John Rowan

Sergeant John Rowan is now serving a seventh term as National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) after being re-elected to the post at the organization's 18th National Convention in New Orleans. First elected to VVA's highest office in 2005, Sgt Rowan has remained active with VVA since the organization's inception in 1978. A founding member and the first president of VVA Chapter 32 in Queens, New York, he has served as the chairman of VVA's Conference of State Council Presidents, for three terms on the organization's Board of Directors, and as President of VVA's New York State Council.

Sgt Rowan enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1965 and went to language school where he learned Indonesian and Vietnamese. He served as a linguist in the U.S. Air Force's 6990 Security Squadron in Vietnam and at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, providing the Strategic Air Command with intelligence on North Vietnam's SAM sites to protect their bombing missions.

After his honorable discharge from the Air Force, Sgt Rowan received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Queens College and a Master’s degree in Urban Affairs from Hunter College. He retired from city service as an investigator with the City of New York's Comptroller's Office. Prior to his election as National President, Sgt Rowan served as a VVA veterans' service representative in New York City. He lives in Middle Village, New York, with his wife, Mariann.