Major CB Dwivedi: Part 2 - A Letter to Major Dwivedi From His Daugher Neha

This is the second letter written to Major CB Dwivedi, by his daugher Neha.

Major CB Dwivedi was all of 20 when he joined the Army in 1981. He was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery as a gunner.

His unit, the 315 Field Regiment, was the first artillery unit to be deployed in Drass in the initial phase of the Kargil War on 14 May 1999. Major Dwivedi and his men were responsible for supporting the operations of four other regiments, who went on to capture Tololing, Point 5140, Black Tooth, Tiger Hill and Gun Hill from the enemy. Between 14 and 31 May, the unit went through an incredibly difficult period as they had to fire at one location and constantly keep moving to the next one in order to avoid detection. They were responsible for the safety of the infantry units, and were often faced with two choices at night – to either stop firing and wait for dawn, or to keep firing to protect the infantry. Major Dwivedi always chose the latter to provide a constant shield for his fellow men.

He faced the same choice on 2 July: to continue firing or to stop. Two infantry units (18 grenadier and 8 Sikh) would have been in grave danger had they stopped. As second-in-command, Major Dwivedi chose to put the units’ safety over his and motivated his men to keep firing at the enemy all night, with him at the gunner’s position on top of the artillery gun.

That evening, a shell landed right next to him. His arm was hit and some of the shrapnel entered his body from the side. He continued to fire until his last breath, even though he was bleeding profusely.

Even when he was on the field, Major CB Dwivedi was a family man through and through. He planned his holidays around his children’s exams and aided his wife in chores, from paying the bills to getting train tickets confirmed for her travels – all while posted in a war zone.

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