03 March, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the sunset call.
03 Mar 1957: J/4744 Sapper Leslie William Henderson from 2 Field Park Squadron, South African Corps of Engineers accidentally drowned at the Lakeside Dam in Potchefstroom. He was 19.
03 Mar 1964: 6107503 Rifleman Brian Ivan Dummer from the Tygerberg Commando was killed in a military vehicle accident in Bethlehem. He was 19.
03 Mar 1972: 69409662 Private André Kruger from Services School was killed in a private motor cycle accident in Lynwood, Pretoria. He was 18.
03 Mar 1978: 05073960PR Warrant Officer Class I Willem Johannes Nel from the Orange Free State Command Headquarters died in 3 Military Hospital as a result of liver and heart failure. He was 56.
03 Mar 1980: 77338259BG 2/Lieutenant Abel Daniel Kotze from School of Artillery was found critically wounded at the Modderfontein Shooting Range in Potchefstroom with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head administered with his R1 Rifle. He was airlifted to 1 Military Hospital where he sadly succumbed to his injuries shortly after admission. He was 19.
03 Mar 1980: 78913183SP Rifleman Manuel Yenga from 32 Battalion was Killed in Action when he triggered a Soviet POMZ-2M Anti-Personnel Picket Mine booby trap inside an enemy bunker near Naulila during Operation Makalani. He was 25.
03 Mar 1981: 76499474PE Lance Corporal Jacques Oscar Bakker from the School of Technical Training was killed in a private motor vehicle accident in Pretoria. He was 21.
03 Mar 1983: Special Constable Sam Lyambo 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 26.
03 Mar 1983: Two members from 32 Battalion were killed in a private motor vehicle accident in the Caprivi Strip. The casualties were:
76927946SP Corporal D. Estima. He was 33.
77880383SP Lance Corporal Loa Verckys. He was 29.
03 Mar 1985: 77505808PE Sergeant Gregory James Marais from 32 Battalion accidentally drowned in the Hartebeespoort Dam while on official vacation leave. He was 23.
03 Mar 1986: 82228875BG Lance Corporal Antoine Jordaan from the Orange Free State Command Maintenance Unit Provost Unit was killed as a result of an accidentally self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head while playing with his 9mm pistol in the Duty Room at the Military Police Unit in Tempe. He was 19.
03 Mar 1988: 84430420BG Rifleman Jean-Pierre Du Preez from 3 SAI died after contracting Meningitis. He was 19.
03 Mar 1992: 83238444PE Corporal Martinus Cornelis Pellikaan from the Personnel Services Corps attached to Witwatersrand Command died in his sleep at his private residence after apparently choking to death. He was 25.
03 Mar 2001: 93717361PF Rifleman Tshola Joshua Mokoena from 1 SAI was killed in a military vehicle accident at Ladybrand. He was 30.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.