“If it was a half-inch to the left, I would have been killed.”
The date was September 13, 2008. Lex Goduti was just three months into his time in Korangal Valley in northeastern Afghanistan. He was only 20 years old, but knew for most of his life that he wanted to be in the Army. So there he was, already with dozens of firefights along with his brothers in the Second Platoon, Bravo Company, First Infantry Division. One week earlier, he saw one of those brothers get killed. One week later, his best friend in the unit was killed by an IED that killed two and critically wounded two others.
On that day, though, Goduti was lucky. He was shot in the chest during intense firefight during a whirlwind month of battle, but he lived to tell about it. He would return to his home in Portland, Maine, with a Purple Heart and while it would be a few years before the trauma of what he had been through during over 150 firefights would strike, the brotherhood that he formed with the soldiers fighting by his side has eased that transition.
Now at 28 years old, Goduti’s life is much less stressful than it was on the battlefields of Afghanistan. He is the Events Operations Coordinator at Rio Tinto Stadium – serving with his new brothers on the grounds crew that work as caretakers at the stadium, tending to everything in and around Rio Tinto Stadium on a daily basis to make sure when it’s ever needed for an event, it is ready. It is with that comfort that he is able to reflect on his time in the Army, the friends he made and the lives lost. And when Veterans Day comes and he can call those that survived, he is thankful that he was among those able to find balance and normalcy after serving in tumultuous battle in the military.
A Life Committed to Service
Lex Goduti knew from a young age that he wanted to be in the Army.
“It was one of those things that I thought I’d always be good at and college wasn’t calling my name,” he said this week from Rio Tinto Stadium. “Growing up, I always thought I’d be a good soldier if I was given the chance.”
After finishing high school, he joined the Army, spending almost two years at Fort Hood in Texas before deploying for Afghanistan. Nearly a year of that time in Texas was spent training with his unit before deploying, so they grew tight bonds.
Those would prove crucial when they arrived in Korangal Valley – The Valley of Death – in Afghanistan.
While most would cringe at that prospect, Goduti knew that he was prepared to face the worst.
“At the time, I was ecstatic. It’s kind of what you live for when you’re put into the infantry,” he said. “Doing all that training, we knew we were prepared and in the year we were there we were in over 400 firefights.”
He can recount those firefights as if they were happening on a television screen in front of him, telling tales of each soldier and where they were from and little quirks about their personalities. He recalls stories about their families and where they are now. And while there isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t think about some of the scenes he saw while serving his country, it is on days like Veterans Day when the whole country takes a moment to recognize the service done by the brave men and women who fight for the flag that he is able to take extra time to reflect on those brothers that fought side-by-side with him.
“You think about those guys – guys that you spent the best years of your life with. You trust your life with those guys and they trust you with theirs,” he said, looking out the window at the Salt Lake Valley and noting in his head how similar the climbs up the Wasatch Mountains are to those he traversed in Afghanistan. “It’s about the guy next to you. When your buddy’s getting shot at and you see that look in his face like he’s scared as hell, most people would do anything.”
He leans on those compatriots often. They lean on him too. And he is thankful that he has such close bonds with people that shared very traumatic times with him. A year ago, it may have saved a life.
Eternal Brotherhood
From the first day in training, Goduti and Nate Cox were joined at the hip. They would go on missions together and when it came time to relax, they were always nearby telling each other stories.
On September 20, 2008 – one week after Goduti himself was shot – Cox was one of his brothers killed by an IED.
Eight years later, Goduti can still remember everything about his fallen brother. And when things got bad for him upon his return stateside, he thought about Cox and others like him who died in battle.
“You don’t mourn their loss, you celebrate their life. We had guys that died and what good would we be doing back here if we were just moping around,” he said in a serious tone, but smiling at the fact that he survived to tell the story. “You think about them, but you do the best you can in civilian life to make it worth their while for going over there laying down their life for the country and for us.”
With that thought in mind – making the absolute most of his time back in civilian life for those that fought with him – that Goduti talks regularly to his friends around the country to help each other through the darkest times.
Goduti has a new family now at Real Salt Lake and Rio Tinto Stadium. And while he looks around the stadium on gamedays and sees some excitement and drama, none of it will compare to what he experienced while with Second Platoon, Bravo Company, First Infantry Division.
For those brothers, he dedicates his life.
“It’s a long road, getting out and trying different things. I always knew what I’d be best at was being a soldier and getting out there and risking my life,” he said, again flashing the irreverent smile of someone who truly appreciated being alive. “It took me a really long time to get out of that mindset and you’ve got to put your focus on something that can support you for the rest of your life.”
