Photo Timmi Brady.
Pictured are participants in the 4th Line Theatres evening of reminiscence who came together to discuss women in the Canadian Military. Two Canadian veterans were on hand to tell their stories. Honourary Lieutenant Lee Ann Quinn, front left in a pale blue blazer, and Denise Kearsey, back row centre with glasses were both nurses for 20+ years with the CAF and described the challenges they experienced which ran from farcical to terrifying. Despite these pitfalls both agreed that their careers with extremely gratifying.
Last month, 4th Line Theatre’s Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell hosted an evening of reminiscences with playwright Maja Ardal to hear stories and memories from local women in the military.
The event was designed to collect first-hand accounts from female military personnel, their friends and family to help in the creation of a new play entitled “The Intruder” that Ardal is developing for the local theatre. First-hand accounts of history contribute to the authenticity that is the hallmark of 4th Line Theatre productions.
During the event, the Denise Kearsey originally from Newfoundland and Lee Ann Quinn of Peterborough sat side by side comparing notes and sharing experiences with each other prompted by questions from Kim Blackwell. Both began their careers in the 1980’s, joining basic training groups of 75 individuals. When she joined in 1987 LeeAnn was on of five women in her group, whereas Denise was one of twelve when she joined in 1987. Despite the fact that the two women were headed to the medical ranks of the armed forces, they still had to meet all of the requirements of anyone enlisting. That meant accurate target shooting and fitness conditions. There were no accommodations for female members: everyone performed the same routine using the same equipment. Given her small stature, Lee Ann could not reach the handle of the gun. What she lacked in Rifle target accuracy she overcame in grenade launching thanks to her baseball pitching skills. Seventy five pound rucksaks, shoes stuffed with paper and ill-fitting uniforms were the norm.
Despite being nurses, in the field their uniforms usually included rifles and combat gear. They were soldiers first and nurses second, otherwise they represented a potential liability for their comrades in arms.
They went on to serve in tours around the world, from Kosovo to Germany, Haiti, Rwanda and Somalia. Both spent time in Afghanistan in Air Medical Evacuation, behind the front lines helping the wounded and dying. According to Veterans Canada website, more than 159 CAF members lost their lives during the six operations between 2001 and 2014. They agree that the Afghanistan tours were their most traumatic. Another interesting fact they shared was that they felt most vulnerable wearing the Blue Beret of a peacekeeper. Lee Ann explained that peacekeepers who are members of their own national armies are seconded to work with the UN in vulnerable locations, but they are not allowed to shoot until they have been shot at three times.
They both felt tightly connected to their brothers and sisters in the military; it is a tight group. Denise enjoyed the social events on the base, where Lee Ann volunteered for duty to avoid these kind of activities. Both seemed extremely pleased to have served in the military. Lee Ann describes a feeling of satisfaction in the knowledge that she had made a difference to others each night as her head hit her pillow.
Despite the similarity of experiences, the impact of their service on these retired veterans was quite different. After leaving the military, Denise moved into civilian life, finding new opportunities in the nursing field. There was an occasion where she instinctively threw herself to the ground while filling up at a gas station at the sound of a truck back-firing, but generally her transition was fairly smooth. This was not the case for Lee Ann Quinn.
Lee Ann continued her medical training during her time with the CAF eventually earning a Masters Nurse Practitioner degree. When she retired from the armed forces in 2008, she worked in primary health care to keep busy. At the hospital, she would hear the helicopter arriving and she would find herself on the tarmac without realizing it: she was responding to the sound of Afghanistan. She eventually sought help through Veterans Affairs. She openly discusses the healing impact of the years she spent in therapy, working through her past experiences in the field.
For Quinn, November 12th is the first day of the year. She is a popular speaker at Remembrance Day events, and while she is a proud veteran, it can be difficult to talk about her experience without recalling some of the more horendous things she encountered.
She has recently been named the first-ever female Honourary Lieutenant in the Hastings and Prince Edward County Regiment and dedicates her time to Veteran organizations and co-founded a primary care clinic at the Brock Mission homeless shelter. She is well-equipped to help them address both their physical and emotional pain.
Some people are born to serve. While the rest of us try to follow their example, the least we can do is show our appreciation at every opportunity. KG