On 26 July, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Final Roll Call.
26 Jul 1968: 66516303PE Candidate Officer Bruce Spafford Human from Central Flying School Dunnottar was killed when his AT-6 Harvard, Serial No. 7378 crashed near Balfour while on a routine solo general flying training sortie. He was 19.
26 Jul 1973: 71224497BM Rifleman Joseph Petrus Hermanus Viviers from 3 SAI accidentally drowned while his patrol was crossing the Kavango River. His foot got stuck between rocks in deep water and by the time assistance arrived and he was freed, he had already drowned. He was 18.
26 Jul 1979: 73288854PE Corporal David Michael Muller from 2 Special Service Battalion was critically injured on 23 July 1979 when his Land Rover overturned approximately 8 km from Jozini. He sadly succumbed to his injuries in 1 Military Hospital on 26 July 1979. He was 22.
26 Jul 1981: 81529000PN Lance Corporal Michael Steven Hadlow from 44 Parachute Regiment Pathfinder Company was Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Northern Owamboland. He was 25.
26 Jul 1981: Two members from Jozini Military Base were killed when their military vehicle overturned near Jozini. The casualties were:
78321718BG Corporal Rory Clyde Joliffe. He was 19.
80891278HG Rifleman Samuel Matenjwa. He was 28.
26 Jul 1989: 86640760PE Private Johannes Gysbertus de Klerk from 5 Maintenance Unit was killed in a Military Vehicle Accident 15 km south of Tosca. He was 18.
26 Jul 1991: 90705880HG Rifleman Mohapi Petrus Mdakane from 21 Battalion suffered critical head injuries after he was accidentally run over by a Samil 20 at Lenz Base and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Baragwanath Hospital. He was 23.
26 Jul 1992: 89254726BG Rifleman Jannie Johannes Shepherd from 1 SAI was killed in a private motorcycle accident in Bloemfontein. He was 19.
26 Jul 1997: 95067500PE Corporal Cenamosi Elias Maseko from 9 SAI was killed in a military vehicle accident in Bellville. He was 27.
26 Jul 1998: 91659029 Sapper J T Morenammele from South African Corps of Engineers died of disease at Witsieshoek. He was 35.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten