One Gun Salute

My grandfather passed away, as recently as this past Thursday, the 13th of August 2009.

I was set to write an “obituary” of sorts, when it dawned on me that I wouldn’t be able to. After all, how do you write about someone you didn’t know?

I’ve stated over and over on how I’ve never been close to people in my family. It’s partly because I never lived in the same city as most of my family and it doesn’t help that most of them are complete assholes.

Now my grandfather wasn’t one of the assholes. In fact, I’ve been told he was a pretty nice guy. I just never spent enough time with him to find out. The first time I met him, I was 25 and because of past experience while I was polite, I wasn’t very interested in fostering a meaningful relationship. Not a great excuse, I know.

It’s taken me 26 years to know that my grandfather liked discussing theology and communism. Imagine that, 26 years to find out that my grandfather had some very interesting stories about Kashmir and Nehru. Stories that I’ll never hear him tell me.

I only know this because my sister’s blog post on him has all these details.

So what can I say about him? Well nothing much, but I will tell you a quick story I once heard about him, from an admirer of his.

While I’m not sure how much of this is true, I’m fairly certain at least 70% – 80% is.

This story takes place before he became Air Vice Marshall.

My grandfather was asked to go to then USSR to “test drive” some airplanes that the IAF wanted to buy. So he goes and meets with the necessary people and as is the custom, they all go to a bar to get sloshed on Vodka.

They finally vacate the bar at 5 am at which point the drunk and soon to be Air Vice Marshall decides that now is as good a time as ever to “test drive” the planes. So he jumps into a plane and puts it through a workout the likes of which were never seen before. I’m talking loops, swoops and whoops!

The Jet was his paintbrush and the sky his canvas.

He lands it thirty minutes later and recommends that IAF buy the plane, which they do.

That’s all I have. After 26 years.

On the 13th of August, I lost a grandfather I never knew.

On the 13th of August, India lost a man considered to be one of the finest Air Vice Marshall’s.

On the 13th of August, India lost a man that was awarded the “Vir Chakra” and who introduced us to the world of Russian Jets.

Finally, on the 13th of August, my Dad lost his father and all I could say is “You OK? I”m sorry man”.

I just hope that when I die, I’m able to leave half the legacy that he left behind.

There is one thing I am happy about, I know he finally found his wings again.

Tagged as: Ranjan Dutt