5 S.A.I Battalion 1983-1985 3D Render, Digital Artwork by dwindt

! REPORT

5 S.A.I Battalion 1983-1985

3D Render by dwindt

I have been practicing with textures again. Although the textures are of an older man, (My face) and it looks pretty close; I was 20 when I did my service for my country. Lost friends and suffered trauma...for what? 5 S.A.I Battalion 1983 - 1985. An old soldier never dies. Don't mess with these soldiers.

PROFILE

dwindtWed, Sep 03

Karma: 5,152

This photo was taken on a 2-week patrol during our first border trip. Somewhere in Southwest Africa. Our platoon operated out of 29 bases in the first 6 months up there. First was the beginning of a very intense time of my life. Ah, we were kids fighting a war. Politicians are stuffed.

! REPORT

PROFILE

Beautiful MisfitsWed, Sep 03

Karma: 15,323

The raw emotion in the render O_O

! REPORT

PROFILE

dwindt

Karma: 5,152

Wed, Sep 03

It was. The platoon I was with, played a huge roll in it to. I was in Delta company, platoon 4. The last platoon to be put together. All the problem children, troublemakers, druggies, drinkers and others...and then me. (Don't know how I ended up there)...lol. We we're a quiet lot. By the end of our first border trip, we had been banned from entering any base in sector 53. Half the width of Africa. Only our rank was allowed into the bases to get rations etc.

During our second trip, we were banned from entering any base in sector 54. The other half of Africa we hadn't touched yet. Only our own company could put up with our nonsense...until our last trip. They also chased us away.

It was exciting and stressful. You lose your sense of danger and adrenaline is a mighty fine motivator. I was the platoon 60 mm mortar operator. I choose my piece of turf to sleep on, by tossing my saddle bag with 6 mortars in, onto the ground where I would sleep. That was my pillow, covered with my bush jacket.

We were given Buffels (the vehicle behind me in my render) and sent out to track down the enemy. We'd wake up in the morning, spin the bottle and bushwack in the pointed direction, as far as we could go through virgin terrain, investigating, for intelligence and chase. 2 or 3 weeks at a time. No brushing teeth, washing, soap, fresh water or meal, just ration packs...and the same salt contaminated uniform we started with, 3 weeks earlier.

In the bush, your senses increase. You can smell perfume, soap and clean clothes miles away...so, if you want to survive, stay dirty. We once infiltrated a settlement at the dead of night. Quietly surrounding such. The dogs didn't even bark at us. We most probably smelt like animals. When we eventually got back to base, our friends would chase us away, until we had showered...lol. You'd step into a shower like you were dressed and start scrubbing, peel it off, scrub the next, peel that off.

I'd better stop as one thing reminds me of the next. So many stories that I would never like to relive again.

PROFILE

Beautiful Misfits

Karma: 15,323

Wed, Sep 03

Honestly, I never would had done any of this.
If any politician wanna play war, they are welcome to play alone.
Sent into a country that's not mine, to "defend" my country, that's not even in danger ... naaah, I never liked this kind of politics.
And then the soldiers come back home, traumatized for a life time and left alone by everyone.

I'm so sorry, that you had to go through all of that frown

PROFILE

dwindt

Karma: 5,152

Wed, Sep 03

It was part of the cold war. What weapon did SWAPO and allies use. AK47. They wore Cuban and Russian uniforms. Armed by Russia and Cuba and mobilized by them. Russian Migs, Russian tanks, anti-aircraft guns and Russian propaganda. We were attacked on the Angolan border line. Outnumbered 4 to1 in their favour. Wrong platoon. It was during our last month up there, so we were more than experienced. Going through what one would refer to as the killing fields (where the attack occurred) tins of Cuban and Russian food where collected, Russian 60 and 82mm mortars etc.

The Russians again.