Hansabai Shirodkar, 84, widow of Sepoy Govind Shirodkar; Badlapur, Kr Prabhakaran Unni Nair, 96, former havaldar; Goregaon and Daisy Anthony Menezes, 84, widow of Air Force Radio Operator Anthony Menezes; Santacruz

Old, frail and world-weary, 246 surviving World War II veterans in the state will raise their hand in salute to the Indian Flag on the country’s 68th Republic Day tomorrow. But several of them live disillusioned. Struggling to get by on a pension of R3,000, they not eligible for the minimum pension that class 4 state government employees receive -- a handsome Rs 20,000.