19 August, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
19 Aug 1976: 75090423PG Lance Corporal Carlos Alberto Correia Pinto Ribeiro from 1 Reconnaissance Regiment was Reported Missing in South Eastern Angola during a contact with enemy forces between Luenge and Coutada de Mucusso. He was driving a Unimog loaded with a ton or more of High Explosive. The South African Force was ambushed while the company was returning to Buffalo. His vehicle was hit by a Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket causing the explosive cargo to detonate. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. For administrative purposes, he was officially declared dead in 1983. He was 25.
19 Aug 1982: 79861365HV Rifleman R. Moses from 101 Battalion SWATF was killed in a military vehicle accident in Northern Owamboland. He was 24.
19 Aug 1984: 74221037PE Corporal Albert Ryan from 32 Battalion died of injuries sustained in a private motor vehicle accident at Port Shepstone. He was 25.
19 Aug 1988: 84276195BG Lance Corporal Raymond Victor Jagga, an Ops Medic from the Central Medical Command was assigned to F Squadron School of Armour and attached to 61 Mechanised Brigade. A ceasefire had been called between South Africa, Cuba and Angola but SWAPO/PLAN was not a signatory to this agreement. While returning from Ops Harwet, the convoy was attacked in Northern Owamboland by four SWAPO/PLAN insurgents using Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rockets. He was Killed in Action when his Ratel was struck by two of these rockets. The first rocket hit the engine while the second rocket penetrated through the side of the vehicle just below one of the windows and rifle ports and exploded, killing him instantly. He was 19.
19 Aug 1988: 84435338BG Gunner Jaco Petrus van der Merwe from 10 Artillery Brigade was Reported Missing after he went swimming in the Cunene river and disappeared. It is thought that he was taken by a crocodile. He has no known grave and remains unaccounted for. He was 20.
19 Aug 1993: 90363979BG Lance Corporal Douglas Gardiner Scott from 1 Special Service Battalion was killed when two Rooikat armoured cars were involved in a collision and overturned at Deduza. He was 18.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.