War veterans still fighting 60 years on

War veterans still fighting 60 years on

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Chairman of the Surabaya chapter of the Indonesian Veterans
Legion (LVRI), Hartoyik, 75, places a black-and-white photograph
of two Indonesian soldiers carrying machine guns in the fight to
defend Surabaya against the Allied Forces, atop his desk.

Each year on Independence Day, Hartoyik places the photograph
of himself and his troop commander from the Candramawa Battalion
(former Hisbullah Force), Sergeant Asror, on his desk to remind
his guests of the spirit of patriotism during the fight for
independence.

Despite being worn out, the photo, taken by an amateur
photographer in 1948 during a defense position in Mojokerto, has
historical value as it was shot when Surabaya was overtaken by
the Allied Forces and Indonesian fighters were on the verge of
losing the battle of Nov. 10, 1945. They were then moving their
base to Mojokerto and Sidoarjo.

"It is as if this photograph provides me with the strength to
keep on struggling even though our nation already gained
independence 60 years ago," said Hartoyik, whose last rank was
colonel when he retired from the Brawijaya Military Command many
years ago.

He told of his struggle to put his eleven children through
school, all graduating from higher learning institutes. For a
former war veteran, sending his children to school was no easy
task due to the high cost of education in Surabaya.

"I often borrowed money from my neighbors to pay for my
children's schooling because the salary of a soldier is very
small," he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The family even had to eat rice mixed with maize so they could
afford to keep the children in school.

It was fortunate that Hartoyik could still afford to send them
to university. Two of his children have a successful career in
the police force, with both holding the rank of senior adjutant
police commissioner.

Hartoyik's life is a far cry from the lives of high-ranking
government officials. He lives in a modest house in Wonosari,
Surabaya. His only income is his veteran pension from the
government of Rp 1 million (US$105) monthly.

Hartoyik is more fortunate than his colleagues. Sidik
Poernomo, 82, a leader at Surabaya chapter of the Indonesian
Disabled Veterans Corps, and a former member of the Defenders of
the Fatherland (PETA), was disabled after being hit by mortar in
a battle against the Allied Forces in Mount Batok area, Pujon
Batu, Malang in 1947.

Sidik has to use a prosthesis after his right arm was
amputated and he was blinded in his left eye when he was hit by
shrapnel during the battle to defend Malang from the Allied
Forces.

Sidik gets a monthly allowance of Rp 1,250,000 as a war
veteran, and a compensation of Rp 60,000 for his disability from
the government.

Sidik never complains about the allowances he gets, although
he feels it is paltry compared to what he has had to endure.

Although they cannot work part time after retiring from the
military, disabled war veterans are given great respect by
Surabaya residents.

Even though his house in the Wonokromo area is often flooded
when it rains and several of his roof tiles have crumbled due to
age, he is fortunate to have been able to send his nine children
to school. One of them is now a successful staffer at the
Surabaya Stock Exchange (BES).

Another freedom fighter who is also active at the Disabled
Veterans Corps, Amari, who was blinded due to mortar shrapnel
during a struggle against the Allied Forces in Waru, Sidoarjo, in
1947, said that not all veterans received a pension of more than
Rp 1 million.

The pension is given according to the last rank held. Some 90
percent of the 6,000 war veterans in Surabaya are living below
the poverty line. Most of them receive less than Surabaya's
minimum wage, or less than Rp 500,000 per month.

"Despite that, all of their children have been able to
complete their schooling," said Amari.