11 April, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
11 April 1979: 76204841BG Signaler Gerhardus Johannes Jacobus Senekal from the Grootfontein Headquarters Signal Unit attached to 52 Battalion was critically wounded while sitting on his bed at the Unit. A fellow soldier came into the bungalow, put a magazine into his rifle, cocked the weapon twice and pulled the trigger as the weapon was being put down. A shot went off, critically wounding Senekal in the head. He was immediately evacuated to the hospital Trauma Unit in Grootfontein but was declared dead on arrival. He was 19.
11 April 1980: 77264414BG Rifleman John Edward McEwan from 5 SAI was Killed as a result of a gunshot wound, accidentally self-inflicted while attached to Alpha Company, 5 SAI. His platoon had just been deployed to Ruacana and Concor Dam. After Klaarstaan at the Ruacana Airfield, one of his mates indicated to John that the ejector mechanism on his R1 rifle was not functioning. John fiddled with it, cocked the weapon and fired it with the rifle butt still on the ground. A bullet struck him in the head, killing him instantly. He was 18.
11 April 1982: 79464954BG Sapper Brian Robert Gibbs from 2 Field Engineer Regiment attached to the Army Battle School was killed instantly at Olifantshoek after receiving multiple shrapnel wounds in an accidental rifle grenade explosion. He was 19.
11 April 1982: Special Constable Pedro Sakaria from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN Insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 28.
11 April 1986: Special Constable Matias Vilho from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN Insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 26.
11 April 1991: 72422603PS Major Robert Michael Turner from 85 Combat Flying School was killed when his Atlas MB326KM Impala Mk II, Serial Number 1041 suffered engine failure while on final approach to land at Air Force Base Pietersburg. By the time he ejected from the stricken aircraft, he was already amongst the trees and was killed instantly. He was 34.
11 Apr 1992: 83066217BW Corporal Frederick Bantom from 9 SAI was murdered after being stabbed in the heart at Rocklands by an unknown civilian. He was 25.
11 Apr 1992: 86061488PC Sergeant Joey Standers from 5 SAI died from multiple injuries sustained in a private motor vehicle accident at Colenso. He was 27.
11 Apr 1994: 91662908PK Rifleman George Mmuso Motsitsi from 2 Special Service Battalion died at Nietverdiendt Military Base from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he had returned to the Unit from being AWOL. He was 21.
11 April 1996: 94833761PV Trooper Serame David Nyareli from 1 Special Service Battalion was critically injured in a collision between two Ratels at Richards Bay. He sadly succumbed to his injuries while en-route to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. He was 22
11 Apr 1998: 91742833 Sergeant G T Madumo from the South African Army was killed in a military motor vehicle accident while traveling on an unauthorised trip. He was 27.
11 Apr 1998: 90703760 Sergeant Moses Pule Mohlomi from the South African Army was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Verkeerdevlei. He was 27.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.