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John Rowan (Vietnam War veteran)

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John Rowan
BornSeptember 18, 1945
Queens, New York City, U.S.
EducationQueen's College
Hunter College
OccupationCivic leader

John Rowan (born September 18, 1945) is an American Vietnam War veteran and the sixth national president of the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA).

Early life, education and military service

Rowan was born on September 18, 1945, in Queens, New York City.[1] He was educated at the Brooklyn Technical High School, and he attended Baruch College but did not graduate.[1] Instead, he learned Indonesian at the Defense Language Institute and Vietnamese in Washington, D.C., before serving in the Vietnam War.[1]

In 1967,[1] in the midst of the Vietnam War, Rowan joined the U.S. Air Force Security Service as a linguist.[2] He "flew in planes over North Vietnam with a team listening in on the enemy's communications and translating them into English to guide or warn American pilots."[1]

After the war, Rowan attended Queen's College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science.[2][3] He attended graduate school at Hunter College, where he earned a master's degree in Urban Affairs.[2][3]

Career and civic activities

Rowan spent his career in the public sector. He was an investigator for the New York City Comptroller's Office until 2002.[1]

Rowan became a member of the Council of Vietnam Veterans, later known as the Vietnam Veterans of America, in 1978.[1][3] He was a founding member of its chapter in Queens, New York in 1981.[1] From 1995 to 2005, he was the president of the VVA's New York State Council from 1995 to 2005.[1] Since 2005, he has served as its sixth national president.[1] He has raised awareness about the high rate of PTSD among Vietnam War veterans.[4] He has also worked with the Vietnamese Veterans Association to find missing U.S. veterans of the war who died on Vietnamese soil.[1]

Rowan serves on the advisory board of the New York City Department of Veterans' Affairs, where he represents Queens.[3]

Personal life

With his wife Mariann, Rowan resides in Middle Village, New York.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Springston, Chuck (April 2018). "Voices: John Rowan". HistoryNet. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "John Rowan: National President". Vietnam Veterans of America. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "Advisory Board: John Rowan". NYC Department of Veterans' Affairs. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  4. ^ Kelly, Caitlin (December 4, 2005). "Stress is called a killer for vets". New York Daily News. p. 26. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
Preceded by President of Vietnam Veterans of America
2005-present 		Succeeded by
incumbent


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