The Father of South African Special Forces turns eighty today

[Guymullins]

Col Jan Dirk Breytenbach turned eighty years old today.
Colonel Jan was the founding Officer Commanding of the South African Reconnaissance Regiments, The Recces, who were the SA equivalent of the US Green Berets and SEALs. He then went on to found as the first OC the famous 32 Battalion. This was a unit comprising of turned terrorists and guerrilla soldiers from Angola operating under the command of SA officers and NCOs. 32Bn operated almost entirely behind enemy lines, using enemy weapons and was the most feared SA unit in the 30 year bush war. Colonel Jan then became the first OC of 44 Parachute Brigade (one of my units) and commanded it in the great Battle for Cassinga, an airborne attack on a fortified enemy camp 250 km behind enemy lines. He is South Africas most decorated soldier and now lives in retirement on the Cape Coast where he still swims 3 km a day. Among his many qualifications are selection courses of : British SAS, Rhodesian SAS, French Combat Divers Course, SA Parachute Course, Free Fall and HALO and Divers Courses. He also did a course at your Fort Bragg as a young officer, where he learned his favourite maxim. Find em, Fix em and Finish em.
A picture of he and I at the last Cassinga Day Parade this year.