Nick Rowe

Let me tell you the true story of a devout Christian who chose the military as his way of life in this world. Though it is likely had he not been captured in Vietnam; suffered 5 years at the hands of the NVA; and escaped, he would still been recognized as exceptional by fellow soldiers. It is my belief that the hand of God intervened in his life at that point, for the benefit of what he learned and the example he gave to those who followed after continues on today.

            Special Forces officer and West Point graduate; the world just expects people like that to be exceptional. But being exceptional takes more than just winning a beret. It is how you think and therefore live every day. During his time as a POW he resisted the enemy making them think he was but a draftee engineer, but was betrayed as actually being a SF intelligence officer by some traitorous anti-war activists who visited North Vietnam. Even then he refused to allow the enemy to break him.

            They had planned to execute him when God gave him another chance at escape and he took it. Sixty-two months after he was captured he got free. Just 18 hours after his escape he had already written a pamphlet, had 10,000 copies printed and dropped on the heads of his former captors telling them they would be well treated if they would surrender. He would later go on to found and teach the U.S. Army Special Forces Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape program which trains military in all our branches of service. And believe me, you do not ever have to be captured to have that program make you a better soldier.

            Captain Nick Rowe became Colonel Nick Rowe and along the way contributed a number of important books to American literature, at least one written with Robin Moore. This soft spoken gentleman of purpose kept his focus on what was important in his service to others as they sought to “free the oppressed.” But the communist enemy had not forgotten him either. There had been an “event” in Greece. Then when he went to the Philippines he knew already he was number 2 or 3 on the terrorist hit “wish list.” Knowing there was a price on his head he sent his green beret and personal Bible home to his wife for safekeeping along with a letter explaining the situation. On April 21, 1989, his car was attacked by communist NPA and he was killed. He is buried in Arlington cemetery on the hill next to the monument of The Unknown Soldier waiting the resurrection of the dead in Christ. DE OPPRESSO LIBER