Whichever manner our soldier may have fought, he has always shown an unflinching devotion. As far as possible, endeavours have been made to immortalise him through memorials, monuments, graves or epitaphs. Each regiment has a war memorial to honour its comrades who made supreme sacrifice during an operation or in war. Such war memorial is usually located at the regimental centre or the Corps Centre, and is considered a sacred place. All ranks of the regiment/corps and visiting dignitaries give it due respect. Many commands, divisions, brigades and even battalions and units have erected war memorials to honour their heroes. Martyrs memorials have been erected by formations and units in honour of those who laid down their lives combating terrorism. Many memorials have been erected even at forward posts in honour of those who laid down their lives against enemy actions in various wars.

In early days in India, a small stone showing a warrior on horseback was erected as a monument at a place where the warrior fell during battle. Some of these monuments can still be seen in Rajasthan and Saurashtra. Later, a canopy was erected to honour all those killed in a battle. Sometimes, a memorial arch, like the India Gate in New Delhi, was erected as a national, regional or regimental memorial. This has its origin among the Romans. Mainly, there are four types of war memorials : memorial arches/columns, Chhatris, emblems and statues. Some memorials are now memorial buildings for schools and hostels, roads or even a hall.

Memorials in the honour of Indian soldiers are found from Yokohama in Japan in the East to Great Britain in the West. The memorials in Japan, France, Belgium, Egypt and the Chattri at Brighton were erected in memory of Indian soldiers who gave their lives during World War I. Memorials paying glowing tributes to Indian soldiers who had fought during World War II exist in Singapore (Kranji), Thailand (Kanchanaburi), Egypt, Algeria, Italy and Britain.

India Gate was built in New Delhi in the honour of the memory of the officers and soldiers who fell during the Great War of 1914 - 18. The foundation stone of this war memorial was laid on February 2, 1921 by Field Marshal His Royal Highness Arthur William Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught and Stratheam. The memorial was unveiled on February 12, 1932.

The National War Memorial, also at India Gate, is known as Amar Jawan Jyoti. It is in the honour of all those who died since independence. It has been built under the main arch of India Gate. Wreaths are placed on Amar Jawan Jyoti on special occasions by national and international leaders, own and visiting Service Chiefs, delegations from abroad and ex-servicemen.

Interestingly, in 1926 a memorial was built at Port Tewfik, on the Suez Canal, in the honour of Indian Army and the memory of nearly 4,000 of its soldiers who fell in Egypt and Palestine. It stood on a promontory where the Canal merges with the Gulf of Suez, and was a well-known landmark to every ship in passage between India and Europe. It was guarded by two sculptured, crouched tigers ready to spring at their pray. Sadly, forty years later it was destroyed in the fighting along the Canal between Israel and Egypt. It has now been replaced by another memorial located at the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Heliopolos on the outskirts of Cairo. The tiger motif, symbolic of the spirit of the Indian Army, has also been at the new site where bronze tigers are carried upon each of the two imposing entrance gates.

What about unsung heroes who have not found a place in any memorial? Lord Wavell wrote about the Pious Greek in the Good Soldier: "when he had set up altars to all the great gods by name, he added one more altar to the Unknown God". Similarly, when we speak and think of our great heroes and erect our military altars, we should also add one more altar to the nameless or the ‘Unknown Soldier’.