Yogendra Singh Yadav

Subedar
Yogendra Singh Yadav
PVC

Subedar Yadav, wearing his PVC Medal.
Born (1980-05-10) May 10, 1980[1]
Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh. India
Allegiance India Republic of India
Service/branch Indian Army
Rank Subedar
Unit 18th Grenadiers
Battles/wars Kargil War
Operation Vijay
Battle of Tiger Hill
Awards Param Vir Chakra

Subedar[2] Yogendra Singh Yadav PVC is a soldier and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian army. He was awarded the highest military honour in India, Param Vir Chakra, for his 4 July 1999 action during the Kargil War. Aged 19 when he received the decoration, he is recorded as the youngest person to ever be awarded the Param Vir Chakra.[3]

Early life

Yogendra Singh Yadav was born on 10 May 1980[3] in Aurangabad Ahir village of Sikandrabad, Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh.[4] His father Karan Singh Yadav had served in the Kumaon Regiment, participating in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistan wars.[3] Yadav joined Indian Army at a very young of 16 years and 5 months.[5]

Career

Kargil War

Yadav, enlisted with 18 Grenadiers, was part of the commando platoon 'Ghatak', tasked to capture three strategic bunkers on Tiger Hill in the early morning hours of 4 July 1999. The bunkers were situated at the top of a vertical, snow-covered, 1000 foot high cliff face. Yadav, volunteering to lead the assault, climbed the cliff face and installed ropes that would allow further assaults on the feature. Halfway up, an enemy bunker opened up machine gun and rocket fire, killing the platoon commander and two others. In spite of having been hit by three bullets in his groin and shoulder, Yadav climbed the remaining 60 feet and reached the top. Though severely injured, he crawled to the first bunker and lobbed a grenade, killing four Pakistani soldiers and neutralizing enemy fire. This gave the rest of the platoon the opportunity to climb up the cliff face.[6]

Yadav then charged the second bunker along with two of his fellow soldiers and engaged in hand-to-hand combat, killing four Pakistani soldiers. The platoon subsequently succeeded in capturing Tiger Hill.

The Param Vir Chakra was announced for Yadav posthumously, but it was soon discovered that he was recuperating in a hospital, and it was his namesake that had been slain in the mission.[7]

Param Vir Chakra Citation

The Param Vir Chakra citation on the Official Indian Army Website reads as follows:

CITATION

GRENADIER YOGINDER SINGH YADAV

18 GRENADIERS (2690-572)

Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav was part of the leading team of a Ghatak Platoon tasked to capture Tiger Hill on the night of 3/4 July 1999. The approach to the top was steep, snowbound and rocky. Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, unmindful of the danger involved, volunteered to lead and fix the rope for his team to climb up. On seeing the team, the enemy opened intense automatic, grenade, rocket and artillery fire killing the Commander and two of his colleagues and the platoon was stalled. Realising the gravity of the situation, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav crawled up to the enemy position to silence it and in the process sustained multiple bullet injuries. Unmindful of his injuries and in the hail of enemy bullets, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav continued climbing towards the enemy positions, lobbed grenades, continued firing from his weapons and killed four enemy soldiers in close combat and silenced the automatic fire. Despite multiple bullet injuries, he refused to be evacuated and continued the charge. Inspired by his gallant act, the platoon charged on the other positions with renewed punch and captured Tiger Hill Top.

Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav displayed the most conspicuous courage, indomitable gallantry, grit and determination under extreme adverse circumstances.[8]

Portrayal in film and media

The three living recipients of the Param Vir Chakra Award: Yogendra Singh Yadav, Bana Singh and Sanjay Kumar


The actions of the fictional war hero Karan Shergill played by Hrithik Roshan in the Bollywood film Lakshya on Tiger Hill are a screen adaptation of the heroic deeds undertaken by among others, the platoon of Yadav, and give a detailed description of their arduous journey to capture the strategically placed bunkers on the 5307 metre high Tiger Hill.[9]

The assault led by another Ghatak platoon from the same regiment on Tololing was adapted as one of the prominent battle scenes in the Hindi film LOC Kargil. Actor Manoj Bajpai portrayed the role of Yadav in the film.[10]

Western websites have also paid tribute to him and his actions at Tiger Hill, with articles such as 5 Real Life Soldiers Who Make Rambo Look Like a Pussy[11] by Cracked.com and The Badass of the Week: Yogendra Singh Yadav.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, PVC". twdi.in.
  2. ↑ "NDTV Video, at 17:45 Yogendra Singh Yadav is shown to be a Subedar". NDTV. 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Major General Ian Cardozo (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli Books Private Limited. pp. The Last Ghatak. ISBN 9789351940296.
  4. ↑ S. D. S. Yadava (1 Jan 2006). Followers of Krishna: Yadavas of India (Google eBook). Lancer Publishers. p. 47. ISBN 9788170622161. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  5. ↑ Cardozo, Major General Ian (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli Books Private Limited. p. The Last Ghatak. ISBN 9789351940296. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Profile on Yadav on the Indian Army website". Archived from the original on 13 August 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2006.
  7. ↑ "Army orders inquiry into PVC blunder". Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  8. ↑ The Param Vir Chakra Winners (PVC), Official Website of the Indian Army, retrieved 28 August 2014 "Profile" and "Citation" tabs.
  9. ↑ "10 Army Heroes and Their Extra Ordinary Tales of Bravery". TBI Team. thebetterindia.com. The Better India. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "The Real Story behind LOC Kargil Movie". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "5 Real Life Soldiers Who Make Rambo Look Like a Pussy". Cracked.com.
  12. ↑ "Badass of the Week: Yogender Singh Yadav". badassoftheweek.com.
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