My dad, my hero - He did his country proud. Served and protected South Africa.

Today I wondered what I was going to write about that is not educational and I honestly didn't know until I watched an Episode of the Military story, The Unit. In this episode they had to bury one of there fellow Special Forces men. And it had me in tears. Old memories came back and I decided this was what I am going to write about.

My dad, Richard Ebenhaezer Gericke, didn't have the best childhood, didn't get the highest marks at school. In fact, we found his Matric Certificate and he barely passed anything, but he decided way back then he will be serving his country. Yes, in those years all the men had a mandatory year they had to serve in the army, it didn't matter what division. He began at the bottom like all of the other men. Went through basic training, and a lot of other trainings to finally be holder of the rank Staff Sergeant Richard Ebenhaezer Gericke. The sad part is though that he never knew he received this rank. The day of the accident was the day he would have been rewarded his new rank, but the millitary awarded it anyway.

Received the Pro Patria Medal in service of protecting his country.

One of the things I am most proud of was that he was part of the 31 SAI Bn who trained the San men at Schmidtsdrift base near Kimberley, South Africa.

But, sadly the above was memories I recollected from photos and stories from my mother and grandmother.

Here is my memories.

I remember the funeral procession. Where members of his unit carried his casket from the church, to the burrial grounds.

I remember the soldiers putting his casket on the ribbons to begin the process of burying him.

I remember his unit saying all names and when they said his name, no one answered and then they began firing off shots.

Here my mom, holding my little sister, gran and me stood at the grave. I will never forget this.

I remember members of the San from the Schmidtsdrift division was at the funeral.

His General wrote this letter of remembrance:

Here is the translated version, from after the vers from the then, Stem van Suid-Afrika:
Friends, Richard never said no to any assignment. He answered yes to the call of the South-African Army. Richard said yes to South Africa.
We knew him as a soldier whom served his country with honor and dignity. A man whom performed his duties with eagerness and willingness. He was an example to those who he led.

Today his legacy lives on through my sister and I, through the stories my mom, grandmother and his two sisters told us. I hope one day to track down his brother, Leon Gericke, to learn more from him. His name will always be engraved at the Fort Klapperkop memorial in Pretoria. My mom kept the book from that service.

One day I will tell my children all the stories I have heard and the little I can remember. And I know they will be as proud of him as I have been and will always be.

Serve and protect our country. It doesn't matter if you serve it in any other way than the army or if you live outside the borders of South Africa. Our heart and soul will always be South Africans.