‘Heroes Forever’ is a series dedicated to Army, Air Force, Navy and the Police personnel who have gone beyond the call of duty. This is our token of appreciation on behalf of the whole nation to recognize their courage and determination. Nilma Dole [email protected]

"When I was a young boy, my eldest brother Sergeant Ranjith Tillekeratne who was serving in the Army at that time would come home for the holidays and advise me to join the Army saying that true fighters and brave men were trained to protect our motherland", he reminisces. Sadly, when Dimuth was ten years old, news from the Army came that his elder brothers Sergeant Ranjith Tillekeratne and Private Manjula Samankumara were missing. They were last reported seen at the Kilinochchi Base where about 200 Army personnel were present.

Private Dimuth Warnakumara

"When we first heard that they were missing, we went to the Army Headquarters to seek more information with the help of my third brother Lance Corporal Shantha Sisilakumara who was serving in the Army at the 70W Regiment during that time", said the Private.

However, they waited for their return, but all to no avail. So after a year of not hearing about them, the Army concluded them officially missing when the Bindeniya Police confirmed this. "Their disappearance is a mystery to us even today but despite losing my elder brothers, my fourth brother Sanjeewa Sarathkumara decided to join the Army right after he finished school" said Private Dimuth Warnakumara. Sadly, his story was to be a melancholic one as well.

Lance Corporal Shantha Sisilakumara

During the liberation of Thoppigala, Sergeant Sanjeewa Sarathkumara was killed in action during an engine blast in the confrontation. Thankfully, Thoppigala was returned to the nation but at a poignant cost. "He left behind his wife and child who was three months old at that time" said Private Dimuth.

Born and brought up in the town of Kotiyakumbura, they all attended the Hanwella Kanishta Vidyalaya. "We always thought that serving our country was important to us and having a respectable and good career in the armed forces was beneficial", he said. Dimuth's father was a simple farmer and so it reflects their humble beginnings and the desire to achieve.

Thereafter, they rebuilt their hut after his brothers joined the armed forces and now are financially stable despite ultimates loss of his brothers. "My eldest brother Ranjith left behind his wife and has a son who is ten years old now and I treat him like my own son" said Private Dimuth.

Ranjith Tillekeratne who served the Army for 7 years and Manjula who served for 4 years both were in the same confrontation where they went missing. "My brother Lance Corporal Shantha is now married and works at the Kosgama base and I serve the President in the Presidential Security Unit" he said.

The late Sergeant Sanjeewa Sarathkumara	The late Sergeant Ranjith Tillekeratne	The late Private Manjula Samankumara

"Even though at first I was discouraged for joining the armed forces by my mother, I assured her that it was the right thing and I was doing it in the name of my brothers because we should serve our motherland to make it a safe place for our future generations" said Private Dimuth. The late Sergeant Ranjith Tillekeratne, Private Manjula Samankumara and Sergeant Sanjeewa Sarathkumara have been awarded the RWWP for their heroic deed and will be forever remembered as a family of patriots.