Introduction As an international organization, The Indo Project (TIP) takes pride in representing those whose roots are in the former Dutch East Indies at important historical and cultural events whenever possible. 15 August 1945 is of particular importance as it signifies the end of WWII and Japanese occupation of the former Dutch East Indies. Our…
By Edward E. E. Frietman This is the first installment in a three-part series (see part 2 and part 3) featuring Indo luminary Edward E. E. Frietman, who is a respected figure in the Indo community, known in both the Netherlands and the United States for his accomplishments in academia, science, and public service. He has previously…
by Maureen Welscher The Bombing of Pontianak When I was 8 ½ years old, I lived in Pontianak, the capital of Borneo, Indonesia. On the morning of December 19, 1941, I visited a friend who lived opposite the military barracks. We sat in the lounge facing their barracks. We heard planes, which was a rare…
Read TIP’s Indo Profile about war camp survivor and musician Hannie Blaauw. Hannie Blaauw is my very special friend. I met him about twenty years ago when I moved to Arizona. Born and raised on Java, he is eleven years older than I, so he was a teenager during the years of Japanese oppression. He…
While California is still in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Herdenking 2020 is still being planned. This page will be updated with the latest information as the situation develops. Updated 4/14/2020 8:30 pm. COMMEMORATION CEREMONY HERDENKINGS CEREMONIE Presented by the Comite 15 Augustus 1945 August 15, 2020 at 10:00 AM Los Angeles National…
Speech: Inez Hollander, Photos: William Lee, January, 2020, San Francisco, CA, USA On January 13th, 2020, Antonie Heystek (sergeant in the Dutch East Indies Colonial Army and member of the militia in Eastern Java during WWII), received a posthumous Mobilization War Cross from Consul General Gerbert Kunst at the Dutch Consulate in San Francisco. The…
The new book ‘Welcomed by the Smell of Endive’ by Dutch journalist Griselda Molemans (due on March 21, 2014) highlights the true story of how the group of 380,000 displaced persons from the former Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) were received in The Netherlands. Between 1950 and 1970, these Dutch citizens and loyalists were forced…
By Bianca Dias-Halpert USS Wichita (CA-45) Ship’s Chief Petty Officers listen to the radio broadcast of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s address to the Congress requesting a declaration of War against the Axis powers, circa 8 December 1941. Note photograph of President Roosevelt on the bulkhead. The Good and the Bad They’re in the same…
By Sylvia Boon Couto, daughter Name: William Boon Born: December 17, 1917, Java, Dutch East Indies Died: June 10, 2011, California, USA POW: Camp Tjimahi, West Java, Nov 20 , 1942 camp 4e Bataljon The Early Years Dad was born on December 17, 1917 on the island of Java, Indonesia to a…
By Jan Krancher Book: Ambushed under the Southern Cross Author: Capt. George W. Duffy Highly decorated Capt. George W. Duffy has authored the book “Ambushed under the Southern Cross . . . The Making of an American Merchant Marine Officer and His Ensuing Saga of Courage and Survival”. Among several of his experiences, he also…