The monument is a building that has historical value that describes the struggles that have occurred at that time, as well as the Husein Sastranegara Monument. This monument was erected as a tribute to a national hero named Husein Sastranegara who had fought to defend the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia from the Japanese colonial revolution, the Netherlands along with their allies.
Husein Monument is located on Jln. Pajajaran Husein Sastranegara Village, Cicendo District, Bandung City, West Java 40174 – Indonesia. In addition, his name is also immortalized in an international airport in Bandung, namely Husein Sastra Negara Airport because he is a pioneer who has encouraged development in the national aviation sector.
The Life of Husein Sastranegara
Based on the notes of the Wangi Demang Sastranegara Foundation that Hussein Sastranegara was born in Cilaku, Cianjur on January 20, 1919. He is the eighth child of 14 siblings. Husein is the son of Rd. Demang Ishak Sastranegara. His father was a Pangreh Peraja in the Dutch era besides that he had served as wedana Ujung Berung for 17 months. If viewed from the lineage, Husein Literary Negara is a descendant of a noble.
At first Husein studied at the Europese Legere School (ELS) in Bandung. This school is equivalent to Elementary School (SD) today. After graduating from the school, Husein continued his education at Hoger Burger School (HBS), Bandung. However, due to many obstacles, Husen finally moved to HBS in Jakarta. In 1939, Husen graduated and continued his education at the Technische Hoge School College in Bandung which is now the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
Huseein’s journey in college was not as smooth as he expected. In 1939 the second world war broke out in which the Netherlands had occupied Germany. At that time the Dutch East Indies government immediately attracted the sympathy of the Indonesian people, especially Indonesian youth by providing opportunities for a career in military aviation. Husein did not waste this opportunity. He was willing to leave college and immediately enrolled at the Militare Luchvaart School in Kalijati, Subang.
In 1939 there was a merger of the Militare Luchvaart School with the Scouts at Andir Field, Bandung. there were 10 indigenous people who registered including Hussein and only 5 people who passed and got permission to fly, namely Husein Sastranegara, Ignatius Adisutjipto, Sambodja Hurip, Sulistiyo and Sujono.
From the results of this school, Hussein again failed. He only got a Kleine Militaire Brevet or a license to fly a single-engine airplane with two of his colleagues, Sujono and Sulstyo. Meanwhile, two of his colleagues, namely Agustnus Adsutjipto and Sambudjo Hurip, received the Groote Militaire Brevet.
Hussein Literary Career
Starting from the failure of the flight school at Militare Luchvaart School, which only received a single engine flight license, Husein finally switched his career to the police. In 1941 Husein began to study at the Police Inspector School in Sukabumi. Meanwhile, Japanese troops in World War II had taken part and began to carry out attacks in Southeast Asia and finally succeeded in occupying Indonesia.
Along with the pressure and needs of Japan at that time, finally Husein was appointed Inspector of Police in Sukabumi even though he had not yet graduated from his military education. Several transfers were made to him, including being transferred to Cianjur, where he served as the Chief of Police in Sukanagara-Cianjur, until before the proclamation of Independence of the Republic of Indonesia he was appointed as a fighter and kusuma of the nation.
With the bombing of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan finally surrendered to the allies and Hussein joined the People’s Security Front (BKR) in the Bogor area. He was appointed as one of the commanders in the division formed by Didi Kartasasmita. Not long after, Husein resigned due to disagreements and a lot of disagreements with his superiors. After that, he finally decided to join the Bandung BKR unit and occupy the position of the unorganized part of the Horse Regiment.
In 1945 Around September – October, Husein was summoned by the leadership of BKR Aviation Suryadi Suryadarma. The call was related to the need to take care of Andir Airfield (LANUD Husein Sastranegara) which had just been captured by the fighters of the Republic of Indonesia. However, this task has not yet been carried out.
Because the news has just been reported that Andir Airfield has been successfully retaken by the Japanese army and the leadership has been taken over by the British through Japan. And Bandung was abandoned by Indonesian fighters including Hussein and Hijrah to the capital of the struggle, namely Yogyakarta, and there Husein joined the People’s Security Army (TKR) and was placed in the aviation division. There, he began to be trained in developing air power defenses. The pilots trained in Yogyakarta come from various backgrounds, ranging from those with brevet to people who have never flown at all. They only have courage and an unyielding spirit in defending their beloved homeland.
On April 9, 1946, the People’s Security Army (TKR) of the Aviation division was changed to the Indonesian Air Force (AURI). After completing his Advanced Aviation education in Yogyakarta, Husen immediately got the task of becoming an instructor at the flight school and concurrently as an Air Force operations officer.
In 1945-1946, the Air Force had not yet started carrying out air raids because it was still collecting aircraft materials from the Japanese heritage. Consolidation continues to be carried out by air by using air bases that are still controlled by the Republic of Indonesia. Husein often tried and used the wrecked planes from Japan.
Husein since joining the Air Force has often made formation flights, including:
On May 21, 1946, Hussein made a formation flight from Maguwo Airfield (Yogyakarta) to Gorda Airfield (Serang).
On June 10, 1946, a formation flight of five Curen planes flew from Yogyakarta to Cibeureum Tasikmalaya during the inauguration of the opening of the airport.
On July 23, 1946, he flew westward to Gorda Banten field using a Diponegoro 1 bomber and had flown also from Yogyakarta to Maospati.
On September 13, 1946, Husen flew a Curen plane for the purpose of sowing flowers at Tarsono Rujito’s funeral ceremony in Salatiga.
Husein Sastranegara End of Life
In various series of flights, in September 1946, Husein was assigned the task of transporting the prime minister of the Republic of Indonesia, Sutan Syahril. In order to transport the maiden, he had to do a flight test for mental and physical readiness because what was used was a Japanese wrecked plane and was unfit to fly. At the time of testing the plane, Husein used the Cukiu plane. But unfortunately while flying, the Cukiu plane suffered an engine failure so that the plane crashed in Gowongan Lor Yogyakarta and killed Husein Literary the country, he died along with his technical interpreter named Rukidi.
Husein died at the age of 27 years and his body was buried in the Heroes Cemetery Semaki Yogyakarta. Husein called a wife named Mrs. Koriyati Mangkuratmaja with three sons who are still toddlers. With deep sorrow, Husein, who was so persistent in helping to defend his independence, had to go home during the flight test.
As an appreciation for his services who have dedicated himself to the State, the State raised his rank from Air Major to Air Commodore (posthumous) which is equal to the current air colonel. Then from the award for his position as an instructor at the Yogyakarta flight school who concurrently served as a State officer, he awarded the Garuda Star, the Satyalencana Star for the Indonesian War of Independence, the Presidential Charter / Supreme Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces in 1957.
In addition, from the services and values of Husein’s heroism, since August 17, 1952 based on Kasau Decree No. 76 In 1952 the name Husein Sastranegara was immortalized as the name of the airport in Bandung as a replacement for the Bandung Andir Air Base. Husein is considered a national hero who has pioneered and pioneered development in the field of national aviation. Then as a form of appreciation for him, a monument was also built which was named the Husein Sastranegara Monument.