SPIRITUAL HEALING FOR A SICK WORLD by Okema Tula, NAJA

Mandaree soldier killed

Bismarck Tribune

By VIRGINIAGRANTIER

Cpl. Nathan Goodiron, 25, of Mandaree, a North Dakota National Guardsman, was killed in an enemy attack on Thursday in Afghanistan.

"He died for his country," said Paul Goodiron, of Mandaree, Friday about his son Nathan, his words choked by tears. "It's going to be a quiet Christmas here," he told the Associated Press.

Paul Goodiron said his son was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade while on patrol. He said Nathan's cousin, Sgt. C.J. O'Berry, of Beulah, was wounded, but apparently was OK. A third soldier, Samuel Floberg, Fargo, also was injured.

"They were in a firefight, and they were hit from behind with (a grenade)," Paul Goodiron said. "(Nathan) took the full impact, and he was killed instantly."

Goodiron told the AP his son left behind a wife, Eileen Goodiron, stepchildren and toddler son, and a brother.

Paul Goodiron said his son was an easygoing man who quickly made friends and had a desire to serve his country.

"I knew him for as long as I can remember,"said Elton Spotted Horse, 22, who grew up with him in Mandaree.

Spotted Horse said Friday that Nathan was a big tease in school, but "he was always serious when he needed to be serious."

"If people had problems, they could talk to him,"Spotted Horse said. "He'd make them feel better."

He was a comedian, but serious when you needed help. He was an athlete. He was great with computers. He was the one to ask if you had a computer problem, Spotted Horse said.

Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard's adjutant general, announced Friday that Goodiron from the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery, was killed in action and two others were wounded in action in Afghanistan at about 5 p.m. local Afghanistan time on Thursday, which would have been about 7:30 a.m. CDT here.

Floberg was airlifted to Bagram Air Field, where he was awaiting transportation to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany. Friday he was listed in stable condition. O'Berry received minor injuries and was treated and released.

The soldiers were participating in a combat patrol mission, escorting military convoys from one forward operating base to another when the enemy attack occurred.

Paul Goodiron, a Vietnam veteran, told the AP that he and Nathan's mother, Harriet Goodiron, were taken to a hospital Thursday night after hearing the news of their son's death. "Our blood pressures were so high," he said.

He said the support of the community Friday was "just overwhelming."

"It has nothing to do with me or Harriet," Goodiron said. "It's because of (Nathan). He was really friendly with just everybody. He just made friends with everybody." Mandaree is a community of about 550 on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

Spotted Horse, who now lives in Rock Springs, Wyo., working for Halliburton, said he was "pretty surprised" when he heard Nathan was going into the military. He assumed Nathan would focus on a career with computers.

"He was always doing stuff with computers. He knew how to fix computers,"he said. "If you had computer problems, he was the person to go to."

He said they spent a lot of time together during childhood playing video games. "I did a lot of fun stuff with him."

Spotted Horse said Nathan was a "big basketball player"for Mandaree High School.

Merrill "Doc" Howling Wolf, 26, another friend of Nathan's, said Nathan, a guard for the Mandaree High School, was a smart, unselfish team player who "never looked to score." He said Nathan had attended Minot State University and planned to go back after his military stint to finish his degree.

Howling Wolf said Nathan was a true friend and more.

"He was like a brother,"Howling Wolf said, his words coming out between sobs.

He said when he heard Nathan had joined the military he was surprised and kind of mad.

"I don't really care for the war,"Howling Wolf said.

Spotted Horse's mother, Jeanine Spotted Horse, 42, of Mandaree, said she was devastated when she heard the news Thursday night.

"I couldn't believe it," she said.

She remembers Nathan coming to Mandaree's Head Start school last year for Veterans Day and sharing with the students information about military life.

"He showed them what he ate ... shared food with the kids. The kids got a little taste," she said.

Jeanine Spotted Horse, who has lived in Mandaree since 1984, said she had known him since he was a child and said he was always outgoing, but talking with the HeadStart children, "He was a little shy."

"On behalf of all North Dakotans, Mikey and I extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Cpl. Nathan Goodiron, a brave soldier who served our country with distinction and honor," said Gov. John Hoeven in a statement from himself and his wife. "As a state and a nation, we share in their loss and grief, and we offer our heartfelt support to them during this difficult time. Nathan was a true hero, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of all of us. He will never be forgotten.

"Our thoughts and prayers also go out to Spc. Samuel Floberg and Sgt. Claude O'Berry, who were wounded in the same tragic incident. We thank them for their service and their sacrifices."

"Cpl. Nathan Goodiron will always be appreciated by all the people of North Dakota for his willingness to serve his nation during a time of war," said Sprynczynatyk. "He fought for what he believed in, and we share this loss with his family and honor his bravery in defense of freedom."

Sprynczynatyk also thanked Floberg and O'Berry for their sacrifice. "We need to keep these soldiers and their families here in North Dakota in our hearts and prayers. ... They lost a friend ... a member of their deployed family."

According to Maj. Robert Fugere, commander of SECFOR of the 1st Battalion, 188th ADA, military honors were rendered in Bagram Air Field as Goodiron's remains were loaded on an aircraft for the flight back to the United States. A "Fallen Comrade" ceremony was conducted at Forward Operating Base Warrior, where Goodiron was stationed.

Goodiron enlisted into the North Dakota Army National Guard in April 2001 and completed basic training in August 2001. After basic training, he was assigned to Battery F of the 1st Battalion, 188 Air Defense Artillery as a man-portable air defense system crewmember.

The 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery, headquartered in Grand Forks, deployed with 152 soldiers to Afghanistan. The company was mobilized on Dec. 1, 2005, and arrived in Afghanistan on March 23, 2006. The unit provides around-the-clock security to military members both on and off military installations.

Goodiron is the third North Dakota Army National Guard soldier to die in Afghanistan. He is the 11th North Dakota Army National Guard member to die in the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars.

On Monday, 39 soldiers with the 188th Air Defense Artillery 1st Battalion who have been mobilized will be heading to Fort Hood, Texas, for training. They eventually will replace 39 other Air Defense Artillery soldiers in Afghanistan.

Keller said those soldiers will be leaving with heavy hearts.

"It definitely is tough," he said. "They are just starting out with their mission, and there are a lot of unknowns."

Funeral arrangements are pending through Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford

Ground search for missing boys ending tonight