Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Trigger warning: depictions of scenes of conflict
From Bosnia to Canada, a story of survival, family, service, and sacrifice.
Major Boris Trudel was just a toddler when he was rescued during the Bosnian War in the 1990s. After being mistaken as deceased, Canadian Armed Forces personnel saw Boris move and discovered that he was miraculously still alive. His biological mother made the heartbreaking decision to entrust him to CAF Master Warrant Officer Denis Francis Trudel, who would later become his adopted father.
Decades later, Boris now proudly wears the uniform as a major in the CAF. In a full-circle moment, Major Trudel deployed to Latvia with the very same unit that once saved him. From surviving war to serving his country, his journey is one of resilience and gratitude.
This is his incredible story.
Trigger warning: depictions of scenes of conflict
From Bosnia to Canada, a story of survival, family, service, and sacrifice.
Major Boris Trudel was just a toddler when he was rescued during the Bosnian War in the 1990s. After being mistaken as deceased, Canadian Armed Forces personnel saw Boris move and discovered that he was miraculously still alive. His biological mother made the heartbreaking decision to entrust him to CAF Master Warrant Officer Denis Francis Trudel, who would later become his adopted father.
Decades later, Boris now proudly wears the uniform as a major in the CAF. In a full-circle moment, Major Trudel deployed to Latvia with the very same unit that once saved him. From surviving war to serving his country, his journey is one of resilience and gratitude.
This is his incredible story.
