SA family wishes soldiers well
2003-03-27 23:50
Liela Magnus
Pretoria - The uncle of the first South African soldier who died in the Iraqi War wished his comrades on the warfront well at the memorial service on Thursday.
Bossau Boshoff said Sholto Hedenskog, 27, always wanted to be a soldier. He called on Hedenskog's comrades in arms to remain committed to their mission to bring peace and freedom to the people of Iraq.
Other friends and family did not speak about the war.
His cousin, Henri Rex, said Hedenskog always set goals for himself and lived his dream.
Pastor Paul Bester said it was clear Hedenskog was not the type of person to leave unfinished business behind. When something had to be done, he did it. This was clear from the determination with which he completed his training.
A family member said Hedenskog's family accepted his career choice, but were apathetic about the war.
Hedenskog, a member of the British special forces, died when an American navy helicopter crashed in Kuwait last Friday. He was one of 12 soldiers killed in the crash.
His remains have not yet arrived in South Africa. Nick Shepard of the British high commission in Pretoria said there were still certain formalities to conclude before the body could be sent to South Africa.
Hedenskog joined the British marines in November 2000.
- Beeld