The 26th of July is day that is remembered as Kargil War Memorial Day or Kargil Vijay Divas. The day goes back to 1999, when Indian army was in a fierce battle with the Pakistani army. The Op Vijay resulted when the Pakistani army broke tradition of retreating to the mainland in the months of extreme winter from their posts in places such as Kargil, Drass, and a few other parts of the Himalayas.

What followed this was the Kargil War, code named Op Vijay by the military forces. Fought at a height higher than 18,000 feet above the sea level in the biting cold, the war was won with 527 Jawans, Junior Commission Officers or JCOs and Officers giving the ultimate sacrifice of their lives and 1367 men getting grievously injured.

This was yet another show of the courage of the defence forces, and the power of the people committed to the safety of their nation and protecting those who live in this nation.  The height and the terrain did not deter these men from taking back that which was rightfully their own and a few of the Pakistani Posts as well.

The war saw courageous young men giving up their lives for the ground that gave them everything, when the likes of Capt. Vikram Batra and Capt. Manoj Pandey; these are just two names from the 527 other equally brave and selfless men.

When you go bed at night, take a minute to appreciate and send a prayer for the safety of the men who have already died, and the one who stay alive guarding us, so that you can sleep peacefully in your bed.