Colonel James Nicholas “Nick” Rowe (February 8, 1938 – April 21, 1989)
Colonel James “Nick” Rowe
U.S. Army Special Forces Hero – POW, Escapee, and Founder of SERE School
Colonel Nick Rowe (1938–1989) was a legendary U.S. Army Special Forces officer and one of only 34 American POWs to escape captivity during the Vietnam War. Captured in 1963, Rowe endured over five years of brutal imprisonment before making a daring escape. His firsthand experience inspired the development of the U.S. Army’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training program—now a cornerstone of Special Operations Forces training worldwide.
As a Green Beret, Rowe exemplified courage, innovation, and resilience. He helped institutionalize doctrine that continues to save American lives in hostile environments. In 1989, while serving in the Philippines on a counterinsurgency mission, he was tragically assassinated by communist guerrillas from the New People’s Army.
De Oppresso Liber – He Lived the Motto
LEGEND. TEACHER. WARRIOR.