Indonesia, US Foundation to Build World War II Museum in Morotai

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite, June 20, 2012

Indonesia and the US MacArthur Foundation are planning to build a World War II and Operation Trikora museum on Morotai Island near North Maluku.

Morotai played a strategic role in the US advances against the Japanese during World War II, and was also used as a base during the struggle to win Papua from the Dutch colonial administration in the early 1960s — an operation known as Trikora. Planes were based at Morotai as a station to attack Biak island in Papua.

“General Douglas McArther, as the commander of the allied forces in the Pacific during World War II, was known for his frog leap strategy. He jumped from island to island and attacked Morotai island from Biak to paralyze the Japanese occupation forces there,” said Al Busyra Basnur, the US consul general in Houston, Texas in a press release.

The allied forces then build seven airstrips on Morotai to facilitate air strikes on the Philippines.

Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono and North Maluku Governor Thaib Armaiyn made a visit on Monday to the MacArthur Memorial and MacArthur Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, to discuss the plan, according to Busyra. 

Busyra added that the initial plans to build the museum coincided with the Sail Morotai 2012 event, which will include a parachute jump event, a rocket launch by the National Aerospace and Aviation Institute (Lapan) and a parade of warships and sailboats from various countries.

On Sept 15, at the peak of Sail Morotai, World War II veterans and members of the Trikora operation, will be on hand.

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