29 April, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
29 April 1972: 68231133PE Private Willem Jacobus Fourie from 1 Air Depot was killed in a private motor vehicle accident on the Freeway near Westville, Durban. He was 19.
29 April 1977: 74410606PE Hercules Petrus Opperman from 61 Base Workshop, Technical Service Corps was killed in a private motor vehicle accident when his vehicle drove into the rear of a stationary truck on the N1 Highway near Hammanskraal. He was 19.
29 April 1977: 73203580BA Signaler Johannes Petrus Smith from the Army Gymnasium was killed in a private motor vehicle accident on the Potchefstroom to- Vereeniging road after he apparently fell asleep at the wheel of his vehicle. He was 19.
29 April 1978: Two members from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment were accidentally killed at Fort Rev, the Special Forces Launch Site located inside Air Force Base Ondangwa when an explosive device they were preparing for an external operation, detonated prematurely. A piece of wood dislodged by the explosion, hit Corporal Eayrs on the temple and although he actually replied to his 2IC after the explosion as to his condition, he soon lost consciousness and died shortly thereafter. The two casualties in this unfortunate incident were:
05251004PE Warrant Officer Class 1 Johannes Lambertus Conradie HC VRM. He was 34.
71312235PE Corporal Cecil James Eayrs. He was 23.
29 April 1979: 75508234BG Sapper Lodewyk Marius Christoffel Lubbe from 2 Field Engineer Regiment was killed in a Private Motor Vehicle Accident between Bethlehem and Senekal. He was 19.
29 April 1980: 78120854PD Rifleman S.D. Ernesto from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment was Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces while on operations in Southern Angola. He was 25.
29 April 1980: 76301712BG Rifleman Albertus Johannes Oosthuizen from 1 SAI was killed in a military vehicle accident in Bloemfontein. He was 19.
29 April 1983: 82579855BG Rifleman Tjaart Jacobs from 6 SAI was accidentally killed when a bunker wall collapsed on top of him. He was 20.
29 April 1984: Rifleman Antonio Paulus from 101 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 26.
29 April 1987: 84210426BG Lance Corporal Paul Douglas Elliot Hayes from the South African Medical Services College, was killed in a private motor vehicle accident. He was 20.
29 Apr 1990: 85288595 Corporal Vince Carl Pieterse from 68 Air School was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Pretoria. He was 21.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.