Naib Subedar Chuni Lal AC, VrC, SM was an Indian Army soldier of 8th battalion. The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (8 JAK LI). He was born in Bhaderwah, and basically from Gandhari Paddar and lived in Bhara village with parents Shanker Dass and Shakuntala Devi in Doda district of Jammu. Decorated with Vir Chakra and Sena Medal (Gallantry), JC-593527, Lal was martyred on 24 June 2007 in a militant flush-out operation in Kashmir's Kupwara sector. These militants, all of whom were also shot dead, were trying to cross the Line of Control (LoC) and enter Indian territory. The success of this militant flush-out operation, which claimed his life, earned him the highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield, the Ashok Chakra. He is the highest decorated soldier of Indian Army of all time, honored with Sena Medal, Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra. Career In 1984, Lal joined the 8th Battalion, The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment. In 1987, he volunteered and participated in an operation to capture the quaid post which was later called the Bana Top, located at 21,153 feet in the Siachen Glacier, for which he was awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry). During June 1987, the 8th JAK LI, was deployed in the Siachen area. It was then found that a large number of Pakistani infiltrators had intruded over the Siachen Glacier. The ejection of these infiltrators was difficult but necessary and a special task force was constituted for this purpose. Chuni Lal and other soldiers of the unit such as Naib Subedar (later Sub Maj and Hony Capt) Bana Singh volunteered to join this force. The Pakistani intrusion had taken place at a height of 6500 metres at the highest peak in the Siachen Glacier area. From this feature the Pakistanis could snipe at Indian army positions since the height gave them a clear view of the entire Saltoro range and Siachen glacier. The Pakistanis called this post 'Quaid post' after their founder Quaid-e-azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The enemy post was a glacier fortress with ice walls, 457 metres high, on either side. On 26 June 1987, Naib Subedar Bana Singh led Chuni Lal and other men through an extremely difficult and hazardous route. These men crawled and closed in on the adversary and cleared the post of all intruders. This operation was named as Operation Rajiv