Captain Vijyant Thapar | Kargil War

Captain Vijyant Thapar (Dec 26,1976– June 29, 1999) was an officer of the Indian Army of
the regiment 2 Rajputana Rifles, posthumously awarded the India's third highest military
honour, Vir Chakra for his audacious bravery during the Kargil War. He fell leading an
attack of 2 Rajputana Rifles at Tololing (Black Rocks -KNOLL) during the Kargil War on
29 June 1999. He was 22 years old. He was a fourth generation officer in his family.

Childhood:

Thapar was born on 26 Dec 1976 at Nangal Punjab. His father, Colonel V.N Thapar, was the son and grandson of army officers.Thapar was commissioned in the Maratha Light Infantry, and commanded a battalion of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. At the time of his birth, his father was posted at Pathankot with an Armored Brigade. The young child was promptly named 'VIJYANT' after the name of the main battle tank of the army. His uncle was an ace fighter pilot also at Pathankot. Vijyant always wanted to be in the Air Force or Army. His favorite toys were guns. As a child, he would wear his father's peak cap, take his cane and march around like an officer.He studied at Tara Hall, St. Mary's Academy (Meerut), St Josephs Academy, Army Public School, and finished his schooling from DAV College Chandighar. He graduated from Khalsa College Delhi. His childhood was spent among soldiers, guns and tanks and watching formations of fighters shriking past a few hundred feet above his house.He was a happy-go-lucky boy full of life and naturally enjoyed outdoor activity. A good swimmer he later took to bodybuilding. He was called 'Robin'. The carefree years of his early life were spent in an ancient mansion at Barrackpore, a military cantonment near Calcutta. The lasting memory of his childhood was Robin running around in the sprawling garden, with his two dogs
chasing butterflies, catching dragonflies and doing mock charges on "Langoors" (baboons)-who were actually friendly.

In the evening, he would be in the Paltan (Battalion), watching wrestlers, boxers and other sportsmen. At the age of four or five, he had already fired a pistol sitting in his father's lap. He worked single-mindedly to fulfill his ambition to join the Forces. One day his hard work paid off. He was selected in Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

The Kargil War:

Vijyant moved to Dras with his unit under Col. M.B. Ravindernath, commanding officer, and his company commander Major P. Acharya. The battalion was then given the task of capturing Tololing. Earlier attempts to capture Tololing by other units had failed with heavy losses. After the initial assault by Major Mohit Saxena was held up, on the night of 12 June 1999, Capt Vijayant Thapar led his platoon to capture a Pakistani post called Barbad Bunker. A photo in the newspapers shows him sitting with soldiers and captured arms that the fleeing enemy left behind. His letter after the battle describes the scene with dead Pakistani soldiers lying all around and his disappointment at not being able to catch two enemy soldiers alive.After the historic victory at Tololing (termed as the turning point of the War), Vijyant was tasked to capture Three Pimples, Knoll in Black Rocks Complex, an ugly mountain sandwiched between Tololing and Tiger Hill. It was a full moon night and the enemy had good visibility. Moreover, this was an impregnable position to capture. The troops of 6 Northern Light Infantry (Pakistan) had all the advantages. Well entrenched in strongly prepared positions, well
stocked and with only one narrow 'knife edge' ridge to cover, with precipitous slopes on both sides, and ravines thousands of feet deep, devoid of cover and almost vertical climbs at an altitude of 15000 ft and temperatures of -15*, it was indeed an impossible mission However, men of the unit were fired by the success at Tololing and were raging to go. The attack started with a fierce artillery barrage of a hundred guns, with Vijyant's platoon leading. The enemy responded with an equally intense and accurate bombardment on the attacking troops. In this artillery attack, Robin lost some of his men and some more were injured
causing the attack to be disrupted. However with his indomitable spirit and tremendous urge to capture Knoll, he got together the remnants of his men and moved through a ravine and rejoined his company. In the melee earlier, Vijyant's platoon had gotten separated from his company. While the exchange of fierce fire was going on, Vijayant reached his company, which had already secured a small foothold on Knoll.By this time, his company commander Major P. Acharya had been killed. At this news, Vijayant's anger was explosive. He surged ahead along the narrow ridge with his colleague Naik Tilak Singh. Both of them started engaging the enemy merely 15 m away. There were two enemy machine guns firing towards them. After about an hour and a half of fierce exchange of bullets and abuses, Vijyant decided that he had to finish the enemy. In a brief lull in
firing he rushed ahead to do so but a burst of fire struck him on his head. He fell in the arms of his comrade Naik Tilak Singh. It was after that the men of his company charged and fully captured Knoll. That night had cost the Indian Army 3 officers killed, 3 severely injured, 10 Ors killed, and 42 wounded. All objectives were captured.For this act of outstanding bravery and his ultimate sacrifice, Capt. Vijyant Thapar was awarded the Vir Chakra a gallantry award by the President of India, K. R. Naraynan, which was received by his 82 year old grandmother.Shortly before he went into the attack, he wrote a last letter to his parents. This letter epitomises the soldierly virtues of the Indian Army and shows the values of an inspired Indian. This has motivated a whole generation of Indian soldiers and youth alike. He was just 22 years old. Noida, his hometown, gave him a memorable farewell with about hundred thousand people attending his last rites. The Army dedicated to him the helipad at Dras, which is known as Vijyant Helipad

