Memorial - First Year Anniversary

Its already a year and it feels like just yesterday when he was amidst us, alive, and making a difference to our lives. But, now that he has gone, the difference he has made is even greater.

“A precious one has gone from us,
A voice we loved is stilled,
His place is vacant in our home
And we know it can never be filled.”

Today every bit of memory about him is dear to us, as they say; when the love of life is stilled the love of memory begins.

Dad lost his father at a young age and was a boarder through most of his schooling days. During his growing years he was a keen athlete and a great hockey player. He graduated from the Indian Military Academy Dehradun, and was commissioned as a regular officer. He has the distinction of attending operation Ablaze, 1965 and operation Cactus-Lily, 1971, during his 32 years of service. He was a brave man and a true patriot. While most people speak about honesty, he actually lived it. He was a man of great faith, which not many were aware of. He never considered himself to be any less a sinner, but held fast to his faith till the very end. He was an ardent devotee of St. Anthony and never failed to credit him with all that he achieved in life.

Dad was truly an extraordinary man! He was a loving father, who stood by his children through their times of trials and supported them unconditionally.

Inches away from death - 1971 East Pakistan Liberation

Here is a story that I have heard many times from my dad! One of those many "war" stories that he used to so fondly narrate!

During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation, dad was serving up at Bomdila, NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh), as a Battery Administration Officer. His division deployed along the Chinese border was withdrawn and redeployed along the East Pakistan border in preparation for the expected war. Finally, as the operation got moving he was part of the Brigades that were sent for the Dhaka thrust. The objective was to capture Dhaka.

While closing in on Dhaka, they made their way forward, taking cover behind broken down buildings amidst heavy firing and shelling. Dad was along with his telephone operator, as one accompanies every Battery Commander. They were huddled behind a broken wall when suddenly a shell landed nearby. The sound of the blast was defeaning and it took them by surprise. A thick fog of dust, debris and shrapnel ensued. As the air slowly cleared out, my dad blessed God as he found himself totally unhurt. Not even a single shrapnel had caught him! He shouted aloud (as his ears was still ringing) to his telephone operator and asked him if he was alright. The poor guy replied in Hindi, "Haan Saab, sab teekh hain", and slumped into my fathers hands seconds later! Dad realised that the man was injured and tried to support him up. Blood gushed out from a wound near his belly and into his hands. It wasn't long before the operator died! Later he found that a big piece of shrapnel had cut across his entire stomach.

Every time dad recounted this story he used to end it saying, "That splinter struck the operator but it could have so easily been me, as I was but just inches away from him!".

The Sportsman

Dad was a top hockey player who played for Signals and Southern Command in various important tournaments. During these tournaments he has had the opportunity to cross sticks with players who have brought home the Olympic gold!

During his formative years he was a keen athlete too!

Here is a list of his achievements :

Hockey


Dad during his golden years at king George's!

Dhyan Chand Hockey Tournament (1957) - Represented Signals Corps
Abidulla Gold Cup Hockey (Bhopal-1957) - Represented Signals Corps
Bombay Legue (1958) - Represented Signals Corps
Inter Services Hockey (1959-1961) - Southern Command
All India Schools (1953) - Mysore State, School Eleven
Indian Military Academy (1961) - Academy Eleven

Athletics

Prasanna Kumar Memorial Athletics (1953) - King George's School
B S A A (1953) - King George's School
School Individual Athletics Champion (1952,1953) - King George's School

Guard-of-honour's

Well, some of life's highs! Shaking hands with the "Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces" (1974-1977), His Excellency, President Dr. Fakruddin Ali Ahmed !!

Guard-of-honour to Lt Gen JK Puri, PVSM, AVSM 01 Feb 1986 – 31 May 1987 (Eastern Command)

Military Details

Personal Number - IC-14200F

Wars fought

1. Indo-Pak conflict - 1965 (as a Captain)
   Operation Ablaze (counter intrusion\war mobilization)
   
   
2. Bangladesh war - 9th December 1971 (as a Major)
   Operation Cactus-Lily (Indo-Pak war, East Pakistan) - 9th December 1971

