
<figure class="image-550">
<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-28/colonel-james-rowe.webp" alt="A black and white military portrait of Colonel James "Nick" Rowe wearing a camouflage field uniform and a Special Forces beret with a silver oak leaf rank insignia on his collar." loading="lazy" />
<figcaption>
Colonel James Nicholas "Nick" Rowe (1938–1989), a highly decorated U.S. Army Special Forces officer and Vietnam War hero. After his daring 1968 escape from five years of Viet Cong captivity, he established the military's SERE survival program and was later serving as the Chief of the Army Division for <a href="/kauswagan/articles/1027/today-in-philippine-history-march-21-1947-jusmag-was-organized" class="news_link">JUSMAG</a> in the Philippines at the time of his assassination in 1989.
</figcaption>
</figure>

<h2>
Early Life and Military Training
</h2>
<p>
James Nicholas Rowe was born on February 8, 1938, in the city of McAllen, Texas. He grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and graduated from McAllen High School in 1956. Even as a young man, he was active in leadership roles, such as the Order of DeMolay, which later honored him by putting him in their Hall of Fame.   
</p>
<p>
He attended the <a href="https://www.westpoint.edu/" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United States Military Academy</a> at West Point and graduated in 1960. After he was made a second lieutenant, he went through the standard training for combat officers, including the Field Artillery Basic Course at Fort Sill. He also finished Airborne and Ranger training in 1961. His early years in the Army showed he was a high achiever who sought out the most difficult assignments.   
</p>
<p>
He joined the Special Forces in 1961. During this time, he studied Chinese Mandarin at the Defense Language Institute in California. This training was part of a larger plan by the U.S. government to prepare soldiers for the growing conflict in Southeast Asia. He was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group and was sent to the Republic of Vietnam in 1963.   
</p>

<div class="table-wrapper">
  <table>
    <caption>Table 1: Career Milestones of Colonel James Nicholas Rowe</caption>
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th>Year</th>
        <th>Event</th>
        <th>Location</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>1938</td>
        <td>Born on February 8</td>
        <td>McAllen, Texas</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>1960</td>
        <td>Graduated from West Point</td>
        <td>West Point, New York</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>1961</td>
        <td>Completed Airborne and Ranger training</td>
        <td>Fort Bragg, North Carolina</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>1963</td>
        <td>Captured by the Viet Cong</td>
        <td>Tan Phu, South Vietnam</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>1968</td>
        <td>Escaped from captivity on December 31</td>
        <td>U Minh Forest, South Vietnam</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>1974</td>
        <td>Resigned from active duty</td>
        <td>Texas</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>1981</td>
        <td>Returned to active duty for SERE</td>
        <td>Fort Bragg, North Carolina</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>1988</td>
        <td>Assigned as Chief of Army Division, JUSMAG</td>
        <td>Quezon City, Philippines</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>1989</td>
        <td>Assassinated on April 21</td>
        <td>Quezon City, Philippines</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>
  
<h2>
The Vietnam War and Five Years of Captivity
</h2>
<p>
In July 1963, then-First Lieutenant Rowe was sent to South Vietnam as part of a 12-man team called Operational Detachment A-23. Their job was to work at a camp in Tan Phu, which was about 130 miles away from Saigon in the Mekong Delta. This area was very dangerous and had many Viet Cong soldiers. Rowe and his team advised a group of local fighters known as the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG).   
</p>
<p>
On <time datetime="1963-10-29">October 29, 1963</time>, Rowe was out on a patrol with <b>Captain Humbert "Rocky" Versace</b> and <b>Sergeant First Class Daniel Pitzer</b>. They were trying to clear Viet Cong from a nearby village called La Coeur. When they got to the village, they found the enemy had already left. They decided to follow the enemy and walked into an ambush. After a long fight that lasted until the evening, all three Americans were captured.   
</p>



