25 February, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
25 Feb 1981: 78204567BG Private Cornelius Tobias van Schalkwyk from the Dog Training Centre died in hospital at Oshakati after contracting Malaria in Southern Angola while attached to 201 Battalion SWATF as a dog handler. He was 19.
25 Feb 1982: 76926542SP Sergeant Mario Izumbu from 32 Battalion was killed in a private motor vehicle accident. He was 34.
25 Feb 1986: 74533761PE Captain Brian Du Preez from 116 Battalion was killed in a military motorcycle accident at Messina. He was 27.
25 Feb 1987: W404222W Sergeant Christiaan Petrus Momberg from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) was critically wounded in the head during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland on 23 February 1987. He was evacuated to Eenhana where he later lapsed into a coma prior to being evacuated to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. He remained on life support until declared brain dead on 25 February 1987. He was 23.
25 Feb 1988: 84385459BG Bombardier Clinton Hendricks from 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment, was Killed in Action in Southern Angola near Cuito during Operation Hooper while operating with a 61 Mechanised Battalion Group SAM-7 Anti-Aircraft team. An 82mm enemy mortar bomb landed and exploded next to his Ratel IFV just as he was exiting the vehicle to engage Angolan Air Force MiG aircraft with a SAM-7 missile, killing him instantly. He was 19.
25 Feb 1988. 73340051BT Lance Corporal Leon Francis van Wyk from Regiment Molopo was Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola when his Olifant Tank was knocked out by a Soviet 130mm field gun. He was 30.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.