KDU felicitates Sixth Intake at silver jubilee
by Lakmal Welabada
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C. Jayakody |
Jayathilaka |
M. Wijekoon |
P. Vidanage |
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R. Shanthilal |
V. de Silva |
Y.
Liyanarachchi |
J. Premarathna |
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K.Thalawathugoda |
P. Ramanayake |
R.Padmasiri |
S.Liyanage |
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W.Wickramaratne |
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The Sixth Intake of the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU)
celebrates its silver jubilee and is felicitating members who sacrificed
their lives and others who are either disabled or are still in service.
October 5 will be a special day for the KDU Sixth Intake and their
families who will gather at the Mount Lavinia Hotel to celebrate the
silver jubilee. “It’s going to be a memorable day for all of us as we’ll
be meeting after so many years,” said treasurer of the KDU six silver
jubilee steering committee, Group Captain Hemantha Soysa. “There were
hundred and sixteen in our batch and it is said to be the largest ever
intake in the history of the KDU. Fourteen members sacrificed their
lives for the motherland. The families of the fourteen along with the
serving batchmates will take part in a religious ceremony that will be
held at the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy on October 12 and 13,” he said.
The KDU was earlier known as the Kotelawala Defence Academy which was
a dream come true for late Premier Sir John Kotelawala who donated his
property in Ratmalana to fulfill the need of a fully fledged training
academy for the Lankan Tri Forces – Army, Navy and Air Force. His
residence the ‘Kandawala Walawwa’ complex was turned into a museum of
his belongings and the rest of the space was used to train youth who
contributed to end the war against terrorism.
This establishment was then groomed into a University a few years ago
and became one of the world’s best Military Universities.
“We salute Premier Sir John Kotalawala, the KDU, present and past
Commanders, instructors and our parents for making us brave sons to save
this motherland.
We are indebted to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary,
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa for providing encouragement to the Tri Forces and
for taking the brave decision to end the war against terrorism ,” said
President of the KDU six silver jubilee steering committee, Rtd Major
Mahinda Adikari.
“There’s another group to whom we should not forget to pay our
gratitude, they are wives and children of batchmates who have given us
the encouragement, loyalty and peace to render our service to the
country,” he said.
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