Career
He was awarded (posthumously) for his contribution in Kargil War against Pakistani Army. He did his schooling at Kochi and was commissioned in 1981 after completing his training at the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, and the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications, Dehradun. He had served with the Indian PeaceKeeping Force in Sri Lanka and later with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Angola.
Citation The citation for the reads as follows Gazette Notification: 113Pres/98,15-8-99 Operation: Vijay - Kargil Date of Award: 1999 Citation: During "Operation Vijay", Lieutenant Colonel Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan was the Second-in-Command of 18 Grenadiers, which was conducting operations in the Tololing area of Drass sector.
He displayed rare valour in closing in on enemy positions under prohibitive enemy automatic fire and intense artillery shelling, thus taking the enemy by complete surprise along a very difficult approach and terrain at an altitude ofover 15,000 feet. During the attack, Lieutenant Colonel Vishwanathan sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
In spite of being severely injured he refused to be evacuated and exhorted his troops to press on further. He charged through enemy defences destroying three enemy positions and eliminated four intruders single-handedly in a close hand-to-hand combat.
Due to his efforts, the battalion could secure afoothold on the enemy location which later facilitated capture of Point 4590.
He however succumbed to his injuries making the supreme sacrifice for the nation in the best traditions of the Indian Army.
