Posted on 05/20/2006 2:56:17 PM PDT by fanfan
TORONTO — A female Canadian soldier killed in combat Wednesday in Afghanistan described missing her daily Tim Hortons coffee and feeling the pride of wearing the uniform in a lengthy e-mail posted on her sister’s Internet blog.
In an e-mail dated early March to her younger sister Kate, Capt. Nichola Goddard recounted carrying a 45-kilogram pack uphill on a two-kilometre march, as well as other daily challenges of her role in the Afghan mission.
"I feel like a poster child for why people should join the military," Goddard wrote. "It was an amazing 15 days."
In her e-mail, Goddard described moving into isolated areas, either on foot or with vehicles, to conduct shuras — the Pashto word for meetings — with local elders.
She wrote she was honoured to participate directly in two of the meetings, despite her initial concerns over being the only woman.
"I really thought that the whole female thing would be a huge issue," Goddard wrote. "It was, but not in the way that I thought it would be."
She described how the subject of the meeting quickly centred on her marital status.
"The big shock was not that I was in the army, but that I was married and in the army. The fact that my husband (Jason Beam) was not also a soldier was even more disturbing (don’t worry, Jay, I said that if you were strong enough to handle me, you didn’t need to be a soldier, too)."
The remainder of the discussion, she wrote, revolved around her "inexplicable" lack of children.
"The elder offered to go inside and get me some milk and bread, as diet was probably the issue. He was 67 and had two wives and several children under the age of 10. . . . I said that my husband would definitely say that one wife was enough. He thought that was hysterical, and I was a hit."
During the second shura, she wrote, the issue was her availability.
"My boss was apparently asked if I was available to marry one of the elder’s sons who looked to be about 15. After we’d established that I was already married, the issue turned to the all-important one of baking bread."
In another village, her unit’s interpreter approached her after having a conversation with five men who were watching her.
"Then he turned to me and said, ‘Please excuse their staring. They are just very surprised that you are a woman working with all of these men. I have told them that you climbed over the mountain with us with your heavy bag and that you had no problems. They think that you must be very strong. I explained to them that you are just like the men, and that you can do everything that they can do the same as them.’ "
Goddard added: "It was perhaps the greatest statement of equality that I have ever heard — and it was given by a Pakistani-raised Afghan male in the middle of an Afghan village that is only accessible by a five-kilometre walk up a mountain. It just goes to show that anything is possible and that stereotypes are often completely wrong."
While often recalling the humorous moments of her mission, Goddard’s letter also made reference to the ever-present dangers of Taliban attacks.
"One of the biggest challenges here is trying not to set a pattern," she wrote. "The local informant system is better than any CSIS network imaginable, so we try not to give them any more help than necessary."
Captain Nichola Goddard
Canada ping.
Please FReepmail me to get on or off this ping list.
God love her and keep her.
I hope she was not singled out as an attempt to demoralize her unit.
She sounds like she was a fine human being and a fine soldier.
There are few women warriors in Canada, and she was one.
The angels have taken her home.
Now come on True,North, Strong, and Free, roll up those Talibani cowards and send them back to Quetta!
TSNF, a new abbreviation for Canada. She has now more than earned it with a combat death of a daughter.
I am designing a ball cap as I speak, Blue with a red ensign on the front centered with the wrods TSNF centered in red above it.
Sorry, I am dislexic today, thats TNSF!!!!
Here's what happened..........
Goddard's vehicle took fire from two sides and was hit by at least two rocket-propelled grenades, one of which hit the turret. As crew commander, Goddard was exposed from the shoulders up. Although her vehicle survived the explosion, Goddard did not.
There are few women warriors in Canada, and she was one.
Amen.
I am designing a ball cap as I speak, Blue with a red ensign on the front centered with the wrods TSNF centered in red above it.
Please put me at the head of the list to buy one!
Thanks for your patriotism Candor!
See my reply 8 posted here:
Goddard died in Taliban ambush
Obviously quite an officer. I hope she receives an honor.
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