Ignatius Slamet Rijadi | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rijadi in 1949 | |
| Birth name | Soekamto |
| Born | 26 July 1927 Surakarta, Dutch East Indies |
| Died | 4 November 1950 (aged 23) Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia |
| Allegiance | Indonesia |
| Service | Army |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | National Hero of Indonesia |
Brigadier General Ignatius Slamet Rijadi (Perfected Spelling: Ignatius Slamet Riyadi; 26 July 1927 – 4 November 1950) was an Indonesian soldier.
Rijadi was born in Surakarta, Central Java, to a soldier and a fruit seller. Rijadi was "Sold" to his uncle and renamed as a toddler to cure his illnesses, Rijadi was raised at his parents' home and studied at Dutch-run schools. After the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Rijadi studied at a Japanese-run sailor's academy and worked for them upon graduation; he abandoned the Japanese army towards the end of World War II and assisted resistance operations for the rest of the occupation.
After Indonesia's independence on 17 August 1945, Rijadi led Indonesian forces in the Surakarta area during the revolution against the returning Dutch. Starting with a guerrilla campaign, by 1947, when he fought against Dutch offensives in Ambarawa and Semarang, he was in charge of the 26th Regiment. During a second Dutch offensive, Rijadi lost control of the city but soon retook it, later leading counter-offensives in West Java. In 1950, after the end of the revolution, Rijadi was sent to the Moluccas to put down a rebellion. After several months of planning and a month crossing Ambon Island, Rijadi was killed near the end of the operation by a rebounding bullet.
Since his death, Rijadi has received much recognition. The main street in Surakarta is named after him, as is a frigate in the Indonesian Navy, the KRI Slamet Riyadi. Awarded several medals in 1961 posthumously, Rijadi was given the title of National Hero of Indonesia on 9 November 2007.