Larry Wijeratne
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Larry Wijeratne USP | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 |
| Died | 14 May 1998 (aged 47–48) Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
| Allegiance |  Sri Lanka |
| Service |  Sri Lanka Army |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Unit | Sri Lanka Artillery |
| Commands | Commanding Officer 51-4 Brigade |
| Battles / wars | 1971 Insurrection Insurrection 1987-89 Sri Lankan Civil War |
| Awards |  Uttama Seva Padakkama Desha Putra Sammanaya |
Major General Larry A.R. Wijeratne USP, SLA (1950 – 14 May 1998) was the former Brigade Commander of 532 Brigade based in Jaffna.
Early life and family
[edit]He completed his education at Nugawela Central College. At school, he excelled in both studies, sports alike and was a Queen's Scout. His wife was Brigadier Indira Wijeratne of the Sri Lanka Army Legal Branch[1][2] and he was the father of two sons, Bhagya[3] and Dulanjaya.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]After leaving school he joined the army as an officer cadet and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Artillery. During his career he held many positions within the army including that of instructor at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa (now the Sri Lanka Military Academy). He had been awarded the Uttama Seva Padakkama, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal, North and East Operations Medal, Purna Bhumi Padakkama, Operation Wadamarachchi Medal, Riviresa Campaign Services Medal, and 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal for his service during the course of his military career.
Brigadier Larry Wijeratne was appointed as commanding officer of 51-4 Brigade at Vadamarachchi in Jaffna in 1997.
Death
[edit]On the last day of his duty assignment he was killed by an LTTE suicide bomber[4] at Velvetiturai in Jaffna on 14 May 1998, when he attended a Jaffna traders' felicitation lunch just before leaving on transfer as deputy commandant of the Kotelawela Defence Academy. Brigadier Larry Wijeratne was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major General.[5]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Kangaraarachchi, Ramani (17 February 2002). "13 new Brigadiers". Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "Senior SLA officer killed". TamilNet. 14 May 1998. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ de Silva, Shelani (17 May 1998). "Jaffna people need me, they have no one". Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "Jane's Sentinel examines the success of the LTTE in resisting the Sri Lankan forces". Jane's Security. 4 September 2000. Archived from the original on 15 August 2001.
- ^ Jeyaraj, D.B.S. (11 November 2023). "Sinhala Brigadier Who Won the Hearts and Minds of Tamil People". Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- THE DRIFT IN JAFFNA: THE URGENCY OF A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT & THE IMPORTANCE OF LARRY WIJERATNE'S LEGACY., THE UNIVERSITY TEACHERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, JAFFNA (UTHR(Jaffna)) Sri Lanka
- Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1998 Asia Overview
- Tigers send a deadly message, By Sudha Ramachandran
- The LTTE and suicide terrorism[usurped]
- The Larry Wijeratne That I Knew