The soldiers may be long gone but not forgotten and concerted efforts will continue until a logical closure. On August 22, after a period of 45 years and six months, an expedition undertaken by the army recovered the mortal remains of a Non Commissioned Officer Hav Jagmail Singh of Corps of EME.
It was established by an identity disk, an insurance policy and a letter from his family which were retrieved from his pocket. Due to bad weather the mortal remains are likely to come at Chandimandir Military Station on Sunday from where these will be taken to his native place village Meerpur, District Rewari, for last rites with full military honours.
The story dates back to 1968 when on a freezing February morning, as dawn broke over Chandigarh, an AN-12 transport aircraft took off from the fog-enveloped runway and headed towards leh. On board the aircraft were 98 army personnel and four crew members, on their way to join their duties.
Halfway to leh, the pilot Flt lt HK Singh decided to turn back due to the inclement weather over Jammu and Kashmir. The aircraft made last radio contact near the RohtangPass and thereafter appeared to have vanished into thin air.
The disappearance remained a mystery until 2003, when the debris of the ill-fated aircraft was accidentally discovered by an expedition team at the Dhakka Glacier, high in the Chander Bhaga Ranges of lahaul and Spiti.
Since then and over the course of three search missions till 2009, four bodies have been recovered. On 16 August 13, the Indian Army embarked on another expedition to try and locate the mortal remains of its fallen comrades as also to try and recover the Flight Data Recorder (Black Box).
The expedition of the DOGRA SCOUTS of Western Command comprised amongst the finest mountaineers of the country including an 'Everester'. The glacier where the operations are underway lies at an altitude of approximately 17,000-18,000 feet is avalanche prone and dotted with innumerable crevasses; the site itself is at an 80 degree gradient from the base camp.
The high wind velocities, sub-zero temperatures restricts the search window to about 15-20 days a year and that too only for a few hours during the day. The team braving all odds and in the face of extremely hostile weather conditions continued its mission till August 30, this year.
At the heart of this noble mission is the endeavour of the Army to give its perished brethren a befitting last Post in keeping with its highest traditions. The long wait of 45 years since the crash has not in any way dimmed the Army's commitment to retrieve the bodies.