20 October, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
20 Oct 1977: Three crew members of 15 Squadron “A” Flight and one passenger from the SAAF 250 Air Defence Artillery Group (250 ADAG) were killed and two more passengers seriously burned when their Super Frelon Helicopter, Serial Number 303, crashed in the mountains on the farm "Leyden" at Sheepmoor near the border with Mozambique and Swaziland while flying in dense fog and mist. The helicopter was returning to Pretoria from a 250 ADAG missile firing exercise at St. Lucia. The casualties were:
05533781PM Captain Don Bezuidenhout (Pilot and Aircraft Commander). He was 31.
72523244PM 2/Lieutenant Dawid Petrus Burger (Co-Pilot). He was 21.
05501481PE Sergeant Willem Adriaan Jacobus van der Merwe (Flight Engineer). He was 33.
05460308PE Commandant Gert Hermanus Jacobus Strydom van Rooyen from 250 ADAG (Passenger). He was 35.
One of the survivors, Flight Sergeant E. Scheepers from 250 ADAG (Passenger), despite being injured and grievously burnt over 95% of his body, walked several kilometers until he eventually found help at a road construction camp. For his utmost devotion to duty, he was awarded the Pro Merito Decoration. The other survivor was Corporal David Jones (Passenger), also from 250 ADAG.
20 Oct 1979: 75460600BG Rifleman Deon Botha from 1 Reconnaissance Regiment was killed in a military vehicle accident between Mariental and Hardapat when his vehicle left the road and overturned. He was 20
20 Oct 1979: 76337104BG Sapper Gerhardt Wagener from the South African Engineer Corps was killed after being accidentally run over by a military vehicle at Bossiespruit. He was 19.
20 Oct 1980: 79000717PN Major John Kendrick Murphy from 1 Reconnaissance Regiment (former member of the United States Marine Corps, Rhodesian Light Infantry, Rhodesian Special Air Service and Selous Scouts) was accidentally killed when his parachute failed during a practice training jump at Westonaria. Major Murphy was an American Citizen so his mortal remains were later repatriated back to the United States for re-burial. He now rests in the Ponte Vedra Beach Cemetery, St. Johns County, Florida, USA. He was 37.
20 Oct 1980: Two members of 32 Battalion were killed when their Buffel Troop Carrier overturned while traveling between Buffalo Base and Rundu. They were:
76927300SP Lance Corporal Alfred Jose Mindo. He was 24.
76928712SP Rifleman Jaquin Francisco. He was 24
20 Oct 1981: 77548576BG Corporal Peter Andrew Chapman from 8 SAI was Killed in Action when his Buffel Troop Carrier detonated a boosted landmine in Northern Owamboland. He was 20.
20 Oct 1981: 05198635PR Warrant Officer Class I Jan Debbes from Sector 10 Headquarters at Oshakati suffered a heart attack and died in the Sector 10 Sickbay. He was 57.
20 Oct 1983: 80830623SP Rifleman Joao Augusto from 32 Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident at Linus Shashipapo. He was 29.
20 Oct 1983: 79462594BG Private Johan Beyers Human from the South African Medical Corps was killed instantly when his private motor vehicle overturned at Delareyville. He was attached to the Army Battle School at the time and was travelling from Lohatla to Pretoria on leave pass when the accident occurred. He was 20.
20 Oct 1986: 81069643BT Rifleman Christiaan Marthinus Arnoldus Adam Venter from Regiment Oos Rand was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned at Ellisras. He was 20.
20 Oct 1987: 84583194BG Private Pieter Smartryk Steenkamp from the Army Intelligence Corps attached to Special Forces Headquarters was killed in a private motor vehicle accident when his vehicle collided with a tree. He was on official duty at the time of the accident. He was 19.
20 Oct 1987: 84269836BG Trooper Herman Ziemkendorf from 2 Special Service Battalion was killed when his Eland 90 armoured car overturned at Siftersnek near Zeerust during training exercises in the area. He was 19.
20 Oct 1988: 76906940SP Lance Corporal Elizio Jose da Silva Veiro Neto from 32 Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident at Ombalantu. He was 34.
20 Oct 1989: 86494614BG Lance Corporal Pieter Johannes Kleu from 1 Parachute Battalion was killed in a private motor vehicle accident on the old Warmbaths Road near the Wonderboom Military Base while on a weekend Pass. He was 19.
20 Oct 1998: 94800992PE Corporal Mawande Ntlakana from Group 46 Headquarters was killed in a military vehicle accident at Burgersdorp. He was 23.
20 Oct 1998: 89105225 Rifleman T J Mkhwanazi from 121 Battalion died of disease in the Eshowe Hospital. He was 37.
20 Oct 1998: 94800992PE Corporal Mawande Ntlakana from Group 46 was killed in a military motor vehicle accident at Burgersdorp. He was 31.
20 Oct 1998: 467822 Petty Officer Robert Edward Vine from Naval Base Simonstown took his own life at Southfield. He was 34.
20 Oct 1999: 94206182PV Private Leonard Jongiziswe Tyatyeka from 101 Field Workshop was killed while driving an ambulance and a tyre burst at Postmasburg causing him to lose control of the vehicle which then overturned. He was 28.
20 Oct 2000: 97075659PF M. Yaphi from 6 SAI was killed in a military vehicle accident at Maclear while traveling as a passenger in a Samil 20 when the driver lost control of the vehicle on a slippery road and the vehicle overturned. He was 25.
Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten.