19 September, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
19 Sep 1977: Sergeant Kenneth Rosslind from 20 Field Ambulance, South African Medical Corps was called up for a three-month camp with the Tygerberg Commando and was stationed at Oshigambo. During an informal rugby game inside Unit Lines, he was seriously injured after being accidentally kicked in the area of the liver. Suffering from internal bleeding, he was casevaced by helicopter to the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital at Air Force Base Ondangwa but unfortunately suffered a fatal heart attack while en-route. He was declared dead on arrival at AFB Ondangwa. He was 27.
19 Sep 1978: 70398417BT Rifleman John James Hearn Cloete from the Rand Light Infantry was accidentally killed in a mortar bomb explosion at the Swartland Training Area near Rundu. He was 23.
19 Sep 1980: W69152M Constable Hendrik Jacobus van Heerden from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K (Koevoet) was accidentally killed in Northern Owamboland when his Koevoet Casspir swerved to avoid cattle in the road and overturned, crushing him underneath. He was 21.
19 Sep 1983: Special Constable U. Ndiaombe from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 31.
19 Sep 1984: 81014680BG Rifleman David Schalk van der Merwe from 1 SAI died from a gunshot wound sustained as a result of an accidental discharge of a fellow soldiers rifle while at the De Brug Training Area. He was 18.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.