31 August, let us pause for a minute to remember the following young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
31 Aug 1965: P/54466 Air Mechanic (Pilot Under Training) Johannes Jurie Delport was killed when his AT-6 Harvard, Serial No. 7694 crashed near Ermelo during a solo night navigation exercise. He was 21.
31 Aug 1976: 05516950PE Captain Jack Steven Cloete from the Danie Theron Combat School was killed when his military vehicle overturned at Wolmaransstad. He was 36.
31 Aug 1977: 75575688BA Rifleman George Frederick Morkel Langenhoven from 4 SAI was killed in a military vehicle accident at Alldays. He was 18.
31 Aug 1979: 76356120BG Sapper Leon Lambert from 2 Field Engineer Regiment, attached to 5 Military Works Unit at the Army Battle School in Lohatla, was accidentally killed when the Bedford truck in which he was traveling as a passenger, overturned 30 km outside Vryburg on the Lothatla to Vryburg road after the vehicles front tyre burst. He was 18.
31 Aug 1979: 71301907BG 2/Lieutenant Frederick Francois de Wit from 2 Signal Regiment was accidentally killed at Carolina in a non-military related incident. He was 23.
31 Aug 1980: 72462153KV Rifleman Izak Gabriel Du Plessis from Noordvaal Commando was killed in a private motor cycle accident while on duty. He was 24.
31 Aug 1983: 80493505BG Rifleman Pieter Frederik van Eeden from 1 SAI was accidentally killed at the General De Wet Training Terrain in Bloemfontein when he picked up an unexploded 40mm High Explosive "Snotneus" grenade in the veld. While he was handling the device, it exploded, killing him instantly. He was 19.
Their names and sacrifice have not been forgotten.