Rahmat Shigeru Ono

Rahmat Shigeru Ono
小野 茂
Personal details
Born	Shigeru Ono (小野 茂) (1918-09-26)September 26, 1918 Ōtomari, Karafuto, Empire of Japan (now Korsakov, Russia)
Died	August 25, 2014(2014-08-25) (aged 95) Batu, East Java, Indonesia
Military service
Allegiance	Empire of Japan (1939–1945) Indonesia (1945–1949)
Branch/service	Indonesian Army
Years of service	1939–1949
Rank	Major
Battles/wars	Indonesian National Revolution

Major H. Rahmat Shigeru Ono (September 26, 1918 – August 25, 2014) was a Japanese soldier who defected and sided with Indonesia. When Japan was defeated by the Allies, Ono became one of the troops who refused to return to Japan and chose to join the Indonesian people to seize independence, they were known as the elite commandos of the Pasukan Gerilya Spesial (Special Guerrilla Force) under Untung Surapati's troops. He was the last surviving Japanese volunteer in the Indonesian Revolution.

Biography

Before his left hand was slashed in a grenade explosion, Ono was known to be an expert in using the katana, once using only the blade, Ono and another soldier were able to slaughter 20 or so Dutch troops who were about to ambush them. These troops attacked the Dutch post in Pajajaran, Malang and trained TNI troops at the foot of Mount Semeru.

After the recognition of sovereignty, July 1950, Ono married Darkasih. Their first child was born on June 24, 1951, and was named Tutik. However, in 1952 when Ono was summoned by the Japanese Consul General in Surabaya, he managed to reconnect with his mother. Whereas previously, after deciding to join Indonesia, Ono had sent a letter saying he had died. By the mother, she was asked to change her child's name to Atsuko.

In the same year, Ono became an Indonesian citizen. His wife died of cancer in 1982. The story of his life is told in a book entitled Those Who Have Been Forgotten: Memoirs of Rahmat Shigeru Ono, Former Japanese Soldiers who took the Republican side by Eiichi Hayashi. He had four children, ten grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Ono died on August 25, 2014, due to illness. At the time, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had asked him to be present at the Merdeka Palace to celebrate the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia.