DEHRADUN: Dhruv Dahiya, 21, from Bengaluru is a fourth-generation officer. His great-grandfather fought World War-II on the Burmese and African fronts, his grandfather is a Shaurya Chakra recipient who saw action in 1971 Indo-Pak war, and his father, Commodore Shivnath Dahiya, a test pilot for Tejas, was the first to land the aircraft on INS Vikrant.
On Saturday, the 21-year-old was among 394 cadets to pass out from Indian Military Academy. He was accompanied by his father, Shivnath, and grandfather, Sajjan Kumar. The family originally hails from Haryana’s Rohtak.
Now settled in the USA, Dhruv’s grandfather flew all the way to be part of the proud moment. Kumar, who was on the frontlines during the PNS Ghazi attack, said, “My father, Tek Chand, was a captain in British military. He fought in WW-II and was away from home for five years. My mother would wait six months to receive a letter from him. He suffered bullet injuries during the war, but never gave up.”
Dhruv’s family legacy continued with his father, a chief test pilot for LCA Navy, who performed the first successful arrested landing, hot refuelling and launching of Tejas on INS Vikrant last year.
Dhruv officer hopes to follow in their illustrious footsteps. “This isn’t pressure for me, it’s inspiration,” said Dhruv, a former RIMC Dehradun graduate.
On Saturday, the 21-year-old was among 394 cadets to pass out from Indian Military Academy. He was accompanied by his father, Shivnath, and grandfather, Sajjan Kumar. The family originally hails from Haryana’s Rohtak.
Now settled in the USA, Dhruv’s grandfather flew all the way to be part of the proud moment. Kumar, who was on the frontlines during the PNS Ghazi attack, said, “My father, Tek Chand, was a captain in British military. He fought in WW-II and was away from home for five years. My mother would wait six months to receive a letter from him. He suffered bullet injuries during the war, but never gave up.”
Dhruv’s family legacy continued with his father, a chief test pilot for LCA Navy, who performed the first successful arrested landing, hot refuelling and launching of Tejas on INS Vikrant last year.
Dhruv officer hopes to follow in their illustrious footsteps. “This isn’t pressure for me, it’s inspiration,” said Dhruv, a former RIMC Dehradun graduate.