Not at all forgetful of gallantry, bravery and supreme sacrifices they made in the battlefield and how they battled against the enemy at the risk of their own lives, legs and limbs with the sole objective of safeguarding democracy and the freedom we enjoy today, General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, hours before the dawn of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on April 13 afternoon visited the ‘Abhimansala' (wellness resort) where a group of severely wounded and permanently incurable dependent War Heroes are receiving rehabilitation and recuperation for the remainder of their lives. This was made known via the official Sri Lanka Army website today (14). Showing his fatherly affection after a while, each of those handicapped War Heroes was separately awarded a Tab and a gift parcel of essentials to symbolize the importance of the festive spirits after visiting their cottages and wards. At the same time, taking into account the tireless roles of by-standers and helpers of those handicapped War Heroes at 'Abhimansala' , the Commander of the Army gifted each of them with a mobile phone in appreciation of their roles on behalf of those wounded War Heroes, the website mentioned. Giving prioritized attention, General Shavendra Silva who himself sustained injuries in the battlefield interacted with those handicapped War Heroes at this wellness resort and intimately inquired into their well-being, progress in therapeutic treatment and other concerns, associated with their family members. " Being myself a member in the fight against the division of our motherland, you all, many of you even beyond the call of duty, remained in the battlefield dedicatedly and committedly in order to achieve peace, freedom and comforts we all enjoy today, and you fearlessly defended the territorial integrity of the country at the expense of your organs, a sacrifice truly invaluable and many would not dare to do at all. You are now permanently confined to a bed, away from your loved ones and family members while others lead their normal lives since your loved ones are not capable of managing with your disability at home fronts. But remember a vast majority of right-minded and grateful people of this country, I am sure, will remain indebted to you forever and would treasure memories of your unmatched fighting spirits which brought durable peace to this land of our forefathers," the Army Chief told those recuperating War Heroes. " As you know, some narrow-minded people with short memories tend to forget and neglect some of you while belittling what you achieved for this country through your blood and sweat, although there are thousands to claim victory after our selfless sacrifices proved the capabilities and capacity of our troops. You all wanted to rid the country of 30 year-long terrorist menace for the next generation and for those yet to be born and our valiant tri forces jointly and unitedly stood by all Sri Lankans and paved the path for culmination of the devastating war once for all. So much so, even today, our troops when national emergencies, like floods, disasters, catastrophes, etc strike us, we are there within minutes. Look at how our troops contributed to the fight against the most recent COVID 19 pandemic and how quarantine arrangements and other needs, etc were supplied and national agenda implemented within hours, if not days," the Army Chief during the interaction with 'Abhimansala' War Heroes remarked. Major General Champaka Ranasinghe, Commander Security Force Wanni, Brigadier Shiran Ekanayake, Director Rehabilitation, Brigadier Jeewan Gunarathne, Commandant Abhimansala Anuradhapura, several Senior Officers and Officers were associated with the visit.