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Commander of the US Army's Pacific Command, Lieutenant General James Campbell, on Thursday morning arrived in Chandigarh to pay his last respects to India-born Sergeant Uday Singh, who died in an ambush in Iraq on December 1.
"Today, two great democratic nations pause to mourn the loss of this courageous young man who chose the life of a soldier," Campbell said in a brief speech at Singh's residence.
He said on behalf of the US and its army he was deeply honoured to be in Chandigarh to pay tribute to "a brother-in-arms and India's son, Sgt Uday Singh".
Campbell said Singh's loss was a reminder that freedom "is paid for in blood, sweat and tears".
"Uday was, and always will be, an American soldier. He always placed the mission first. He never accepted defeat, and he never quit. He is our hero. Today we stand tall as a nation and as any army and, in our grieving, take enormous pride in saluting Sgt Uday Singh for his noble stance to make the world safer," he said.
Acting Deputy Chief of the US Mission Walter North, Brigadier General of the US Army O' Neil, Defence Attaché Colonel Sboto, US Embassy Attaché and Casualty Assistance Officer Steven J Stoiber and six pallbearers of the US Army were among those who paid tributes to Singh.