Corporal Sarah Boilard-Dumont / United States Marines

“The siren sounded, and everyone hit the deck – and pulled on their gas masks. You had your gas mask with you wherever you went. SCUD missiles were on the way – but they rarely hit anything important. One exploded over the barracks one time and shook the walls, but it was no big deal. After a while, it all became business as usual….” said Corporal Sarah Boilard of her time in Kuwait during Desert Storm in February 1991. The United States had entered into a coalition with 42 other countries to drive Saddam Hussein and his Iraqi troops out of Kuwait. Hussein wanted Kuwait’s oil and real estate and was determined to take it by force… when he was met with Desert Storm. 

Operation Desert Storm is known for a number of reasons. It was the first major international crisis since end of the Cold War. It was the first use of satellite technology, such as GPS, as a major element to help fight the war and just not an “adjunct” technology. And it was the first time that female military personnel were used, not in direct contact with the enemy, but in a war zone. But her experience convinced Boilard that females don’t belong in a war zone. There were at least two cases that she knew of where male military personnel tried accessing a restricted area, the female barracks. In one case, one of the female Marines came charging into Boilard’s room in the middle of the night claiming some male Marime had tried crawling through the window into her room. Boilard grabbed her rifle, locked and loaded it, and ran outside the barracks looking for the offending Marine. Of course, by that time, the interloper was gone. The incident was reported to the camp commander. With this, and other instances, Boilard came to the conclusion that women were just not meant for combat duty. She notes, “Talking to some of the guys who were on the front line… they told me that there was a chance some of my fellow Marines might have raped me. Combat is a dirty game – not for women.”

Boilard continues, “It was one of the shortest… but most toxic wars every fought. Burning oil wells and other contaminants released by the Iraqis were harder on American troops than bullets and bombs.” Boilard’s story of her time in the military is not so much about battlefield heroics or fierce fire fights. Her real battles came after defeating the Iraqis… when she returned home… and for years afterward.

Sarah Boilard was born and raised in Nashua, just a stone’s throw from Main St. She attended Nashua schools graduating from Nashua High in June 1989. A few months later, in January 1990, she was in the Marines. Boilard tells her recruiting story, “My father was in the Air Force. so naturally, I wanted to go into the Air Force. I joined a couple friends of mine who were going to join the Marines through the “Buddy Program”. We were all sitting in the hallway at the recruiting office while I waited for the Air Force recruiter. While we were waiting, the Marine Corps recruiter came in and started talking to me about joining the Marines instead of the Air Force. He showed us a video about the Marine Corps… real gung-ho stuff. A few minutes later, I was signing the paperwork for the Marines.” 

During basic training at Parris Island, Boilard managed to get a femur bone stress fracture in her leg. Doctors put her in a cast from her hip to her ankle. Boilard explains, “This happened just a few weeks before graduation. I did not want to not graduate and go through basic training all over again. Fortunately, by this time we had done all the physical stuff. I completed the classroom material and got to graduate with my class. Then, I had to stay at Parris Island for the next three months for rehabilitation.”

Her next stop was at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station in Hawaii. Boilard remembers, “Some of the guys were complaining because they were ‘stuck on an island.’ But what better island to be stuck on than Hawaii?”

Then she was off to Desert Storm. Her unit was a CRC (combat replacement company) designated to be replacement Marines for those killed in action. They were billeted 100 miles south of Kuwait in Saudi Arabia. Fortunately for all, the number of hostile deaths was relatively low at 147. Boilard was in-country for six weeks, but the physical effects of that period will likely last a lifetime due to the chemical and toxins of the battlefield that she either breathed in, or were absorbed by her skin.

She soon suffered from chronic fatigue and vomiting. “I lost 20 pounds in a month” she complained. “And all I wanted to do was sleep. I was so tired all the time. The Corps denied that there was anything really wrong with me. I knew better.”

Boilard spent four years in active duty and four years of inactive. She left active service in December 1993. Boilard explains, “The Marine doctors all said there was nothing really wrong with me. But I knew I didn’t feel right. When I got out, I went to Orlando, FL, and worked for Lockheed for a while, then I developed pancreatitis.”

A short time later, Boilard developed thyroid issues. “The Marine doctors continued to deny that there was anything wrong with me. Civilian doctors knew there was something wrong but were not sure what it was or how to treat it. They kept telling me to try this and that… take this pill… and nothing worked,” said Boilard.

Civilian doctors became frustrated trying to diagnose Boilard’s problems and suggested she turn to the VA. She happened across a Dr. Victor Gordon, who turned out to be the medical world’s leading authority on, what he called, Gulf War Illness or Gulf War Syndrome. Dr. Gordon extensively studied and wrote medical papers on the otherwise unexplained sicknesses associated with service members who were in Kuwait during the Gulf War. His research focused on identifying the causes of the symptoms including chemical exposures, immune system issues and psychological factors. Some theories suggest that Gulf War veterans may have been exposed to chemicals like nerve agents, pesticides, or depleted uranium. Boilard adds, “I read where one in three Gulf War veterans are affected by this.”

Boilard was plagued, not only with chronic fatigue, but she noticed that injuries were very slow to heal. She experienced constant headaches, sometimes having three or four migraines a week. She also has a lot of joint pain and muscle spasms. “Massage helps,” she said. “But the illness will probably never go away.”

A couple of tips she has for those suffering with an illness that doctors just can’t seem to diagnose… especially for veterans; “Be your own advocate and do your own research. The internet gives you plenty of places to look. Also, network with other people that suffer the same maladies. See how they addressed it, and learn what they learned. The military thinks that personnel are expendable. It’s a tougher story when you are the one being expended.”

Boilard tells about a second career she almost had, “When I first got out of the Marines, I happened to see that the Hollis NH Police Department was looking for new officers… so I applied. They liked having a former Marine on the force. I was going through the police academy and got injured. They were going to allow me to finish or repeat the academy at a later time. And then my parents were both injured in a horrific crash when a tractor-trailer truck t-boned their car. Between my injury and my parent’s problems, I decided to leave the Hollis PD and spend more time taking care of my folks. But I still have the distinction of being the first full-time female officer on the Hollis PD.”

Now, Boilard is 100% combat-disabled and cannot work. She has more bad days than good days. “It took 11 years for the government to recognize my illness and provide compensation” says Boilard.

US Service Personnel Profiles
By Gary Ledoux January 15, 2025