#162 - RFA Interview:
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Major Paul Rosenzweig, OAM, and Justice of the Peace (JP), who has been interviewed by RFA on previous occasions relating to his great historical research work relating to Australian and Philippine defence history, has recently been awarded one of Australia's highest honours, the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) “For service to military history preservation”.
He received the Medal from His Excellency the Governor of South Australia, the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, in an investiture at Government House, Adelaide on Tuesday 5 September 2017.
He received the Medal from His Excellency the Governor of South Australia, the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, in an investiture at Government House, Adelaide on Tuesday 5 September 2017.
Photo: Major Paul Rosenzweig (ret’d) receives the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) from His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia, in Adelaide on 5 September 2017.
In a Philippine Embassy of Australia ceremony in Canberra earlier this year, Her Excellency, Minda Calaguian-Cruz, Philippine Ambassador to Australia, also awarded Major Rosenzweig a ‘70 years of Diplomatic Relations Award’ in the category of Defense and Security Cooperation.
In a Philippine Embassy of Australia ceremony in Canberra earlier this year, Her Excellency, Minda Calaguian-Cruz, Philippine Ambassador to Australia, also awarded Major Rosenzweig a ‘70 years of Diplomatic Relations Award’ in the category of Defense and Security Cooperation.
Photo: The 70th Anniversary Award ceremony at the Philippine Embassy in Canberra on Sunday 21 May (left to right): Mr Allaster Cox, First Assistant Secretary South-East Asia Maritime Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Her Excellency, Minda Calaguian-Cruz, Philippine Ambassador to Australia; Ms Elizabeth Kikkert MLA (ACT), Shadow Minister for Families, Youth and Community Services, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs; Major Paul Rosenzweig (ret’d), military historian.
Some of the details relating to Major Rosenzweig's illustrious military career, voluntary service and contributions for the benefit of both Australia and the Philippines, including the above recent awards, are as follows:
Some of the details relating to Major Rosenzweig's illustrious military career, voluntary service and contributions for the benefit of both Australia and the Philippines, including the above recent awards, are as follows:
- Volunteer historian and author over the last 35 years.
- Contributed over 50 research papers to the quarterly journal of the Military Historical Society of Australia since 1983.
- Was made a Life Member of the Society in 2009, and in 2010 this was upgraded to Fellow of the Society (there have only been nine Fellows appointed Australia-wide).
- Contributed many other research papers on military history and biography to numerous historical and research societies, and has produced three books on a voluntary basis. Two of these books included biographical profiles of Filipino-Australians in Darwin.
- Awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for his “significant research on Australian military history over the last twenty years”.
- Founder of and historian of the ‘Thanks Digger’ Virtual Museum and Commemoration Centre.
- In his 32 year career in the Army Reserve and Australian Regular Army, one of Major Rosenzweig's key appointments was as Assistant Defence Attaché to the Philippines from December 2004 to January 2008.
- During the period of his appointment to the Philippines from 2004 to 2008 he was Treasurer of the Foreign Armed Forces Attaché Corps, and he was also Executive Officer of the Philippine-Australia Defence Scholars Association, of which he was a Life Member.
- In January 2008 Paul was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Medal by the Republic of the Philippines.
- Conferred with the duties of Justice of the Peace (JP) for South Australia, an Award Leader with the Duke of Edinburgh International Awards and an Australia Day Ambassador with the Australia Day Council of SA.
- Awarded Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), 2017.
- Her Excellency, Minda Calaguian-Cruz, Philippine Ambassador to Australia, awarded Paul a ‘70 years of Diplomatic Relations Award’ in the category of Defense and Security Cooperation in 2017.
- For the past five years Major Rosenzweig has been documenting the Filipino-Australians from northern Australia who volunteered for military service.
- Through his publications and also his ‘Thanks Digger’ page on Facebook, Major Rosenzweig pays tribute to Filipinos who served in the Australian military forces in five wars between 1915 and 1975, and those who lost their lives during the Bombing of Darwin.
- Donated a plaque to commemorate the Filipino Merchant Mariners who were killed north of Darwin on 19 February 1942.