Lieutenant Balwan Singh
Known as the Tiger of Tiger Hill, Lieutenant Balwan Singh was responsible for the recapture of Tiger Hill. At 25, he led soldiers of the Ghatak platoon through a steep, treacherous path on a 12-hour journey to reach the hilltop. The assault took the enemy by surprise as India was not expected to take such a difficult route. He planted the Indian tricolor atop the Tiger Hill and was later awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his bravery.
Captain Vikram Batra
Later named as ‘Tiger of Drass’, Captain Vikram Batra died fighting Pakistani forces during the Kargil war in 1999 at the age of 24. He was given the highest wartime gallantry award Param Vir Chakra posthumously. Due to his exemplary feat, Captain Vikram was awarded many titles. He came to be fondly called the ‘Tiger of Drass’, the ‘Lion of Kargil’, the ‘Kargil Hero’, and so on.
Naik Digendra Kumar
Digendra Kumar’s plan had surprised General VP Malik, the then army chief, who held a Sainik Darbar in Drass on June 2, 1990, after three failed attempts to get back Tololing. Tololing has located at an altitude of 15,000 feet.
Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav
Yogendra Yadav was the youngest person to ever be awarded the Param Vir Chakra. In August 1999, Nayab Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav was awarded Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military decoration. His battalion captured Tololing Top on 12 June 1999, and in the process, 2 officers, 2 junior commissioned officers, and 21 soldiers sacrificed their lives.
Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey
Manoj Pandey was a soldier of 1/11 Gorkha Rifles. According to his father, he had joined the Indian Army with the sole aim of getting a Param Vir Chakra, the highest gallantry award, which he later acquired. Gopichand Pandey, father of late Captain Manoj Pandey said that the Kargil War was one of the toughest wars in the world where the enemy has an advantage of altitude, but the Indian Army fought hard and reclaimed our peaks. “I’m proud that my son gave his life for his motherland, and became an inspiration for many.”, he said.
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