On 04 July, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
04 Jul 1956: Flight Sergeant Reginald Rice Sutherland from 1 Air Depot suffered a brain haemorrhage and died while under anaesthetic in the Pretoria Hospital. He was 49.
04 Jul 1974: 70418850N Trooper Jan Albertus Kotze from 1 Special Service Battalion was killed in a Military Bedford Vehicle Accident in Eastern Caprivi. Jan was the tenth soldier to Die on Service and the eleventh soldier to die in the Bush War. He was 19.
04 Jul 1976: 01219575 Colonel Floris Albert Patterson from South African Army Headquarters died from the effects of a serious stroke that he suffered while at work in 1970 that left him partially paralysed. He was medically boarded in 1970. He was 48.
04 Jul 1979: 76246891BG Rifleman Balthazer Johannes Carolus van der Walt from SWA SPES, SWATF was killed when his Buffel Troop Carrier overturned near Ruacana. He was 19.
04 Jul 1979: 76245695BA Rifleman Carlo Johannes Kotze from 1 SAI attached to 61 Mechanised Battalion Group was critically injured in a military vehicle accident at Otjiwarongo on 03 July 1979. He was evacuated by air to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria where he sadly succumbed to his injuries on 04 July 1979. He was 19.
04 Jul 1981: 77203321BG Rifleman Pieter Adriaan van Niekerk from 6 SAI was accidentally killed in cross-fire between two SADF patrols while engaged in a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola during Ops Carnation. He was 20.
04 Jul 1981: 78461714HO Rifleman B. Twabulamayo from 701 Battalion SWATF was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents East of Nkongo. He was 20.
04 Jul 1983: 66437336PE Staff Sergeant John Christian Anthony Oliver from 1 Construction Regiment was critically injured when his Samil 50 vehicle overturned at Moshesh near Rundu. He succumbed to his injuries a short while later. He was 33.
04 Jul 1983: 80366230BC Rifleman Phillip Keith Bentley from 4 SAI collapsed and died after suffering a fatal epileptic fit while undergoing basic training. He was 18.
04 Jul 1984: 79080644PC Sergeant Johnny Ralph Adams from the Army Catering Corps was grievously burned on 2 July 1984 when a phosphorus grenade exploded while he was playing with it in a bunker at Hurricane Base, Ruacana. He died from his injuries in 1 Military Hospital on 4 Jul 1984. He was 23.
04 Jul 1986: Two members from 1 Parachute Battalion were killed in a Military Vehicle Accident at Richmond in the Cape.
They were:
80250376PE Corporal Jacobus Nicolaas Claase. He was 21.
82535154BG Rifleman Richard Alexander Knipe. He was 20.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.