November - Department of Defence

In memory ofan honorable manBy Lt Col A-L. Human,SO1 Corp Com SA Special ForcesApart of history was concludedon 18 August 2008 when theSA Special Forces bade farewellto its founder. The firstGeneral Officer Commandingof the SA Special Forces,Maj Gen Frederich WilhelmLoots, passed away on 12 August 2008at the age of 91. He was revered, as anhonourable man who had unswervingdetermination, was a pillar of strength,an example in word and deed, someonewho stood firm by his principles,yet was a humble person.Photos 1 - 4 depicting the lateMaj Gen Fritz Loots at variousstages of his distinguished life.Army College from 1953 to 1954. Heattended the Staff course from 1954 to1955, became a Control Staff at theStaff College from 1956 to 1957, servedas Staff Officer at the Army Headquartersfrom 1957 to 1959, was theOfficer Commanding of the ArmyGymnasium from 1959 to 1963, andthe Officer Commanding South WestAfrica Command from 1963 to 1964.He was appointed as Senior StaffOfficer Security and Administration atMilitary Intelligence in 1965, was theDirector Military Intelligence from1966 to 1970 and retired as InspectorGeneral of the SADF on 30 June 1973.Maj Gen Loots returned to Servicein August 1974 with a view to establishingsome form of a Special ForcesOrganisation. This eventually materialisedas a separate operational formationunder the direct control of theChief of the South African DefenceForce. Maj Gen Loots finally retiredfrom Service on 25 April 1982.Maj Gen Fritz Loots, as he wasknown to those close to him, livedaccording to two main beliefs. He oftentold the story that when he was ayoung boy his mother taught himthere was no such thing as "I can't" andMaj Gen Loots was born inBritstown on 26 April 1917 and waseducated at the Theron High School.He joined the Special ServicesBattalion in November 1936 and attestedin the South African PermanentForce (Infantry Corps) in March 1939.In 1947 he was appointed to the rank ofWarrant Officer Class II and in 1951 hereceived his commission as an officer.Posts held by Maj Gen Loots were theStaff Officer of the QuartermasterGeneral Section from 1951 to 1953,then Officer Instructors at the SAas a young man his father taught himto hold on to his principles and notveer from them. These life lessons werevisible throughout Maj Gen Loots' lifelike a golden thread and all who hadthe privilege to meet him unknowinglyreceived a piece of this wisdom.His parting words during his lastdays were a request to the Chaplain toconvey the message to all on theimportance of loving others, for love iseternal.NO VEMB ER 2 0 0 8 • S A S O L D I E R11