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evening to rest and relax. That night I asked for his valour and bravery during this operation.
Samantha why he disobeyed my orders and His wife Nishika died of cancer in 2011, leaving
landed first. He said with tears in his eyes, “Sir, young Rumal alone in this World.
I was afraid that you would be hit by enemy
Today 25 year old Rumal is following his
machine gun fire! I did not want you to get
higher education in Australia. He is missing his
killed”. I told him that he would have had the
father on ‘Father’s Day’. He was always proud of
same fate. He said, “Sir, I can die. That’s not a
his parents, especially of his father. His family
concern. My father and mother will cry. But,
today is the SBS.
not YOU! You have a wife and a son (my son
was one year old at that time). Keeping my promise to Samantha, I
never took a Flag Lieutenant when I became a
You should live Sir! I want to protect
Rear Admiral. Even though Samantha is dead,
you, Sir! (Ironically, I was the only married
I kept my promise to him. The seat and table
person in the SBS at that time.)
of Flag Lieutenant next to my office are kept
This was the caliber of officers and men empty as an honour to my buddy who was ready
with whom we went to war. We were fortunate to sacrifice his life for my protection. As the
Commanders to have officers like Samantha as Navy Commander and now as CDS, a four-star
our subordinates. They were ready to sacrifice Admiral, I do not have a Flag Lieutenant. I have
their lives to protect us. only Personal Security Officers (PSOs) but not a
Flag Lieutenant. Lieutenant Commander (SBS)
One day I saw Samantha going through
Samantha Gallage, WWV, RWP and Bar, RSP will
the Navy List. Navy List is a book which
remain as my Flag Lieutenant until the day I
denotes the
retire.
seniority and
qualifications
of naval Samantha with his son
after receiving two gal-
officers. I
lantry medals from HE
asked why he
the President on 4th Feb
is referring the 1996
Navy List and ( 8 months before his
he said as per death)
the seniority
gap between Samantha Rumal
two of us when
I become a Rear Admiral, he will still be a Bhathiya
Lieutenant Commander. I promised him if I
made to Rear Admiral one day, I will take him We studied together at the Royal College.
He was two batches senior to me, but we were
as my Flag Lieutenant [Aide-De-Camp (ADC)].
He was very happy and he had mentioned this in the same Royal College Cadet Platoon. He was
our cadet Sergeant in 1978 Platoon. Bhathiya
even to the SBS senior sailors.
was a very cheerful person. He was smart and
In 1995 Samantha got married to
liked to wear fashionable clothes. When we all
Nishika, a young lady officer of the Navy
were wearing baggy shirts and trousers issued
who was a teacher at our Naval Pre-school. by Cadets Corps, Bhathiya had his own uniforms
Samantha died in an SBS and Army Special
stitched to his size. Since school-time he wanted
Forces joint operation at Nallathannithuduvai
to join the Army, and he was very excited about
in Chalai, Jaffna on 20th October 1996. His only
it. He joined the Army as an Officer Cadet into the
son, Rumal was only eight months old when
first Short Service Commission batch in 1979 and
he sacrificed his life for the territorial integrity was trained at the Indian Army Officer Training
and sovereignty of our Motherland. He was
Academy, Chennai and subsequently, joined the
awarded the Weera Wickrama Vibushanaya
Artillery Regiment of Sri Lanka Army.