Indian Army officer named monthly war hero

By Kang Seung-woo

Lt. Col. A. G. Rangaraj, who led the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance of the Indian Army, a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, during the Korean War, has been honored as the 1950-53 Korean War hero of July for his more than two years of service on the front line, the veterans affairs ministry said, Tuesday.

According to Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the photo of Rangaraj, the Indian Army's first para commando, will be displayed at the War Memorial and other public places to show the Korean people's gratitude for the sacrifice made by those nations that participated.

The Rangaraj-commanded parachute-trained medical unit, which was established in August 1942 and participated in World War II, was comprised of 341 personnel including four surgeons, two anesthetists and eight general practitioners, when it arrived in Busan on Nov. 20, 1950.

Upon its arrival, the unit was divided into two, with the Rangaraj-led main forces supporting the British Army's 27th Infantry Brigade and the rest of them deployed to a hospital in Daegu.

Rangaraj and his men advanced to the North Korean city of Pyongyang and fought alongside the British Army on the front line.

In addition, when the Australian military was engaged in a fierce battle with Chinese soldiers in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, in 1951, they were committed to stretchering seriously-injured soldiers in the face of a storm of bullets, to help them be transported by helicopter and save their lives.

During Operation Commando by the United Nations Command in October 1951, its personnel joined attacking forces for emergency treatment and transportation of wounded soldiers.

In February 1953, Rangaraj wrapped up his 25-month service and returned home and later, the Army officer was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, the second-highest military decoration in India.

He passed away on March 23, 2009 at 92.