It is a horrible thing to have to Write comments, news reports, and/or eulogies about the deaths of our brothers, sons, and husbands. It is a whole other thing to write the same type of words when speaking of a member of the fairer sex. Canada woke on the morning of 17 May 2006 to the news that Captain Nicola Kathleen Sarah Goddard of the 1st Regt. RCHA was killed in action. Capt. Godddard became the first Canadian Female combat death since the Second World War.

I support the female role in the military. I have learned to embrace the fact that without the female soldier the Canadian army would be an even more deleted shell. This does not change the fact that it was a swift punch in the face to know that a female soldier had been killed. It was... surreal... for a bit.