Yos Sudarso had always dreamed of becoming a soldier since he was a child, despite his parents hoping he would become a teacher. He was able to fulfill his dream when the Japanese government required more military personnel for the Greater East Asia War.
He attended the Naval Academy in Semarang and received naval military education from the Japanese Navy, graduating as one of the top students. Yos Sudarso went on to serve on a Japanese military ship.
After Indonesia declared independence on August 17, 1945, he joined the People’s Security Agency in the marine sector, which later became part of the Indonesian Navy.
Throughout his career, Yos Sudarso was involved in various military operations to suppress insurgencies in Indonesia. He commanded several Indonesian Navy Ships (KRI) such as KRI Rajawali, KRI Alu, KRI Gajah Mada, KRI Pattimura, and KRI Macan Tutul. He also served as a military court judge for four months in 1958.
In late 1961, President Sukarno called for the Tri Komando Rakyat (TRIKORA), which involved an operation in the Aru Sea near Maluku to support the liberation of West Papua from the Dutch. Yos Sudarso, who was serving as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations at the time, commanded three KRIs in the operation.
When three Dutch warships sensed the movement of Yos Sudarso and his units in the Aru Sea, they opened fire, causing the engine of KRI Macan Tutul, the ship led by Yos Sudarso, to fail. In a selfless act of bravery, Yos Sudarso sacrificed his own ship to shield the other two KRIs and allow them to escape. He died along with 24 men on KRI Macan Tutul in the battle of the Aru Sea, at the age of 36.
Yos Sudarso’s heroism and dedication to his country serve as an inspiration to many, and his legacy lives on in the Indonesian Armed Forces.