http://www.captainvijyantthapar.com/ is the official website of Captain Vijayant Thapar. All the information of his life can be obtained from this website.

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Major Mariappan Saravanan | Kargil War

Major Mariappan Saravanan (10 August 1972 – 29 May 1999), was an officer in the prestigious Bihar Regiment of the Indian Army who was killed during the Kargil War. He was killed in hand to hand combat with intruders after killing four intruders in the Batalik area of Kargil Sector on 29 May 1999, along with 33 soldiers and four other officers. Saravanan had just completed four years of service on 10 March 1999.

Major Sarvanan was possibly the first officer killed in the Kargil War. The attack led by him came in the early stages of the conflict when adequate information was not available. The men in 1 Bihar took an oath after Maj. Sarvanan’s fall to fight to the finish and recover the heights, to the battle cry of ‘Bajrang Bali ki Jai’, they launched subsequent offensives that saw it not just take the heights but drive the Pakistanis all the way across the Line of Control.[1] His actions have led to him being referred to as the "Hero of Batalik".

Childhood
Born on 10 August 1972 on the island of Rameswaram in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Saravanan was commissioned into the famous Bihar Regiment on 11 March 1995 from OTA Chennai. He began his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Gaya district and later graduated from St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli in 1992.
Saravanan was also the president of the student union at St. Joseph's College in 1992, an interesting development since the most popular candidate (Thirichelvam) could not stand for election that year and all support went to Saravanan. Saravanan at college had a thin body frame and is a C certificate holder of NCC INFANTRY UNIT.
His father Lt. Colonel Adi Mariappan died in a road accident in Bangalore on 1989 while serving in the Indian Peace Keeping Force during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka. Major M Saravanan was survived by Mrs A Mariappan, his mother, and two sisters. The elder one, Chitra, is a doctor whereas the younger one Revathi is a Computer Engineer.

Military career
The 27-year-old officer Saravanan, as a Major in the Indian Army fell defending the peaks of Batalik in the Kargil war.
After completing his schooling in various places—Belgaum, Kannoor, Gurdaspur, Jorhat and Bihar, he joined St Joseph's College in Tiruchi which was founded in 1844. "After college he tried to get into the National Defence Academy and landed up in the Officers Training Academy," says his closest friend Amalraj. He graduated from the OTA in 1995 and joined the First Bihar regiment as a lieutenant. After joining the Army he had served at places like TAMILPUR, COOCH BEHAR and BHUTAN before moving to Kargil. He was made captain the following year and major in 1999.
They were a bunch of three friends—Saravanan, Karthik and Amalraj. A few years ago, they had made a trip to Kanyakumari. On the way, their bus driver fell asleep on the wheel and crashed headlong into an incoming lorry. "Seven people died on the spot and many were injured. We students were in a shock. But not Saravanan, he was cool. He went about checking the dead. Then he helped the injured into passing vehicles and took them to hospital. It was his army background that made him react to an emergency so calmly and resolutely." Amalraj is an IPS officer now and the superintendent of police in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

