Baptism by fire is what we call it. Every year our high school orders the students to march 40 km following the footsteps of the Late General Sudirman during our struggle for Independence in 1948.
It was a gruelling task. We stopped only at nights and slept in some tents deep inside the forest. Yet we marched on, motivating each other all the way. We were only young and full of spirit.
To be honest, I didn't really understand the true meaning behind the whole trip at that time. It dawned to us all right, but somehow it got lost due to tiredness and naivety. In my recent surge of patriotism (pardon the sarcastic tone), I started to learn more about this great man and why he's considered as one of the best sons these shores ever produced.
Sudirman is the first Commander-in-chief of Indonesia Armed Forces. It is an even greater achievement considering he was merely 30 years old when President Soekarno appointed him in 1945.
Just like Capt. Miller (Tom Hanks) in Saving Private Ryan, Sudirman was a simple schoolteacher. He got his reputation when he organized a guerilla attack against the British and the Dutch in Ambarawa, forcing them to move away towards Semarang.
Back then, in a vacuum of power after Emperor Hirohito acknowledged defeat, the British and Dutch army tried to wrestle Indonesia as their colony once more.
The recently declared independence made thousands of young men euphoric. They fought hard and long against enemy with a more powerful arsenal. However, these are young untrained fighter. There was an urgent need to elect a leader to coordinate the battle.
Fresh out of big combat, and in control of the largest soldiers with weapons seized from the Japan, Sudirman was chosen unanimously by his peers. Those days were very different. People are able to cooperate with each other and the spirit was awe-inspiring.
It was an interesting choice, because Sudirman have this very unimpressive appearance. He was a thin and quiet man. Yet the other commanders saw in him a mental toughness, charisma, and bravery exceeding that of his compatriots.
Theodore Friend who wrote Indonesia: Peoples and Histories describes him as having "A strangely blended samurai discipline, Marxist disposition, and raw courage." It’s quite a fearsome combination of characters.
“I do love peace, but I love freedom so much more!”
That is the code Sudirman lived and die for.
That quote maybe overused in recent decades, but I always shiver at the thought of those words coming out of this once great General. Just like my eyes glistening every time I watched the end of Braveheart when William Wallace shouted out “Freedom!”
Tuberculosis hampered Sudirman’s effectiveness in battle. Because he was so important to the army morale, his men had to carry him on a legendary palanquin, walking through a hidden route from Jogjakarta to Magelang for hundreds of kilometers. Imagine the hardship. Those men who carried him on their shoulders are also heroes in my eyes.
On the 29 January 1950, Indonesia lost one of her greatest defender. He was buried in Jogjakarta where the government bestowed the National Hero status he thoroughly deserves.
Now I know why my high school ordered us to walk through his footsteps. Now I also know why almost every city in Indonesia have a major street named after him.
PS:
It was a gruelling task. We stopped only at nights and slept in some tents deep inside the forest. Yet we marched on, motivating each other all the way. We were only young and full of spirit.
To be honest, I didn't really understand the true meaning behind the whole trip at that time. It dawned to us all right, but somehow it got lost due to tiredness and naivety. In my recent surge of patriotism (pardon the sarcastic tone), I started to learn more about this great man and why he's considered as one of the best sons these shores ever produced.
Sudirman is the first Commander-in-chief of Indonesia Armed Forces. It is an even greater achievement considering he was merely 30 years old when President Soekarno appointed him in 1945.
Just like Capt. Miller (Tom Hanks) in Saving Private Ryan, Sudirman was a simple schoolteacher. He got his reputation when he organized a guerilla attack against the British and the Dutch in Ambarawa, forcing them to move away towards Semarang.
Back then, in a vacuum of power after Emperor Hirohito acknowledged defeat, the British and Dutch army tried to wrestle Indonesia as their colony once more.
The recently declared independence made thousands of young men euphoric. They fought hard and long against enemy with a more powerful arsenal. However, these are young untrained fighter. There was an urgent need to elect a leader to coordinate the battle.
Fresh out of big combat, and in control of the largest soldiers with weapons seized from the Japan, Sudirman was chosen unanimously by his peers. Those days were very different. People are able to cooperate with each other and the spirit was awe-inspiring.
It was an interesting choice, because Sudirman have this very unimpressive appearance. He was a thin and quiet man. Yet the other commanders saw in him a mental toughness, charisma, and bravery exceeding that of his compatriots.
Theodore Friend who wrote Indonesia: Peoples and Histories describes him as having "A strangely blended samurai discipline, Marxist disposition, and raw courage." It’s quite a fearsome combination of characters.
“I do love peace, but I love freedom so much more!”
That is the code Sudirman lived and die for.
That quote maybe overused in recent decades, but I always shiver at the thought of those words coming out of this once great General. Just like my eyes glistening every time I watched the end of Braveheart when William Wallace shouted out “Freedom!”
Tuberculosis hampered Sudirman’s effectiveness in battle. Because he was so important to the army morale, his men had to carry him on a legendary palanquin, walking through a hidden route from Jogjakarta to Magelang for hundreds of kilometers. Imagine the hardship. Those men who carried him on their shoulders are also heroes in my eyes.
On the 29 January 1950, Indonesia lost one of her greatest defender. He was buried in Jogjakarta where the government bestowed the National Hero status he thoroughly deserves.
Now I know why my high school ordered us to walk through his footsteps. Now I also know why almost every city in Indonesia have a major street named after him.
PS:
2 comments:
I always admire him. Everytime I pass his statue on the end of the road near HI Roundabout in Jakarta, I always thought of the great hero whose name was immortalized into almost every main street in big cities in Indonesia.
Thanks for providing the complete saga, Ru.
Hai Phoebe :)
Thanks for stopping by and comment.
Maybe this is overdoing it, but I was 'almost' in tears in Naga Bonar Jadi 2, when Deddy Mizwar climb that statue.
17th of August is approaching and hopefully there will be some good documentary provided by our TVs about General Sudirman :)
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