22 December, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
22 Dec 1956: P/3729 Warrant Officer Class II James William van der Nest from 83 Technical Stores Depot in Grahamstown was found dead with a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head that was administered using his .303 Rifle. He was 44.
22 Dec 1977: 75519041BG Rifleman David Herculaas Wilters from 4 SAI Died of Wounds in Northern Owamboland. Stationed at Ombalantu, he was part of a Section of ten men on a standard ten day patrol in the Yati Strip and was responsible for operating the 60mm Mortar together with Rifleman Kevin Adank on this particular patrol. The patrol set up a TB in a shona for the night that offered perfect protection as well as the circular shape allowing the men to spread out around the circumference. At first light on the morning of 22 December 1977, the section leader had woken up and gone to relieve himself approximately 50 m away from the TB. As he returned to his sleeping bag position, SWAPO/PLAN insurgents launched a full scale attack on the TB position using RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket Launchers, machine-guns and AK-47 automatic rifles. The mortar position received a direct hit from a Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rocket leaving David Wilters critically wounded in the chest while Rifleman Kevin Adank was wounded in the left shoulder and arm by rocket shrapnel. The Ops Medic could do little for David so he read to him from an English Bible until David succumbed to his wounds 5 minutes later. He was 18.
22 Dec 1977: 72481989PE Lieutenant Kurt Gagiano from 35 Battalion (later 101 Battalion SWATF) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents near the Cut-Line. He was 21.
22 Dec 1979: Rifleman Antonio Cuvemba from 32 Battalion was found stabbed to death at Buffalo Base by persons unknown. He was 32.
22 Dec 1980: 05055008PR Warrant Officer Maurice Edward Segar from Naval Base Simonstown collapsed and died after suffering heart failure. He was 62.
22 Dec 1982: 68517044BT Private Pieter Johannes Jordaan from 92 Ammunition Depot was killed in a private motorcycle accident near Witbank while off duty. He was serving a compulsory 30-day camp at the time of his death. He was 30.
22 Dec 1989: 85457695BG Private Johannes Bornman from the North West Command Workshops, Technical Service Corps, died in 1 Military Hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm. He was 20.
22 Dec 1990: 90069287CK Rifleman Michael Charles Muller from the South African Cape Corps died at Umgababa from a gunshot wound, accidentally self-inflicted. He was 20.
22 Dec 1993: 92252402BG Rifleman Jan Karel Erasmus Coetzee from Infantry School was killed in a private motor vehicle accident on the Robertson Pass, near Mossel Bay. He was Absent Without Leave (AWOL) at the time of his death. He was 18.
22 Dec 1998: 94970571 Rifleman J.M.M. Stokkie from the Lentz Military Base died of disease in Sharpville. He was 27.
22 Dec 1998: 93460509 Rifleman L.J. Tsoeu from Group 36 Headquarters died of disease in the Unit Sickbay. He was 33.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.