by Astrid Berg, PhD Adapted from Mixed Blood : Reconciling My Colonial Family’s History in the Dutch East Indies. Before the Japanese occupation in 1942, my grandparents lived on Tegalsari 78, a home with open verandas and a large garden in a wealthy neighborhood of Surabaya. My grandfather had been promoted to head superintendent of…
by Astrid Berg, Ph.D. Introduction: Understanding Collective Trauma Integration The Collective Trauma Integration Process (CTIP) supports individuals and groups in integrating trauma that has been passed down through generations and is embedded in cultural systems—such as slavery, war, genocide, and racism. As Thomas Hübl teaches, these traumas live not only in our nervous systems, but also…
By Monica Veerman Cluff Editor’s note: This article uses “Tjideng,” the colonial-era Dutch spelling. The modern Bahasa Indonesia spelling is “Cideng.” Both spellings appear in historical and contemporary sources. Finding the Words For those of us with roots in the wartime Dutch East Indies, our family’s stories often contain unspoken gaps. I’ve always been deeply…
by Roderick C. Wahr It happened on January 5th, 1942, at 7:30 a.m. in Sumbawa Besar village on the island of Sumbawa. My mother lay in the bedroom, sweating and moaning, while my father stood outside the bedroom, nervously dragging on a cigarette. I was in the process of being born. The palace of Sultan…
By Edward E. E. Frietman This is the second installment in a three-part series (see part 1 and part 3) featuring Indo luminary Edward E. E. Frietman. In this chapter, he recounts his experiences as a young child in the immediate aftermath of World War II, during the violent and chaotic Bersiap period in what is…
By Jan Krancher, California, USA Overview of the Japanese Imprisonment Experience The Japanese High Command on Java attempted to coerce the Indo-European members of the former Royal Netherlands-Indies Army, Navy and Air Force to enlist in the Japanese army. A goodly number of Indos who refused were summarily executed and many ended up in camps. …
By Jason A. Dixon, grandson Name: Richard E. Coert Born: October 5, 1922, Dutch East Indies Died: October 17, 2003, California, USA POW: Burma-Siam Railway Richard E. Coert was born in 1922 in what is now Indonesia, where he grew up. He dreamed of becoming a pilot in the Dutch air…
By Maja S. Mortensen Nanning Life Changing Moments in America Keeshonden (The national dog of the Netherlands) are part of our family. A Korean veterinarian who completed his internship in the Netherlands opened a practice in town. His experience and medical knowledge made us loyal clients. During the 14-year span of knowing this man, he…
This is a remarkable web site called Pacific War Animated. How did the war end up in the Dutch East Indies ? With dramatic music in the background, you can follow the progression of invading Japanese forces (link below). At the bottom is a red arrow pointing to each red-framed window which you click.…
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…