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

I highly recommend this book. It is a testament of human spirit in the face of unbelievable and seemingly endless suffering.Nick Rowe is a man I would have loved to meet.His story has helped me face my own trials with more faith.What a book !

An extraordinary account of the triumph of the human spirit, Five Years to Freedom relates the story of Captain Nick Rowe's incredible experience as a prisoner of the Vietcong in South Viet Nam from 1963 to 1968. Adapted from Captain Rowe's own diaries, the book recounts in often graphic detail the author's five years in captivity deep in the steamy, unforgiving jungles of South Viet Nam.Rowe's dogged resistance in the face of extreme hardship and unrelenting physical and psychological torture endures as an example to U.S. military members serving today. Much of the modern day Code of Conduct guiding the actions of U.S. POWs reflects Rowe's experience and that of other Viet Nam POWs. Rowe remains one of the most prominent of the many U.S. Army Special Forces professionals to serve in Viet Nam.Captain Rowe details his captivity in a clear, determined style that allows the reader to experience on a visceral level all that the author endured. The savagery with which Captain Rowe is treated by his Viet Cong captors is almost beyond comprehension. Often confined to a bamboo cage, placed in irons, and fed a steady diet of undercooked rice and barely edible fermented fish sauce (nuoc mam), Rowe suffers alternating bouts of dysentery, beri beri, and outbreaks of severe fungal disease. Though repeatedly incapacitated by chronic diarrhea and other debilitating conditions, he resists every effort by his captors to break his will.Refusing to accede to the demands of his captors for intelligence on U.S. forces operating in South Viet Nam, Rowe continually stonewalls or provides misleading information. Even when offered many "privileges" culminating with his freedom, he refuses to give in. His perseverance in the face of such brutality is a testament to the indomitable spirit of one remarkable soldier and warrior.Most "heart-wrenching" is Rowe's gradual awareness - resulting in part from his Vietcong tormentors' clumsy attempts at disinformation - that the American public is beginning to withhold support for the war. His deep devotion to his country, however, prevents Rowe from accepting this as reality, and he continues to resist. We are witness to a man struggling mightily with his emotions as he attempts to process this seeming dichotomy.Rowe's Vietcong guards reward his defiance by withholding food, medicine, and other basic necessities of survival. Perhaps most poignant, the Vietcong ruthlessly chip away at his resolve through a sinister, carefully calculated combination of reward and punishment. His fellow POWs released, Rowe eventually seeks companionship through a pair of forest eagles. His painstaking devotion to these two birds, the only witnesses to the miserable conditions of his captivity and constant abuse, is an inspiration to animal lovers everywhere.The most astonishing element of Captain Rowe's story is how he repeatedly risks certain death by attempting to escape. Remarkably, he succeeds on his fifth try and is eventually rescued by an American helicopter crew. Finally, he is free of the physical bonds of his imprisonment and, perhaps even more of a relief, the constant emotional highs and lows to which he was so cruelly submitted.Interestingly, Rowe was only one of 34 Americans who escaped captivity during the Vietnam War.Through Five Years to Freedom, we are witness to the barbarity that characterized treatment of many U.S. POWs by the North Vietnamese and Vietcong during America's sustained involvement in Viet Nam. More than a mere POW story, Rowe's book reminds us of freedom's great cost. Were it not for the sacrifices of men like Nick Rowe, our country and all that we value as a society would be perpetually at risk.As a footnote to the story and perhaps the final irony in his extraordinary life, (Colonel) Nick Rowe was murdered in 1989 in the Philippines by communist insurgents.To read Five Years to Freedom is to know the heart of a man deeply committed to the ideals of duty, honor, country. This book remains one of the greatest stories of one man's heroism ever told and a tribute to the many great men and women who serve our nation in uniform.

Such an emotional roller coaster, but what an incredible story of the power of the will to survive. The stories of the wildlife left me smiling, and sad at the same time!

Where to begin…I was deeply moved and saddened at the suffering Nick Rowe and his fellow POWs suffered. They endured so much physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically. Dailyindoctrination from their VC captors that lasted for hours with questions to answer in writing. Who can do all that mental work while being broken down physically with starvation, malnutrition and illness? They were doing a balancing act to say the right words without betraying themselves or their country. This went on for years. Nick was a prisoner longer than his buddies-three were eventually deceased and three others released.Nick remained alone and had so many struggles it’s beyond comprehension that he could continue on.FINALLY, after 5 years, our Lt Rowe was MIRACULOUSLY discovered and saved!! Hallelujah!! I was so filled with joy for him that I laughed out loud and smiled from ear to ear at his recovery and until the end of the book!! WOW!! He made it home!! Joy! Joy! Joy!I was deeply saddened though as I looked further into his life and discovered he was assassinated in 2009 by communist rebels in the Philippines. He was 51 years old.pamarellaPRCS

Since I was in the Nam 64-65 I can relate to lots of what’s in that book, hard read for me

This is the word that comes to mind in regards to Five Years to Freedom by Nick Rowe. The man had unlimited will power.This is an amazing book about a man who could endure almost any hardship as long as his faith in God, his fellow soldiers, and his oath to the country could not be broken. And from what is to be read inside of this book, the Vietnamese made every effort to break this man. They just could not do it.Ultimately, that’s what makes this book so great. It shows the power of perseverance at all costs and an unwillingness to give up or give in. It takes a special man to endure five years of torment. And I would love to know what his captures said in private about him. He did it all and kept his honor intact. It makes you wonder what you are willing to endure for what you believe most.I particularly enjoyed the end of this book. I won’t give it away. But Rowe stands up brilliantly under fire and leaves his captures in awe. It was spectacular series of events described by the man who was there to endure it. He stands as a man of inspiration and strength.If you liked this book I would strongly recommend reading To D-Day and Back: Adventures with the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment and Life as a World War II Power: A Memoir by Rob Bearden and Look out Bellow: Confessions of a Parachuting Padre by Father Francis Simpson. This last one is interest as it covers three wars. But the author was a POW captured by the Germans in Normandy during World War Two. All three books are different but have common themes.

I enjoyed the story and he condensed it well considering he was in captivity for five years. His fortitude was awesome considering that it amounted to five years of torture with a daily death sentence. I had to get to the end to find out if he survived, was released, escaped or was buried in an unmarked grave but that someone found his hidden journal. A hell of a story

This book is a rollercoaster read of emotion and a testament to one man's stamina and endurance. How on earth anyone can survive the five years of hell that Lt. Rowe did is a feat. I found the book disturbing, horrible, yet a must-read. I couldn't wait to get to the end to find out what happened and thankfully the story didn't dissapoint.Now, something lighter for my next read.....

No doubt one hell of an account of human suffering and endeavour, however I found the book very repetitive and found myself skipping through pages, something I never do. However I have read 7 prison type of books back to back, some of which were fantastic, so my review may be a little harsh

A very harrowing story of POW's kept in awful conditions. Whilst being sympathetic to their plight I eventually found myself page-skipping because there was a limit to the amount of dysentery, malnutrition and misery about which I could bear to read.

I experienced many emotions whilst reading this book,pride,horror,disbelief,despair at mans inhumanity to man,and finally a huge feeling of elation and relief when he finally escaped his sadistic captors. What a man,a real hero,who despite all he suffered,clung on to his principles and love of his country,and in the end triumphed over evil. This book will move you to tears.