Belagavi: Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi, former Vice Chief of Army Staff, passed away at the Chandigarh Army Hospital on Sunday after a brief battle with an ailment. He was 84.Commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry in June 1961, Gen Oberoi lived the regiment’s motto, Duty, Honour, Courage, every day of his life. In 1965, while serving with the Marathas in J&K, he was grievously wounded and lost his right leg. Undeterred, and never allowing his disability to interfere with his duty to the motherland, he continued to serve with distinction for over 40 years. He later had the rare honour of being appointed Colonel of the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, guiding the regiment he loved so deeply to greater laurels.His appointments included Director General Military Operations, Army Commander of Army Training Command ARTRAC, and Army Commander Western Command. He retired as Vice Chief of Army Staff on Sept 30, 2001. A graduate of the US Army War College and Military Adviser to Malaysia, he was known for his dedication to national security and soldier welfare.Post-retirement, he devoted himself to service beyond uniform. As founder-president of War Wounded Foundation and founder-director of Centre for Land Warfare Studies CLAWS, he fought for dignity and financial independence for war-disabled soldiers. War-disabled soldiers should be treated on a par with martyrs, he often said. At 72, he ran the Mumbai Marathon on his prosthetic leg to prove that spirit never retires.A prolific writer and soldier-scholar, his works include numerous articles, military essays, and books. But beyond ranks and books, he will be remembered for his courage, humility, and unwavering commitment to the soldier and to the Maratha Light Infantry.He is survived by his wife Daulat Oberoi, who stood by him since his disability days as a beacon of light for many Maratha and other families, his daughter and his beloved regiment.
