Venter

Mike Sandham reference, 25 Aug 2026, sourced to pantser.cmvo.org.za's "Lys van Weermaglede wat aan diens gesterf het" (SADF deaths 1962-2001, excl. 1993). Source columns as transcribed -- Rang: "SGT", Eenheid (unit, truncated in source): "SECTOR", Plek/Oorsaak/Detail/next-of-kin (run together by the source's column layout): "OSHAKATI PRIVATE VEHICLE D. J. VENTER PARENTS". Additional wrapped text: "ACCIDENT". Unit left blank rather than inserting the truncated PDF unit text as a guess -- "SECTOR" wasn't confidently mappable to an existing Unit record.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added -- database-wide sweep for SADF Border War operational-area deaths within the medal's gazetted window (25 Jun 1976 - 27 Apr 2003), per the warrant's died-before-qualifying-period provision. See PersonAward.Citation for the gazette references.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added earlier today REVERTED -- John obtained the actual Government Gazette (GG 5171/5575); the "died before completing the qualifying period" provision relied on does not exist in the primary text (it was a secondary-source claim). Actual Rule 5 requires (a) combat/enemy-caused incident, (b) a Ministerially-acknowledged operation (clasp), or (c) 55+ continuous/90+ non-continuous days in an operational area -- none of which this record's cause of death clearly demonstrates.