Green Beret Nick Rowe assassinated 27 years ago today

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Green Beret Nick Rowe assassinated 27 years ago today

Posted: 4/21/2016 9:21:56 AM EDT

Who? A bad ass, that's who. Spent five years as a captive of the Viet Cong before escaping on his own. On April 21, 1989 was killed by rebels in the Philippines. Read Five Years to Freedom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_N._Rowe

Posted: 4/21/2016 9:22:39 AM EDT

[#1]

The Commies hated him. The model of a SF professional.

I guess I've missed it all of this time, but he and Versace were captured at the same time.

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:10:56 AM EDT

[#2]

Used to drive by his sign at Mackall. I still wish I'd have gotten a picture with it.

He was the fucking man.

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:12:38 AM EDT

[#3]

Hazardous duty..........hazardous life.

Rest in peace green face man.

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:15:10 AM EDT

[#4]

I had AIT and BNCOC classes in a building named after him.

I believe there was a very good documentary on History Channel (you know, back when they showed those sorts of history things) comparing how he handled his detention/resistance with the guy he was captured with. Because he went to school for engineering, he developed a cover story about how he and the other guy were sent to survey a river for a future bridge to be built. The other guy just gave his name/rank/serial number and was executed while Rowe strung the story out long enough to be liberated.

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:17:43 AM EDT

[#5]

Rest in peace, bad motherfucker

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:21:04 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Who? A bad ass, that's who. Spent five years as a captive of the Viet Cong before escaping on his own. On April 21, 1989 was killed by rebels in the Philippines. Read Five Years to Freedom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_N._Rowe

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He wasn't 'killed by rebels' he was murdered by Vietnamese communists....

He escaped on his own but was spotted by a helicopter crew with sharp eyes who picked out that he was not VC but American....landed and snatched him away from the VC regulars who
were hunting him...
He had escaped a couple of times before iirc but was recaptured tortured and was what I would call extremely ill...that AO was a killer with fungus and bacteria...
He was a real hero to those who knew him or of him...sad sad day when he was murdered.

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:21:46 AM EDT

[#7]

He started SERE

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:29:10 AM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:

He wasn't 'killed by rebels' he was murdered by Vietnamese communists....

He escaped on his own but was spotted by a helicopter crew with sharp eyes who picked out that he was not VC but American....landed and snatched him away from the VC regulars who
were hunting him...
He had escaped a couple of times before iirc but was recaptured tortured and was what I would call extremely ill...that AO was a killer with fungus and bacteria...
He was a real hero to those who knew him or of him...sad sad day when he was murdered.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Who? A bad ass, that's who. Spent five years as a captive of the Viet Cong before escaping on his own. On April 21, 1989 was killed by rebels in the Philippines. Read Five Years to Freedom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_N._Rowe

He wasn't 'killed by rebels' he was murdered by Vietnamese communists....

He escaped on his own but was spotted by a helicopter crew with sharp eyes who picked out that he was not VC but American....landed and snatched him away from the VC regulars who
were hunting him...
He had escaped a couple of times before iirc but was recaptured tortured and was what I would call extremely ill...that AO was a killer with fungus and bacteria...
He was a real hero to those who knew him or of him...sad sad day when he was murdered.

A guy in a old unit of mine received a negative counseling statement from Rowe when he was going thru some part of USAJFKSWCS in the 80s (can't remember if it was QC or not). He had his counseling statement framed.

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:33:32 AM EDT

[#9]

Vietnamese communists wanted to get him and partnered with a Muslim terror group In The Phillippines to get him.

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:41:35 AM EDT

[#10]

An American hero.

Posted: 4/21/2016 10:55:57 AM EDT

[#11]

COL Rowe spoke at my SFQC graduation. A great soldier, a great American and a great man. One of only a handful of men that I consider true heroes.

I'm told that my Q-course was the first to run the "Nasty Nick" obstacle course at Camp MacKall. Not sure if that is true, but it was one extraordinarily difficult obstacle course.

America lost a great man on this day back in 1989.

Posted: 4/21/2016 11:14:14 AM EDT

[#12]

McAllen, Texas has a Colonel Rowe Boulevard that I have always assumed is named for him. And of course a Roy Benavidez School.

