In the early years after Indonesian independence, the country's lack of professional personnel in its defense forces stuck out like a sore thumb to the embarrassment of those in authority at the time. Despite this shortage, there was an abundance of freedom fighters whose numbers were high in the capital of the new republic, Yogyakarta. The first steps toward independence were made when the former Dutch colony reached an agreement with the Netherlands to establish a federal state under the name of the United States of Indonesia, with Moh. Hatta as prime minister. Famous in this aspect were Round Table Conference (RTC) meetings in the years following the end of the Japanese occupation. One of the results of the RTCs was an offer from the Netherlands to train young men to become professional army and navy officers, in Holland. The offer was greatly welcomed by the Indo...