Sergeant Godfrey was a veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was a member of Company B, 802nd Engineer Aviation Construction Battalion, 931st Engineer Aviation Group. On 18 May 1951, he was working in a ditch near Suwon, South Korea, when a passing truck fell into the ditch killing him.

Godfrey was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.