Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Cadets from the Indonesian Naval Academy (AAL) were deeply impressed as they explored the various collections at the Soesilo Soedarman Museum, located in Gentasari Village, Cilacap Regency, Central Java. The cadets visited the museum on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, during their Eid al-Fitr holiday leave.
At the Soesilo Soedarman Museum, the cadets viewed documents related to the AAL Drum Band’s performance at the 1964 New York World Fair in the United States. They also admired the historical moment when the Indonesian Navy’s tall ship KRI Dewaruci, manned by AAL cadets, docked at the Port of New York and was welcomed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan alongside Indonesian Ambassador Soesilo Soedarman during the 100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. Another highlight of the collection depicted the cadets’ performance at the World Expo in Milan, Italy, in 2015.
The museum, situated in Gentasari Village, Cilacap Regency, houses a wide array of documents, memorabilia, and personal artifacts belonging to the late General Soesilo Soedarman, a national figure from Cilacap. Several artifacts and documents related to the Indonesian Navy and Naval Academy are also part of the collection.
In the museum courtyard, AAL cadets viewed a TNI-AL N-22 Nomad maritime patrol aircraft with registration number P-806. This aircraft was used between 1981 and 1985 by Lt. Gen. Soesilo Soedarman, then Commander of Regional Military Command I (Kowilhan-I), for maritime patrol operations in the Malacca Strait and North Natuna Sea. Also on display are naval guns from former Indonesian Navy landing ship tanks (LSTs), including KRI Teluk Saleh-510 (formerly USS Clarke County-601), KRI Teluk Bone-511 (formerly USS Iredell County-839), along with naval mines.
In May 1970, President Soeharto conducted a state visit to the United States and was welcomed by U.S. President Richard Nixon. During the visit, a bilateral defense cooperation agreement was reached, resulting in the acquisition of escort destroyers, LSTs, and minesweepers from the U.S. Navy for the Indonesian Navy. At that time, Brig. Gen. Soesilo Soedarman, serving as the Indonesian Defense Attaché, was assigned to follow up on the agreement and successfully facilitated the delivery of the ships to Indonesia.
This museum collection serves as a historical record of the RI–US defense cooperation of the 1970s.
Inside the museum, the cadets explored the General Soesilo Soedarman and Maritime Room. The Memorabilia Room, inaugurated by Navy Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Dr. Marsetio in 2014, showcases miniature models of various Indonesian Navy warships. Also on display are documents related to the 1996 Declaration of the Indonesian Maritime Continent and the establishment of the National Maritime Council (DKN) in 1996, with Soesilo Soedarman serving as the Executive Chairman while holding the position of Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs.
The room also features documents belonging to two four-star admirals of the Indonesian Navy—former Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces Admiral Agus Suhartono and former Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Soeparno—whose graduation certificates were signed by the then Commandant General of the Armed Forces Academy (AKABRI), Maj. Gen. Soesilo Soedarman, in 1978.
The visit of the AAL cadets to the Soesilo Soedarman Museum is expected to further instill a spirit of patriotism and dedication in these future leaders of the Indonesian Navy, inspiring them to carry forward the legacy and ideals of their predecessors.
