A Look at the Author

Considering the fact that I recently purchased his book, 32 Battalion: The Inside Story of South Africa's Elite Fighting Unit, I feel that I should look into the history of Mr. Piet Nortje, the author. My hope is that his book will provide, as the title indicates, vivid insight into the inner workings of 32 Battalion. The author description, though, is quite brief, merely saying that he joined the battalion in 1978 and rose through the ranks to a leadership position. Upon further searching, however, I have found out that he has continued to play a role in maintaining connections after the battalion's disbandment. For example, the website of the veteran's associations states that he founded it in 2001. The mission seems to be to keep the legacy of the battalion alive and assist destitute members left in the aforementioned town of Pomfret. Some other interesting tidbits I found include the fact that his military service did not, in fact, end until 2003, well after the end of apartheid, and a quote from a Washington Post article where he talks about mercenaries in Pomfret. Overall, I think that he was well positioned to write the book, and should provide a relatively full story. He served throughout the major conflict in Angola, and was and is one of the groups leaders. If possible, it would definitely be interesting to talk with him (once I finish reading the book, of course).