Philemon Namwiha

Philemon Risto Namwiha (13 May 1960- 1 August 1999) was a Namibian military pilot and recipient of the Most Distinguished Order of Namibia, he was the only Namibian killed during a skirmish attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo while in a combat operation. He was an important figure in the Namibian Defence Force.
Early life
Philemon Risto Namwiha was born on 13 May 1960 in Uuyoka, a village in Onayena Constituency, Namibia, the son of subsistence farmers. His father Johannes Namwiha died in 2011; he was married to a Doctor and was blessed with children.
Career
Namwiha joined SWAPO's military wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) in exile and eventually was trained as a soldier to help liberate his country from colonial forces. After Namibia become independent in 1990, he was recruited as a member of the Namibian Air Force as a military pilot.
Namwiha was later posted to the Congo in the later 1990s as a military pilot but died during the attack. Sam Nujoma, the former president and founding father of the Namibian nation posthumously awarded him the Most Distinguished Order of Namibia citing his heroic and bravery act during combat operations, peacekeeping missions, selfless devotion to duty, endurance or towards the betterment and social upliftment of the community in general.
Death
Philemon died on August 1, 1999 in the Congo, and was laid to rest at his hometown of Onayena, in Omulondo cemetery. A funeral attended by thousands of dignitaries from Namibia and DRC. Namwiha died when his plane was shot at by rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda during a mission to resupply troops at Ikela in the eastern DRC in August 1999.
Awards
* Most Distinguished Order of Namibia (2000)

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