Five Years to Freedom : The True Story of a Vietnam POW

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Book Amazing Story
Review: "5 years to Freedom" is the story of the great perseverance and courage shown by Army Lt. James Rowe during his captivity in the Mekong Delta area of South Vietnam from 1963-1968. Its' style is highly disciplined, which no doubt is a positive reflection on the author. Rowe writes with a sharp eye for detail, another positive reflection on him and his West Point/Green Beret background. He writes in plain English (the way the Army likes it), with the result that no military glossary is needed to fully appreciate the action. He also accomplishes the feat of putting a human face on his captors and guards, though not always a complimentary one. The reader is in virtual in captivity with Rowe while he prepares his meals, scrounges what he can (typical Army!), begs for what he can't, suffers multiple and graphic physical ailments and even raises some pets. Rowe was obviously a political/ propaganda toy to be manipulated by the Viet Cong. Exactly why this was so goes unexplained. Also unexplained is why the U.S. made NO ATTEMPT to rescue Rowe. The author, as a career military man, is not the one to pursue an answer. One major shortcoming of "FYF" is the total inadequacy of the one scrawny map in the paperback edition. Since most Vietnam Vets served North of Saigon, the Delta Region, especially the notorious U Minh Forest, is a geographic mystery to most of us. A good map would have clarified matters, but this shortfall is a common enough theme in military stories. In this reviewer's bottom line opinion, readers will derive a sharper understanding of the POW situation from 1) Frank Anton's "Why Didn't You Get Me Out"? and 2) George J. Veith's " Code Name Bright Light". Both raise the issue of inadequate U.S. response and interest in our POWs, a governmental attitude persisting to this day. Mr. Anton both depicts his pain and suffering in captivity and raises the big picture of the POWs. (As of 1 January, 2002- 1,948 Americans remain unaccounted for). On stand-alone merits, "Five Years to Freedom" still rates 5 full stars. It's just that there are superior 5 star efforts available on this emotional issue.

Rating:
Summary: Duty, Honor, Country
Review: 1LT Rowe endured hardships that are incomprehensible to the average American. His book describes his battle to maintain a grip on sanity and life itself in the nightmare world of a prisoner. The book describes the constant pressure by his captors to get him to confess to "war crimes" and his struggle to maintain honor. From his initial capture, his bouts with dysentery, his escape attempts, and seeing the country that he loves seemingly turn on him, the book and the images it conveys of despair, misery, and hope are haunting and unforgettable.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Book Amazing Story
Review: As I read this book I put myself in the time frame of the story. Col. Rowes captivity begans the first semester of my senior year in high school and concludes when I am about to start the final semester of my senior year in college. During that period of time, 62 months, Col. Rowe at that time still a Lieutenant is a captive of the North Vietnamese and is harshly treated but lives to tell his story. In many instances I found myself trying to understand how this man could endure so much and I found myself experiencing great dissapointment after great dissapointment as his quest for freedom becomes overly prolonged.
The book is humbly written and makes for excellent reading especially for the "Jane Fonda's" of the world who would question the resolve and sacrifices made by Veterans of the Viet Nam era.

Rating:
Summary: Must reading for all
Review: Col. Nick Rowe's resovle to resist Marxist-Leninist indoctrination from the brutish revolutionaries that held him captive wavered many times. Yet, he never gave in. Taken captive in 1963 by VC guerillas, Rowe was held for five years in the dark emerald confines of the U Minh forest. The chief ploy that helped Rowe survive, his cover story that he was an engineer and knew nothing of military value, was blown away when leftist college students in the States betrayed US POWs by collecting information on them and informing Hanoi about their military backgrounds. (It is sobering to note that the types of individuals that delivered up their own countrymen into the hands of evil now occupy chairs in elite universities, where Marxism is the order of the day). Angered by this deception, the VC planned to hand Rowe over to the Enemy and Civilian Proselyting Section at Zone, where the decision of his living or dying could be made. The order was tantamount to a death sentence if Rowe didn't write and sign a confession. Thanks to good fortune and incredible force of will, Rowe managed to escape in his fifth year of captivity. Tragically, this American hero was gunned down in the Philippines in 1989 by communist insurgents there, betrayed this time by his own government, which knew of the danger Rowe was in but did nothing to get him out of harm's way. Five Years to Freedom is a long and detailed description of Rowe's environment, his captives, and his psychological and physical condition throughout five torturous years of captivity. Written only three years after his release, Rowe's story conjures image after image of hot, humid jungle, relentless monsoon, disease, brutality, filth, and deprivation. The triumph of Rowe's spirit is its saving grace. You won't regret buying it.

