Field Marshal Sam Bahadur Manekshaw Passes Away
Dated 26/6/2008
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India's first Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, who is credited with crafting the campaign that led to the creation of Bangladesh after the 1971 war with Pakistan, passed away early on Friday morning in Wellington in Tamil Nadu.
Manekshaw, 94, had been battling a series of old age-related ailments. He breathed his last at the Military Hospital in Wellington, where he settled down after retiring as the Army chief in 1973.
The Padma Vibhushan and Military Cross awardee, who was admitted in the hospital for "progressive lung disease," had slipped into coma and the end came just after midnight at 0030 hours IST, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Manekshaw had developed "acute bronchopneumonia with associated complications" and was placed under intensive care four days ago after his condition became serious.
President Pratibha Patil condoled the death of the Field Marshal along with Defence Minister A K Antony who said, "In his demise, the nation has lost a great soldier, a true patriot and a noble son."
