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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, April 21, 2011, marked the 22nd anniversary of the |
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death of United States Army Colonel James Nicholas Rowe, and many |
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residents of McAllen paused on that day to somberly reflect on his |
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heroism and remarkable achievements; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Lee and Florence Rowe, "Nikki" Rowe was |
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born in McAllen on February 8, 1938; he graduated from McAllen High |
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School and the United States Military Academy at West Point; in |
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1963, three months after he was posted to South Vietnam as a Special |
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Forces advisor, he was taken prisoner in a firefight; he was held |
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for five years under horrific conditions but remained strong and |
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defiant, earning the nickname "Mr. Trouble" from his captors; on |
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December 31, 1968, he became one of only 34 American prisoners of |
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war to escape from the Viet Cong; and |
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WHEREAS, Colonel Rowe applied for voluntary recall to active |
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duty when he returned home and taught a POW-MIA planning and |
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training program at Fort Bragg in North Carolina; in 1971, he |
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published a bestselling, critically acclaimed account of his |
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ordeal, Five Years to Freedom; he left the military in 1974, and he |
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authored several other books before rejoining the army as a |
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lieutenant colonel in 1981 to head its Green Beret training program |
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at Fort Bragg; guided by his POW experiences, he developed and ran |
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the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape program, known as |
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SERE, which is used today by other branches of the military as well; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, From 1985 until 1987, Colonel Rowe commanded Fort |
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Bragg's First Special Warfare Training Battalion; he was then |
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appointed chief of the Army Division at the Joint United States |
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Military Advisory Group headquarters in Quezon City, Philippines; |
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on April 21, 1989, he was killed in an ambush on his way to work by |
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members of the New Peoples' Army, a Communist rebel group; and |
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WHEREAS, This courageous Texan was the recipient of numerous |
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decorations, among them the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, two |
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Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts; he received myriad nonmilitary |
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awards as well, including the American Patriot Award and George |
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Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge |
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and the Outstanding Young Man of America award; in McAllen, Second |
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Street and VFW Post No. 2369 were renamed in his honor, and James |
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Nikki Rowe High School also stands as a testament to the community's |
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enduring pride in his accomplishments; and |
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WHEREAS, Nikki Rowe's patriotism, valor, and iron |
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determination remain a source of inspiration to all Americans, and |
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through his leadership in creating the SERE program, he left an |
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extraordinary legacy that continues to benefit members of our |
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nation's military around the world; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the life of Colonel James "Nikki" Rowe and |
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commemorate the 22nd anniversary of his death. |