Sgt. Uday Singh

Absent in body but present in spirit -Corinthians 1:3

If you ever visit St. Stephen's spend a few moments before Sgt. Uday Singh Memorial because it is here that you will find courage, valour, sacrifice and dedication;it is here that you will find care, kindness, perseverance and duty. Many have a misconception that on December 1, 2003 in Habbaniyah Sgt. Uday Singh left us, but for those who love him, on the day he came closer to our lives and became a part of us. If you close your eyes and think about him, you will find him before you, free and bright as the breeze and the sun. He sacrificed the security of his home so that we may find peace, he sacrificed the things he loved the most so that we may enjoy the freedom from terror and he sacrificed himself so that we may live. For Stephenians, Sgt. Uday Singh is like a big brother, inspiring us at every step of our lives.

On the morning of 1st December, 2011 the co-ordinators asked me to go down to the auditorium and sit in the first row because I would be getting the Sgt. Uday Singh Memorial Award. I was really delighted because I had always dreamt of getting it one day. It was like my first step towards what Stephenians are expected to be. When I went up to receive the award, I felt like Sgt. Uday was standing there smiling. Never in my life did I feel closer to him.

Coming out of the auditorium, I went up to the Memorial and read these lines to myself:

Remember me in your heart, in your thoughts and in the memories of the times we loved the memories of the time we shared, for if you at all think of me I will never be gone.

Vishal Rana
Saturn House
10E