Remembrance Day ceremony held at Cenotaph War Memorial, Viharamahadevi Park
 

The main ceremony to commemorate war heroes who paid the final sacrifice for motherland was held under the patronage of the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Hemasiri Fernando at the Cenotaph War Memorial of the Viharamahadevi Park yesterday (11th November). The Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe was also present on this occasion.

The commemorative ceremony organized by the Ranaviruseva Authority in coordination with the Ministry of Defence was also attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Sumangala Dias, former tri-service commanders, retired senior officers of the armed forces and a large number of officers and other ranks from the tri-services.

At the outset a two-minute silence was observed in honour of the war heroes and venerable Maha Sangha conducted religious observances transferring merits on the combatants killed in action and invoked the blessings on the differently abled war veterans. Thereupon, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, tri-service commanders, family members of war heroes and distinguished guests left floral tributes in memory of all the brave souls who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of the motherland.

The solemn rituals of the event came to an end with a bugle call-last post followed by other military honours in tribute to the sacrifices of all servicemen who had laid their lives for the country.

To coincide with the main event, the Sri Lanka Navy also held Remembrance Day ceremonies today at the Naval Headquarters in Colombo, in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Rear Admiral Piyal De Silva and other naval areas under the patronage of respective Area Commanders and Commanding Officers. Naval personnel attached to all naval establishments, ships and craft participated in these ceremonies to pay tribute to the fallen war heroes.