The Kargil War
The First Bihar Regiment was in Assam when the Kargil War broke out. They were ordered to move to Kargil, Jammu, and Kashmir. From the heat of Assam to the cold of Kargil wasn't an easy change. There wasn't enough protective weather gear.
On the night of May 28, 1999, Major Sarvanan was assigned the task of capturing a well-fortified Pakistani position at 14,229 feet (4,337 m) in the Batalik sector. He and his men launched an attack at 04:00. Despite intensive firing from the enemy with artillery and automatic weapons, they charged into a volley of bullets. Saravanan fired a rocket launcher into the enemy position that killed two enemy soldiers. During the combat, he was hit by shrapnel and injured but continued fighting. His commanding officer ordered him to retreat because too many Indian soldiers had been injured. 'Ghenghis Khan fall back,' came the order. 'Not today sir, we are very close to the objective,' replied Sarvanan who was code named Ghenghis Khan. He killed two more invaders but this time he was hit by a bullet in the head at 06:30, his body nestled in the snow. A friend in Bangalore called his mother and told her Saravanan had died in Kargil. "We switched on the television and saw it in a news bulletin." Two days later, the official telegram arrived. "He was the first officer to fall".
The Vir Chakra was awarded to Saravanan posthumously and presented to his mother by President K. R. Narayanan. Its citation reads: "For our tomorrow..... he gave his today......".

War Memorial
Major Saravanan, the legend, has been enshrined in the history of one of the most difficult and brutal wars ever fought by any Army. His name and his saga of extreme bravery has been etched in golden letters in the annals of the Indian Army as the entire nation stands as one to salute him, who was the first army officer to have shed his blood on the frontiers for the country and the last one to come back home. And whenever there is talk of bravery the Nation will talk of Major Mariappan Saravanan, he who enabled the country to climb the first pedestal of success in "Operation Vijay".
The Historical Monument for the "Batalik Hero", at the heart of his home town, Trichy, has been inaugurated on his 8th Anniversary, 29-05-2007 by MAJOR GENERAL SIVA SANKAR, General Officer Commanding, TNAK&K Area. We strongly believe that the monument will blossom more Saravanan to the Pride Nation...
Eight years post Kargil war, the memories of the gory battle fought on the inhospitable terrain of Dras and Batalik sectors in Jammu and Kashmir seem to be fading. Through the fading images of our heroes, one figure which looms larger than life is of Major Saravanan, the brave son of Tiruchirapalli city.

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Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey | Kargil War

He passed out from national defence academy and stayed in MIKE squardon He was commissioned in the 1/11 Gurkha Rifles of the Indian Army. He forced back the intruders on June 11, 1999 at Batalik Sector in the Kargil war. He led his men to capture the Jubar top which was considered as important due to its strategic location. Quickly sizing up the situation, the young officer led his platoon along a narrow, treacherous ridge that led to the enemy position.

While still short of the objective, the enemy fired upon the Indian soldiers effectively stalling the Indian attack. Displaying great courage, he surged ahead of his troops and charged at the enemy with a full throated battle cry through a hail of bullets.

Although wounded in the shoulder and leg, he pressed on his solitary charge with grim determination, until he closed in on the first bunker. Then in ferocious hand-to-hand combat, he killed two of the enemy and cleared the first bunker. It was the turning point. Inspired by their leader's spontaneous valour, the troops charged at the enemy and fell upon them. Unmindful of his grievous wounds, he rushed from bunker to bunker urging his men on. Critically injured, he collapsed at the final bunker and finally succumbed to his injuries. But by this time he had already captured the bunker with his men.

