2008 Bull Simons Award

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Congratulations to the 2008 Bull Simons Award winner, MAJ (ret) Caesar J. Civitella! In honor of U.S. Army Special Forces pioneer COL Arthur D. "Bull" Simons, the USSOCOM annual award is to recognize a single individual that has made significant contributions to and represents the embodiment of SOF. Caesar Civitella has devoted nearly sixty-four years to special operations.


In 1943, SGT Civitella, an airborne engineer, began his military career in Special Operations by volunteering for the Operational Group (OG) of the
Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Civitella served with the 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion, Separate (Provisional), jumping behind enemy lines in France and Italy, and was personally decorated by OSS chief MG William J. Donovan.

After the war, SFC Civitella served in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 82nd Airborne Division, until he received a direct commission to Second Lieutenant in 1951. After serving in the 508th PIR at Fort Benning, GA, Civitella returned to Fort Bragg in 1952 to be an instructor in the newly created Special Forces. He commanded teams in the 77th SFG and the 10th SFG. CPT Civitella went to South Vietnam in 1961 as a Military Advisory and Assistance Group (MAAG) training advisor, forming the first regional forces ("Rough Puffs"). His terminal assignment was Chief, G-3 Training Division, U.S. Army Special Warfare Center, before retiring as a Major on 31 August 1964.

The next day, Civitella began a new career with the Central Intelligence Agency, and served in Southeast Asia. His final assignment was as the CIA representative from 1981-1983 to U.S. Rapid Deployment Command (later USCENTCOM) and U.S. Readiness Command at MacDill Air Force Base, FL. The Agency awarded him the Intelligence Medal of Merit for nineteen years of service.

After his retirement, Civitella continued to work in OSS veterans’ groups and the Special Forces Association to promote the legacy of the OSS OGs. He is one of a few living OSS soldiers that pioneered Army Special Forces, and served in the CIA overseas. As a tribute to his lifelong involvement with Special Operations, Civitella will be awarded the Bull Simons Award on 19 May 2008 at USSOCOM in Tampa, Florida.