11 August, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Final Roll Call.
11 Aug 1964: 52640 Corporal Marthinus Hermanus Johannes van Staden from the Army Service Corps died as a result of ethyl alcohol poisoning in Pretoria. It appears that he took his own life and no foul play was suspected. He was 37.
11 Aug 1977: 75495432BA Rifleman Michael Gerrard Lemmer from 2 SAI was killed during a training exercise near Otjiwarongo. He left the confines of the Temporary Base (TB) during the night and on returning, was accidentally shot dead by the Bren Gunner who mistook him for a SWAPO/PLAN insurgent who were known to be operating in the area at the time. He was 18.
11 Aug 1981: 70011598PE Staff Sergeant Pieter Bernardus Myburgh from Eastern Province Command collapsed and died after suffering a fatal heart attack in Port Elizabeth. He was 36.
11 Aug 1982: 77251593BG Private Lesley Coetzee from Air Force Base Ysterplaat was killed in a private motorcycle accident in Cape Town. He was 21.
11 Aug 1984: 81006520BG Private Francois Visser from the Technical Service Corps Training Center was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Fountains in Pretoria. He was 19.
11 Aug 1992: 87599767BT Private Abraham Burger De Bruyne from the Northern Cape Command Workshop was killed while returning to the Unit from a weekend pass. He was walking along the Highway on the yellow line when was struck by a passing truck near Winburg. He was 24.
11 Aug 1994: 92071042PY Rifleman Thebe Andries Sekhute from 3 SAI fatally wounded a member of the South African Police and wounded another unknown woman during an argument at Ikageng in Potchefstroom before turning the gun on himself. He was 28.
11 Aug 1996: 89736813KV Private Griffiths Sipho Luthuli from Natal Command was called up for a compulsory military camp in June 1996 when he took ill and was admitted to St. Aiden's Hospital in Durban. He remained in hospital until he died as a result of pneumonia and septicaemia on 11 August 1996. He was 25.
11 Aug 1998: 78474277KV Lieutenant Colonel Johan George de Klerk from the Lindley Commando was killed in a military motor vehicle accident in Bethlehem. He was 36.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten