Dah helipad located off the Batalik - Khaltse (Also called Khalsi) road overlooks the mighty Indus and one of its tributary - the Yaldor nullah. On a sunny morning in the third week of May 1999, as OP VIJAY or the Kargil war was picking up, I went there to receive the GOC

who was expected to arrive shortly. I noticed a young captain loitering around, who noticing me walked up and with a smart salute and a big grin on his face introduced himself. "Capt Manoj Pandey Sir, UPSAINIAN". As we shook hands I couldn't help notice that he had been roughing

out for quite some days and his infectious smile notwithstanding, appeared famished. Having got over the initial days of deprivation, we at the HQ were slightly better off logistically and so I asked him if he had had breakfast. He replied casually that he would have some later.

Sensing his hesitation, I called for a big omelette and some bread which he quickly ate washing it down with some tea - that cheerful smile never leaving his boyish face for a moment. He went away after that and I as the artillery commander in the Batalik sector had my hands

full enough all through the operations to spare a thought for him. though his Bn was part of the Bde and interactions with his CO were frequent.
It was late evening on 1st July that he appeared again at the forward location and came up to me - that same infectious smile still

lighting up his college kid face. I was aware of the impending operation his Bn was to undertake the next day and had been busy working up the artillery support. Three of my OPs were to be part of the op. A quick cup of tea and he bid me good bye as I wished him Good luck. That

cheerful face did not betray any anxiety, instead he appeared all primed for the mission.
The assault on Khalubar and Garhi complex was launched as planned. For me there was barely any respite as the entire sector was alive. The day after, early in the morning as I came out

of the recess in the hillside from where I controlled the artillery, I saw a few bodies wrapped up in sleeping bags laid just outside, awaiting arrival of the chopper to ferry them back to the road head and back to their families, An unexeplained premonition told me something

was not right. Having seen off many such remains throughout the ops, I wasn't prepared for the sense of personal loss that engulfed me as I read the caption on the very first - Capt Manoj Pandey! His exploits were yet unknown as the ops were still underway. The chopper soon

many more body bags were to pass through Ganasok till the 26th, when the ops were finally called off. Its twenty years since then, but all that happened during those challenging times - a full three months - remain fresh in my memory as ever.
A few years ago, I was in CP Delhi

looking for a copy of Gen Mohinder Puri's book on Kargil Ops when the book shop owner learning that I was cited in the book offered me a cup of tea and got chatting. He asked me what I thought of the ops. I replied briefly, paraphrasing Israeli President Chaim Herzog's

description of the 1973 Arab Israeli War - 'War of Atonement' which is also the title of his book on that war - terming Kargil as Our War of Atonement. Don't know if he got the drift.
Forgive the typos !