Their Story
Remembering Nolan V. Durie.
Nolan Victor Durie was born April 10, 2004, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In 2023, at just 19 years old, he made the decision to leave home and volunteer to fight for Ukraine's freedom against Russia's invasion — joining the ranks of the small number of Canadians who chose to stand with a country not their own.
He first served with Chosen Company, and later moved to Tempest Group, an English-speaking international reconnaissance unit of Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade formed by Chosen Company veterans, drawing volunteers from across the world.
Nolan was killed in action on October 10, 2025, in the Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine. He was 21 years old.
He is survived by his parents and three younger brothers, who remember him as a devoted son and brother who believed strongly enough in a cause to give everything for it. In recognition of his sacrifice, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress posthumously awarded Nolan the Ukrainian Canadian Sacrifice Medal, established to honor Canadian citizens killed or wounded while serving in Ukraine's armed forces in defense of the country's freedom.
Nolan Durie was not a member of the American armed forces, but Steel Hearts holds no line at a border when it comes to honoring those who give their lives for the freedom of others. He crossed an ocean for people he had never met, and he did not come home. He is remembered here with the same gratitude and the same care as every hero on this wall.