On India's 62nd Republic Day let us re-visit Valmiki Faleiro's poignant
column on "Goans in India's Defence Services".
GOANS IN INDIA'S DEFENCE SERVICES
By Valmiki Faleiro
Goans, and Goan Catholics in particular, always had this fascination for
adventure. Right from the General in a Deccani army in the 17th century,
to Manuel Antonio de Souza (1835-1904), of Mapusa, who created and
reigned over his own country with an army of 30,000 men, by the right
bank of the Zambezi, in far away Mozambique! Down to dozens of officers
in the armed forces of Portugal, Britain and any nation of domicile,
even . hold your breath . now Australia-settled Wg Cdr Zuzarte of the
Pakistan Air Force!
The number of Goans in independent India's defence services is a matter
of pride. The tiny community produced one Chief and two Vice Chiefs of
Army Staff, one Vice Chief of Naval Staff and one Chief of Air Staff.
And at least 42 Generals (from three- to one-star), one VAdm, one RAdm
and four Commodores, three Air Marshals, two Vice Marshals and five Air
Commodores - and a legion of other officer ranks in the three services.
The Chief of Army Staff, as all know, is Gen Sunith F Rodrigues of
Curtorim. The Vice Chiefs are Lt Gen Kevin L D'Souza of Mapusa and Lt
Gen Stanley L Menezes of Sangolda. The Vice Chief of Naval Staff is Vice
Adm John C DeSilva of Navelim. The Chief of Air Staff is Air Chief
Marshal Hrishikesh Shamrao Moolgavkar of Mulgao- Bicholim. A bit on him:
One of the earliest IAF Goans (slightly junior to AVM Erlic Pinto), he
was among the first four Indian IAF officers to earn a MVrC for bravery
in J&K ops (and one of only three IAF Goans to be so decorated, the
others being Gp Capt Sidney Noronha and Gr Capt Allan D'Costa.) A
versatile fighter pilot, he flew 56 types of aircraft including
helicopters, from pre WW-II vintage to "planes without propellers"
(jets) like Gnats and MiGs. He was the first Indian to fly faster than
sound (in a Mystere-II.) Awarded the US Congress' Legion of Merit at the
Pentagon in 1978.
The entire article can be read at:
http://patriotism-in-action.blogspot.com/2011/01/goans-in-indias-defence-services-by.html
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