27 February, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
27 Feb 1973: 69354843N Candidate Officer Cornelis Ferreira Oosthuysen from 1 Special Service Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident in Bloemfontein. He was 19.
27 Feb 1974: 67486977BC Rifleman Hendrik Minnaar Pienaar from 1 Parachute Battalion was found dead at the Unit with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 22.
27 Feb 1976: 65540650E Captain Frederick Johan Greyvenstein from 82 Stores Depot died at his home in Eerste Rivier from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was apparently involved in a motor vehicle accident with his Military R-Vehicle just prior to this incident. He was 27.
27 Feb 1980: 70523410BT Rifleman Leon Grobler from 2 Parachute Battalion Died of Wounds in 1 Military Hospital. He was critically wounded on 20 February when he detonated a Soviet POMZ-2M Anti-Personnel Picket Mine during a hot pursuit follow-up on a SWAPO/PLAN Special Group operating in the Farming area near Tsumeb. His femoral artery was severed and he was immediately evacuated by Puma Helicopter to the hospital in Grootfontein before being evacuated to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria where he underwent successful surgery. Unfortunately, on 27 February 1980, the wound started bleeding again during the night and by the time this fact was detected by medical personnel, he had already suffered severe blood-loss and unfortunately succumbed to his wounds. He was 25.
27 Feb 1981: 78230679BG Sapper Gerhardus Arnoldus Taljaard from 2 Field Engineer Regiment died in 1 Military Hospital suffering from a serious lung infection. He was 18.
27 Feb 1982: 81553539SP Rifleman Peter Williams Hayfeni Naikaku from 32 Battalion was attached to the 32 Battalion Reconnaissance Wing and was used as a guide for their External Operations. During Ops Olyfhout, two SAAF Impala Jets were tasked in error to carry out a search and destroy interdiction mission over the 32 Battalion area of operations even though the area had been classified as a "frozen area". The low level flying aircraft picked up the tracks and later came across the vehicles that were immediately strafed with 30mm DEFA Cannon fire. Rifleman Hayfeni Naikaku was struck in the head and killed instantly. A Buffel Troop Carrier and a Kwévoël were also destroyed in this attack. He was 29.
27 Feb 1984: 80406630BG Lance Corporal George Diederick Vorster from the North West Command Provost Unit was accidentally killed on the Klerksdorp to Potchefstroom Road while carrying out convoy escort duty. His military motor cycle was struck by a Buffel Troop Carrier travelling in the convoy and the vehicle drove over him. He was 19.
27 Feb 1986: Special Constable Thomas Amunyongi 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 25.
27 Feb 1987: 84387265 BG Sapper Norman Cecil van der Leeuw from 5 Military Works Unit at M’pacha was accidentally killed after falling off the back of a moving truck at Katima Mulilo. He was 20.
27 Feb 1988: 83708255SP Rifleman Antonio Luis Cambinda from 32 Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident at Rundu. He was 22.
27 Feb 1988: Special Warrant Officer Felix Creneus 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 29.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.