She was the first Canadian female soldier killed in combat, and the highest-ranking officer to die in Afghanistan at the time. Her death and her story captivated the country.
A new book chronicles Capt. Nichola Goddard's life and the choices that led her to one of the most dangerous jobs in the military -- and to her shocking death at 26 on May 17, 2006.
Sunray: The Death and Life of Captain Nichola Goddard shows a strong-willed and compassionate woman whose dedication to the Canadian Armed Forces puzzled her parents and closest friends.
The family often debated whether the military could foster development in countries like Afghanistan, with Goddard staunchly defending the army's role, according to the book.
"I think Nichola believed very, very strongly that she was out to do what was required of her… to minimize the influence of the Taliban," her mother, Sally Goddard, told CTV News Channel on Saturday.
"She applied for (the Royal Military College) because it was a free education, and along the way she fell in love with it," she said.
The book's author, Valerie Fortney, says Nichola Goddard "spent her entire life busting stereotypes," particularly those related to gender. Goddard would have hated the attention paid to her gender after her death, Fortney noted.
Drawing on countless letters Goddard sent from the front to her family and husband, the book reveals the unique circumstances and pressures faced by today's troops.
"I think one of many legacies Nichola left for us with these letters… she has provided us with a glimpse into the heart of a soldier," said Fortney, a Calgary Herald journalist.
"We do expect them to be warriors," she said. "This shows they do have incredible courage."
Goddard, of 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Shilo, Man., was killed in a firefight with Taliban insurgents about 24 kilometres west of Kandahar city in the Panjwai region.
She was the sixteenth soldier killed in Afghanistan, and the first female combat death since the Second World War.
Goddard was serving with Task Force Afghanistan and was attached to the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (1 PPCLI) Battle Group.
She was buried in the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa.
Her father, Tim Goddard, has become an unofficial spokesman for other military families grappling with both grief and pride.
He has criticized the government for restricting access to grieving families, and expressed hope for an end to the Afghan mission, so that his daughter will not have died in vain.
The mission is slated to end next year. The Canadian military must cease combat operations and withdraw from Kandahar by July 2011, according to a motion passed by Parliament in March 2008.
