The 7th annual memorial General Deshamanya Denis Perera oration organized by the Association of Retired Flag Rank Officers (ARFRO), was delivered by the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Sumangala Dias at the Sir John Kotelawala Defence University Yesterday(11th August 2019).

Air Marshal Dias delivered the memorial oration under the theme of “The Role of Defence Establishment in Facing New Threat Dimensions while ensuring National Harmony”. 

Tri Service Commanders and a large gathering of both serving and retired officers of tri-services and relatives of General Deshamanya Denis Perera participated at the event.

The late General Deshamanya Denis Perera, a past student of St. Peter’s College, served as the Commander of the Army from 1977 to 1981. Following his retirement from the Army, he was appointed as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia. Later, he became the Chancellor of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. In honour of his commendable service to the nation, he was awarded the title of Deshamanya by the Government of Sri Lanka in the year 2000.