Arthur D. Simons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Arthur David Simons |
| Nickname(s) | "Bull" |
| Born | June 28, 1918 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 21, 1979 (aged 60) Red Bay, Florida, U.S. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1971 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 98th Field Artillery Battalion United States Army Special Forces MACV-SOG |
| Commands | 8th Special Forces Group |
| Battles / wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit (5) Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal |
Arthur D. "Bull" Simons (June 28, 1918 – May 21, 1979) was a United States Army Special Forces colonel best known for leading the Sơn Tây raid, an attempted rescue of U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War from a North Vietnamese prison at Sơn Tây. He also led the successful 1979 rescue of two employees of Electronic Data Systems from prison in Iran.
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 Sơn Tây 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."[1]
- ^ Gargus, John (2007). The Son Tay Raid : American POWs in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten (1. ed.). College Station: Texas A & M Univ. Press. ISBN 978-1-58544-622-3., p. 13.