28 May, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
28 May 1970: 68413343BA Private Bartholomeus Stephanus Diedericks from the Technical Service Corps was killed in a military vehicle accident. He was 18.
28 May 1978: 74287186BG Candidate Officer Stephanus Rudolph Strydom from the Infantry School Instructor Group was killed while stationed at Grootfontein after being struck by a bullet resulting from an accidental discharge of a fellow soldier’s rifle. He was 20.
28 May 1979: Special Warrant Officer David Gabriel from the SWA Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) was driving from Ondangwa to Oshakati and gave a lift to a man who, unknown to him, was a SWAPO/PLAN insurgent. Halfway to Oshakati Warrant Gabriel stopped alongside the road to relieve himself, leaving his FN rifle in the vehicle. The SWAPO/PLAN insurgent took the FN rifle, shot him dead and then fled the scene. He was 36.
28 May 1983: 79254371BG Lance Corporal Frank Pieter Leendert van der Bijl from 101 Field Workshops was killed after he accidentally fell under the wheels of a moving Samil truck. He was 20.
28 May 1984: 81307423BG Signaller Daniel Hendrik Klue from the South African Corps of Signals was killed in a military vehicle accident at Olifantshoek. He was 19.
28 May 1985: 74595992BC Lieutenant Michael Robert Borthwick from the Personnel Services Corps was killed in a Military Vehicle Accident on the Pietersburg Highway. He was 27.
28 May 1985: Two members from the SWA Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) were Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. They were:
W403850R Constable Johannes Jurgens Vos. He was 20.
Special Constable Frans Bajiyu. He was 24.
28 May 1986: 82581489BG Trooper Johann Pretorius from 1 Special Service Battalion was Killed in Action when his Eland 90 armoured car detonated a landmine near the Cut-line. He was 21.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.