Chandigarh, September 15

The Army’s Western Command commemorated its 75th Raising Day at Chandimandir military station with a series of events.

Lt-Gen Nav K Khanduri, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, laid a wreath at the Veer Smriti war memorial today.

Gen JJ Singh, former Chief of Army Staff; Lt-Gen Vijay Oberoi, former GOC-in-C, Western Command; and Lt-Gen Khanduri also released a First Day Cover.

The celebrations started with a cycling expedition which returned to Chandimandir on September 13 after covering a distance of 2,000 km in 18 days. The awarenss expedition visited 16 stations of the Western Command in five states.

Raised on September 15, 1947, as the Delhi and East Punjab Command, it was given the immediate charter to ensure the safe transit of people from both sides of the border following Partition. This was followed by deployment in Kashmir against the Kabaili-led Pakistan attack.

Redesignated as the Western Command in 1948, its headquarters moved from Delhi to Shimla in 1954 and then to Chandimandir in 1985.