His Life
IC 56959W Lieutenant Manoj Pandey, PVC belonged to Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh. He was eldest in his family. He was educated at Uttar Pradesh RLB School Lucknow. He had a keen interest in sports, and Boxing and Body Building in particular.He graduated from national defence academy in 90th course from M sqn.

Operation Vijay
Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey took part in a series of boldly led attacks during Operation Vijay; forcing back the intruders with heavy losses in Battlik including the capture of Jabbar Top.
On the night of 2/3 July 1999 during the advance to Khalubar as his platoon approached its final objective, it came under heavy and intense enemy fire from the surrounding heights. Lieutenant Pandey was tasked to clear the interfering enemy positions to prevent his battalion from getting day lighted, being in a vulnerable position. He quickly moved his platoon to an advantageous position under intense enemy fire, sent one section to clear the enemy positions from the right and himself proceeded to clear the enemy positions from the left.

Death
Fearlessly assaulting the first enemy position, he killed two enemy personnel and destroyed the second position by killing two more. He was injured on the shoulder and legs while clearing the third position. Undaunted and without caring for his grievous injuries, he continued to lead the assault on the fourth position urging his men and destroyed the same with a grenade, even as he got a fatal burst on his forehead.

His last words were "Na chodnu" (Don't Spare Them).

This singular daredevil act of Lieutenant Pandey provided the critical firm base for the companies, which finally led to capture of Khalubar. The officer, however, succumbed to his injuries.

Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey, thus, displayed most conspicuous bravery, indomitable courage, outstanding leadership and devotion to duty and made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

Legacy
Manoj Kumar Pandey was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest medal for gallantry, posthumously. His father, Mr. Gopichand Pandey, received the award from the President of India on the 52nd anniversary of Indian independence.
Manoj Pandey is considered a martyr for his sacrifice to his country. He remains as a role model to people everywhere.
In his personal diary he wrote "Some goals are so worthy, it's glorious even to fail".
The Army Welfare Housing Organization (AWHO) designed and constructed an apartment complex for veterans in Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh and named it for Pandey as Manoj Vihar. Jai Hind
The National Defence Academy named the science block as the 'Manoj Pandey Block'

External links
http://captainmanojpandey.tripod.com/papa.htm

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Captain Vikram Batra | Kargil War

Captain Vikram Batra PVC (September 9, 1974 – July 7, 1999) was an officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra[1], India's highest award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Vikram Batra was born on September 9th, 1974 in Ghuggar village near Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, to Mr. G.L. Batra and Mrs. Jai Kamal Batra. Batra joined the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun in 1996 in Jessore company of Manekshaw Battalion, and was commissioned in the Indian Army as a Lieutenant of the 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles at Sopore, in Jammu and Kashmir. He rose to the rank of Captain

Param Vir Chakra
Captain Vikram Batra was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor on 15 August 1999, the 52nd anniversary of India's independence. His father Mr. G.L. Batra received the honor for his deceased son from the President of India, the late K.R. Narayanan.
Captain Vikram Batra, 13 JAK Rifles, and his Delta Company was given the task of recapturing Point 5140. Nicknamed Sher Shah ('Lion King' in Hindi) for his unstinting courage, he decided to lead the rear, as an element of surprise would help stupefy the enemy. He and his men ascended the sheer rock-cliff, but as the group neared the top, the enemy pinned them on the face of the bare cliff with machine gun fire. Captain Batra, along with five of his men, climbed up regardless and after reaching the top, hurled two grenades at the machine gun post. He single-handedly killed three enemy soldiers in close combat. He was seriously injured during this, but insisted on regrouping his men to continue with the mission. Inspired by the courage displayed by Captain Batra, the soldiers of 13 JAK Rifles charged the enemy position and captured Point 5140 at 3:30 a.m. on 20 June 1999. His company is credited with killing at least eight Pakistani soldiers and recovering a heavy machine gun.
The capture of Point 5140 set in motion a string of successes, such as Point 5100, Point 4700, Junction Peak and Three Pimples. Along with fellow Captain Anuj Nayyar, Batra led his men to victory with the recapture of Point 4750 and Point 4875. He was killed when he tried to rescue an injured officer during an enemy counterattack against Point 4875 in the early morning hours of 7 July 1999. His last words were, "Jai Mata Di." (which means in Punjabi 'Hail the Divine Mother'). For his sustained display of the most conspicuous personal bravery and leadership of the highest order in the face of the enemy, Captain Vikram Batra was awarded the Param Vir Chakra

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Captain Anuj Nayyar | Kargil War

Captain Anuj Nayyar (1975 - July 6, 1999) was a junior officer of the 17 Jat Regiment of the Indian Army, who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest gallantry award, for his heroics during the Kargil War in 1999.

