Bhubaneshwar: A martyrs' memorial, set up in the premises of the Sainik School at a cost of Rs 15 lakh in memory of 13 of its old students who had laid down their lives for the country, was dedicated to the nation by the Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Bhubaneshwar today (Dec 12, 2004).

The martyrs included two brothers, Prakash and Pradeep Sahoo, both flight lieutenants in the IAF (Indian Air Force), who died while piloting their MIG aircraft long ago.

The presence of Kanchan Lata Sahoo, the mother of the two heroes, at the dedication ceremony provided a poignant touch to the occasion.

While Prakash died on this day in 1971 while protecting the Delhi sky during the Indo-Pak war after refusing to eject from the MIG plane, as it would have endangered the thickly populated areas of the city, Pradeep met the same fate as his brother while performing acrobatics six years later.

Mukherjee congratulated the mother of the two brothers who made the supreme sacrifice for the cause of the nation.

The memorial has been set up by the old boys' association of the Sainik School, which was set up in 1971.