Posted: 4/21/2016 11:49:43 AM EDT

[#13]

FIve Years to Freedom had a profound effect on the way I deal with life's hurdles. It made me come to the realization that you can get through just about anything if you take life day by day.
I don't know if I am going to fail. What I now know is that if I give up, lose hope, stop planning to succeed, failure is all but guaranteed.
There was an Amazon review from someone going through chemo that said that reading that book made his treatment much easier to get through. I thought that to be a pretty good endorsement.
I am going to take my family to Arlington this August and will pay my respect to Col. Rowe.
It is by far my favorite book and I highly recommend it.

Posted: 4/21/2016 11:52:29 AM EDT

[#14]

Great book and interesting man.

Posted: 4/21/2016 11:52:54 AM EDT

[#15]

The passage in the book over the pet eagles he cared for that were killed was tough..............He is the epitome of hardcore

Posted: 4/21/2016 6:43:56 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
FIve Years to Freedom had a profound effect on the way I deal with life's hurdles. It made me come to the realization that you can get through just about anything if you take life day by day.
I don't know if I am going to fail. What I now know is that if I give up, lose hope, stop planning to succeed, failure is all but guaranteed.
There was an Amazon review from someone going through chemo that said that reading that book made his treatment much easier to get through. I thought that to be a pretty good endorsement.
I am going to take my family to Arlington this August and will pay my respect to Col. Rowe.
It is by far my favorite book and I highly recommend it.

View Quote

Five Years to Freedom was also a huge inspiration to me. It showed me how to be tough when dealing with adversity. That he survived at all was miraculous, that he was was killed in such a fashion as he was sucked!

RIP Col. Rowe

Posted: 4/21/2016 7:07:23 PM EDT

[#17]

like I needed another reason to hate communists

Posted: 4/21/2016 7:17:20 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:

He wasn't 'killed by rebels' he was murdered by Vietnamese communists....

He escaped on his own but was spotted by a helicopter crew with sharp eyes who picked out that he was not VC but American....landed and snatched him away from the VC regulars who
were hunting him...
He had escaped a couple of times before iirc but was recaptured tortured and was what I would call extremely ill...that AO was a killer with fungus and bacteria...
He was a real hero to those who knew him or of him...sad sad day when he was murdered.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Who? A bad ass, that's who. Spent five years as a captive of the Viet Cong before escaping on his own. On April 21, 1989 was killed by rebels in the Philippines. Read Five Years to Freedom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_N._Rowe

He wasn't 'killed by rebels' he was murdered by Vietnamese communists....

He escaped on his own but was spotted by a helicopter crew with sharp eyes who picked out that he was not VC but American....landed and snatched him away from the VC regulars who
were hunting him...
He had escaped a couple of times before iirc but was recaptured tortured and was what I would call extremely ill...that AO was a killer with fungus and bacteria...
He was a real hero to those who knew him or of him...sad sad day when he was murdered.

this, he knew he was a marked man in the PI.

Posted: 4/21/2016 7:19:11 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
An American hero.

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Yep. I read Five years to Freedom a long time ago . It still stays with me .

Posted: 4/21/2016 7:24:44 PM EDT

[#20]

Kill a commie for mommy.

Posted: 4/21/2016 7:31:09 PM EDT

[#21]

Don't forget about this guy...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbert_Roque_Versace

Posted: 4/21/2016 9:10:41 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:

Don't forget about this guy...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbert_Roque_Versace

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I wonder what Senator McShitstain knows about him?

Posted: 4/21/2016 9:12:00 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:

FIve Years to Freedom had a profound effect on the way I deal with life's hurdles. It made me come to the realization that you can get through just about anything if you take life day by day.

I don't know if I am going to fail. What I now know is that if I give up, lose hope, stop planning to succeed, failure is all but guaranteed.

There was an Amazon review from someone going through chemo that said that reading that book made his treatment much easier to get through. I thought that to be a pretty good endorsement.

I am going to take my family to Arlington this August and will pay my respect to Col. Rowe.

It is by far my favorite book and I highly recommend it.

View Quote

They do not make men like him anymore...

Posted: 4/21/2016 9:56:16 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:

They do not make men like him anymore...

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
FIve Years to Freedom had a profound effect on the way I deal with life's hurdles. It made me come to the realization that you can get through just about anything if you take life day by day.
I don't know if I am going to fail. What I now know is that if I give up, lose hope, stop planning to succeed, failure is all but guaranteed.
There was an Amazon review from someone going through chemo that said that reading that book made his treatment much easier to get through. I thought that to be a pretty good endorsement.
I am going to take my family to Arlington this August and will pay my respect to Col. Rowe.
It is by far my favorite book and I highly recommend it.

They do not make men like him anymore...