Day to honour fallen heroes
Genl Piet Joubert High School was the venue of a remembrance day in honour of fallen armed force members last Friday during the Armed Forces Day celebration, one of the highlights on the armed force calendar.
POLOKWANE – Genl Piet Joubert High School was the venue of a remembrance day in honour of fallen armed force members last Friday during the Armed Forces Day celebration, one of the highlights on the armed force calendar.
The day commemorates armed force members who lost their lives in the line of duty. Armed force members gathered at venues all over the country to pay their respects to the 616 soldiers on the SS Mendi, who lost their lives in the English Channel in 1917. Generally seen as the worst disaster in South Africa’s national armed forces, this day is commemorated annually.
The day began with a parade by armed force members accompanied by a brass band, which played several songs in keeping with the event.
Col Josias Tshukudu said this day portrayed the dedication of today’s soldiers, linking them to the dedication of those soldiers who lost their lives.
“Their chaplain, Rev Isaac Dyobha is reported to have calmed the panicked men by raising his arms aloft and crying out in a loud voice,” he said.
