# Children's author talks about being a Canadian war artist



## dapaterson (7 May 2009)

Excellent article up on the CBC website, where a 56 year old children's author talks about her experiences overseas.

Of course, she's going to make all the wives of the Armoured Corps soldiers deployed worry about what their husbands are up to with her closing anecdote:



> I saw this tank coming up the hill, and there was nothing that says this is a woman in the tank. She comes roaring up and throws her stuff off and she looks like a movie star. The iconic image right now of the war is the ramp ceremony, but we may come out of this war with a new image, and that is [of] the woman as a battle soldier. It wasn't sexy — it was powerful. She was powerful and strong and straightforward and saying 'This is my place in the world.'


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## X-mo-1979 (7 May 2009)

If this is the same woman I'm thinking about I drove her all over our FOB in my Gator one day.Very nice lady.
However there were no female tank crewman on the tour.Lav's there were a few.

She was telling me about books she had written about differnt hard topics such as the holocaust for children.

Very nice woman,but the "tank"  (unless shes still there,I couldnt find the story to confirm) was most likely a Lav3


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## X-mo-1979 (7 May 2009)

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/05/05/f-sharon-mckay-canadian-war-artist-afghanistan.html

Yep same lady.But unless she back there,it must have been a lav.


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## PanaEng (7 May 2009)

Thanks for the link x-mo

chimo


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## navymich (7 May 2009)

She is an amazing lady.  Her and the group that visited for a couple of days ended up spending extra time in our area due to some change in plans for other tours.  (thanks x-mo for being chauffeur all over the place that day!!)  

Chatted with her for a good portion of the day.  She told me all about her one book ( Charlie Wilcox) that was written for my son's age group...she got my home address from me and sent a signed copy to my son personalizing it by talking about our visit, definitely a treasured book in our household now.


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## X-mo-1979 (7 May 2009)

I had to venture over to the touchy feely side of the camp one day...besides taming wild dogs over there.And I wasn't a chauffeur I was a FOB ambassador.Me and the mayor of course!


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## brihard (9 May 2009)

X-mo-1979 said:
			
		

> http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/05/05/f-sharon-mckay-canadian-war-artist-afghanistan.html
> 
> Yep same lady.But unless she back there,it must have been a lav.



Sounds like a particular crew commander I know. Fits the bill.

Great story though. It's neat to hear about all the stuff we took for granted from a fresh civilian perspective.


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## PMedMoe (9 May 2009)

There was a female war artist in A'stan on my Roto too.  Not the same one, though.  She was a "more mature" lady.


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## CadetMez (17 May 2009)

Thanks for posting the link x-mo. It helped clear up some questions i was going to ask.


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## Biathloneil (17 May 2009)

An example of another exceptional Canadian program. A professional Armed Forces portrayed via the creative process, other societies wish they had. A good illustration of diverse Canadians working together to make the World a better place. Culture is a very hard weapon to stifle with out the whole world taking notice.


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## brihard (17 May 2009)

I've always been a fan of the Sylvia Pecota prints, myself. I know most of them are based on photo, but they still look very nice.

Anyone else see the display the war museum did a couple years back of all the different War Art from WW2?


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## navymich (17 May 2009)

dapaterson said:
			
		

> Excellent article up on the CBC website, where a 56 year old children's author talks about her experiences overseas.



She has another article coming out at some point too.  I just had an email from her asking my age (ackk!  she's making that public?!?!) and confirming spelling of my name.  She sent me a rough draft of the article, but I don't know where or when it is being printed.


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