We are like this only, daring as ever - The Tribune India

Brig Sandeep Thapar (Retd)

There is a motivating story often related in the Army about camaraderie and courage. Perhaps it’s of WW-I vintage but similar incidents have happened in most regiments and hence each has its own apocryphal version. The tale goes that after an attack was beaten back and the company commander was planning on the future course, a soldier requested to meet him. He told him that in the last attack, he had seen his buddy fall after being hit by a bullet. He was certain he was still alive, lying in the minefield and requested permission to go to retrieve him. The company commander refused saying the area was under enemy fire and in all probability his buddy was dead. An hour later, the company commander got a report that this soldier was missing. He was furious and when informed a few hours later that the soldier had returned, called to berate him. “I’d forbidden you from going, no? Did you find your buddy? He was dead, you could have also lost your life.” The soldier replied: “Sir, I found him in the minefield, grievously injured, but conscious and as I cradled him in my arms, he opened his eyes and said, before he breathed his last — ‘I knew you would definitely come for me.’ How could I have let his belief down, sir?”

In my own unit, there have been incidents where individuals have willingly dived into danger to rescue a comrade or redeem honour.

On commissioning, I joined my unit (in N-E), which had recently lost 21 troops in an ambush. One standout account was the bravery of a surviving JCO. As the convoy reached a road bend, undergrounds (UGs), laying ambush, opened murderous fire. The initial burst claimed most casualties. The JCO was also hit in the leg and could have crawled to safety in the shrubs along the road. Instead, he took cover and singlehandedly kept the insurgents at bay by firing at them, thus preventing any loss of weapons. When later asked on why he didn’t take cover and awaited reinforcements, he said, “Sir, we had already lost so many, I could not countenance the ignominy of loss of weapons!”

The unit was deployed along the Line of Control in J&K where infiltration attempts were common. In one such incident, a few terrorists attempting to infiltrate were detected. As the troops fired, the terrorists tried to retreat. In the ensuing firefight, all were eliminated. In the morning, it was noticed that one jawan was lying wounded, in the open, at a place where he could be seen and fired upon by the enemy. Approaching him was hazardous as the route was exposed to the enemy. While the course of action was being contemplated, the jawan’s young company commander, without permission, dashed forward alone to extricate the injured jawan. He managed to reach him safely but by then the enemy had noticed the movement. It let loose fire of all its weapons on both of them. There was no cover and while all watched with bated breath, the company commander made a shield with his bullet-proof jacket against the fire, protecting the injured jawan and himself. For hours the enemy kept firing and what separated this duo from certain death was the jacket. He did manage to recover the injured jawan a few hours later.

“Kyon keeta (why)?” he was asked. “Sir, he was my company boy,” was the response.

During Op Parakram, we were deployed on the IB. Each morning jawans would climb the 50-60 foot high observation towers to look into enemy area, and descend after last light. The enemy would do similar activity: it was an unwritten code that towers would not be targeted. One day, however, the enemy started firing at one of our towers at last light. It was dark and the enemy’s intermittent firing was raining on the tower, targeting the stairs. We encouraged the two jawans on top to make a dash down during a firing lull, but they were obviously apprehensive. We kept trying for an hour, but in vain. Suddenly, their platoon havildar ran up the stairs and reached the jawans. We heard him cursing the boys loudly and ordering them to climb down. All this amongst relentless enemy fire. Goaded by him, they rushed down safely and he followed last. After congratulating him, I asked why? “Saab, apne munde thode marvane si (Sir, I couldn’t let my boys die).”

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