14 December, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
14 Dec 1977: 05481445PE Warrant Officer Class II Frank William Cato from 7 Base Ordnance Depot died in Bloemfontein after suffering chronic renal failure. He was 34.
14 Dec 1978: 78951472BG Rifleman Marius Anthony Diergaard from 41 Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident approximately 3km from Drimiopsis after he allegedly and unlawfully took a Landrover from the Drimiopsis Military Base and crashed after hitting a pedestrian. He was 20.
14 Dec 1979: One member from 5 SAI was Killed in Action and one Died of Wounds near Nkongo when their Platoon was ambushed by a numerically superior force of SWAPO/PLAN insurgents near a village waterhole. Some soldiers were still drawing water when the enemy opened fire with Soviet B10 Recoilless Guns, RPG-7 Rocket Launchers and Machine-guns before speeding away in vehicles. Rifleman Victor was mortally wounded and died within minutes while Rifleman Appelgryn was severely wounded when hit by a bullet that deflected off his
shoulder blade and punctured his lungs. When his mates came to assist him, he told them to leave him and deal the more severely wounded members first. He succumbed to his wounds shortly afterwards. The casualties were:
76293679BG Rifleman Willie Jacobus Appelgryn. He was 19.
76293676BG Rifleman Daniel Jacobus Victor. He was 19.
14 Dec 1980: 05192281PE Warrant Officer Class I Hendrik Lambertus Johannes Brown, Cook from Air Force Station Voortrekkerhoogte suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in Pretoria. He was 53.
14 Dec 1980: 773111352BG Rifleman Frederik Jacobus Kapp from 1 SAI was murdered in the George Civil Prison while serving a civil prison sentence for car theft. He was 20.
14 Dec 1981: 79546321BG Sapper Jan Adriaan Crous from 25 Field Engineer Squadron was Killed in Action while driving a Buffel Troop Carrier when the vehicle detonated a boosted Soviet TMA-3 Cheese mine on Oom Willie se Pad. He was 20.
14 Dec 1981: 76902311SP Rifleman Fernando Chameia from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action in a landmine explosion on the road between Ongiva and Chiede during operations in Southern Angola. He was 27.
14 Dec 1981: 68343748LL Signaler Abraham Johannes Nortje from SALNET accidentally drowned while crossing a river during a foot patrol near the Cut-line. He was 29.
14 Dec 1984: 80495583BG Rifleman Theodore Marais from North West Command was killed after being accidentally run over by a military vehicle in Potchefstroom. He was 20.
14 Dec 1989: 86635539BG Signaller Jacob Ferdinand Leonardus Kerkhoff from 5 Signal Regiment was killed in a private motor vehicle accident on the Ben Schoeman Highway, between Pretoria and Johannesburg after his vehicle left the road, overturned and struck some trees. He was 19.
14 Dec 1997: 77381614KV Major Jacobus Lodewikus Fouche from the Zastron Commando was killed in a shooting incident at the Unit. He was 35.
14 Dec 1997: 94867603PE Lance Corporal Seth Lebakeng Mhlongo from 61 Mechanised Battalion Group was accidentally killed when his Ratel overturned while navigating a sharp bend during a training exercise at the Army Battle School in Lohatla. He was 31.
14 Dec 1998: 93780336 Rifleman L L Mathitja from 15 SAI died of disease in Pietersburg. He was 37.
14 Dec 1998: 999778 Sergeant M P Mavuso from 121 Battalion was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Vrede. He was 38.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.