Arthur D. "Bull" Simons
| Arthur David Simons | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Bull" |
| Born |
June 28, 1918 New York City, New York |
| Died | May 21, 1979 (aged 60) Red Bay, Florida |
| Buried at | Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, Florida |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | U.S. Army Special Forces |
| Years of service | 1941–1971 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 7th Special Forces Group |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit (5) Bronze Star Medal |
Arthur D. "Bull" Simons (June 28, 1918 – May 21, 1979) was a US Army Special Forces colonel best known for leading the Son Tay raid, an attempted rescue of U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War from a North Vietnamese prison at Son Tay.
Although serving 30 years as an officer spanning three wars, Simons was deemed not to fit the "career mold" for a general officer and did not rise above the rank of colonel. An Air Force officer who helped plan and execute the Son Tay raid wrote of Simons: "He was not out to make a name for himself; he was there to do his duty. He did not attend all the professional advancement schools and did not cultivate any sponsors for his career. He just answered every call because it was the right thing for an American soldier to do."
Arthur David Simons was born in New York City, moving to Missouri in his youth. He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and majored in journalism, entering the ROTC program there in 1937. After graduation, he married his girl-friend Lucille, eventually having two boys, Bruce and Harry. He remained married to Lucille for 37 years until her death on March 16, 1978.
Simons was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery Branch in 1941, and was initially assigned to the 98th Field Artillery Battalion, a part of one of the Army's pack mule units. In his first assignment as a Platoon Leader, the new lieutenant was so quiet and reserved (he later said he wanted to learn from the sergeants that seemed to know their business well) that one of his sergeants came to believe that Simons was a mute. The unit was dispatched to Australia, but immediately diverted to New Guinea in the early stages of World War II, and Simons thrived in the harsh jungle environment. He was soon promoted to captain and served as a Battery Commander in the battalion from 1942–43. The mules themselves did not prove suitable in the jungle, and the unit was dissolved in 1943. Simons took his battery to the newly forming Ranger Battalion that would come out of the dissolution of his old unit. He soon became the commander of "B" (Baker) Company and later the Battalion Executive Officer (XO) of the 6th Ranger Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci. Simons participated in several hazardous landings with the Rangers in the Pacific. He led a team of engineers and Navy personnel tasked to de-mine the Leyte channel before the invasion of the island began in earnest. On Luzon in the Philippines, he participated in the Raid at Cabanatuan that rescued approximately 500 POWs who were mostly survivors of the Bataan Death March. For his actions in the raid he was awarded the Silver Star. He quickly rose to the rank of major and continued to prove his worth as a combat leader. At the conclusion of the Second World War, Major Simons left the active Army for five years.
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