Forty-five years after serving together, around thirty former members of Easy Echo Company, 1 Parachute Battalion (1 Para), reunited in Oudtshoorn this past weekend at Kleinplaas Holiday Resort. This marked the group’s fourth official reunion since their time in service.
The reunion brought together veterans who served between June/July 1978 and June/July 1980, travelling from across South Africa and with a large contingent from abroad to reconnect and pay tribute to their commanding officer, Leon “Sloegies” Groenewald.
Groenewald, who later achieved the rank of Colonel in the SADF and SANDF, was remembered as an exceptional leader, disciplined, professional, and deeply respected by those who served under him.
The weekend was filled with reminiscence and camaraderie as old friends revisited memories of their time together during the Border War, when Easy Echo Company operated in regions such as Ovamboland (South West Africa), Angola, Zambia, and Rhodesia.
One of the highlights currently exciting them is the revival of the company’s daily war diary, originally written by the company clerk during their service years. The diary was rediscovered about eighteen months ago by two of the men. Since then it has travelled to different parts of South Africa, giving members the chance to view it and contribute their recollections. It is now in the hands of Groenewald, who is working to put together something truly special.
One of the men, who lives in New Zealand, will assist Groenewald with the digitisation of the diary. Once completed, the diary will be made digitally available, exclusively for members of Easy Echo Company.
The men are committed to reconstructing and expanding the diary, filling in missing details while staying true to historical facts, to create an authentic and valuable record of Easy Echo Company’s experiences.