Acknowledgements

To write this memoir, I relied upon the personal journals I kept over my time in the military, as well as the recall of friends and colleagues who were present during the events I’ve shared. I also relied on my own memory and researched facts whenever I could. Most of the names in this book have been changed, except for those of the “Pepperoni Lovers” and a few of my other favourite Van Doos (Warrant Officer Jean-Marc Godin, Warrant Officer Marcel Hamann, Major Marcel Chevarie, General Alain Forand, General Maurice Baril, and of course Captain Mike Rainville). Occasionally ranks, positions, and titles were changed to preserve anonymity. No composite characters were created for this book.

My career in the infantry would not have been possible had it not been for the friendship of the Pepperoni Lovers: Fabien Roy, Sylvain Rheaume, Guillaume Robert, Patrick Robichaud, Patrick Thériault, Stephane Boulé, and Jason Langelier. I could not have survived my short time in the infantry without the allies who supported me: Marcel Chevarie, Alain Gauthier, Roch Giguère, Normand Lalonde, Alain Forand, Marcel Hamann, Jean-Marc Godin and of course, the nurses attached to our battalion in Bosnia.

To my three best friends, for asking the tough questions: Linda Dumouchel, who called this book a bestseller-made-into-a-blockbuster-movie-starring-Sandra-Bullock before I even wrote the first word. Mylene Levesque, for listening without judgment, and for Sylvie Ouellette, my Masanka, for sharing your generous heart with me.

Thank you to my uncle Marcellin, for your incredible insight and reflections.

Thank you to my Anam Cara.

To Bill Watkins for telling me exactly what I didn’t want to hear with such a delicate touch that it made me listen with the ear of a soldier on guard duty, and for introducing me to peach juice.

To write this book, I was blessed enough to “stand on the shoulders of giants”: Christine Thomas, Marie-Lynn Hammond, Karen Davis, Diane Turbide, Shelagh Plunkett and Sally Keefe Cohen. What amazing women you all are.

I am grateful to the outstanding mentors I’ve had in my post-military career: Stephen Rose and Mike Arcamone from General Motors, Stephen Orr from Bombardier.

I am indebted to Ross MacDonald for his precious friendship, and for braving the cloud of August mosquitoes to take the photo on the cover of this book. Above all, thank you for helping me return the Commandant’s jeep back to khaki after spray-painting it pink when we were lieutenants at the Service Battalion!

And it would not have come to life without my publisher, Marc Côté from Cormorant Books. Thank you, Marc, for having the courage and the patience to take me under your wing so that I could tell my story.

Lastly, I am forever grateful for my loving parents. My father, Gaëtan, will always be my hero. My mother, Claudette, taught her four daughters to feel beautiful from the inside out, and that all our life’s mountains are scalable when they are confronted with the right attitude. Thank you to the both of you for giving me such wonderful sisters, and for being pillars of strength.