Captain Neikezhakuo Kenguruse was a young Indian Army officer from Nagaland who displayed exemplary bravery, indomitable resolve, grit, and determination beyond the call of duty and made the supreme sacrifice in the face of the enemy, in true traditions of the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil War against Pakistan. Captain Kenguruse led his unit, Ghatak Platoon, on a mission to attack an enemy position on a cliff face.
The young officer scaled the cliff without shoes. Notably, Captain Kenguruse removed his shoes while climbing the cliff to get better grip. Despite suffering grievous injuries, he neutralised four enemy soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.
For his daredevil act and inspirational leadership, Captain Kenguruse was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous).
Battle Of Black Rock:
On June 28, 1999, in the Drass sector’s Lone Hill area, Captain Kenguruse, leading the Ghatak (commando) platoon, was tasked with clearing a Pakistani machine gun post located at Black Rock and capturing the position. Operating at an altitude of 16,000 feet in extreme cold conditions of -10 degrees Celsius, he established a foothold for his platoon.
Drawing inspiration from his legendary ancestor Perheile, a renowned headhunter, Captain Kenguruse chose to climb the rocky terrain barefoot after realising his shoes were hampering his grip. Despite being shot in the abdomen, he reached the summit, shot dead two enemy soldiers, and eliminated two more in close combat.
Also Read: Bravery Beyond Death: How Captain Pandey Won Khalubar Top For India – 1999 Kargil War Stories
About Captain Kenguruse:
He passed the Combined Defence Services (CDS)Examination in 1996 and joined the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun in June 1997. He was commissioned into the Army Service Corps of the Indian Army on December 12, 1998, and was in the midst of his field attachment with the 2nd Rajputana Rifles battalion
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