Wrote letter to family, hoping they’d get it with my body: Kargil hero

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, July 22

Recalling the brutal summer of 1999, Brig Harbir Singh, who led a Special Force team as a young Captain during the Kargil conflict, recounts the spine-chilling experience, ahead of the Kargil Vijay Diwas to be celebrated on July 26.

Talking to The Tribune, Brigadier Singh, who is posted as the Group Commander at the NCC Group Headquarters in Rohtak, recounts the unfolding of the mission to capture Post 5765: “We were in the Turtuk sector and our mission was to capture the post. We reached the base of the post — at 18,000 ft — on June 5. The enemy had been firing throughout the day, but by evening, they started firing artillery rounds. As night fell, we realised that we would be eliminated if the enemy continued artillery firing until dawn.”

Despite the bleak chance of survival, they decided to stay put. “On that fateful night, I wrote a letter to my family and kept it in my pocket, hoping that they would get it with my body,” he says.

“However, that night, the mountaineers in our group succeeded in scaling the post and prepared a ‘rope way’ for us to get there. We were able to capture the post,” says Brigadier Singh, who was honoured with a Sena Medal for his bravery.

Despite looking death in the eye, Brigadier Singh believes that the Army is a great profession. “The initial few years are tough, but on the whole, it gives you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that cannot be described in words,” he observes. His son, who is also in the Army, is carrying forward the family tradition.

Recounts his experience

Brig Harbir Singh, who led a Special Force team as a young Captain during the Kargil conflict, recounts his experience, ahead of the Kargil Vijay Diwas to be celebrated on July 26.