Scope and Contents

Over one linear foot of photos, books, documents, slides, CD ROMs, and periodicals detail Kenneth R. Bowra's service in Vietnam. One photocopy of Major General Kenneth Bowra's Master of Military Art and Science thesis titled 'Cambodia: Analysis of U.S. Military Assistance to Cambodia, 1970-1975'; Two CDs of Bowra's photographs from his service in Cambodia and Vietnam from 1971-1975; Photocopies of the last messages from the United States Embassy in Saigon to the Secretary of State on 29 April 1975; Books that document Bowra's career in the United States Army from 1970 to 2003; US Army War College paper by Bowra and Colonel John Sloan entitled An Historical Study: The US Army Vietnam Individual Training Group (UITG) Program, 1971-1973; Photographs, negatives, and slides documenting Bowra's experiences in Cambodia and Vietnam; An article from the August 2003 issue of Grizzly titled America's Secret War discusses missions flown by Charles Cross, helicopter pilot with th 20th Special Operations Squadron from July 1968-1969; A short bio of Charles Cross, the pilot mentioned in previous article.

Biographical / Historical

Kenneth R. Bowra was born in Jamaica, New York on 23 October 1948. He graduated from The Citadel in 1970 and received a commission in the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant. Bowra's tours of duty in Southeast Asia included a stint as reconnaissance platoon leader for the Training Advisory Group, MACV Studies and Observation Group (SOG) and executive officer of the Long Hai Training Battalion, Forces Armee Nationale Training Command, United States Army, Vietnam from August 1971 to November 1972 and aide de camp to the Military Equipment Delivery Team Chief, United States Army, Cambodia, 1974-1975.

From 1983-1987 Bowra served as Operations, later Executive, Officer of U.S. Joint Special Operations Command. Bowra was commander of the 5th Special Forces Group from August 1991 to August 1993. He received a promotion to Brigadier General in February 1995 while serving as commander of the Special Operations Command (South), United States Southern Command at Quarry Heights, Panama. Bowra became Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff, United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in February 1996. In May 1996, he became Commanding General of the United States Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg. Bowra retired from the Army in 2003 with the rank of Major General.

General Bowra retired with the following decorations and badges: Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with 'V' Device (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Ranger Tab, and Special Forces Tab.