PRIME NEWS POST
THE INDONESIAN, (MEDAN) — The commemoration of National Heroes’ Day on 10 November 2026 offers an opportunity to revisit regional stories of resistance that hold an important place within Indonesia’s independence history. One such account tells the heroic story of two brothers,
Tuan Mangaraja Iyong Malela Syahmenan Marpaung and Bahar Marpaung, who fought against Dutch colonial forces in the Tanjungbalai‑Asahan area of North Sumatra during the First Dutch Military Aggression in 1947.
The pair were the biological sons of Tuan Mangaraja Ulong Malela Husin Marpaung, a man noted in the family’s historical records as one of the founders of Jong Bataks Bond and an active figure in the nationalist movement in the lead‑up to the 28 October 1928 Youth Pledge.
Their father’s fighting spirit was carried forward by his two sons. During the independence revolution, Syahmenan Marpaung and Bahar Husin Marpaung joined the armed struggle, including an operation to seize a set of antique flintlock pistols, recorded to have belonged to a Dutch military officer.
(Photo insert: Bahar Marpaung / Bahar Husin Marpaung)
The weapons seizure stands as one of the key chapters in the brothers’ fight, an action said to have triggered a harsh colonial crackdown against local independence fighters.
Bahar Marpaung was later captured and imprisoned on Simardan Island. According to the family’s historical account, he was held in solitary confinement before being executed by Dutch troops in the prison’s backyard on 25 September 1947.
His sacrifice received official state recognition; he was posthumously named a Republic of Indonesia Independence Fighter Veteran, based on Decree Number 125 of 1964 issued by Indonesia’s Ministry for Veteran Affairs under the name Bahar Husin (Marpaung).
Meanwhile, his older brother Syahmenan Marpaung managed to escape the Dutch encirclement. He reportedly saved the seized pair of pistols and continued the fight on the front lines.
His service also earned him state recognition as a Class A Independence Fighter under Ministry for Veteran Affairs Decree Number 63 of 1963 and Decree from the Minister of Defence / Armed Forces Commander Number 956 of 1981. Official documents record four years and three months of active struggle.
Once the independence war concluded, Syahmenan Marpaung continued his service as an Indonesian Army soldier until his retirement.
Heirloom Pistols, Silent Witnesses to the Fight
One of the most remarkable legacies from the family’s story is the pair of antique flintlock pistols, still carefully preserved by the Marpaung family.
After Indonesia’s full independence, Syahmenan Marpaung is said to have intentionally damaged the firing mechanisms on both pistols so they could no longer be used to harm or take human life. The weapons were retained as family heirlooms, kept as historical mementos of the struggle rather than instruments of violence.
Together with a collection of authentic state archival documents, these historic artifacts have been passed down through generations. They are currently held by the family’s heir, Tuanku Raja Gontar IV, Dr. Drs. H. Syafri Fadillah Marpaung, SE, M.Pd.
For the family, the pistols are far more than ancestral keepsakes. They serve as a reminder that Indonesia’s independence was forged through the courage, sacrifice, and real‑world resistance waged by ordinary people across the archipelago.
“These pistols and state documents we continue to preserve remind younger generations that independence was never handed to us for free. The people of Tanjungbalai and Asahan also fought for their freedom with courage, sacrifice, and even the lives of their fighters,” a family representative stated during the Heroes’ Day reflection event in Medan.
The story of Bahar Marpaung, who was killed at Simardan Island Prison, and the wartime service of Syahmenan Marpaung forms one piece of the larger historical mosaic of the independence revolution in North Sumatra.
The 2026 Heroes’ Day commemoration is expected to be more than a yearly ceremony. It is hoped the moment will encourage further research, documentation, and preservation of regional independence history, so these stories are not forgotten by future generations.
After all, the nation’s history is written not only by major events in the capital, but also by brave people in every corner of the country who risked everything for the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.
Reported from various media sources //photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media // news.paper
