SA-born marine dies in Iraq
Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 4:06 pm
March 24 2003 at 10:16AM
A South African serving with the Royal Marines was killed in action in the opening hours of the war on Iraq.
Sholto Hedenskog, just 26, has become Africa's first known casualty. His mother, Tertia, lives in Claremont.
Hedenskog was killed in the helicopter crash which claimed the lives of eight British and four American soldiers near the Kuwaiti border with Iraq on Friday.
Military officials said the crash was an accident.
'It was his life's ambition to be a marine'
The officials said no hostile fire was reported in the area of the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crash, about 15km south of the key Iraqi border port of Umm Qasr.
The crash happened as allied soldiers surged across the Kuwaiti border into southern Iraq on Thursday and Friday, working at first to secure the region's oil wells, several of which had been set afire.
The young South African was born in Pretoria and joined the British Marines just four years ago.
The Cape Argus spoke to his mother last night. But she asked that Sholto's uncle, Bruce Hedenskog, act as their family spokesperson.
"It was his life's ambition to be a marine," Bruce Hedenskog said from Somerset West last night.
'I've joined as a soldier. I'll go wherever is my duty'
Sholto had matriculated in Centurion, Gauteng, and gone on to get a human movement degree at Rhodes.
But on completion in 1999, he had set out to realise his life's dream: to join the marines.
After passing the requisite psychological and physical tests, he had been accepted into the United Kingdom's special forces.
He graduated from marine school in November 2000 and opted not to study further.
"He wanted to stay with his group," Hedenskog said.
Last year, he had served his first tour of duty as part of the British force which joined the US elite forces in Afghanistan, searching the caves for al-Qaeda operatives soon after September 11.
"He was totally apolitical," Bruce Hedenskog said of his nephew. "He would say: 'I've joined as a soldier. I'll go wherever is my duty.'"
Sholto had last been home in December, for a holiday after his tour of duty in Afghanistan.
His cousin, Sean, said: "He was totally dedicated. After becoming a marine, he became so strong and confident. He loved it. He knew the dangers involved."
Hedenskog is survived by his mother and two sisters, Megan and Eva, who live in Cape Town.
They expressed "heartfelt thanks" to marines based in South Africa at the British High Commission.
A South African serving with the Royal Marines was killed in action in the opening hours of the war on Iraq.
Sholto Hedenskog, just 26, has become Africa's first known casualty. His mother, Tertia, lives in Claremont.
Hedenskog was killed in the helicopter crash which claimed the lives of eight British and four American soldiers near the Kuwaiti border with Iraq on Friday.
Military officials said the crash was an accident.
'It was his life's ambition to be a marine'
The officials said no hostile fire was reported in the area of the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crash, about 15km south of the key Iraqi border port of Umm Qasr.
The crash happened as allied soldiers surged across the Kuwaiti border into southern Iraq on Thursday and Friday, working at first to secure the region's oil wells, several of which had been set afire.
The young South African was born in Pretoria and joined the British Marines just four years ago.
The Cape Argus spoke to his mother last night. But she asked that Sholto's uncle, Bruce Hedenskog, act as their family spokesperson.
"It was his life's ambition to be a marine," Bruce Hedenskog said from Somerset West last night.
'I've joined as a soldier. I'll go wherever is my duty'
Sholto had matriculated in Centurion, Gauteng, and gone on to get a human movement degree at Rhodes.
But on completion in 1999, he had set out to realise his life's dream: to join the marines.
After passing the requisite psychological and physical tests, he had been accepted into the United Kingdom's special forces.
He graduated from marine school in November 2000 and opted not to study further.
"He wanted to stay with his group," Hedenskog said.
Last year, he had served his first tour of duty as part of the British force which joined the US elite forces in Afghanistan, searching the caves for al-Qaeda operatives soon after September 11.
"He was totally apolitical," Bruce Hedenskog said of his nephew. "He would say: 'I've joined as a soldier. I'll go wherever is my duty.'"
Sholto had last been home in December, for a holiday after his tour of duty in Afghanistan.
His cousin, Sean, said: "He was totally dedicated. After becoming a marine, he became so strong and confident. He loved it. He knew the dangers involved."
Hedenskog is survived by his mother and two sisters, Megan and Eva, who live in Cape Town.
They expressed "heartfelt thanks" to marines based in South Africa at the British High Commission.
