May 20, 1983

© J. Francois Barnard - 18 February 2024

It was still dark when Daniel Greyvenstein and his father boarded the military Hercules C-130 at Hoedspruit Air Force Base. His father, Colonel Dan Greyvenstein, tried to encourage his teenage son with a few words, but the humming of turboprop engines droned out his voice. He then attempted a smile, but Daniel could not return it. The skinny teenager was not well, and he was going for medical tests at 1 Military Hospital in Voortrekkerhoogte. His father, an officer in the South African Air Force, had to attend meetings at the Air Force headquarters in the Nedbank Square Building in downtown Pretoria.

Conscripted

© J. Francois Barnard - 22 November 2019

South Africa’s Bush War lasted for several decades. Some dispute the exact dates of this war. It is, however, safe to say that it was a serious war from the early 1970s to about 1990. The government passed a law requiring all white men to serve in the military from the day they finished their education until about age 40, or even later.

Nooit, Corporal!

© J. Francois Barnard – 15 October 2016

After my first year in the South African Army, I was well-versed in Army Lingo. My first language is Afrikaans. But having been in an English church since my tenth birthday, I could manage myself well in English, too. Add to that the Army Fanagalo and a little bit of an English accent, and you can even fool a hardened Red Neck from Bez Valley.

Well Intended, but Incomplete

© J. Francois Barnard - 29 April 2024

If the world had to depend on men's good intentions, what a sad place it would be!

During our basic training in 1983, the Catholic chaplain, Brother Peter, invited us to an after-hours event down the road in Tempe, Bloemfontein. A drama group from the Catholic church would perform, and the idea was for a lively discussion to follow between soldiers and civilians.

The Wounded Soldier

© J. Francois Barnard – 26 September 2016

It takes time, they say
For wounds to heal
But he never bled
Yet he could feel

The Godless Recruit

© J. Francois Barnard - 5 June 2002

It was January 1983, and I was a new arrival in the South African Army in Tempe, Bloemfontein. It was my first church parade, and I had no idea what it would entail. I was following orders, as a promising recruit should.

The Battle Scars of Life

© 2019 J. Francois Barnard – 6 October 2016

Life is not perfect. We all incur damage at some point. But there are those times when more damage is done than usual.

I was a soldier once

© J. Francois Barnard – 24 September 2016

I was a soldier once
Fighting for a cause
The sense of it all was so clear then
But now I have to pause

Words Cannot Describe...

© J. Francois Barnard – January 16, 2021

The year is 2021, and by now, the South African Border War should be firmly in our past. Yet, for many, that past remains stubbornly present. We strive to live in the here and now, but the memories relentlessly resurface.