AFVOA Newletter August 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 02 / 2020 Page 170 of 237 29 Twin Eagles from AFVOA Maj Gen Jose Manavalan AVSM Genre: Camaraderie ery few of us would know about the intertwined past of two octogenarians from the Corps of EME in our midst. So I gathered a few snippets from the past for us all to know. Both were achievers in their fields. I’m referring to our Patron, Lt Gen Sundara Rao, PVSM and Lt Col Tej Rekhi, both of whom were proven achievers in their fields. As we all know, Gen Rao had a spectacular career in the Army where he was commissioned in 1943 into the EME, and culminating in the DG EME ( then known as Director), at the young age of 47. It was when he was heading the TG Group at Delhi, that young Teja came to his notice. He nick named Tej as Teja ! Tej who was also commissioned into the EME from JSW in 1954, and was an independent and confident lad, who besides his profession, had great interest in the outdoors. He was best known in the Corps for his sailing skills. Besides this he left his mark in rally driving, angling, tennis and cycle polo. Sailing took Tej to great heights. He learnt his sailing at Pune. He was able to set up the EME Sailing Association in Secunderabad in 1964, and was the first Indian Commodore of the Secunderabad Sailing Club. They then sailed CBK’s and Tej won all the trophies that were on offer. His career took him to DRDO ( QA), and when he was posted to IAT Pune, he got the chance to represent the Corps of EME Sailing Team in the National V