Joginder Singh Dhillon

Lieutenant General Joginder Singh Dhillon (19 November 1914 – 20 November 2003) was an Indian military officer and the first recipient from the military to be awarded India's third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, for his role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, where he was the general officer commanding the XI corps.

Career Dhillon served overseas in the British Indian Army after his 1939 graduation with honours from Thomason Engineering College in Roorkee. His active service during World War II occurred in Burma, Iran and Iraq, following which he spent some time at the Staff College in Quetta. He served as commander of a field company in Malaya during 1945–1946 and then briefly of another in Surabaya.

Role in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War Dhillon, as commander of XI Corps, was responsible for the Punjab sector during the 1965 India-Pakistan War. He is credited in producing and conducting the battle plan that destroyed or captured over 100 superior Pakistani battle tanks, turning a potentially dangerous defeat into victory, as the Pakistani tanks were poised to head for the Beas Bridge and then on to Delhi. The citation given for the award was as follows:

Following the war, Dhillon was promoted to Army Commander of the Central Command, from where he retired on 4 August 1970.

Dates of rank