Frank Palmos


Francis Palmos a journalist, author, and translator, who is best known for his work in South East Asia.

Education

Higher Education
2008-2012: University of Western Australia, Asian Studies, Ph.D. Subject of Ph.D. Thesis: “Surabaya 1945: Sacred Territory - Revolutionary Surabaya as the birthplace of Indonesian Independence.” Dissertation approved 13 March 2012.
1967: Diploma Linguistics, Sorbonne designated course, Bescancon, France.
1964: Diploma of Arts, University of Melbourne.
1962: University of Indonesia, Jakarta, the History of Indonesian Literature.
1961: Pajajaran University, Bandung, Indonesia, Publisistiks.
1961-1962: Fellow, UN Supervised Yayasan Siswa Lokantara, Indonesia.

Career

Frank Palmos began his career as a foreign correspondent after six years in journalism by writing his first Foreign Reports from Indonesia in 1961 when he was 21 years old. Following graduation in Journalism and Indonesian Studies from University of Melbourne while senior journalist at 'Herald' Melbourne and after graduation he was appointed at 24 years of age Australia's youngest Foreign Correspondent to South East Asia. He founded the first foreign newspaper bureau in the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta and served as its bureau chief for the Sydney Morning Herald-Sun groups, which represented 10 Australian and numerous overseas daily newspapers. Dean of Foreign Correspondents, Co-Founder and President of the Djakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, 1965–1969. Special writer for the New York Times, Washington Post, The Economist, London, the Groene Amsterdammer, Vrij Nederland. BBC Panorama 1968. Honorary, simultaneous translator to first Indonesian President Sukarno and political party leaders, 1964–66.
In addition to his work in Southeast Asia, Palmos reported on NASA missions from Cape Kennedy, Houston between 1971–1973, during Apollo Missions XV Apollo XVI.

War correspondent

Palmos served as a war correspondent during the Vietnam War, where he did five tours between 1965 and 1968. While reporting he accompanied 33 land sea and air missions from bases in Da Nang, Saigon and Nha Trang. He was the sole survivor of a Viet Cong ambush of five western war correspondents in Cholon on 5 May 1968 during the second Tet Offensive. He documented his missions, the ambush and two-year investigative search reports between 1988–1990 in his autobiography, called "Ridding the Devils". It was the first Western book on the Vietnam war to be translated into Vietnamese by Phan Thanh Hao and broadcast as serial over Vietnam National Radio between 1990–1991.
Later, Palmos served as a foundation trustee for the Indochina Media Memorial Foundation and was a contributor to the book 'Requiem' edited by Horst Faas and Tim Page, as a memorial to 135 photographers and correspondents killed in the Indochina Wars ending in 1975.

Awards

Australian Winston Churchill Fellow for Pioneering Journalism in Asia. Television Journalism Logie winner 1974 with Current Affair Channel 9 team, coverages included Cyclone Tracy and four highlight films. Executive Producer Michael Schildberger, Producer Graham Coddington, co-Reporter John Hounslow, Research Andrea Lee-Steere, GTV9 Studios, Richmond, Victoria.

Translations

Palmos wrote the English version of Bao Ninh's war novel, The Sorrow of War. It was named Best Foreign Book 1994 by the London-based Society of Authors. It was ranked by the Society as one of 50 Best Translations of the 20th Century.
Between 2007–2011, Palmos translated four key Indonesian Revolutionary Histories: Soewito, Dr Irna Hadi: Rakyat Jawa Timur Mempertahankan Kemerdekaan: The East Javanese People's Defense of Their Freedom, Volume I, Abdulgani, Ruslan: Seratus Hari Di Surabaya Yang Menggemparkan Indonesia: One Hundred Days in Surabaya that Shook Indonesia,Padmodiwiryo, General Suhario: Memoar Hario Kecik: Autobiografi Seorang Mahasiswa Prajurit: Hario Kecik's Memoir, The Autobiography of a Student Soldier, Armed Forces History and Traditions Editors, Pertempuran Surabaya: The Battle for Surabaya.

Books