<h2>
The Secret Story
</h2>
<p>
Rowe knew that as an intelligence officer, he had information that the Viet Cong would want. He knew about minefields, camp defenses, and the names of local people who worked with the Americans. To protect this information, he made up a story. He told his captors that he was a draftee engineer who had been sent to Vietnam to build schools and other projects for civilians. He did not wear his West Point ring, which helped him keep up the secret.   
</p>
<p>
For five years, he lived in a small wooden cage that was only three feet by four feet by six feet in size. He dealt with many diseases like dysentery and fungal infections. The Viet Cong tortured him to see if he was lying. At one point, they gave him hard engineering problems to solve. Because West Point cadets had to take engineering classes, he was able to solve them and convince the guards his story was true.   
</p>
<p>
However, his story was eventually ruined by people back in the United States. Anti-war activists visited North Vietnam and gave the government a list of prisoners. Rowe's name was on that list, and it identified him as a Special Forces officer. The Viet Cong were very angry that he had tricked them for so long. They beat him for hours and left him naked in a swamp for two days so mosquitoes could bite him. Eventually, they decided to execute him.   
</p>
<h2>
The Escape on New Year's Eve
</h2>
<p>
On <time datetime="1968-12-31">December 31, 1968</time>, Rowe was being moved to the place where he was supposed to be killed. While they were moving, some American helicopters began firing into the area. The guards became scared and tried to hide in the tall grass and reeds. Rowe saw his chance. He tricked his main guard into moving away from the others.   
</p>
<p>
Rowe managed to overpower the guard and knock him unconscious. He was wearing black pajamas like the Viet Cong, which made it dangerous because American soldiers might shoot him by mistake. He ran into an open area and waved a white mosquito net at a passing helicopter. The pilot, Major David Thompson, saw him. At first, the crew almost fired at him, but Major Thompson noticed Rowe had a beard and realized he might be an American. They landed and picked him up, ending his 62 months of captivity.   
</p>
<h2>
Building the SERE Program
</h2>
<p>
After he returned to the United States, Rowe worked on plans to help other prisoners of war come home. He wrote a book about his time in captivity called Five Years to Freedom, which became very famous. In 1974, he left the Army and tried to enter politics in Texas, but he did not win his election. He spent a few years writing books and raising horses before returning to the Army in 1981.   
</p>
<p>
When he came back, he was a lieutenant colonel. The Army asked him to help create a new training program based on what he had learned while being a prisoner. This program became the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) course. This training is now required for all Special Operations soldiers and pilots who are at a high risk of being captured.   
</p>
<p>
The SERE school at Fort Bragg was designed to be very tough. It teaches soldiers how to survive in the wild, how to avoid being caught, and how to resist when being questioned by the enemy. Rowe wanted to make sure that no other American soldier would have to go through what he did without being prepared.   
</p>

<div class="table-wrapper">
  <table>
    <caption>Table 2: Military Awards and Honors of Colonel Rowe</caption>
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th>Award Name</th>
        <th>Significance</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>Silver Star</td>
        <td>For gallantry in action during his escape</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Legion of Merit</td>
        <td>For exceptionally meritorious conduct in service</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster</td>
        <td>For heroic achievement and service</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster</td>
        <td>For wounds received in action</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>POW Medal</td>
        <td>Given to those held as prisoners of war</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Combat Infantryman's Badge</td>
        <td>For soldiers who fought in active ground combat</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>


<h2>
The Mission in the Philippines
</h2>
<p>
In 1988, Colonel Rowe was sent to the Philippines to serve as the Chief of the Army Division for the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group, or JUSMAG. This group was responsible for helping the Philippine military fight against communist rebels. At the time, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_People%27s_Army" class="news-link-ext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopenor">New People's Army</a> (NPA) was trying to overthrow the government of President <a href="/kauswagan/articles/897/today-in-philippine-history-january-25-1933-cory-aquino-was-born-in-manila" class="news_link">Corazon Aquino</a>.   
</p>
<p>
Rowe's job was very important and very secret. He worked with the CIA and Philippine intelligence officers to try and find the leaders of the NPA. He was part of a plan that had been going on for ten years to get spies into the communist group. Because of his work, he was a very big target for the rebels.   
</p>
<p>
By early 1989, Rowe had found information that the NPA was planning a major attack. He told officials in Washington that someone important was going to be killed soon. He even said that he believed he was number two or three on the hit list. Despite these warnings, he was not given the full protection he needed. For example, the U.S. government had cut the budget for armored cars that year, so he was driving a vehicle that was not fully protected.   
</p>


Assassination of Col. Rowe and the Philippine Insurgency


Explore the life and 1989 assassination of Col. James "Nick" Rowe, a Vietnam POW hero and SERE founder, and the 32-year legal battle for justice.


Colonel James N. Rowe: His Assassination, Legacy, and the Philippine Insurgency