James N. Rowe: Green Beret escaped after 5 years of torture

Wrote the book on SERE school training for US military

Captured by the North Vietnamese in 1963, Rowe spent 5 long years of torture being crammed into a 3x4x6 foot cell in the jungles of Vietnam. When a couple of helo gunships started firing on his captors, Rowe overpowered his guard and signaled the helo’s to pick him up. His military career did not end after his liberation. Using his knowledge of escape and imprisonment, he authored the book to train future soldiers in the SERE (Search, Evasion, Resistance,Escape) school for the US military. Working as an advisor to the Philippines to train them on counter insurgency, he was assassinated while in an armored car in Quezon in 1989. He knew beforehand that he was a target but insisted on remaining at his post to continue his work. He was awarded the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts. His book “Five Years To Freedom” describes his Vietnam ordeal. Freedom is not Free. Valor is in you. Set it free.