Corey Goodiron tries to get over brother's death
www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/02/12/news/sports/local/128\650.txt
<http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/02/12/news/sports/local/12\
8650.txt> When Corey Goodiron wants to talk, he goes to a special
place and pours his heart out to a special person.
The coveted place isn't nearby. It's at his grandma's farm near rural
Mandaree, located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The person he
confides in is his older brother, Nathan.
Talking to his brother comforts Goodiron - he just wishes he could hear
Nathan's voice. North Dakota National Guard Cpl. Nathan Goodiron died in
combat on Thanksgiving Day by a rocket-propelled grenade while on patrol
in Afghanistan. He was 25.
Corey Goodiron looked up to and sought the advice of his only sibling.
As a child, he used to tag along with Nathan.
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cktribune.com+news+sports+bigad/66390.jpg?r=http://www.bismarcktribune.c\
om/restaurants/> Nathan's final resting place is on his grandma's
farm, next to his grandpa and uncle.
"I've been there several times since he died," Goodiron said.
"Sometime's I'll just sit there and talk to him. I know he's still
listening to me and watching over me. I wish he could talk back."
See Goodiron, Page 4D
Nathan's burial place carries a special place in Goodiron's heart in
more ways than one. It was on his grandma's farm where he learned how to
play basketball. The Goodirons put up a hoop there and often played ball
with their friends and cousins, with as many as 15 competing. They would
even roll out the carpet in the spring to cover up the mud.
It was on the farm where Nathan “ five years Corey's senior
schooled his younger brother in the game of basketball.
"He would always beat me for the longest time, until two years ago,"
Goodiron said. "He pretty much developed my left hand. I would go right
and he would stand there and say 'Go left. Look at all that space to the
left over there, and you're not using it.' "
It's because of Nathan that Goodiron enrolled in classes at United
Tribes. He's considering a major in elementary education or tribal
management. Goodiron enrolled in classes late, which made him eligible
for men's basketball at the semester break. Goodiron, a 6-foot-2
forward, has been a pleasant addition to the Thunderbirds, scoring 15.5
points and snagging 8.0 rebounds a game. He has also drained 12
3-pointers in six games.
"He's effective inside and outside," United Tribes head coach Gerry
Geistler said. "He can take the ball to the hole and he can shoot it
from outside. He's a pretty good defender, and he rebounds extremely
well for a guy his size. He just has a great head for the game."
Brotherly love
Goodiron once had decided that he would pass on school and college
athletics. Goodiron is also a father to 3-year-old Antwone.
When Nathan was home on a break from the service, he drove Corey to
Bismarck to sign up at United Tribes.
"I remember our three-hour talk when we were coming home from signing me
up," Goodiron said. "He told me I had to do this and get out of
Mandaree. He was talking to me like I was going to be something and be
somebody and do something with my life."
It's still hard for Goodiron to accept that fact that his brother is
gone.
"In a way, I still wait for an e-mail from him to come through,"
Goodiron said. "Now I have to do it. With him being gone, it's now
easier, but it makes me want to drive more because he wanted me to be
here."
Goodiron wears a black band on his uniform to honor his brother.
Teammates Jarvis Bearstail and Merrill Howling Wolf - who have Mandaree
ties - also wear a black band in honor of Nathan.
Both Corey and Nathan played high school ball at Mandaree. Nathan played
on the 1998-99 team that advanced to the Class B state tournament. Corey
finished high school in 2005.
"We were complete opposite players," Goodiron said. "He was more of a
role player type. In high school my coach told me I had to be a scorer
because I was one of the taller players. Our games developed
differently."
Goodiron often thinks of his brother when he's on the court. Corey and
Nathan used to play the Ninetendo 64 video game "NBA Jam." When a
3-point bucket was scored, the crowd would yell "Three!"
When Goodiron drained a triple earlier this year, he heard the same
chant from the live crowd.
"When I heard it, I looked," he said. "He wasn't there. Nathan was big
into electronics. I would get mad at him about his wires all the time,
not putting them up."
Enlisting
Goodiron remembers questioning his brother's decision to join the
military. Nathan told his brother it was the perfect opportunity to help
fund his schooling and to catch up on his bills. While in Afghanistan,
Nathan often e-mailed his brother.
"My first thought was 'Why did you go do that?' " Goodiron said. "If you
want to fight for oil, go in the back here and put up an oil rig. Life
of a soldier, nobody will ever know, unless you're over there doing the
dirty work. Nate would always tell me he was lonely. He had his friends
over there, but I'd imagine it would be tough over there."
Nathan was a member of the 1st Battalion and 188th Air Defense
Artillery. He was killed while participating in a combat patrol mission,
escorting military convoys from one forward operating base to another
when the enemy attack occurred. He arrived in Afghanistan on March 23,
2006, to help provide around-the-clock security to military members both
on and off military installations.
The day Goodiron got the news of this brother's death was the most
devastating moment in his life. He had finished Thanksgiving dinner with
his family. He was playing basketball at an open gym when he got the
tragic news from his dad.
"My Thanksgiving Day will always be different," Goodiron said. "It will
always be more quiet. I can't imagine what my parents are going through.
I'm sure I'm not feeling an eighth of their hurt and emptiness."
Moving on
Nathan's death received statewide coverage from the media. About 1,500
people attended his funeral, which was held at the Mandaree High School.
Nathan also left behind a wife, stepchildren and a toddler.
"There was some comfort with all the coverage and stuff," Goodiron said.
"Some soldiers don't get the recognition that they deserve. I love his
kids as much as I love my own. I hope it's made me a better dad. It's
been difficult. There will be times when my son wants to be playing and
I'll be sitting around and moping, which I shouldn't be doing."
For Goodiron, the healing process has just begun. Basketball has been a
gate opener to happiness.
"Even when he was alive basketball brought me joy and a sense of
freedom," Goodiron said. "On the same side, it has lost a lot of joy,
too.
"Don't take love for granted. It can be taken in a tick of a clock. If
you have a family member over there in the war, pray and talk to them.
"Just one letter can brighten their day for however many hours. Just
don't take each other for granted."
