Valerie Fortney- The true story of Capt. Nichola Goddard

This afternoon the book: "Sunray, the death and life of Captain Nichola Godard" written by award winning journalist Valerie Fortney. This afternoon we will be looking at this young woman  why she went to Afghanistan to fight. "Sunray tells the story of a remarkable 21st-century soldier. It is an intriguing, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring look at the decision to serve, and at the costs."

Many folks firmly believe we shouldn't be in Afghanistan, but when does a country stand together and stand up and say: No, what's happening to people in Afghanistan is no longer tolerable. Are Afghani women any less human beings than Canadian women? Do we simply turn a blind eye and allow little girls to be murdered and have acid thrown in their faces all for daring to have the audacity to desire an education? And despite the rants of some who cry colonialism, we certainly aren't there for its resources. It's certainly not oil. Canada has the 2nd largest oil reserves in the world. Is there anything else we derive from Afghanistan? Well...we know Afghanistan produces 90% of the globe's opium; the poppy; heroin. Certainly that is not our priority to balance trade deficits. So why are we there?

Perhaps this afternoon we will gain a measure of  insight as to why captain Nichola Godard chose to leave the comfort of Canada to put herself in harm's way in Afghanistan. Tragically Nichola became the first combat qualified female  Canadian soldier to die in combat. Captain Nichola Godard was a woman of idealism. She was a leader. Above all she was a human being who wanted something better for her fellow human beings inhabiting this small planet.

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Hi Brent-
The media has been getting it wrong for years-Nichola was not the first Cdn female soldier to die in combat. Lots of female soldiers have been caught up in combat and killed. As the general made responsible in 1997 for introducing women into the combat arms of the CF(Infantry, Armour, Artillery, Combat engineerrs, Pilots, Surface and sub-service Navy) I find such discription of Nicola's sacrifice inadequate. She was the first combat qualified Canadian female soldier to die in combat. She was the Artillery FOO(Forward Operating Observer/Officer) for her battle group responsible for calling in and adjusting artillery fire in support of her commander's mission-and from what I understand from her commander one of the best FOOs in the theater.
All the best, Lew MacKenzie