30 November, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
30 Nov 1978: 73241069BG Gunner Carel Hendrik Smit from 14 Artillery Regiment was killed when the military vehicle he was traveling in, overturned between Kuruman and Kathu. He was 21.
30 Nov 1981: 71310536PE Captain Abraham Jacobus Petrus de Kock from 1 Reconnaissance Regiment was Killed in Action in a premature explosion while laying demolition charges at the Oil Refinery in Luanda during Ops Kerslig. He was 26.
30 Nov 1982: 75000646PE Major Michael Albert Bondesio from 35 Squadron suffered a fatal heart attack while sitting behind the controls and flying Shackleton 1717. The aircraft was on the first leg of a long range maritime patrol from D.F. Malan Airport in Cape Town up the West Coast to Air Force Base Rooikop, flying time 08h35B to12h20B. Two of the crew members, Warrant Officers Nick Havenga and the late Frans Fourie performed CPR but to no avail. Time of death was officially logged as 12h04B. He was 44.
30 Nov 1983: 76527571BT Lieutenant Andre Viljoen from 30 Maintenance Unit was killed in a Military Vehicle accident 10 km east of Otjovazendu. The vehicle went into a corner too fast and the trailer caused the vehicle to overturn. He was pinned under the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries before help arrived. He was 23.
30 Nov 1983: 83891424SWK Rifleman Oscar Munango from 202 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. He was 24.
30 Nov 1984: 76910223SP Rifleman Kachinga Chiemba from 201 Battalion SWATF was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned in Northern Owamboland. He was 26.
30 Nov 2000: 83203422PE Major Ockert Jansen van Vuuren from 46 Brigade Headquarters was killed in a military vehicle accident at Kroonstad when a tyre burst on the vehicle he was driving, causing the vehicle to overturn. He was 33.
30 Nov 2003: Warrant Officer Phillippus Johannes Weyers from the South African Navy suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in Knysna. He was 62.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.