AFVOA Newletters of Year 2002

Page 19 of 84 During our meetings, it generally appears that we have given the go-by to this precious commodity – TIME. After hanging up the uniform, it seems, that all of us now believe that IST stands NOT for “Indian Standard Time” but for “Indian Stretch—able Time”. Punctuality: The art of waiting for those who are unpunctual. ~ Aldo Cammarota Meeting Gone By – “An Impression” by Wg Cdr Ravi Mani The first meeting of the AFVOA for the year 2002 was held on 17 Feb 2002. The meeting was remarkable in that the attendance was large. The increasing numbers who turn up at the regular meetings is a heartening trend, and the committee will leave no stone unturned to ensure that we strive to come up to members needs and expectations. The meeting was unique in at least two respects, with the AFVOA ceremonially and formally honouring veterans of the three Services who had crossed 80 years of age, and with all of us being honoured by the presence, for the first time ever, of a serving GOC of the ATNKK & G Area, Maj Gen AS Jamwal, AVSM, VSM, together with Mrs Jamwal. President’s Address by Maj Gen RPRC Naidu, AVSM, VSM, 4GR Maj Gen Ram Naidu welcomed the gathering, and expressed our collective happiness at being able to honour a few octogenarian veterans. He expressed his gratefulness that the GOC, ATNKK&G Area had agreed to grace the meeting. The President welcomed Maj Gen Jamwal, and thanked him for ensuring the success of the AFVOA’s annual picnic. He also welcomed the elder veterans, and recalled briefly the highlights of their service career. He requested the GOC to consider if a suitable location might be identified so as to provide a permanent venue for the conduct of regular meetings of the AFVOA. Honouring of Octogenarian officers AFVOA had decided to honour the octogenarian officers by inviting those who had crossed 80 summers, irrespective of the fact that they were members of the AFVOA or not. Thus invitations had gone out to the following: a) Lt Col NT Rajan, ASC b) Maj C Mansukhani, Armd Corps c) Lt Col LA Venkatadri, Engrs d) Sqn Ldr H Ramakrishnan, AE (M) e) Maj Gen V Rangaswami, VrC**, AMC f) Maj A Siddharthan g) Lt Col TK Vijayarangan, Arty As the elderly invitees came up, Generals Sundara Rao, Viswanathan, Ram Naidu, and Govindaswamy honoured them, and each one of them was presented with a “ponnadai” (the traditional shawl). Was it our imagination, or was there a glint of moisture in the eyes of many in the large audience as the sprightly veterans walked upright, revealing their soldierly background, to accept the honour of younger members of the Services family. A brief pen