VETERANS

My name is Surjan Singh, and I was born on July 29, 1921 in Kharia, Delhi. I had a pretty good childhood. India didn't have a great education system, but I made the most of my formative years. I was a playful, energetic child, always interested in having fun in my village.

When I reached 15, my family believed it was the time to begin working on the family farm. The fun of my childhood was over when I realized just how bad things truly were. The British were in control in India, and they were basically pillaging our land.

My name is Kila Singh and I was born on January 1st, 1920 in Samashpur Khalsa, Delhi. I went to school for about five years until my Father passed away when I was 10. It was a devastating loss for our family. I had to leave school and take care of my mother and two younger siblings as the oldest son. They were only toddlers and I needed to start taking part in the family farming business.

My name is Lachman Singh, and I was born June 2nd, 1914, in the village of Pooth Khurd, Delhi. As a child, I wasn't very interested in going to school. India had a poor education system. I spent most of my childhood and formative years working on my family farm, where we grew wheat, rice, sugarcane and various vegetables.

My name is Charin Singh and I was born in the town of Nangal Thakran, Delhi in 1918. I had no interest in going to school, so I got involved in the family farming business. I also enjoyed playing the drums as a youth.

My name is Gimat La Hura and I was born on March 10th, 1923 in a small village near Lahore, what is now Pakistan. I studied in my local school and I was an excellent student and so my higher studies I was send to a better school in a village called Allibagh, it's in Jammu and Kashmir State. I even used to get some pay from the school - 5 rupees a month. Which at that time was very good money, especially for a kid.

My name is Shiu Dagar, and I was born in Samasbur Khalsa, Delhi in 1923. As a child, my parents wanted me to go to school, but I wasn't interested in wasting my time with our poor education system. I spent most of my youth living a relatively normal, fun life.

When I was 18, I traveled to Nagpur, India to visit my older brother Hathi Singh, who was in the Jat regimen. While I was there, he strongly encouraged me to join the Army, so I enlisted and began basic training in Nagpur.

My name is Nathu Singh, and I was born on December 13th, 1922 in the village of Ujwa, India. My country didn't have a good education system under British rule, so I never went to school. I spent my formative years on my families' farm.

My name is Munshi Ram, and I was born in India in 1921. My family were farmers, which fuelled my lifelong love of agriculture. Many of us in India were in impoverished circumstances, and the farms were our only means of thriving.