11 December, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
11 Dec 1971: 6244 Flight Sergeant Solomon Joubert, a South African National was serving in as a Drill and Physical Training Instructor in the Rhodesian Air Force and was based at Thornhill. He was accidentally killed when he fell 400ft to his death while climbing the Chimanimani Mountains at Melsetter during an outbound training course. He was 30.
11 Dec 1975: 72372642BA Sapper Alfred Robert Willemse from 2 Field Engineer Regiment Died of Wounds received at the Battle of Bridge 14 on 10 December 1975 during Operation Savannah. He suffered severe brain damage after being critically wounded in the head and was casevaced from the battlefield to the Forward Army Surgical Hospital at Cela in Central Angola where he underwent emergency surgery and kept under observation until his condition had stabilised sufficiently after which he was airlifted from Cela back to AFB Rundu together with five other wounded soldiers.
On 11 December 1975, he was flown from Rundu back to the RSA but unfortunately, he succumbed to his wounds while the flight was still en-route to Pretoria. He was 19.
11 Dec 1978: 75475988BA Lance Corporal Vivian Charles Evert from 5 SAI was accidentally killed while recovering a broken down pantry Bedford near Glencoe. He was 19.
11 Dec 1982: 79694212CK Lance Corporal Johnny Alvern Booysen from the South African Cape Corps drowned at Rundu during an off-duty excursion. He walked fully clothed into the Okavango River and was swept away by the river flow. He was 21.
11 Dec 1982: 79409348BG Rifleman Paul Labuschagne from 8 SAI was killed at Eenhana when struck by a bullet resulting from an accidental discharge of a fellow soldier’s rifle. He was 19.
11 Dec 1983: 76470889BG Signaler Gary Bresler from 2 Signals Regiment was killed instantly after being struck by lightning during a training exercise at Sabie. He was 23.
11 Dec 1983: 75231506PE Lieutenant Eugene Werner Nel from Infantry School was killed in a private motor vehicle accident near Oudtshoorn. He was 24.
11 Dec 1983: 81228116BG Rifleman Pierre Hanekom from 8 SAI was Killed in Action near Chiede in Southern Angola while carrying out a daily inspection of an SADF minefield that was laid to prevent insurgent infiltration from the North. During this inspection, one of the claymore mines was accidentally triggered and exploded, killing him instantly. He was 18.
11 Dec 1984: 66323593PE Captain Carel Petrus van der Merwe Brand from Sector 30 was killed in a military vehicle accident on the Kamanjab to Erwee Road in South West Africa. He was 34.
11 Dec 1984: 83823542SCB Sapper D.A. van Wyk from 1 SWA Engineer Regiment, attached to 102 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in the Koakoveld. He was 18.
11 Dec 1990: 85543981BG Private Rudi van Rooyen from the Ordnance Service School was accidentally killed at Bloemhof while refueling a convoy en route to Cape Town when he was run over by a diesel bunker vehicle. He was 21.
11 Dec 1990: Rifleman Johannes (Kangombe) Vimango from 32 Battalion died from causes unknown at Pomfret. He was 47.
11 Dec 1992: 87728333HJ Rifleman Stanley Mashego from 7 SAI was critically wounded at the Injaka Base near Bosbokrand as result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest using his private pistol. He was admitted to the Bosbokrand Hospital where he later succumbed to his wounds. He was 23.
11 Dec 1993: 90419342PE Lance Corporal Frans Johannes Boshoff from the Technical Service Corps Training Centre died as a result of multiple injuries sustained in a private motor vehicle accident at Parys while on a weekend pass. He was 19. Both his parents were killed in the same accident.
11 Dec 1998: 93730919 Lance Corporal I.L. Lekhetho from 1 SAI was shot dead in Bloemfontein by persons unknown while off duty. He was 26.
11 Dec 1998: 90757808 Pioneer V. W. Masuku from the Lentz Military Base was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Orange Farm. He was 46.
11 Dec 1999: 90086430KV Lance Corporal Richardo Marchell Roberts from the Hantam Commando lapsed into a coma and died when he suffered an allergic reaction after apparently being bitten by a spider while he was standing guard duty at the Unit. He was 24.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.