23rd January 2023 16:10:39 Hours
The Home of Keterians, the Regimental HQ of the Gajaba Regiment (GR) during a special ceremony on Saturday (21) bade farewell to three of its most senior and dedicated Officers, Major General Lal Wijethunga, Brigadier Nishantha Jayasundara and Brigadier Jude Perera upon their retirement after each of them having counted an illustrious service of more than 33,32 and 31 years respectively in the Army.
The separate ceremonies, held in keeping with military traditions at the Gajaba Regimental Headquarters premises in Saliyapura were attended by a large group of Senior Officers and Other Ranks.
The sequence of events commenced with the ceremonial Guard Turnout, followed by offer of floral tributes to the statue of late Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne, Founding Father of the Gajaba Regiment. Brigadier Wishwajith Vidyananda, Centre Commandant, GR with several other Senior Officers separately welcomed the day's protagonists on arrival.
Afterwards, each of those veterans reviewed the parade with regimental colours and received the salute from the special dais before three of them separately addressed the troops at the parade ground.
The event also included an All-Rank tea at the Other Ranks’ Mess at the Regimental Headquarters as part of the formalities.
The day's proceedings culminated with a formal military-styled Dinner Night hosted by Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army and Colonel of the Regiment. GR. Officers of the Gajaba Regiment took part in the arrangement, held at the Regimental Officers’ Mess, the same evening (21).
