24 October, let us pause for a minute to remember these young men from our generation who answered the sunset call.
24 Oct 1976: 74542929BG Private Ignatius Phillippus Coetzee, an Ops Medic from the South African Medical Corps was Killed in Action near Eenhana while attached to an Infantry Patrol. While walking through the bush, the sniffer dog suddenly stopped and lay down, alerting the handler of an impending danger but for some unexplained reason, Coetzee just carried on walking. He did not get far before he unfortunately stepped onto a booby-trapped Yugoslavian TMA-3 Cheese Mine and was killed instantly in the explosion. He was 18.
24 Oct 1983: 77464278PE Corporal Pedro Giovanni Torre from 7 SAI was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned at Lataba Ranch near Phalaborwa. He was 20.
24 Oct 1986: 67285361PE Sergeant Gerhardus Hendrik van der Westhuizen from the South African Corps of Military Police was killed when his military motorcycle was struck by a truck while overtaking about 8 km from Lindley. He fell under the wheels of the truck. He was 35.
24 Oct 1987: 82447087BG Candidate Officer Henry Gunston from 1 Squadron was accidentally killed in a private motorcycle accident between Viljoenskroon and Potchefstroom while on leave. He was 21.
Their names and Sacrifice have not been forgotten.