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The Unsung Heroes Of The Indian Army Written by - EmpireBlueBB
On a late evening in August 2015, intuiting the movement of heavily-armed infiltrators along the LoC in Tangdhar area of Srinagar, 'Mansi' and her handler Bashir Ahmed War began attacking the intruders relentlessly. Mansi was shot at with an enemy bullet, that aggravated her handler to avenge the death of his canine pal. But he too fell to the counter strikes. This four-year-old Labrador 'Mansi', for her exemplary spirit, became one of the first canines to be chosen for "Mention of Despatches", the highest gallantry award for army dogs, posthumously.
History is witness, like soldiers, animals too have placed their best foot, paw, fin, flipper or wing forward to answer the call of duty. It's time to look back at and honour the heroes; fierce and ever loyal to our men in uniform.
A golden Labrador, fondly called "Rex", was an expert in training and tracking militants. But even without any formal training, he performed exceptionally well during an avalanche rescue operation, locating the bodies of three militants buried six feet under snow. Afterwards, he went on to locate three hideouts having an assortment of arms, ammunition, wireless sets, etc. The furry canine was awarded the commendation card of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief in 1999.
Another astonishing tale of the three-year-old Labrador, "Rocket" who played a life-saving role during counter-terrorist operations at the Pathankot Indian Air Force airbase in January 2016. When the airbase was set on fire, causing many soldiers to lose their lives in the blaze, Rocket was sent inside to gather intelligence and determine whether the terrorists inside were still alive. Rocket returned with a burnt pouch, helping commandos confirm the presence of militants inside the base. During this, Rocket suffered severe burn injuries on his paw and forehead but still kept helping our soldiers. This brave Labrador also attacked a terrorist, who was attempting to harm the commandos. The raw courage exhibited by him prompted the senior officials to reward him with the Chief of Army Staff recommendation.
Pedongi, the mule who outsmarted the enemy, is yet another astute warrior. In the armed forces, names are a privilege reserved only for horses and dogs, but Pedongi earned this honour. During the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, an animal transport column that included Pedongi was captured by Pakistani forces. A fortnight later, Pedongi managed to escape back to the Indian Army outpost, carrying boxes of Pakistani ammunition. Impressed by her loyalty and resourcefulness, in 2017, an officers' mess in the Delhi cantonment was named after her. Besides, Pedongi enjoys the distinction of having her name in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the longest-serving mule in the Indian Army (for nearly 30 years).
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