20 March, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
20 Mar 1964: Warrant Officer Class II Barend Jacobus Taldwyn from the South African Army died after suffering a coronary thrombosis in Pretoria. He was 43.
20 Mar 1979: 75315739BG Signaller Gary Peter Necic from 2 Signal Regiment was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Johannesburg while on a weekend pass. He was 19.
20 Mar 1981: 78245727BG Seaman Derek Jerome Meyer from the 1st Marine Brigade, South African Marine Corps, was accidentally killed after being struck by a bullet in cross-fire during a first light “L” ambush training exercise using live ammunition at the Piet Plessis training area near Mosita. He was the first Marine Corps Casualty of the Bush War. He was 19.
20 Mar 1981: 01521111PE Captain Abraham Gerhardus Wilhelmus van Tonder from SAS Immortelle collapsed and died after suffering a fatal heart attack at Naval Headquarters in Pretoria. He was 50.
20 Mar 1982: Rifleman Dumba Katibelo from 201 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action near the Cut-Line during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN Insurgents. He was 23.
20 Mar 1983: Special Sergeant Atytale Amalua from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN Insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 32.
20 Mar 1984: 80325558BG Gunner Joachim Jacobus Badenhorst from 61 Mechanised Battalion Group was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned on a wet road at Tsumeb, crushing him under the vehicle. He was 19.
20 Mar 1985: 80272078BG Rifleman Jan Andries Coetzee from 7 SAI was killed in a Military Vehicle Accident on the Witbank Highway. He was 20.
20 Mar 1988: 83207522BT Corporal Gregory MacKenzie Steward from the 44 Parachute Brigade Pathfinder Company was called up for a compulsory three-month camp in March 1988. He was Reported Missing when he failed to report after participating in a Sunday night practice parachute jump at Murray Hill just north of Pretoria. An intensive search was launched and his body was eventually located an hour later and recovered. The Board of Inquiry determined that his canopy was hooked up backwards on the 3-ring circuit attached to the risers. This caused him to move away from his team and not towards them. The Board came to the assumption that Steward became confused in the dark and without checking his altimeter, he opted to cut away the main canopy. From the condition of the body and the injuries sustained, the Board determined that his altitude was approximately 400 ft above ground level at the time of the cut-away. Steward impacted the ground in a perfect post cut-away position with his left arm out in front of his head and his right hand was still gripping the reserve chute handle that he never got to pull. He was 20.
20 Mar 1989: 80635980BW Lance Corporal Phillip Swartz from 52 Battalion was killed in a private motor cycle accident at Oshakati. He was 28.
20 Mar 1994: 93771145PK Rifleman Mothusiemang Benjamin Photle from the Army Battle School took ill during a Church Service at the Unit. He was admitted to the Cordonia Hospital where he suffered a fatal heart attack and died. He was 30.
20 Mar 1995: 92672542PY Rifleman Petrus Maqalika Mosala from 21 Battalion: was accidentally killed while setting up a military display at the Rand Show when he was crushed between two military vehicles. He was 26.
20 Mar 1997: 85347524PE Staff Sergeant Hugo Johan Jacobus Cockeran from Group 30 was killed in a military motor vehicle accident at Schweizer Reneke. He was 28.
20 Mar 1997: 96704887PR Sapper Justin Trevor Watkins from the 4 Survey and Mapping Regiment, South African Engineer Corps was found dead on the Heidelberg Shooting Range with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head using his R4 rifle. He was 19.
20 Mar 1998: Lieutenant Colonel Richard Culpan from the Air Force Museum Historical Flight was critically injured when the SAAF Museum Ex Royal Rhodesian Air Force Percival Provost, Serial No. RRAF137 from the SAAF Museum Flight crashed at Air Force Base Swartkop while he was conducting an air show practice sequence. Although he initially survived the crash, he succumbed to injuries during the ensuing post-crash fire. He was 51.
20 Mar 1999: 90710096PE Lieutenant Nditsheni Mutsila from 118 Battalion was admitted to 1 Military Hospital in a seriously dehydrated condition where he subsequently died after suffering multi-organ failure. He was 30.
20 Mar 2000: 87984852PF Corporal Jerome Ignatius Mckenna from the Ordnance Service Corps attached to Eastern Province Command Maintenance Unit was found hanged in the bathroom of the servant’s quarters at his home in the Forest Hill Military Base at Port Elizabeth. No foul play was suspected. He was 30.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.