Smith Dun - A black and white photo of a man with a mustache

The first Commander-in-Chief of the Burma Army following independence from Great Britain. An ethnic Karen, he was born 11 November 1906 near Bassein and graduated at the top of his class at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. He was decorated during the war against the Japanese. His appointment as Commander-in-Chief was an important symbol of the Union's commitment to a mutli-ethnic future. In February 1949 however (following the KNDO rebellion) he was removed and replaced by General Ne Win. He lived a quiet retirement in Maymyo and Kalaw until his death in 1979.