An Inspirational Journey: Try Sutrisno from Newspaper Vendor to Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia

Try Sutrisno is remembered as a figure whose life journey serves as inspiration for young people in pursuing their aspirations, despite coming from a humble background. The man who served as Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia was born in Surabaya on 15 November 1935. He was the son of Subandi, an ambulance driver, and Mardiyah, a homemaker.

Try’s childhood was far from easy. When the Netherlands launched military aggression, he and his family had to leave Surabaya and moved to Mojokerto. There, his father worked as a medical officer at the Poncowati Army Battalion.

The family’s limited economic circumstances forced Try to discontinue his schooling. He had to help meet the household’s needs and began earning income by selling cigarettes and newspapers. “I did entrepreneurship without capital at that time. What kind of business is there without capital? I sold clean water using pitchers. Eventually, it gradually progressed to selling newspapers on trains and then selling cigarettes,” Try said on a previous occasion.

He made his breakthrough at age 13. Try became interested in joining the Poncowati Battalion to participate in the struggle against colonial occupation. Although not accepted as a soldier, he was trusted to perform duties as a courier. His role involved gathering information in Dutch-occupied territories and obtaining medicine for Indonesian forces.

When Mojokerto was occupied by the Dutch, Try moved again with his father to Kediri. To survive, he worked as an orderly at the Poncowati Battalion, doing everything from cleaning boots to delivering food.

In addition, he also performed duties as a courier and member of the internal investigation team, with responsibility for gathering information in Dutch-occupied areas and relaying it to independence fighters. “I was ordered to carry documents that had to cross the border between Indonesian and Dutch-held territories. At my young age then, I already had strategy—I could not possibly go through the main road as I would certainly be caught. In the end, I decided to go through the rice fields,” he explained.

Today, Try Sutrisno is no longer with us. However, his inspirational life journey from a young age demonstrates the resilience and fighting spirit that later established him as one of the important figures in Indonesian history.

Try Sutrisno passed away at the age of 90 years and 3 months at the Armed Forces Central Hospital (RSPAD) Gatot Soebroto, Central Jakarta, on Monday (2 March). He drew his last breath in the CICU Room 207 on the 2nd floor at 06.58 Western Indonesian Time, after previously experiencing a decline in health. During his lifetime, Try Sutrisno was known as one of the military figures who later occupied strategic positions in the New Order government.