any part of that for me,” he said.

After he got out of the service, Goche went back to school to finish his education. “Dad gave me a good deal on the farm,” he said. “So, I did pretty good (at farming).”

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