It was a hero’s homecoming, though not the way his parents and siblings would have liked it to be. It was a moment of agony, and of pride too, for his ageing parents and siblings when the national flag-draped coffin carrying the mortal remains of 2nd Lt. E. Thomas Joseph, who died fighting Naga rebels in 1992, were brought home with full Army honours for a religious funeral at his home parish, nearly a quarter of a century after his heroic fall.
Joseph died after the Naga extremists ambushed his vehicle. Thirteen persons, including three officers, had died in the action. Joseph’s body was buried at the Army cemetery at Chakabama in the presence of his father A.J. Joseph. His body could not be brought home then because of problems posed by extremists. On Thursday afternoon, his body, accompanied by his parents and siblings, was brought to Kochi.
A sea of humanity thronged Ezhacherril House at Kanjiramattom, near Pala, when the body was brought home. Present there were Brig. Michael A.J. Fernandez, commandant, 91 Infantry Brigade, those from the 9th Battalion Madras Regiment, and Joseph’s batchmate Col. Shamsher, now with the NCC Battalion Kochi. There was a contingent of ex-servicemen to pay their last respects to the martyr.
By 10 a.m. on Friday, the body was taken to the Holy Cross church where 2nd Lt. Joseph was given full State honours and also the guard of honour by the 9th Battalion Madras Regiment before being re-interred at the family vault.
Subedar Major A.J. Joseph said he was overwhelmed by the support and affection extended to him, his wife Rosamma Joseph, and their two daughters by his son’s colleagues in the Indian Army. “It was unbelievable and we do not have words to express our feelings,” he said.
Alumni’s crucial role
It was an alumni meet of the 1991 batch at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) that decided to identify the family of Joseph who was the first fallen hero of their batch.
