President Gotabaya Rajapaksa paid his last respects to the late Air Chief Marshal Pathman Hariprasadha Mendis, the first Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
President Rajapaksa visited the private funeral parlour in Mount Lavinia this morning (19) and expressed his condolences to the family members after paying last respects.
Beginning his career as the Fifth Apprentice Officer of the Royal Ceylon Air Force, Mr. Mendis became the first Sri Lankan to be trained as a Pilot Instructor and Flight Instructor in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Hariprasadha Mendis was appointed as the fourth Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force in 1971. The Royal Ceylon Air Force became the Sri Lanka Air Force in 1972 in which he was the first Air Force Commander.
Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Ministry Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Jagath Alwis and Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana accompanied the President.
