January 15th is celebrated as Indian Army Day to celebrate the peaceful transition of control from the last British Commander-in-chief General Sir Francis Butcher to K. M. Cariappa. Since then, the Indian Army has been exemplary in the performance of their duties, winning wars and fighting till their last breathe so all of us could sleep peacefully. This article celebrates and remembers the adventures and sacrifice of the Indian Army and it's soldiers over the years.  

1. Highest Battlefield in the World 

The Siachen Glacier is the highest battlefield in the world, and Indian army's constant monitoring of the area with numerous patrols even in the harsh weather conditions, with temperatures often dropping to way below sub zero levels, and the fact that Siachen Glacier is 5000 meters above sea level makes our army the most experienced in high altitude and mountain warfare. 

2. Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav

Yogender Singh Yadav's story is perhaps one of the most amazing stories to come out of the 1999 Kargil war, it's so unbelievable that it has to be read multiple times. Not only did he go above and beyond the call of duty, he survived to tell the tale, despite multiple bullet wounds and grenades thrown in his general direction. He was instrumental in capturing Tiger Hill, by climbing it silently and killing enemy soldiers who had killed his commander and put bullets in him, and he did this without using a climbing rope, bleeding from bullet wounds, and eliminating hostiles in close quarter combat. His gallantry spurred the army on, which was low on morale since the enemy had the high ground, and they managed to push through and capture Tiger Hill top. He was believed to be dead until he was found recovering in a field medic tent, and is one of the very few recipients of the Param Vir Chakra who are still alive (it is awarded to soldiers who go beyond the call of duty and lay down their life as sacrifice)

3. The Battle of Longewala

Famously portrayed in the movie Border, this 1971 battle was instrumental for the Indian army by boosting our morale significantly. The reason is simple, 45 tanks and 2000 Pakistani soldiers advanced towards Indian positions and were held back, not by a massive battalion, but by 120 Indian Soldiers.

And we lost only 2 soldiers

It sounds unbelievable, but 120 soldiers armed with light machine guns, with the help of 5 Air Force jets (which couldn't provide air support in the night), took on a massive invading force and punched them in the face. Pakistan lost 500 vehicles, lost 200 men, dignity and 34 tanks, the highest abandoment of tanks after World War 2, while the Indian side only lost 2 men. 

4. The 1967 Sikkim Conflict 

Following installation of loud speakers warning India about a repeat of 1962's war with China, India ignored the Chinese installed speakers at the Nathu-La pass and started fencing the area. Unfortunately, China responded with machine gun fire from the other side of the border, causing 70 soldiers to lay down their lives since the pass had no cover. Following this, artillery strike into the machine gun camp from the Indian side caused a loss of 400 men for the Chinese, an understandably large number of men, which caused them to retreat and try the same dirty trick again just a few kilometers away at Cho-La. Despite initial casualties, the 7/11 GR and the 10 JAK RIF stood firm and forced the Chinese to withdraw nearly three kilometres away to Kam-Barracks where they are installed till date. And this is how the Chinese retreated from Sikkim.

5. Captain Vikram 'Sher Shah' Batra

A man so manly he captured a key strategic point at 17000 feet just because the enemy taunted him. Nicknamed Sher Shah for his gallantry, he was sent to capture Peak 5140, a key strategic point captured by the Pakistani army in the 1999 Kargil war. Climbing the sheer rock face, Batra and his team came under machine gun fire but kept climbing anyway, and after reaching the top, killed every last enemy soldier in the bunkers present there, and captured a key anti aircraft position. This victory was instrumental in opening the theater of war to the Indian side and instrumental in us winning the Kargil war. Sher Shah was Killed in Action when he jumped to his junior, Lt. Naveen's defense, pushing him back after being wounded and protecting him because he had kids to go back to. 

6. General Cariappa's Thunder

When his son, K. C. Cariappa, a pilot for the Indian Air Force, was shot down over Pakistan and captured, the soldiers quickly realized who he was and took him to the then Pakistani President Ayub Khan, who was a former colleague of the General, called him up and asked him if he would want safe return of his son at the earliest. The first Indian General of the Army is said to have thundered, "All the POWs are my sons, take good care of them," and cut the call. 

Of course, K. C. Cariappa survived and now lives in his father's old house, has also written a book about his father. 

7. Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey  

In his SSB interview, he was asked the standard question on why he wanted to join the army. Manoj Kumar Pandey is said to have replied without second thought "I want to win the Param Vir Chakra" and win he did, when he become one of the heroes of the Kargil war of 1999. During the war, he led his men to capture the Jubar top, besides a narrow, treacherous ridge towards. He rushed ahead of his troops in the hail of incoming hostile fire and killed two men in a bunker and told his troops to push ahead and clear the rest of the bunkers before collapsing on the floor due to a bullet wound in his legs. Later on, as part of Operation Vijay, he braved enemy fire, with bullet wounds on his shoulders and cleared enemy positions before being shot in the head by a stray bullet. 

8. Lt. Arun Khetarpal 

When the 47th Indian Infantry Brigade realized they were outnumbered and stuck in a difficult position, they requested for help and Lt. Arun Khetarpal was the closest and the first one to respond. Him, with his tank division cut across the advancing Pakistani troops, capturing many soldiers in the process. Even as his tank division was thinning out due to the oncoming hail of fire, Khetarpal refused to back down and continued advancing, killing more enemies in the process. He was asked to abandon his tank once it caught fire, but he refused because 'His gun was still working', and he died with his tank when it blew up. He was 21 years old.

9. The Gorkha Regiment 

One of the most feared soldiers in the world, so much so that they've won the respect of even their staunchest enemies, the Gorkha Regiment's exploits are legendary, all the regiments together have 3 Param Vir Chakras, 33 Maha Vir Chakras, and 84 Vir Chakras earned during operations. The British, so impressed with their valor, offered them a place in the British Army back in 1815, and they've been a part of the British, and subsequently, the Indian army ever since. With their omnipresent Kukri's by their side, the tales of their fearlessness are legendary, with many quotes about them. "May God have mercy on our enemies, because we won't."

10. Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw  

Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, also known as Sam Bahadur, was the first Indian Army Officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, and is also known as one of the best leaders of the Indian Army. He was a veteran of 5 wars in the 4 decades of his career in the military, and was known for his witty quips as well as being the instrumental lead behind the 1971 war, which led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the subsequent creation of Bangladesh. His leadership lead a complete and utter defeat of Pakistan in East Pakistan, with about 93000 enemy combatants surrendering and being taken as prisoners of war, the largest after World War II. 

His popularity was in such heights that the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi was worried he would seize power in a coup, when confronted by her, Manekshaw is said to have replied, "You’re right Madam Prime Minister. My daughter, when she comes from the convent sings the nursery rhyme, ‘you mind your business, I mind mine; you kiss your own sweetheart, I kiss mine’. You have a long nose. So have I. But I don’t poke my nose into other people’s affairs. I do not interfere with politics and politicians."