Admiral Dawson was a different spirit: Associate

BANGALORE: Friends, relatives, musicians, serving and retired armed forces officials and scientists went down memory lane capturing their fond memories and contributions made by their beloved sailor Admiral Dawson.Indian Navy Commander-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Kochi, Vice Admiral KN Sushil told Express from Kochi that Dawson was an inspiring military leader. “As he rest his oars, the Navy remembers him in gratitude for his great contributions to the growth of the Indian Navy. A lot of what we see in the Navy today was the result of his vision including the INA at Ezhimala,” he said.Former Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral (Retd) Ram Pream Suthan says that Admiral Dawson will be remembered for a long time for his uprightness. “He was a very straight officer, who pioneered in building the infrastructure for the Indian Navy,” Suthan said.“It is a great loss to India with the demise of Admiral Dawson. He was a man with a great mission and always carried inspiring thoughts,” Sitanshu Kar, Ministry of Defence, Principal Spokesperson, New Delhi, told this paper over phone.To Air Vice-Marshal (Retd) Ajit Lamba, former Commandment, Aircraft System Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bangalore, Admiral Dawson was a very simple. “He was a gentleman to the core and was a very talented officer. We will all miss him for a long time to come,” said Lamba.The doctors and nursing staff at the Command Hospital, Bangalore, say that Admiral Dawson was a great fighter even during his last days. “He was a legend and an institution himself with great integrity. He was a source of inspiration for all the men in uniform.”Funeral with honours todayThe funeral of former Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson, who passed away in Bangalore on Sunday morning, will be held on Tuesday. The funeral service will be held at 10.30 am at St John’s Church in Cleveland Town. Later, the burial will be held at the Kalpalli Military Cemetery (Gate No 2) around 12 noon. Naval sources told Express that Admiral Dawson will given a funeral with full military honours. “A detachment of Indian Navy has already arrived from Karwar.”