On Armed Forces Veterans Day, CDS Gen Anil Chauhan, three service chiefs lay wreaths at National War Memorial

To pay homage to the supreme sacrifice of our Armed Forces, a Shaurya Sthal developed by Uttarakhand War Memorial Trust will be dedicated to the Armed Forces on Veterans` Day.

New Delhi: The Armed Forces Veterans Day was celebrated on Saturday (January 14) with great reverence and honor across the country, as on this day in 1953, the First Indian Commanders-in-Chief of the Indian Army, Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who led Indian Forces to Victory in the 1947 war against Pakistan, formally retired from the Services.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs -- Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar -- laid wreaths at the National War Memorial on the occasion of Armed Forces Veterans Day.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will preside over the 7th Armed Forces Veterans Day Celebrations by addressing an Armed Forces Veterans Rally at Jaswant Ground in Dehradun Cantonment. He will launch the Soul of Steel Alpine Challenge, a joint adventure sports initiative of the Indian Army and CLAW Global, by flagging off a car expedition from Dehradun to Ghamshali located in the Niti Valley.

To pay homage to the supreme sacrifice and dedicated service of our Armed Forces, a Shaurya Sthal developed by Uttarakhand War Memorial Trust will be dedicated to the Armed Forces on Veterans' Day. During the event, veterans will be felicitated with medals, souvenirs, and recognition certificates.

The celebrations will be held at nine locations across the country, namely Juhunjhunu, Jalandhar, Panagarh, New Delhi, Dehradun, Chennai, Chandigarh, Bhubaneshwar, and Mumbai by three Service Headquarters. The We For Veterans Anthem, an ode to our Veterans commemorating their valour and sacrifice, will be played at the events.

Chief Ministers/ LGs of States/UTs have been urged to observe Veterans' Day on 14th January in their respective States/Districts. The first Armed Forces Veterans Day was celebrated on January 14, 2016, and it was decided to commemorate this day every year by hosting events in honor of the ex-servicemen and their families.

The Armed Forces Veterans Day is a day of remembrance and appreciation for the sacrifices made by our veterans, who have served and protected our country with great valor and dedication. 

(With agency inputs)