"Ya toh Tiranga lehrake awunga, ya fir Tirange mein lipta huwa awunga, lekin awunga" (Either I will come back after hoisting the Indian flag, or I will come back wrapped in it, but i will be back for sure).
Param Vir Chakra Captain Vikram Batra
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Living Legend Param Vir Chakra Yogender Singh Yadav
Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers, in the early morning hours of 4 July 1999 was part of the Commando 'Ghatak' Platoon tasked to capture three strategic bunkers on Tiger Hill. The approach was a vertical cliff face, snowbound at 16,500 feet. Grenadier Yadav, volunteering to lead the assault, was climbing the cliff face and fixing the ropes for further assault on the feature. Half-way up, an enemy bunker opened up machine gun and rocket fire. His Platoon Commander and two others fell to the heavy volume of automatic fire. Realising the enormity of the situation, he continued to scale the sheer cliff face alone through a volley of fire. In spite of having been hit by three bullets in his groin and shoulder, he climbed the remaining 60 feet and reached the top. He crawled up to the bunker critically injured and lobbed a grenade killing four Pakistani soldiers and neutralising enemy fire. This act was directly instrumental in facilitating the rest of the platoon in climbing up the cliff face.
Grievously injured but with reckless disregard to personal safety, Grenadier Yadav now charged on to the second bunker and neutralised it with two of his colleagues in fierce hand-to-hand combat, killing three Pakistani soldiers. This extraordinary act motivated the rest of the platoon who quickly traversed the treacherous terrain and, braving hostile fire, charged onto the enemy to capture Tiger Hill, a vital objective. For his sustained display of bravery, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest medal for gallantry.
The Param Vir Chakra was announced for Yadav posthumously, but it was soon discovered that he was recuperating in a hospital, and it was his namesake that had been slain in the mission.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
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