Courage

        On June 15, 2020, 20 odd Indian soldiers led by their Commanding Officer showed exemplary courage in defending the nation and laying down their life at Galwan valley. This has been one of the commendable acts of courage in the recent times that has attracted lot of attention. It is notably learnt that the Commanding officer and his troops though were tricked under the guise of peace and attacked, demonstrated exemplary courage and instilled a far more damage on the enemy lines and left them overall shaken of their confidence. Thus the Commanding Officer and his troops redeemed the honour and pride of the Indian Army to which they were sworn. 

        I am sure this is not the first one by Indian Military and also will not be the last. Many acts of courage demonstrated by the soldiers at the borders, sailors in the deep seas and airmen in the sky do not get reported. They don’t get the recognition among the public they deserve and even if so gets forgotten after the media attention dies down. The wives, sons, daughters and families of these brave men bear the scars and pain through their lifetime. 

     It made me to introspect as a military veteran what it takes to being a soldier, sailor or an airman in the line of duty to defend the nation, risk your life and selflessly even give up your life, if it warrants in the course of duty. 

     Bravery and Courage are words that are mostly commonly used to mean the same state of being. But they are not the same. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the words as follows: 

 Bravery: the quality or state of having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty. 

 Courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. 

     I interpret the bravery is the initiative to venture in to danger without fear, but courage is even more valiant act for an individual to venture, persevere and withstand fear and if need be give up your life. The act of the 20 odd valiant men and those who fought with them in Galwan valley to me was Courage significantly a higher act than Bravery. 

     What makes a soldier show this courage? Mark Lee Greenblatt is the author of Valor: Unsung Heroes from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, and he mentions these three things that he learnt about courage from interviewing troops:  

Courage Comes from Dedication to Something Greater 

     Though commitment to serving the country is supreme, the military brotherhood with fellow soldiers is the single motivating factor that brings out the courage in every soldier on the field. Ask any soldier who fought in the Galwan valley that night and he would tell you that it would have been sacrilegious to be a reason for the loss of his brother soldiers. He would rather be willing to give up his own life defending his team. 

 Courage is Found in Perseverance 

    The troops who were ambushed in Galwan valley knew they were going to die at some point but continued to inflict much greater attack on the enemy and persevered through their courage. They never for once stopped or retreated. 

  Courage Doesn’t Need Recognition 

     The thoughts that went through the troops who fought valiantly in the Galwan valley were definitely not of recognition of a medal or reward. They realized that they were on a mission and wanted to get the job done. Personal recognition hardly mattered to these men and what mattered was their team and following their Commanding Officer in achieving their objective till the last drop of their blood. 

     These are my real heroes. I learnt from them that these acts of heroism should remind me that none of my challenges in life are too big, as these band of men who fought in the Galwan valley and laid down their lives. I should not forget these valiant soldiers who sacrificed their life for my sake so that I can live in peace.