Kalipillai Gopinathan Nair is “only 100 years old.” And in this ‘short’ span, he cruised the seas as part of the Navy, fought in World War II, and survived deadly attacks by the Germans.
Sitting cool in the portico of his son’s house in Thiruvalla, Mr. Nair recalls how a strong thirst to travel when just 19 led him to join the Great Britain’s Royal Navy as soon as he finished schooling. This urge was probably why he stayed long with the Navy and traversed most land masses on earth, except the American continent.
Sharing moments from his sailor life, Mr Nair recalled the horrible hours on a Christmas eve when the ship he was bombed by the German air force in the Atlantic during WW II. “A few of us survived the attack in which our ship was destroyed and we were rescued to the Southampton port on the Christmas day,” he says. After the attack, King George VI visited the port to congratulate the survivors and even hosted a dinner for them at the Buckingham palace.
Their father has often treated them to such WW II stories with a humour and memory that remains untouched by age, recalls his children.
Mr Nair celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday. His children—Dr B.G. Gokulan, an Ayurvedic Opthalmologist; Geetha and Gayatri, retired teachers; artist Giridharan, and Dr C.G. Gangadharan— arranged a simple celebration for him at home.
As he cut a cake and lit the ceremonial lamp, his grandchildren and great grandchildren joined online from different parts of the country to wish him.
Later on Tuesday, the Chief of Southern Naval Command A.K. Chowla called him up and Lt Commandant Arun from Cochin Naval Base called on Mr Nair with a birthday present and felicitated him on behalf of the Indian Navy.
No lifestyle diseases trouble this centenarian. Despite serving the Navy for a long stint of nearly three decades, Mr. Nair remains a teetotaller and a pure vegetarian for the past several years, says Dr Gokulan.
Mr. Nair attributes his good health to regular exercise and a disciplined lifestyle. “Born in 1920, I am only 100 years old,” he quips.
