Donald Izacus Panjaitan

Official photograph of D.I. Panjaitan

Donald Izacus Panjaitan (9 June 1925 – 1 October 1965) was an Indonesian general who was killed during a kidnap attempt by members of the 30 September Movement.

Early life

D.I. Pandjaitan was born in Sitorang, Balige in the Tapanuli region of North Sumatra. After completing elementary and high school, with the arrival of the Invading Japanese, he underwent Japanese Giyugun military education. He was then posted to Pekanbaru, and was there when Indonesian independence was declared on 17 August 1945. ^[1][2][3]

Career with the Indonesian military

In November 1945, Pandjaitan, together with other youths, helped set up a local branch of the People's Security Army (TKR), initially serving as a battalion commander. In March 1948, he was appointed commander of the commander for organization and education of XI/Banteng Division at Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. Not long after, he became fourth deputy commander (supplies) for the Sumatran Army Command, then when the Dutch launched their second "police action" against the republic, he was put in charge of supplies for the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia^[3].

After the Dutch recognition of Indonesian sovereignty in 1949, Panjaitan was posted to the headquarters of the Sumatran Division in Medan, and on 2 January 1950 became head of the operational staff of the I/Bukit Barisan Division. He was then transferred to Palembang, South Sumatra and appointed deputy commander of the II/Sriwijaya Division. From October 1952 to July 1957, he served as the military attache to the Indonesian embassy in Bonn, West Germany. Upon his return to Indonesia, he joined the Army General Staff. He attended a course at the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth from December 1963 to June 1964. He then took up his final post as fourth assistant to the Army chief of staff^[1][3].

Death

In the early hours of 1 October 1965, a group of members of the 30 September Movement left Lubang Buaya on the outskirts of Jakarta. They forced the gates of Panjaitan's house on Jalan Hasanudin, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, shot and killed one of his servants sleeping on the ground floor of the two-story house and called for Panjaitan to come downstairs. After the attackers threatened his family, Panjaitan came down. He then tried to escape and was shot dead.^[4][5]. His body was put in a truck and taken back to the movement's headquarters at Lubang Buaya. Later, his body and those of his slain colleagues was hidden in a disused well. The bodies recovered on October 4, and all were given a state funeral the following day. Panjaitan was awareded a posthumous promotion to Major General and made a Hero of the Revolution^[6].

References

• Anderson, Benedict R O'G & McVey, Ruth (1971), A Preliminary Analysis of the October 1, 1965 Coup in Indonesia, Modern Indonesian project Southeast Asian Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

• Bachtiar, Harsja W. (1988), Siapa Dia?: Perwira Tinggi Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (Who is S/He?: Senior Officers of the Indonesian Army), Penerbit Djambatan, Jakarta, ISBN 979-428-100-X

• Mutiara Sumber Widya (publisher)(1999) Album Pahlawan Bangsa (Album of National Heroes), Jakarta

• Sekretariat Negara Republik Indonesia (1975) 30 Tahun Indonesia Merdeka: Jilid 3 (1965-1973) (30 Years of Indonesian Independence: Volume 3 (1965-1973)

• Secretariat Negara Republik Indonesia (1994) Gerakan 30 September Pemberontakan Partai Komunis Indonesia: Latar Belakang, Aksi dan Penumpasannya (The 30 September Movement/Communist Party of Indonesia: Bankground, Actions and its Annihilation) ISBN 979-08300-025

• Sudarmanto, Y.B. (1996) Jejak-Jejak Pahlawan dari Sultan Agung hingga Syekh Yusuf (The Footsteps of Heroes from Sultan Agung to Syekh Yusuf), Penerbit Grasindo, Jakarta ISBN 979-553-111-5

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Sudarmanto (1996)
2. ^ Mutiara Sumber Widya (publisher)(1999)
3. ^ ^{a b c} Bachtiar (1988)
4. ^ Sekretariat Negara Republik Indonesia (1994)
5. ^ Anderson & McVey (1971)
6. ^ Sekretariat Negara Republik Indonesia (1975)

Persondata
Name	Panjaitan, Donald Izacu
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	9 June 1925
Place of birth
Date of death	1 October 1965
Place of death