As a high school junior, Army Spec. Uday Singh made a trip that persuaded him to move to the United States.
Visiting his aunt in Lake Forest in 1998, Singh, who grew up in India, took a summer job at a North Shore McDonald’s. For the first time, Singh earned his own paycheck and discovered that hard work could result in financial independence.
“He loved it,” said his aunt, Harpreet Datt. “He saw that the country gave him opportunities on a personal level. He had freedom to try new stuff, he had the freedom to earn a living.”
In 2000, Singh moved to Lake Forest. He knew he would need a degree to advance his career. He decided that enlisting in the Army was the best way to finance it.
On Monday, Singh, 21, died in Habbaniyah, Iraq, from injuries he received when his patrol was attacked. He was assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, based in Ft. Riley, Kan.
Singh was born and raised in the Punjab region of India. He long admired the United States, his aunt said. His work at McDonald’s helped him decide to move to the U.S.
After a summer’s worth of wages, Singh returned to India a seeming king. He bought clothes, electronics, saw movies and even took a resort trip.
“When he talked about his friends back home, he said, `They’re just hanging around, they’re not doing anything.’ He said, `I have to do something more to make myself better,'” his aunt recalled.
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Singh considered a career as an officer in the Army or as a businessman.
He initially enlisted for two years, a period in which he did a rotation in Kuwait and was promoted to specialist. Still, unable to obtain a green card, Singh re-enlisted, hoping to expedite the process.
It was in his second Army stint that Singh began setting his sights on a career as an officer, even discussing the possibility of West Point Academy.
“He says, `I see guys who come to the base, the ones who’ve retired and haven’t really done anything. They come in old beat up cars,'” his aunt recalled. “The officers who visit come in spanking new cars. He said, `I want to be like one of those officers.”
Just last week his aunt received a letter from Singh.
In it, he announced two pieces of good news. The first was his promotion to sergeant. The second was that he was on track to complete his immigration papers in January.
In addition to his aunt, Singh is survived by his father, Preet Mahinder Singh; his sister, Bani Sing; his mother, Manjit Kaur Singh; and his uncle, Prem Jay Datt.
Drawn to the military: Growing up near the Canadian border in the northern Minnesota town of Northome, Army Staff Sgt. Dale A. Panchot, 26, lettered in three sports in high school–baseball, basketball and football–and still found time to play flute in the school band.
It was the blend of athleticism and discipline that drove Panchot in life and drew him to the military.
“He was interested in the military from the time he could put on a pair of camouflage pants,” said Panchot’s father, Arland. “He signed up for the local National Guard at 17.”
Panchot, a member of the 4th Infantry Division who recently re-enlisted, was killed Nov. 17 when his vehicle was attacked near Balad.
“In the last phone call I got from him, he said that when he got done with his three-year stint, he was coming home to become either a nurse or a history teacher and start a family,” said Arland Panchot.
Monday, more than 800 mourners attended Panchot’s funeral at the local school gymwhere the young soldier was remembered for his love of “family, God and country,” said Jerry Struss, school superintendent.