| Birth: | Jun. 28, 1918, USA | | Death: | May 21, 1979
Florida, USA | 
COLONEL, US ARMY
WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM
Military Figure. A career U.S. Army Ranger and Special Forces Commander, Colonel Arthur D. ‘Bull' Simons won national recognition for an American POW rescue attempt during the Vietnam War. The famed Son Tay Raid (Operation Kingpin) was executed during the late PM hours on November 20, 1970. Unknowingly to the rescue force, the POWs had been previously relocated to a new prison camp some 24 kilometers away. The assault was well planned and executed and concluded with a firefight that left more than 150 of the enemy dead. Surprisingly, there were no American losses. Although the rescue attempt failed to recover any American POWs, it lifted the spirits of American prisoners throughout Vietnam. It also sent a clear message to the North Vietnamese that Americans cared about their soldiers and prisoner abuse would not be tolerated. After Son Tay, conditions improved in the camps. Bull Simons last mission was a successful one. After his retirement, Simons was contacted by Ross Perot, then Chairman of Electronic Data Systems (EDS), to plan and conduct a rescue operation to free two EDS employees who were arrested in the Iranian revolution. In February 1979, assisted by a small group of volunteers, Colonel Simons capitalized on the confusion of the revolt and organized a mob in Tehran which stormed Qasr prison where the EDS employees were being held. The two Americans, along with 11,000 Iranian prisoners, were freed. Simons and his party fled across the mountains into Turkey, and subsequently returned to the United States. The movie titled, "On Wings of Eagles," starring Burt Lancaster, chronicles that event. (bio by: RCB)
Family links:
Spouse:
Lucille Margaret Simons (1919 - 1978)
Search Amazon for Arthur Simons | | | Burial:
Barrancas National Cemetery
Pensacola
Escambia County
Florida, USA
Plot: 36, 0, 1956 |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: RCB
Record added: Jun 15, 2005
Find A Grave Memorial# 11175909 |
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24 years of active service to our great nation... Thank you sir! May you rest in peace.
-Anonymous
Added: Apr. 9, 2013 |
I just watched on wings of eagles and i remember the Son Tay raid god bless you col. and thank you for your service. RIP Sir
-
dennis obrien
Added: Feb. 5, 2013 |
-Anonymous
Added: Nov. 26, 2012 |
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(4.2 after 31 votes)
