There was never a dull moment when Vasanth was around. His uncle Rajagopal Kadambi says the colonel was very proud of his job and often spoke about his experiences in the army.
'He was a brave warrior of the Indian Army who led from the front in the true spirit of the army,' General J J Singh had said after Colonel Venugopal's death in battle.
His friends describe him as a good soldier and an excellent family man. The manner in which he managed both his professional and personal lives never ceased to amaze family and friends.
His friends in the army speak of his valour on the battlefield, his acts of courage testimony to the fact that he cared for his country, regardless of his life. While back home in Bangalore, he was the quintessential family man -- helping his daughters polish their shoes and sending them to school every morning.
An alumni of the MES college, Bangalore, the colonel was the second son of his parents who faced another tragedy three years ago when their elder son died of an illness.
Grieving at the loss of another child, his father makes a valiant effort to confront the situation in the true spirit of a military family -- just the way his beloved Vasanth would perhaps have liked him to. "I had a brave son who always wanted to be at the front," he says.
When the government announced the Ashok Chakra, his wife said, 'None could change his track. He was a true soldier.'
A day before his death, the colonel called his wife and told her he was going on a mission. He told her she would hear from him soon. Sadly, that was not to be. 'I wish I could tell him about this honour. I am happy that his efforts have been recognised although I feel an immense loss,' she said on receiving the Ashok Chakra.
Colonel Vasanth Venugopal, India salutes you.
Image: November 7, policemen seek cover during a gun-battle in Pattan some 30 km north of Srinagar. Three soldiers and a suspected terrorist were killed while six soldiers were injured during the operation. Photograph: Rouf Bhat/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: This soldier died for us
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