28 December, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
28 Dec 1971: 69210524 Seaman Johannes Petrus Gerhardus Botha from SAS Simonsberg was killed in a private motor vehicle accident between Reddersburg and Bloemfontein when his vehicle collided with a bridge and overturned. He was 18.
28 Dec 1978: 74215088BG Rifleman David Louis Porter from 1 SAI was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Pietermaritzburg while on leave pass. He was 20.
28 Dec 1979: 77509859BG Sapper Mark John Cockcroft from 1 Construction Regiment, South African Corps of Engineers was killed in a private motor vehicle accident on the Kroonstad to Henneman road while on a weekend pass. He was 18.
28 Dec 1983: 82475815BG Trooper Norman Walter Niemand from 1 Special Service Battalion attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, was Killed in Action in Southern Angola when his Ratel 90, Callsign 33C was struck by a Soviet 122mm BM-21 High Explosive Katyusha Rocket during an enemy bombardment whilst in laager with an Artillery Section during Ops Askari. He was 19.
28 Dec 1986: 84525856BG Private Hein Pontius Coetzee from 1 Maintenance Unit was killed in a Private Motor Vehicle Accident when his vehicle was involved in a head-on collision on the freeway near Kempton Park. He was 18.
28 Dec 1994: 75629675PE Warrant Officer Class II Phillip Koen from Group 8 Headquarters suffered a fatal heart attack in his home in East London while on official leave. He was 52.
28 Dec 1997: 87765103 Lance Corporal M.D. Plaatjie from Group 36 Headquarters was killed in a private motor vehicle accident at Zastron when his vehicle was involved in a collision with a military Samil 20. He was 25.
28 Dec 2002: 92950971 Rifleman Johannes Roberts from 9 SAI accidentally drowned in the base swimming pool at Bujumbura while carrying out United Nations peacekeeping duties in Burundi. He was 29.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.