Lachhaman Singh

Biography

Havaldar Lachhaman Singh hailed from Mahlana village in Sonipat district of Haryana. Born on 8 November 1960, he joined the Army on 18 April 1979 at the age of eighteen, after completing his school education. He was enrolled into the 8 Jat Battalion of the Jat Regiment, an infantry unit renowned for its gallant soldiers and a long history of battle honours. During 1999, his battalion was deployed along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir as part of Operation Vijay, tasked with evicting Pakistani intruders from the Kargil region. Operating under the 28 Infantry Division, the unit conducted vigorous patrolling and offensive operations to dominate the LoC. Havaldar Lachhaman Singh was part of a team assigned to secure a 17,000-foot-high feature over extremely rugged terrain. On 8 July 1999, his team began scaling a steep cliff using mountaineering equipment when the enemy opened up with machine gun, mortar and artillery fire. Undeterred, the platoon pressed on and, after a fierce battle, captured the post. That night the enemy counterattacked under cover of darkness and fog with heavy shelling. A shell landed near Havaldar Lachhaman Singh, severely wounding him, and he soon succumbed to his injuries, making the supreme sacrifice.