Wing Commander Dhirendra Singh Jafa, Vir Chakra was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 06th Nov 1954 as a fighter pilot. During the 1965 War, he displayed exemplary courage and devotion to duty and carried out 23 operational missions on Gnat aircraft into Pakistan. During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, he served with a Fighter Bomber Squadron in the Western Sector. On 4th December, 1971, when the enemy had encircled a Battalion of our troops in a small enclave in the Hussainiwala area and was pressing hard with tanks, he led a two aircraft formation in this area. He carried out over 12 attacks and personally destroyed or damaged seven enemy tanks and a jeep. On 5th December, 1971, hew was detailed as the Sub-Section Leader of a four aircraft strike mission over the enemy gun positions which were constantly shelling our positions in an area in the west of Amritsar. Despite the heavy ground fire form the enemy guns, he carried out successful attacks until his sixth attack when his aircraft was hit by ground fire and he had to eject at a very low altitude with serious spinal injury. He spent a year as POW in Pakistan and acted as the de facto leader of his fellow POWs. In Dec 1972 he was decorated with “Vir Chakra” for gallantry and leadership of a high order.