Sergeant (Ret’d) Nadia Duranleau

“I had never, ever, considered joining the Armed Forces,” said (Ret’d) Sergeant Nadia Duranleau of the Canadian Armed Forces.

“I enlisted through a set of circumstances in 1990 when I was 19 years old. My studies were going nowhere. I had a friend who had to go to the Recruitment Centre on Guy Street to get information to possibly enlist… What was bound to happen happened.”

“I enlisted through a set of circumstances in 1990 when I was 19 years old. My studies were going nowhere. I had a friend who had to go to the Recruitment Centre on Guy Street to get information to possibly enlist… What was bound to happen happened.” Ultimately, this friend completely gave up on enlisting, and Nadia went ahead. “I signed up as an infantry soldier.”

As her training approached, she quickly realized that she was not suited for the role of an infantry soldier. She therefore changed trades to become a cook and set off for CFB Borden, where she took her cooking course. Soon after, she had her first deployment with the Blue Helmets and headed for Daruvar, Croatia.

During a peacekeeping mission, members of a unit typically pitch in to set up the encampment that will house them for the duration of their mission. As soon as she arrived, Nadia participated in building the area where her Logistics Support unit would stay.

She was stunned by the signs of destruction left by the civil war around the camp and the village of Daruvar: “At the rank of Private, first deployment, just a year and a half after enlisting, even with the excitement of the deployment, going abroad and all that, to be confronted daily with the post-war landscape, let’s just say that it was very unsettling. However, you get used to it quickly.”

With her experience in Croatia, Nadia Duranleau volunteered for a second deployment in 1999. This time, she spent six months in East Timor as part of a joint humanitarian mission with the Australian Forces. As the only woman in a contingent of more than 250 soldiers, her unit helped to repair a school and a hospital between patrols of the area.

What may be the most impactful experience of that deployment happened during a jogging exercise at the end of a shift before going to bed. “On my way to the engineer’s camp where I was going to run, there were always two young girls from the same family. Dirty and almost naked (…) I offer dolls to the oldest one. When I returned, the youngest one was waiting for me near the road with the Barbie in her hands and had the biggest smile. I would say that it made my six-month tour!”

“For me and my family, commemoration is and will always be a sad day. The soldiers who died, regardless of their generation (…) they are soldiers who sought victory, who had hoped for a better world and to return home to live peacefully with their loved ones.”

After 20 years of service, Nadia Duranleau retired in 2011 after an accident. When referring to the sacrifices made by former and current Veterans, she does not hesitate: “For me and my family, commemoration is and will always be a sad day. The soldiers who died, regardless of their generation (…) they are soldiers who sought victory, who had hoped for a better world and to return home to live peacefully with their loved ones.”

Recently, Nadia had the opportunity to discuss commemoration and her experiences with a WWII Veteran, Mr. Joseph-Amable Dubé. Despite the five decades that separate their respective military service, they agreed on an aspect of the army that is still very present: camaraderie. “Since we live together, we are all brothers and love each other. We talk. We have fun,” said Mr. Dubé. “Absolutely,” she added.

Her spouse and son are still active members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Duranleau is co-captain of the Canadian team that will be going to the Invictus Games at The Hague, which have been postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19. She also volunteers for the Breakfast Club of Canada.

With courage, integrity and loyalty, Nadia Duranleau has left her mark. She is one of our Canadian Veterans. You can also hear her story first hand by listening to her episode of our Face of Freedom podcast (in French only). Discover more stories.