On the third anniversary of the National War Memorial on Friday, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari and Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar paid homage to the fallen soldiers. The National War Memorial was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25, 2019. The structure stands testimony to the sacrifices made by soldiers since India's independence. "The initiative to have school bands to perform at the NWM was taken with the objective of inculcating the values of patriotism, devotion to duty, courage and sacrifice among the school children and increasing the participation of people, especially the youth, so that they experience the various facets associated with the iconic war memorial," a Defence Ministry statement said. The monument houses the eternal flame which exemplifies the supreme sacrifice by soldiers.