Nichola Goddard

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Nichola Goddard

Captain Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard
Born May 2, 1980(1980-05-02)
Madang, Papua New Guinea
Died May 17, 2006 (aged 26)
Panjwaye District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

Captain Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard MSM (May 2, 1980 – May 17, 2006) was the first female Canadian soldier killed in combat, and the 16th Canadian soldier killed in Canadian operations in Afghanistan.

Contents

[edit] Profile

Born to British and Canadian school teachers in Madang, Papua New Guinea, Goddard spent most of her childhood in various locations, including Black Lake and Lac La Ronge, Saskatchewan. She attended Jr. High in Edmonton, Alberta, and High school in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Nicknamed "Carebear", by her ski team in Nova Scotia, her hobbies included cross-country skiing and running, and she had competed in biathlon events. She led a local Scout troop with her fiancé (later husband), Jason Beam, while they were officer cadets at the Royal Military College, in Kingston, Ontario and owned two dogs and two cats.

Captain Goddard arrived in Afghanistan in January 2006, and had been serving with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry as a forward observation officer at the time of her death; her parent unit was the 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.

[edit] The battle

Goddard was killed on May 17, 2006, during a firefight in the Panjwaye District. It was part of a joint two-day operation between Canadian and Afghan troops, to secure Kandahar's outskirts after a rumor of Taliban preparations to launch an assault on the city. As troops were moving into a mosque to capture 15 alleged Taliban members, several dozen hidden militants began firing from neighbouring houses. As a crew commander, Goddard was standing half-exposed in her LAV, which was hit by two rocket-propelled grenades early in the battle. The battle ended after approximately 45 minutes, shortly after an American B-1 Lancer dropped a 225kg bomb. In the end, the two-day operation saw Goddard, an Afghan National Army soldier, and 40 Taliban killed, as well as approximately 20 Taliban captured, which early reports mistakenly said may include Mullah Dadullah.[1]

[edit] After effects

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was the first to mention the death, opening a Parliamentary debate hours later, stating that he wasn't certain it was a "first" female combat death for Canada, and that he wouldn't release her name until her husband had been notified.

It was later announced that her husband Jason Beam would be the first widower to receive the Memorial Cross.[2] The Memorial Cross (also known as the Silver Cross) has traditionally been presented to widows and mothers of Canadian war dead.[3]

She was also posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal on Oct 27, 2006 [4]

After Goddard's death, policies have changed on the traditions of presenting the Memorial Cross to widows or mothers of the ones killed. Now, members of the Canadian Forces are required to choose who will receive the Memorial Cross(es) (a maximum of three).

[edit] Tributes

Memorial Arch
Memorial Arch
  • Nichola Goddard’s name will be etched on the Memorial Arch at Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario
  • Classmates and Friends of Capt. Nichola Goddard at Royal Military College of Canada remembered her in the e-veritas alumni magazine [5]
  • Light Up Papua New Guinea is an international development project by the University of Calgary’s Light Up The World Foundation and the family of Capt. Nichola Goddard in her honour. The goal is for nearly 2,000 non-polluting solar-powered lighting systems in first aid posts will replace hazardous kerosene lamps. [6]
  • Captain Nichola K.S. Goddard Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o The Faculty of Education, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4.
  • A tree was planted in memory of Captain Nichola Goddard at Fish Creek Provincial Park

[7]

[edit] The return home

The family arranged for a public funeral at St. Barnabas Anglican Church in Calgary, held on Friday May 26th, 2006. She is buried in Ottawa's National Military Cemetery.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ CTV report.
  2. ^ DND news release.
  3. ^ Order-in-Council 2374, dated December 1, 1919.
  4. ^ Governor General announces 24 Mentions in Dispatches and 27 Meritorious Service Decorations
  5. ^ Welcome to the eVeritas Newsletter
  6. ^ Aid project honours fallen Canadian soldier | University of Calgary
  7. ^ Remembering | Calgary Herald - Read and Search Obituaries, Create a Tribute for a Loved One or Offer your Condolences
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