Known for:- Unmatched Bravery and Valour Anuj was born to a Punjabi Khatri family and grew up in Delhi, India. His father, S.K. Nayyar, worked as a visiting professor in Delhi School of Economics while his mother, Meena Nayyar, worked for the South Campus library of Delhi University.

Anuj received his high-school education from Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi (1993 batch). Anuj was a bright student who consistently performed well in academics and sports. He graduated from the National Defence Academy (90th course, Echo Squadron) and later was commissioned into the 17th Battalion JAT Regiment in June 1997 from the Indian Military Academy (100 Reg).

Background
In 1999, the Indian Army detected a massive infiltration by Pakistani military and paramilitary forces in the Kargil region of Jammu and Kashmir. The army quickly mobilized its forces to drive out the Pakistani infiltrators from Indian territory. Captain Anuj Nayyar, a junior commander in the 17 Jat Regiment, was one of the more than 500,000 Indian troops deployed in the region. His first major operation involved securing Pt. 4875, also known as Pimple II, a strategic mountain peak on the western side of Tiger Hill which was occupied by Pakistani infiltrators.

Due to its strategic location, securing Pt. 4875 was a top priority for the Indian Army. The peak, which stood at 15,990 feet above sea level, had extremely steep slopes and capturing the peak without aerial support was considered near impossible. In a last ditch attempt, Nayyar's Charlie Company decided to secure the peak without waiting for any aerial support on July 6, 1999.

Operation
During the initial phase of assault on Pt. 4875, the Company Commander of the platoon was injured. After the initial setback, the assault team split into two groups, one led by Captain Vikram Batra and other by Captain Anuj Nayyar. The Pakistani infiltrators had constructed several bunkers on Pt. 4875. Nayyar's company, which consisted of 7 personnel, located 4 enemy bunkers. The company began to ascend Pt. 4875 during which it came under heavy artillery and mortar fire from Pakistani infiltrators. However, the team counter-attacked, which also included hand-to-hand combat, forcing the Pakistani soldiers to retreat. During the battle, Nayyar killed 9 Pakistani soldiers and destroyed three medium machine gun bunkers.
Under Captain Nayyar's leadership, the company had successfully cleared three of the four bunkers and began its assault on the last remaining bunker. While clearing the fourth bunker, an enemy rocket propelled grenade fell directly on Nayyar. Despite being grievously injured, Nayyar continued to lead the remaining men in his company. He succumbed to his injuries but not before clearing the last bunker on Pt. 4875.
None of the soldiers from Nayyar's team of the Charlie Company survived the battle.[5] Two days after Pt. 4875 was secured, it was counter-attacked by Pakistani infiltrators during which the second team of the Charlie Company, led by Captain Batra, successfully defended the peak.[6] During the entire battle for the Pimple complex area, 46 regular members of Pakistani Army, an unknown number of Pakistani paramilitary troopers and militants, and 11 Indian Army men, including Captain Nayyar and Captain Batra, were killed.[7] The securing of the Pimple Complex area paved the way for the recapture of Tiger Hill which finally forced Pakistan to retreat its forces to pre-conflict positions.

Recognition and legacy
Anuj Nayyar was posthumously awarded Mahavir Chakra for his bravery and combat skills. S.K. Nayyar, Anuj's father, was allotted a gas station in Delhi by the Government of India in recognition of the services of his son. Tejbir Singh, a fellow soldier of the Jat Regiment, named his son Anuj in honour of Captain Nayyar.

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