Rating:
Summary: One Helluva Survivor
Review: I can only imagine what that hell must have been like. Mr. Rowe tells his story with incredible courage and a great deal of humility. His bravery is an example for all to follow. His hard fought lessons are taught to hundreds of forward operating soldeirs in the SERE courses. This is a must read for anyone facing any sort of adversity.

Rating:
Summary: Must reading for all
Review: I first read this book in the 1980s. It relates the experiences of Lt. Nick Rowe during the 62 month period of his captivity by the Viet Cong. These men experienced unspeakable hardship and deprivation while in captivity yet maintained their honor and resisted the Viet Cong. Readers will be especially impressed by Capt. Humberto Versace who was brutally murdered by the VC while in captivity. Versace, who was planning on becoming a Maryknoll priest, provided outstanding leadership to his fellow POWs and remained true to the principles of Duty, Honor, and Country. His fellow prisoner, Sgt. Dan Pitzer, described him best: "Rocky walked his own path. All of us did but for that guy, duty, honor, country was a way of life. He was the finest example of an officer I have known. To him it was a matter of liberty or death, the big four and nothing more. There was no other way for him. Once, Rocky told our captors that as long as he was true to God and true to himself,what was waiting for him after this life was far better than anything that could happen now. So he told them that they might as well kill him then and the re if the price of his life was getting more from him thanname, rank, and serial number.
Until his death in 1989 Nick Rowe kept up a campaign to see Versace awarded the Medal of Honor. Versace was finally awarded the MOH in 2002.

Rating:
Summary: Five Years to Freedom
Review: I tried to rescue Nick Rowe on a night I describe in my book, "Outlaws in Vietnam"--ever since then I have wanted to know more about this incredible man and his POW story. His writing in this book is richer and more descriptive than I was prepared for, and I went through his entire captivity with him, while reading it. This sorrowful horror could have happened to any of us in the Delta, and this expereince should be required reading for anyone interested in that war. Communism definitely is not nice--and now that this country is under this control, we should not forget the sacrifices American men made for the Vietnamese during this civil war.

Rating:
Summary: Must reading for any student of the Vietnam War
Review: I was learned of James "Nick" Rowe's book "FIVE YEARS TO FREEDOM" on the old Robert K. Dornan TV show in Los Angeles way back in the early 1970's. I bought it and read it back then. In Five Years to Freedom, James Rowe exemplefies all that is good in the American Soldier. All that is good in the Vietnam Vet. Courage, Honor, Duty, so absent today by our political leaders. I never knew or met Col. Rowe, but I felt after reading his book, that I was family. And I cried. When he was assinated in the P.I., I re-read it, and cried again. As a vet, I will miss Nick. GOD BLESS JAMES. This book is A MUST read for all student's of the Vietnam War, and should be read at the HIGHEST LEVELS OF OUR GOVERNMENT. WELCOME HOME NICK.

Rating:
Summary: An Inspiration To Any And All
Review: Special Forces Lieutenant James N. Rowe was sent to Vietnam in 1963 as an advisor with the Military Assistance and Advisory Group (MAAG) to help train the South Vietnamese army. Early on in his tour, Rowe was captured by the Vietcong during a harrowing fire fight and became a prisoner of war for 5 horrible years.

Held deep in Southern Vietnam, Lieutenant Rowe would be confined in bamboo cages with no protection from the elements and suffered continuous bouts of dysentery, beri-beri, and fungus infections throughout his confinement. Medical care was practically non-existent and only became available when it suited his captors needs and whims.

During the initial years of captivity, Rowe would be confined with other Americans at his camp. He and other POW's would be witness to 3 fellow soldiers starving to death while the Vietcong offered no useful assistance to help save lives.

Subjected to years of political indoctrination from camp cadre and propaganda from Hanoi radio broadcasts, Rowe was psychologically tormented and abused. Adding to his further misery was that remaining American captives being held with him were released after 4 years leaving him completely alone and isolated for the remainder of his incarceration.

After several unsuccesful escape attempts, Rowe finally succeded in evading his captors in late 1968 and was rescued after signalling an American helicopter.

Five Years to Freedom is a very graphic account of jungle captivity and all the horrors associated with it. This book is also a story of incredible courage, strength, endurance, and bravery. Very well written and inspirational, this book is perhaps one of the finest accounts of POW captivity ever written.