Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 25

As many as 15 distinguished service medals have been conferred on officers and men serving the Army’s Western Command on the occasion of the 67th Republic Day. In addition, 23 persons have been awarded Chief of the Army Staff’s Commendation Cards.General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen KJ Singh, and Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lt Gen Gurdeep Singh have been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. Lt Gen Amarjeet Singh, General Officer Commanding 2 Corps and Lt Gen Rajeev Tiwari, General Officer Commanding 9 Corps, have been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.Lt Gen R Ravindran, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, which is part of the Western Command, and Maj Gen AK Pant, posted at HQ Western Command, have been awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal. The Western Army Commander also awarded GOC-in-C Commendation Card to 280 persons and the Western Command Unit Citation to 19 units for their performance.

Braveheart who killed 10 ultras in 11 days

Tribune News Service,Jammu, January 25

Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami’s life is a saga of guts and glory of a soldier, who eliminated 10 terrorists in 11 days before laying down his life in the line of duty. He embodied soldiering; stood for it; stood by it-while he lived, and even in his death.The martyrdom and indeed selfless gallantry of late Lance Naik Mohan of the elite 9 Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) received a deserving recognition from a proud nation when he was posthumously conferred with the Ashok Chakra-country’s highest peacetime gallantry award on the occasion of the 67th Republic Day, said a Defence spokesperson.Lance Naik Goswami truly lived to a military quote that reads: “If I die in combat zone, box me up and send me home. Pin my medals to my chest and tell my mom I did my best.” An intrepid and indefatigable commando, Goswami was a natural choice of his commanders for any challenging mission and he was ever too willing to oblige.On September 2 last year, he was engaged in a fierce encounter with terrorists hiding in the Haphruda forest in Kupwara of North Kashmir. As the encounter raged, two of Goswami’s comrades were wounded.Undeterred by the intense volley of fire, he immediately rushed to rescue them and in the act, despite getting grievously wounded himself, he not only eliminated two terrorists, but also saved the lives of his comrades.Goswami succumbed to his injuries and made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Army.As if to embrace danger and challenge, Goswami, who is fondly and proudly remembered by his comrades as one who could inspire and ignite patriotic fervour by his sheer presence alone, would volunteer for all risky missions.And within the preceding 10 days of the fateful day of September 2, he had been part of two more major operations in which 10 terrorists were eliminated in the Valley.

Five books on war heroes launched

• New Delhi: Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Monday launched the first batch of five books on lives of five Param Veer Chakra awardees. The “Veer-Gatha” series of illustrated books for children has been published by the National Book Trust. The minister has asked the CBSE and the NCERT to include these books as additional reading material for school students. TNS

9 Para hero gets Ashok Chakra

Lance Naik Mohan Goswami killed 10 ultras in 11 days

Tribune News Service,New Delhi, January 25

President Pranab Mukherjee has approved 365 gallantry awards and other defence decorations to the armed forces personnel and others on the eve of the 67th Republic Day. The nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashoka Chakra, has been awarded posthumously to Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of 9 Para (Special Forces) posted in the 6th Battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles for his acts of most conspicuous gallantry. On the intervening night of September 2 and September 3, 2015 Lance Naik Goswami killed two terrorists  in Haphruda forest at Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. Colonel Santosh Mahadik of 41 RR (Maratha Light Infantry) has been awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously. A dynamic officer, Col Mahadik was commanding 41 Rashtriya Rifles and laid down his life in the line of duty combating Pakistani terrorists in Manigah Forest of Kupwara district on November 17 last year.The awardees include four Kirti Chakras, 11 Shaurya Chakras, one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 48 Sena Medal (Gallantry), four Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), two Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medal, five Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, four Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 49 Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 20 Yudh Seva Medal, three Bar to Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 37 Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), eight Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 16 Vayu Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), five Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal and 118 Vishisht Seva Medal.

Awards for Pathankot hero, Kashmir braveheart