Car Facts – you may not know

The Facts About Bottled Water

Courtesy - OnlineEducation.net

20 Things That Happen In 1 Minute

Courtesy - OnlineEducation.net

Kailash ka Khazana

Kailash Dhir had writen and recited a very nostalgic poem at the 30th reunion dinner party. Here it is again… in pdf format.

Kailash ka Khazana

Celebrating 30 years for SS28

Welcome Sign at Station Arty Mess

We celebrated our 30th reunion recently. And created history. Not just for ourselves, but also for the rest of the courses, past present and future, to be inspired by the sheer number of attendees. We celebrated a number of things on those hot and humid last days of August. Besides the 30th anniversary of our being commissioned into the finest organization of India, we celebrated, and tested our abilities to remember. We celebrated memories. We celebrated our days at OTS. We celebrated our associations pre and post OTS. And, during these days we also learned a lot. From each other. We learned after 30 years we can still remember faces. Though some of us needed a little bit of prodding. We learned from Vijay Vasudev what a heartfelt pain endurance is. We learned from Sanjeev the skill and determination of leadership. We learned from Girish and BB how painful and rewarding data maintance can be. We learned from Solankey how to open not only your business but your heart as well. We learned from VPS Mann how to stay fit and look the same after 30 years. We learned from V Diwakar that open front shirts are still in vogue. We learned from David Selvaraj that paani mein abhi bhi jalta hai mera … We learned from Jagdish Murthy that no one, he means NO ONE, could out CL him in OTS. Seshadhri showed us he can still play the drums. While Dhir showed us the skills of his poetry. We learned from Kukkar the art of staying the same. We learned from Shakti what popularity means. We learned from Udai what rallying the troops mean-from US, even though he knew he could not attend. We learned from Rajeev Sharma what coming from down under means. We learned from Naushera 7 what maximum attendance means – without Munish Kapur. We learned from each and every one of SS-28 and Tech 19 what we mean to each other. Thanks to Gurmeet, Bal, Kulwant, VK, Anirudh, JD, Roberts, Jasrotia, Bisht, Dilip, Gojendro, Nupi, Rajsher, Sukhi, KB, Jha, Soninder, Saini, Harpal, Yash, Ahluwalia, AKs, Tyagi, Melville, Dutta, Datta and Verma and Sharma and Kumar and Singh and Ram and every one else of OUR COURSE.

Above all, we learned what spirit, dedication, associations, history, camaraderie, friendship and a sheer ten months can mean in THIRTY years of separation.

I hope we can pass some of this to our children!

Thanks to everyone for making this milestone a stepping stone for many more such reunions in the future.

Geetinder

geeti.ss28@gmail.com

PHOTOS…

Muster Roll Call -2

MORE TREASURED DOCS

Thanks to Arun K. Singh

The Journal OTS Page-01

The Journal OTS Page-02

The Journal OTS Page-03

The Journal OTS Page-04

The Journal OTS Page-05

The Journal OTS Page-06

The Journal OTS Page-07

The Journal OTS Page-08

The Journal OTS Page-09

The Journal OTS Page-10

The Journal OTS Page-11

The Journal OTS Page-12

The Journal OTS Page-13

The Journal OTS Page-14

The Journal OTS Page-15

The Journal OTS Page-16

The Journal OTS Page-17

The Journal OTS Page-18

The Journal OTS Page-19

The Journal OTS Page-20

The Journal OTS Page-21

The Journal OTS Page-22

The Journal OTS Page-23

Muster Roll Call

TREASURED DOCS

Thanks to SUKHI SEKHON

Army Gazette-1

Battalion Notes-1

Battalion Notes-2

Battalion Notes-3

Movement Orders from OTS-1

Movement Orders from OTS-2

Movement Orders from OTS-3

Movement Orders from OTS-4

Movement Orders from OTS-5

Movement Orders from OTS-6

Nominal Roll-1

Nominal Roll-2

Nominal Roll-3

Nominal Roll-4

WIRED

Recent sightings of two or more 28ers… we stay WIRED!!!

Geetinder Harjinder & Udai

Harjinder & Udai

Udai-Post Knee Surgery

Rajeev & Shakti

Shakti Rajeev & Geeti

Langda Udai & Geetinder

Udai Geetinder and Shakti

Bala Udai and Geetinder

Bala and Udai

SOLDIERS – The Faceless Stars of Our Universe

Photos courtesy: Boston.com and Denverpost.com

High Res Images

Some High Resolution images – Geoeye.com

Washington, D.C.-Geoeye.com

Hong Kong, China-Geoeye.com

Inauguration 2009-Geoeye.com

Las Vegas Hilton-Geoeye.com

Taj Mahal, Agra, India-Geoeye.com

Venice, Italy-Geoeye.com

Two Amazing Stories

Two TRUE stories worth reading, and too good not to share!

STORY ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed “Easy Eddie.” He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie’s skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn’t give his son; he couldn’t pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al “Scarface” Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of dignity.  To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great.

So, he testified.  Within the year, Easy Eddie’s life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read:

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.
Now is the only time you own.
Live, love, toil with a will.
Place no faith in time.
For the clock may soon be still.


STORY TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.  One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were all gone on that sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn’t reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.

There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber’s blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O’Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch’s daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy’s first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.

