Former active-duty U.S. Air Force Captain is honor by Missouri Air National Guard

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- On Wednesday afternoon, the Missouri Air National Guard's 139th Airlift Wing honored a former active-duty Air Force captain.

Guy Gruters was a prisoner of war (POW) for five years during the Vietnam War. He shared multiple stories, including ways he would communicate with the Vietnamese soldiers, the torture he and other American soldiers endured and staying connected to his faith.

Gruters said, even though his time in the prison camp was horrible, he has learned forgiveness.

"So I learned to forgive the people that were hurting me and torturing me,” Gruters said. “And I learned forgiveness in prison camp. I learned terrible hatred in prison camp. But at the same time, I learned forgiveness. So it was a wonderful thing for me to learn that,” he said.

Gruters said being a POW was probably the best thing that happened to him because it knocked down his pride.

"You know, you have real troubles and torture with pride and you have real trouble in a communist prison camp with pride, Gruters said. “And you know, the worst thing you can do? You got the love and you got pride,” he said.

Towards the end of the cermony, John Josendale, St. Joseph, mayor, issued a special proclamation recognizing Gruters.

Gruters said he wants the soldiers to take away two things from his story: doing the right thing and trusting God.

“I just hope they take apart, take out the two things that everything in life depends on doing the right thing and praying and trusting in God to make the big picture happen because we don't have control over the big picture, you know,” Gruters said. So what you really want to do is just set up the circumstances where he makes good things happen, he said.