17 September, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
17 Sep 1962: P/2933 Warrant Officer Class 1 Johannes Jacobus Squier Heunis from 91 Ammunition Depot collapsed and died after suffering a fatal heart attack while in Pretoria. He was 45.
17 Sep 1974: W27654K Warrant Officer Johannes Petrus Breytenbach from the South African Police died from a gunshot wound to the head, accidently sustained in a shooting incident at the Chizarira Game Reserve situated East of Binga in the Kariba Area while he was serving in Rhodesia. He was 45.
17 Sep 1980: 76454842BG Rifleman Adriaan Christoffel Ackerman from 7 SAI was accidentally shot dead by a fellow member while stationed at Nkongo Base. He was 20.
17 Sep 1981: 78547817BG Rifleman Gerhardus Johan Myburgh from 1 SAI, attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group was accidentally killed while on the ground at Omuthiya during a training session for the benefit of a T.V. Crew. A Ratel 20’s wheel went into a hole in the ground at the exact moment the Ratel gunner fired while the vehicle was moving forward. The sudden downward movement of the vehicle moved the Ratel gun off its original line of fire and he was accidentally struck by a 20mm projectile. He was 19.
17 Sep 1981: 78422318BG Trooper Diederick Arnoldus Steyn from 2 Special Service Battalion was critically injured in a military vehicle accident on 7 September 1981 and succumbed to his injuries on 1 Military Hospital on 17 September 1981. He was 19.
17 Sep 1982: 74283698BG Corporal Luther Johannes Botha from the Northern Transvaal Provost Unit was killed in private motor cycle accident in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. He was 23.
17 Sep 1984: 78912367SP Corporal C Paulo from 32 Battalion was accidentally smothered and suffocated during a training exercise. He was 28.
17 Sep 1987: 75584912PC Sergeant Rudolf Morris from the South African Cape Corps died from a stab wound received during an altercation with a fellow soldier while at the Touwsriver Training Area. He was 29.
17 Sep 1991: 88235353BG Rifleman Louis Johann Swart from the Dog Training Centre died from the effects of smoke inhalation while assisting to extinguish a veld fire at Bourkes Luck. He was 19.
17 Sep 1998 93663565PV Rifleman Thaloki John Kanyane from 7 South African Infantry Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident in Bloemfontein when the brakes on the vehicle failed and the vehicle overturned. He was 25.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.