Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw death anniversary is observed on June 27 as he passed away on this date in the year 2008. Being the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal, his active military career spanned four decades and five wars beginning with service in the British Indian Army in World War II.
Manekshaw served as the Chief of the Army Staff during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Also, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan too.
Let’s share a few interesting facts about Sam Manekshaw:
Widely known as Sam Bahadur and Sam of the Brave, he was born on April 3, 1914, in Amritsar, Punjab.
Initially, he wanted to study medicine and become a doctor like his father.
However, he enrolled in the Indian Military Academy aiming at rebel ling against his father who did not send him to London to study.
Manekshaw was selected in the first batch of cadets called “The Pioneers”.
He achieved a number of firsts such as being the first graduate to join one of the Gorkha regiments, first to serve as the Chief of the Army Staff of India and first to attain the rank of field marshal.
Manekshaw married Siloo Bode on April 22, 1939, in Bombay and the two have two daughters, Sherry and Maya born in 1940 and 1945 respectively.
Manekshaw passed away to complications from pneumonia at the Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, at 12:30 am on June 27, 2008, at the age of 94.