Faces of Remembrance is an ANAVETS Mexico Unit 19 series exploring the people, places and events that form part of Canada’s military story. Through portraits, historic images, battlefields, monuments and artifacts, the series honours service and sacrifice and helps preserve the stories behind remembrance.
As Remembrance Day approaches, ANAVETS Mexico Unit 19 is sharing the stories of Canadians whose service, courage and sacrifice should not be forgotten. Today we remember Captain Nichola Goddard, MSM, an artillery officer whose professionalism, leadership and sacrifice left a lasting place in Canada’s military history.
Preparing to serve
Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard was born in Papua New Guinea on May 2, 1980. She joined the Canadian Forces through the Regular Officer Training Plan in June 1998 and attended the Royal Military College of Canada.
She graduated in 2002 with a degree in English and earned a place on the Dean’s List. After completing her artillery training, she was commissioned as a second lieutenant and posted to the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.
Her early military service included supporting wildfire response and avalanche-control operations in British Columbia. She later rose to the rank of captain.
A demanding responsibility
Captain Goddard deployed to Afghanistan in January 2006 as part of Operation ARCHER. She served as a forward observation officer and forward air controller supporting C Company.
The role required her to work close to Canadian troops in the field and coordinate artillery, aircraft and electronic-warfare resources. It was a highly technical and demanding responsibility, often carried out under direct threat.
Her Meritorious Service Medal citation described her exemplary service, technical ability and calmness under pressure. It also recognized that she repeatedly volunteered to take part in reconnaissance operations in areas where coalition forces had recently faced serious attacks.
Those who served with her remembered an officer who listened to her soldiers, valued their experience and accepted the same risks she asked them to face.
Killed in combat
On May 17, 2006, Captain Goddard and her team were supporting an operation west of Kandahar. During a firefight, their light armoured vehicle came under attack and she was killed.
She was 26 years old.
Captain Goddard became the first woman in the Canadian Armed Forces to lose her life while serving in a combat role. Her death was felt across Canada and brought renewed attention to the responsibilities and dangers faced by women serving in combat-arms occupations.
Yet those who knew her did not want her service reduced to a milestone. They remembered her first as a soldier and officer: professional, determined, compassionate and committed to the people under her command.
Service recognized
Captain Goddard was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for her exemplary service in Afghanistan. She also received the Sacrifice Medal.
Her Meritorious Service Medal citation recognized her leadership and professional skill, as well as the inspiration she provided to others serving on the mission.
She was buried at the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.
A continuing legacy
Captain Goddard’s name continues to be remembered across Canada.
The Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Captain Goddard M.S.M. was named in her honour. The Royal Military College also awards the Captain Nichola Goddard Memorial Sword to a deserving third-year artillery officer cadet.
Memorials, schools, parks and other commemorative initiatives carry her name. Together, they reflect a life of service that continues to inspire members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadians across the country.
Her legacy is not simply that she was the first Canadian woman killed while serving in a combat role. It is the example she set as an officer: accepting responsibility, remaining calm under pressure and caring for the soldiers entrusted to her leadership.
In remembering Captain Nichola Goddard, we honour her courage, her professionalism and her sacrifice in the service of Canada.
Lest We Forget
Image credit
Source: Veterans Affairs Canada
Reproduced with permission from the Commemoration Division, Veterans Affairs Canada.