Chandigarh: Twenty-seven years after the Kargil War, the memories of Tiger Hill remain as vivid as ever for Honorary Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav, PVC. Decorated with the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military gallantry award, for extraordinary courage in battle, the soldier who became the youngest recipient of the honour at just 19 says it is not the medal that defines him, but the memory of the six comrades he lost on the night of July 3-4, 1999.Speaking to The Times of India, Yadav reflected on the battle that changed his life and the purpose that has driven him ever since.Having enlisted in the Indian Army in 1996, Yadav served with the elite 18 Grenadiers infantry regiment. During the Battle of Tiger Hill, he volunteered to lead the battalion’s Ghatak platoon in scaling a near-vertical cliff to assault heavily fortified enemy bunkers. Despite sustaining multiple bullet wounds, he continued the mission, engaged in close combat and played a crucial role in the capture of the strategic peak. For his exceptional courage under fire, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, becoming its youngest recipient.Yet, nearly three decades later, it is the sacrifice of his fellow soldiers that remains closest to his heart. “Every day, when I remember my six comrades who I lost that night, I relive those moments. I cry. Those memories never leave me,” he said.“I realised that the blood they shed for our country should not be remembered only as a sacrifice. It should become a source of inspiration. It should ignite a spark in the youth. That is the path I am on today.” For the past four years, Yadav has dedicated himself to mentoring the youth. He says he has interacted with more than nine lakh children across the country, encouraging them to lead lives rooted in discipline, integrity and service.“The purpose of my life now is to guide the youth and show them the right direction,” he said.When asked how he views courage among India’s youth today, Yadav said, “The youth keeps the nation first. When you listen to them, you hear the voice of the nation. We need a dialogue channel where that voice can be heard.”“Every person in this nation is a soldier. A soldier is not made only by wearing a uniform. A soldier is someone who performs their duty with honesty, integrity and to the best of their ability. When the mind, body and soul are healthy, that is also a service to the nation.”As India marks 27 years since the Kargil War, Yadav’s story is not just about extraordinary valour under enemy fire, but about a soldier who transformed personal loss into a mission to ensure that the sacrifice of those who never returned continues to inspire generations that never witnessed the war.
