The third annual Corey Goodnature Memorial Golf tournament Saturday at Green Lea Golf Course provided friends and family an opportunity to gather and remember the life and legacy of the solider who died protecting the freedom of others.

Goodnature, a pilot in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, died in action when the helicopter he was flying was shot down by enemy fire in eastern Afghanistan on June 28, 2005 as he tried to rescue a group of Navy SEALs under heavy attack.

Three members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment or also known as the Night Stalkers who served with Goodnature attended the benefit event for the first time as well.

Roger Martin, Doug Hurley and Tim Swanner all served with Goodnature in the Night Stalkers and became his best friends.

“He was the godfather for my son,” Martin said. “He was the first man that ever got my son to laugh. We were intertwined as a family at a level the average American can’t really understand.”

Hurley was the man who introduced Corey to his wife Lori while the two lived in Savannah, Ga.

“His wife Lori was my neighbor in the apartment complex I was living in,” Hurley said. “I just thought they would get along together and I introduced them and we didn’t seem them for the next six months. Coming up here is a huge honor to his memory.”

The golf tournament proceeds go to a scholarship fund that donates 12 $1,000 scholarships to area students and has generated a considerable amount of money in its three years.

The first year brought in $40,000 and the second year improved upon that mark, totaling $60,000 and organizers have the goal of reaching $150,000 so the fund will become self-sustaining.

“We just feel like we should honor the people that give their lives for the rest of us to live free in this country,” scholarship board member Gary Pestorious said. “Our goal is to fully fund it so that it will always go forever and we think we’re very close to that.”

Education was of utmost importance to Goodnature. Goodnature received an associate’s degree aerospace engineering from the University of Minnesota and worked to finish his degree while he served.

“He got his college degree in a combat zone,” Swanner said.” He valued education so much that we would study while the rest of us were screwing off and doing other things.”

There were few in the service that rivaled the character of Goodnature.

“He was literally a product of his environment here,” Martin said. “He was noble, he had impeccable integrity and honor and moral courage.”

Attending the event for Martin was important to honor the memory of Goodnature.

“How do you adequately honor someone that pays that kind of a price,” Martin said. “This is where I’d rather be than anywhere in the planet.”

While the figures have not been totaled, event organizers said the event was the best attended with an estimated 300 people showing up for the fundraiser that included a silent auction and a live auction put together through donated items like autographed sports memorabilia.

The silent auction ran out of tickets for sale and when one man was told they had sold out, wrote a check for $1,000 on the spot.

“It’s become a very successful event,” Pestorius said. “We wanted to do something that we would never forget.”