Flying Officer Nirmaljeet Singh Sekhon. Param Vir Chakra. 21 years old.

The year was 1971. Six enemy Sabre jets attacked the Srinagar airfield. He was the only pilot on alert. He could have waited. He didn’t.

He took off. One MiG-21 vs Six Sabres.

In the fierce battle that followed, he shot down two enemy aircraft, defending the base with sheer guts and skill, before he was martyred.

His was the kind of raw, selfless courage that defines a nation’s spirit. The highest bravery award was his rightful due.

Remembering him also makes me think of Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. A decorated Army officer who took that same military discipline and won an Olympic silver for India. Different paths, same core: Bravery. Duty. Excellence.

Sekhon’s story isn’t just history. It’s a reminder. A reminder of the price paid for our peace. A reminder to face our own battles, big or small, with a fraction of that courage.

Today, we remember a legend.

Lance Naik Albert Ekka. Param Vir Chakra. 1971 War Hero.

On this day in 1971, he charged an enemy bunker alone with just his bayonet to save his comrades. He cleared the path for victory but fell in the act.

His supreme sacrifice is why we sleep in peace.

It’s a legacy carried forward by every soldier who stands guard today, by heroes like Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore, who showed the same valour in the mountains of Kargil.

Two eras. One unwavering spirit.

Melencio de los Santos