Thaththi – A Legacy of Integrity & Grit
This took a while to write because it is hard. Thaththi passed away on 25th November 2025 after a month in hospital. He fought for many years with the demons that war veterans have to deal with and unfortunately this country has little help for people like him. But through it all, what was clear at his funeral and after, was what he stood for as a person – his forthright nature, leadership & integrity.
His most famous incident was in 1989 where he stood upto Ranjan Wijeratne – State Minister for Defence at the time – refusing to assassinate 3 people who were in custody. Ranjan insisted he leave the Army as a result and because the Army Commander at the time did not stand by his man who did the right thing, Thaththi had to leave after 20 years of service. This incident is what made him and broke him. Because the Army was his life. Thaththi served with a sense of duty and honour that precious few possess. It is an old world honour that I do not agree with but I came to understand. Yet politicians and the like did not appreciate it, so he had to leave the place he called home and enter corporate life where he did well too.
Yet again, while working for an infamous business magnate, they tried tricking him into smuggling diamonds from Dubai to Sri Lanka. My father refused. And again, his supervisor (son of a well known army general and former Army Commander) did not stand by him and asked him to leave.
I remember Thaththi saying how again, he was condemned for doing the right thing. Yet he knew his conscience was clear. Thaththi did not bring the army home – we had a no violence policy at home – no hitting or gun toys. He cooked for us, taught us about nature, cared for animals and led a seemingly normal life.
Thaththi and Ammi
Thaththi teaching me to ride a bicycle. Ammi took this picture.
When he was in hospital, we realised how many people looked upto him and it was pleasantly surprising. Thaththi was the last person to talk about himself as a great achiever and to hear such good things about him was heartening and at the same time inspiring. From his time in school where he was a national swimmer and water polo player to his days training cadets in Diyatalawa, mission to recover the black box from the Dutch Martin Air crash in the Seven Virgins to Vadamarachchi operation to numerous stories of fearlessness and commitment. You have to meet people of this calibre to understand that the old guard were built of different stuff. It wasn’t the best for them but it held duty and honour above all else and one has to admire that level of commitment. It is not easy and it takes great grit, will power and physical strength.
Thaththi willingly admitted himself to the Army hospital this time and here they gave him the best care possible. From the Army Commander to all the doctors, nursing staff, Gemunu Watch officers, former commanders and officers who did everything for him, they really stood by their own and cared for Thaththi in a way that made us realise the Army gives community to its own. Though he fought hard, it was his time to go and be at peace. I told him the day before he passed that whatever he chooses, we would still love him and thanked him for everything he has done for us. When leaving the hospital I saw a rainbow in the pond water – a sign as if to say that everything would be ok.
Thaththi at his 75th birthday lunch.
Thaththi’s only wish was that he have a military funeral and the Army gave him the best send off which would have made him happy. After all these years, it was like he went home to die. To go back to the place he called home – the Sri Lanka Army.
Thaththi’s military funeral with the Army Commander Lt. Gen. Lasantha Rodrigo
For those who want to vilify soldiers and the military and dismiss them as barbarians – understand that they are human beings too. If you knew what they endure because of what they have had to face, you would spare the enmity that a civilian sitting at home can afford to do – looking at one side of the picture. Many are the men who suffered for what they did and they did it not because they were Ted Bundy’s in uniform but because it was their duty to do so. Hate if you will, the politicians and spineless leaders who allow for such wars to take place and the ruthless business people who make money peddling people’s lives for profit.
Brig. Hiran Halangoda, Gen. Lalin Fernando and Thaththi
Thaththi with Lt. Col. Sunil Peiris & Gen. Lalin Fernando
Thaththi lived and died on his own terms – independent, forthright and honourable. He was a simple man with few possessions and yet his legacy will live on. He was to his siblings Punchi or Col. Cockbeak, Thaththi to us, Boththa to his friends and Brig. Vipul Botejue to countless others whose lives he touched. In a world full of pompous people full of their own importance, Thaththi was a true rare gem. He was stubborn and difficult but it stemmed from a place that was not malicious or cruel.
Thaththi with his mother Letitia and brother Mayura.
Thaththi with his mother Letitia and sister Chandanie
Thaththi with his sister Dineli and brother Mayura.
He taught me that leadership flows from the top down – a man who believed and lived this phrase. In my own life, in many instances (even now) where I have had to deal with snakes wearing veneers of sanctimonious humbuggery, I have come to realise the value of such people. True leadership was never about a uniform and a gun or a polo shirt and a big car. It is about a value system, moral compass and a commitment to be true and honest and acting that way. That has been subverted in a world full of social media fame, sycophancy and monetary arrogance. This is why I believe sharing Thaththi’s story is important – not because he was my father but because he was a true example of leadership and integrity.
Thaththi’s final farewell at sea – scattering his ashes with rose petals.
Scattering Thaththi’s ashes at sea with former Navy Commanders Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne and Admiral Priyantha Perera with Thaththi’s Second in Command Brig. Hiran Halangoda.
Rest in peace and love Thaththi. Your legacy lives on. And your Lutupoocha will hold that flame and pass it on.
