61 Mech | 61 Mech

Introduction

I spent a long time in preparing this talk. It will therefor be quite brief.

We are gathered here today to commemorate and pay tribute to our veterans and fallen veterans.And today specifically those of the hot war of the Cold War era in South West Africa/Namibia and Angola, also known as the South African Bush war.Why were we there and what were the outcomes?

I will deal with this matter in three parts, namely black sheep, Tommy Atkinsens and kameraden.

Black sheep

I am proud to inform you that I was also a member of the Memorable Order of the Tin Hats. I belonged to the Black Sheep Windy Hole Shellhole in Windhoek, South West Africa, previously called Deutsch Sudwest Afrika. I will come to another black sheep later.

Tommy Atkinses

I like to recall a visit a paid to Manie Maritz. It was just before the South African Springboks played against the British and Irish Lions at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria. He is the son of the late Boer general Manie Maritz. I met him for the first time in 1954 when he was a physical instructor at the SA Military College.

The aim of my visit was to confirm an historic event in 1901 at O’Kiep durning the Anglo Boer war.General Manie Maritz had formally negotiated a time, date and place for a rugby match with his British counterpart, major Edwards. It would be between the burgers – meaning soldiers of the two Boer republics – and the Tommy Atkinses – meaning soldiers of the British army.

Manie, who is far my senior, told me that his father confirmed that a ceasefire had in fact been negotiated and that the game in fact did take place.

Now save a second to ponder this incident – it was unthinkable and unprecedented since it took place at the end phase of a gruesome war full of atrocities, loss of life, property and emotional tragedy.

Anyhow, what Manie could not tell me was what the score was, but as they say in good English, a good time was held by all.

Kameraden

And that brings me to kameraden.

During my first tour of duty in South West Africa/Namibia, from 1971 to 1974, I attended a number of events of veteran organizations.I was present at one such historic occasion, probably in Tsumeb. I say historic because it was a joint effort by former adversaries – the Alte Kameraden, the Junge Kameraden and the Moths.

The Alte Kameraden were those Germans who participated in World War I. The Junge Kameraden were those Germans who were veterans of World War II. The Moths represented the veterans of the South African ans Allied Forces. These three organizations jointly paid tribute to the living veterans, and commemorated those who had been killed in action or who had already passed on.

Just imagine! This motley gathering of erstwhile enemies- who actually made war in the true sense of the word- paying tribute to old comrades and foes alike! And, in good English, a good time was held by all.

Black sheep, again

And now as promised, I come to the black sheep.

We, who are still alive and well, including the veterans of the Bush War, have experienced in our recent past that we have become the black sheep of the Bush War.Propagandists and cheats without any military history of their own claim and broadcast that we have lost! Can you believe it?

However, the history speaks for itself.

We, the SADF, entered the war for South West Africa/Namibia and in Angola at the peak of the expansion of the Soviet Union and its Marxist allies’ interest in Africa during the 1980’s – the hot part of the Cold War in that region.

And we, the SADF, left south western Africa, two decades later, at the time of the total withdrawal of the Soviet and Cuban proxy forces from Angola, as well as from countries such as Mozambique and others.

And by the way, we, the SADF, prevented them from even putting as much as a toe over the border in Namibia.

And then, in November 1989 the Berlin Wall crashed – symbolizing the demise of global Soviet communist expansion.

The SADF was the main factor in stopping the communist Soviet expansion, and it was the SADF that secured democratic and peaceful outcomes in Namibia, and in South Africa during the late 80s and early 90s.

While we, the Moths and other veteran organizations worship our veterans, past and present(like general Manie Maritz and major Edwards) and like the Alte Kameraden, the Junge Kameraden and the Tommy Atkinses, we too have always been ready – and are still keen to confraternise with our erstwhile opponents: Russians, Angolans, Cubans and the like, but those cheats who brand us now as losers, black sheep, make it very difficult for us.

Those who unconvincingly try to bluff the world that they had won the war in southern Africa, and who scandalously pull out all plugs to denigrate our proven military history, are making confraternisation a pipe dream.

Praise to our own brothers in arms

However,(even while I still honour those who opposed us on the field of battle as is the universal statutory military culture) today I bring praise to all our own brothers in arms, dead and alive, meaning black, white, coloured, Indian, male and female.

I salute professional soldiers, part time soldiers, volunteers and national servicemen.

Everyone in brown, blue and white, the medics, the fighters and their supporters- the administrators, logisticians and other indispensable supporting members.

Members of the South West Africa Territory Force, the odd soldier of fortune, all those who were there, and all those who gave their support…

I, and everyone present, I am sure, salute you all. You are the heroes of the Cold war.

Those of you who were there, you seldom had air superiority, you were always outnumbered, you never had the roubles, you did not have international support, you did not have the same political support as our enemies had – all you got were boycotts and sanctions, and now smears – you became the black sheep.

Nevertheless, when South Africa was in trouble, those who have already passed on and you who are still alive, who fought against all odds, you were the most important single factor to make possible the democratic Namibia and South Africa that we have today.

Conclusion

And so I end my talk. It was not meant to be a morale booster, it was simply meant to be a review of the stark naked facts of your excellence – you and those who are not with us today.

I and all of us here today will remember you.

May God bless you.