Former vice chief of Army Lt Gen Pattabhiraman, soldier at heart, dies
In his long career, Lt Gen Pattabhiraman had also served as Colonel Commandant of The Bombay Sappers;
Lt Gen S Pattabhiraman
CHENNAI: Former vice chief of the Army Lt Gen S Pattabhiraman PVSM, AVSM, VSM, SM (Retd), passed away at the Military Hospital in Wellington on Saturday at the age of 78. The Army paid tributes to him in a post on X, describing him as "a soldier at heart and a leader in spirit."
In his long career, Lt Gen Pattabhiraman had also served as Colonel Commandant of The Bombay Sappers.
He had superannuated as the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) in 2006 after serving for 40 years in various prestigious appointments that included the first Director General of Information Systems of the Indian Army and army commander of the largest operational command of the Indian Army, namely the Western Command, according to a statement issued by the defence ministry.
Speaking about Lt Gen Pattabhiraman, Lt Colonel CR Sundar, who received his battalion's Colours from former President VV Giri in 1971, told DT Next that he lost a close friend, someone who had been a part of his life in various ways.
"Gen Pattabhiraman's wife Lakshmi used to live in Tambaram. I was from west Tambaram and before joining the NDA, played cricket with her brothers, Col Vijay Raghavan and Col Mahendran. Lakshmi would often join us.
"When I went to do my course in Pune, Pattabhiraman was preparing for the Staff College. He was with the Bombay Engineers, and we shared a close bond. He was a thorough gentleman, a great soldier, and a paratrooper."
Sundar also recalled that Gen Pattabhiraman was in his sixth term when Sundar joined the National Defence Academy.
"As a sixth-termer, he was the Battalion Cadet Adjutant and was responsible for the discipline of the entire battalion. He was highly respected. He never needed to raise his voice; his mere presence ensured cadets behaved," Sundar added.
The former Defence Attaché to Ankara, Turkey, he served as the Vice-Chief of Army Staff from October 1, 2005, to December 31, 2006, under the command of General Joginder Jaswant Singh, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC.
Even after retirement, Gen Pattabhiraman continued to serve the Armed Forces as an administrative member of the Armed Forces Tribunal in Chennai.