23 February, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
23 Feb 1978: 67334920PE Captain Andries Johannes van Ellewee from 41 Battalion Died of Wounds after being struck in the neck and face by a piece of shell shrapnel at Narubis near Keetmanshoop while standing beside an Eland 90 during live firing exercises on the 17 Feb 1978. He was immediately evacuated to the Katutura Hospital in Windhoek where he unfortunately succumbed to his wounds on 23 February 1978. He was 26.
23 Feb 1981: Rifleman Michael Roy Kemp from 3 SAI was killed in private motor vehicle accident near Whittlesea while on his way back to Potchefstroom after spending a weekend pass at his home in Grahamstown. He was 19.
23 Feb 1983: 80299613BG Private Ronald Richard Erasmus from 5 Maintenance Unit suffered respiratory failure and died in hospital. He was 19.
23 Feb 1983: Rifleman Simon Hamutenya from 101 Battalion SWATF Killed in Action during a contact with insurgents in Southern Angola. He was 23.
23 Feb 1983: 79524534BG Lance Corporal William Francis Moag from 7 SAI died from gunshot wounds accidentally sustained while stationed in the Operational Area. He was 20.
23 Feb 1984: Special Warrant Officer Lukus Likuis 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 31.
23 Feb 1986: Special Sergeant Abel Matiesta 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 36.
23 Feb 1987: Three members from 101 Battalion Romeo Mike Team SWATF were Killed in Action close to Vinticet in Southern Angola after their Casspir was hit by Soviet RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rockets when they drove into a SWAPO/PLAN Battalion ambush. They were:
78212354BT Corporal Hector Lucas Strydom. 902 SSC - RM 6. He was 24.
Rifleman Tom Job. 902 SSC - RM 6. He was 23.
Rifleman Esau Simon. 902 SSC - RM 6. He was 24.
23 Feb 1987: Two members from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) were Killed in Action and one later Died of Wounds during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. They were:
Special Sergeant Mwainbange Mwanyengange. He was 32.
Special Sergeant Johannes Naffral. He was 35.
W404222W Sergeant Christiaan Petrus Momberg. (Wounded and evacuated but died in 1 Military Hospital on 25 February 1987).
23 Feb 1988: Four members from the South African Cape Corps training Unit attached to 54 Battalion, were Killed in Action during a fierce engagement with a numerically superior force of FAPLA and SWAPO/PLAN troops in South Eastern Angola. The casualties were:
85092385PC Corporal Dawid Petersen. He was 22.
87954533CK Rifleman Joseph Brian Harker. He was 21.
87092383CK Rifleman Phillip Dawid Matroos. He was 22.
87959771CK Rifleman Alfred Snyders. He was 23.
23 Feb 1989: 87750154HF Rifleman Mhluteki Absalon Makatini from 111 Battalion died from gunshot wounds accidentally sustained in a shooting incident while in Swaziland. He was 20.
23 Feb 1992: Captain Vincent Benjamin Willian Cooke from the South African Air Force who was attached to the Ciskei Defence Force Air Wing, was killed when his MBB-BO105 Helicopter, Registration ZS-HKM from the Ciskei Defence Force, crashed while being used to assist with power line construction in Ciskei. He was 26.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.