Operations Served

1. Jammu & Kashmir Poonch sector - 1963, 1978



2. NEFA, Bomdila - 1968



3. Operation Samaritan (Assam, Rangiya/Hathigarh) - 1972



4. Ladhak, Kargil sector - 1978

Appointments Held

1. Gun Position Officer - J& K (1964)



2. Fire Control Officer - J& K (1965)



3. Fire Control Officer - Punjab (1967)
   
   
4. Mechanical Transport Officer - Punjab (1967)



5. Battery Administrative Officer - NEFA (1969)



6. Battery Junior Executive Officer - Assam (1974)



7. Officer Commanding 5 Karnataka Battalion (NCC) - Gulbarga (1976)
   


8. Second -in-command - Ladhak (1978)
   


9. Second -in-command - Allahabad (1981)
   


10. Officer Commanding 149 GL Sec - Trivandrum (1987)

Decorations

1. Sainya Seva Medal with Clasp (Himalaya)
   


2. Sainya Seva Medal with Clasp (J & K)
   


3. Raksha Medal - 1965
   


4. Sangram Medal



5. 25th Independence Anniversary Medal
   



6. Poorvi Star - 1971 (Bangaladesh)
   


7. Samar Seva Star - 1965 (indo -Pak war)



8. 9 Year Long Service Medal
   


9. Sainya Seva Medal with Clasp (Assam & Bengal)
   


10. 30 Year Long Service Medal

Courses and Examinations

1. Young Officers Course (1963)
   School of Artillery - Deolali
   


2. Junior Commander (Artillery Branch) (1965)
   School of Artillery - Deolali
   


3. Junior Commander (Infantry Branch) (1972)
   College of Combat - Mhow
   


4. Unit Security Officers Course (1982)
   Intelligent School Depot - Pune
   


5. Part A & B - For Substantive Captain
   


6. Part C & D - For Substantive Major

Wedding Day

The newly weds!! I am sure it would have been a great day for him!

The venue was St. Patricks Church, Bangalore followed by a reception at the Woodlands hotel.

The girl you see on the right hand side is Celine, dad's niece. It is interesting to know that in the absence of his parents (as they had passed away by then) he had arranged the marriage almost himself!

A month after marriage he left back to Ferozpur where his regiment was stationed. Thereafter, about 6 months later mom joined him at Ferozpur. I remember dad narrating this interesting anecdote on the arrangements he had made for mom and the extremities he went to about it :

He had organized the entire house and kept it all spic and span while expecting mom's arrival. He furnished the kitchen with every pot and pan that mom may need and had gone to an extent where he even carefully laid out the matchbox with a matchstick pulled out placed on top of it!! Yeah, wow!! That is my dad for you!
Unfortunately his intentions back fired as mom took one look at all the well decked kitchen and the matchbox with the single matchstick on it and thought in her mind, "Man, does this guy need a cook or what!!??" :-)

The grand family snap!!

The little boy in white shirt standing next to my mom is my mama Ravi! Right above him is Vimala auntie holding cousin Pradeep.

The man in suite next to dad is F.X. D'Silva. He is my dad's brother in-law. The bespectacled man next to him is my grand father, George Fernandez. The woman next to him holding the child is my grand mom Sulochana Fernandez.

Perhaps I'll tag the faces in the picture and upload it back again later, cause there are many more familiar people and family!

Tying the thali - after this your done for in life!!

This is the typical final act of the Indian Catholic wedding.

You can view an unusual amount of fauna around the alter, so much so that my grand dad had to hold up the veil from over the chairs :-)! This is typical of my dad's arrangements for dais's, he brings in all the pots and plants and it gives it that green appeal.

Chronology

Date of Birth - 09 July 1936 at Jabalpore (Madhya Pradesh)

King George VI Royal Indian Military College - 1948 - 1954 (Army Special)

Soldier in the Indian Army - 1955-1957 (Line Mechanic Grade - III)-1960

Indian Military Academy (Dehradun) - 1960-1962

Permanent Regular Commission - 11 December 1962

Date of Marriage (Mary Virgini Shantha) - 11 June 1966

Date of Birth of Child1 (Anthony Manoj) - 01 July 1968

Date of Birth of Child2 (Mary Nandini) - 05 May 1972

Date of Birth of Child3 (Patrick Ajay) - 25 March 1975

Date of Retirement - 31 July 1988

Date of Death - 23 September 2006

My Father

I started this blog to honor his achievements as an individual. Though, it isn't possible to separate him as an individual from the rank and position he held in the Indian Army or the honor he earned by fighting for his country.

The epitaph engraved on his tomb says it all :

Bravely he fought the battles of his country
And died beloved, respected, and lamented
In his death, think only this of him:
That there's some corner of this field
That is forever Indian