His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O’Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O’Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch’s memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It’s located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O’Hare was the son of Eddie O’ Hare, otherwise known as…  ”Easy Eddie.”

Sack Lunch

There are a few versions of the following story that surfaced around Veterans Day of 2008 in the US. Here is one. Thanks to Paranjit Ahlawat and SM Soni for bringing this to my attention.

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought.
Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. ‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. ‘Chicago to Great Lakes Base. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Iraq ‘
After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached Chicago, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.
As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to Chicago ‘
His friend agreed.
I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. ‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’
Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, ‘Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’
‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. ‘This is your thanks.’
After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty-five dollars.
Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’
Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.
When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!
Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.’
Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.
It seemed so little…

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America ‘ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’ That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.’

A HERO Remembered

Major Somnath Sharma - PVC

Great Reads

Some great thought provoking writings…

Reaction of Pakistani media – LOL

Then there is this carefully drafted statement from Pakistan. Thanks to Paramjit Ahlawat.

Thanks Gaynelle for your help with the conversion.

We WILL lose again…

We WILL lose again…

…unless we understand who the enemy is.

Politicians are NOT the enemy. Pakistan is.

Yes, our inept, disconnected, emotionless and corrupt politicians, the ones we love to elect and re elect, were caught sleeping at the wheel, again. They are NOT the enemy. They simply are a necessary evil of a democracy. Not saying that we should tolerate them, instead this is a good time as any to introspect and strategize as to how we can start to elect our representatives and not leaders. When and how did we get brainwashed into calling them our leaders? They are our representatives in the Sabhas. They are us. Not ahead. Not above. Simply one of US. Yes, heads should roll. Many heads should roll. The answer does not lie in electing the other party or even retaining the current one. They are all hungry jackals. The answer lies in electing the ones who can do their job or be ready to face charges for failing. Accountability is the key element. Simple resignations and reshuffling should not be acceptable or tolerated.

Muslims are NOT the enemy. Pakistan is.

Let’s not call this Muslim fundamentalism or Islamic terrorism or brand it in a religious garb. Sikhs have had terrorists. Hindus have had their share. So have Christians and Jews and every known community. This is Pakistan against India. The attack on Mumbai was not against Marathas or North Indians or against Hindus or Sikhs or Muslims. It was against India and Indians. Not by Muslims. By Pakistan.

This was NOT a terrorist attack. This IS war.

This was a deliberate attack across shores, by men trained by soldiers, with military weapons and equipment, with detailed planning and execution. Which country can have ‘terrorist camps’ for years with complete and unlimited access to weaponry? Which country can deny existence of such ‘camps’? Pakistan. Who else? Which country can believe those lies? Again and again? Which country can take no action? Again? The answer obviously is INDIA.

This is NOT free press. This is deception.

The media is once again busy with the ‘who to blame machine’. The media will once again steer the mindset of the people. The media will once again appear ‘responsible’ and ‘on your side’. While carefully and craftily removing the blame from Pakistan on to OUR direction. The media WILL report and attempt to convince us that a lot is done to avoid the next attack. People were ‘asked’ to resign. Reshuffling of portfolios took place. Candlelight memorials were held. They will even have live coverage of memorials (bound to happen) in Pakistan. And, in the end our what-to-do will only be attached to who screwed-up and not who screwed us. We Indians, the press should know, can do more than one thing at a time. The heads can roll and concrete action towards the aggressor, Pakistan, can and should be taken. The next big news ticket will be Condi Rice’s visit to India and then India, with TV all over in agreement, will decide to step back from military action against Pakistan. Complete with assurance from US to leash its rabid mutt-Pakistan. India will once again (with a big help from our three biggies-media, bollywood and cricketers) suck up and wait for the next one. Life will go on, unchanged, for the ones who did not lose a loved one.

Geetinder

Pakistan Attacks…

Taj Hotel - Picture Jockey Dot Com

… innocent civilians. Pakistan attacks… hotels, train stations, petrol stations, religious centers.

As usual Pakistan unleashed it’s might with a few men. The best it can do!

The dastardly attack is nothing new to either India, on the receiving end or Pakistan, on the execution end.

The following images speak volumes of the Pakistani state sponsored evil. The images also speak volumes of the suffering of innocents. They speak volumes of our resilience and resistance. They of course also speak volumes of the selfless and brave men in uniform from NSG, fire department, Mumbai police and all other departments who worked tirelessly for over 60 hours to fight the menace that finally needs to be eradicated. Once and for all!!

WARNING: Some photos are graphic.

Just for Kicks!!

Just for Kicks!! is a post to… well just lighten up!

So, please contribute.

WARNING! Some articles are just satire… don’t blame me if it tickles your sensibilities.

Tujh mein rab dikhta hai…

Chinese mein!

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Bachchans review the upcoming SARKAR

Photo: REUTERS/Stringer

Two thumbs up? Nah... Three fingers. Three middle fingers!!!

Randy Pausch – The Last Lecture

I know this does not have any linkage to any military service… but, the sheer inspirational value is astoundingly overwhelming!

Also please visit Randy’s Home Page http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

Read TIME magazine’s 10 questions http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1729708,00.html

Randy Pausch - Rest In Peace

An absolute MUST SEE.

Vintage Army Uniforms

Here is a set of vintage uniforms of various regiments. Perfect for printing and framing …