A book of real-life accounts from the Indian Air Force honours those who took part in the 1962 war

Driving toward Tawang, a small town lost in the wilderness in the high Himalayas of Arunachal Pradesh, is a board, a poignant reminder of a time now long past, that commemorates our valiant heroes. It is a 1962 War memorial, one of many in that area and says, “when you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrows, we gave our today.”

And standing there, you realize nothing could be truer.

Across Sela Pass, deep in the Tawang Valley, high up at 10,700 feet, lies Fort Jaswant Garh, one of the Army posts renamed after the ill-fated 1962 war with China, to commemorate the bravest of the brave who fought here, in the Battle of Nuranang, more than six decades ago. Here, we were told the amazing story of nineteen-yearold Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat of 4 Garwhal Rifles, who volunteered in the heat of a raging battle with the advancing Chinese Army, on 17 November 1962, to crawl forward under heavy enemy fire with two of his equally gallant mates, Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain and Lance Naik Trilok Singh Negi, and attack a Chinese machinegun post with grenades. This would provide much-needed respite from the relentless enemy firing and help...

Read more