History
A Battlefield Promise
On April 24th, 1980, at a remote airstrip known as DESERT ONE, a battlefield promise was made to 17 American children – when 9 Special Operations Forces were tragically lost in a daring mission – OPERATION EAGLE CLAW – to rescue 52 American hostages in Iran.
Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) began in 1980 as the Col. Arthur D. “Bull” Simons Scholarship Fund. The initial mission was to provide college educations for the seventeen children surviving the nine men killed or incapacitated at Desert One, the Iranian hostage rescue attempt. It was named in honor of the legendary Army Green Beret, Bull Simons, who repeatedly risked his life on rescue missions.
Operation Eagle Claw
Special Operations Warrior Foundation was founded in the aftermath of Operation Eagle Claw in April 1980. When eight U.S. servicemen were killed during the mission in Iran—and a ninth later died from his injuries—they left behind 17 children. In the days that followed, a promise was made by their fellow service members: the children of those lost in service would never be denied an education. That enduring promise became the foundation of SOWF.
As the operational tempo of U.S. Special Operations Forces increased in the decades that followed, SOWF expanded to meet the growing needs of these families. Originally established as the Bull Simons Fund, the organization broadened its mission to support the surviving children of fallen Special Operations Personnel. In 1995, the Bull Simons Fund merged with the Families Action Liaison Group and the Spectre Association Scholarship Fund, formally becoming Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
Eligibility evolved to reflect the realities of service and sacrifice. In 1998, SOWF expanded support to include the children of Special Operations Personnel who died in training. In 2013, eligibility expanded to include all Line of Duty deaths.
In 2020, SOWF further expanded its education program to include the children of active-duty Special Operations Personnel whose spouse has died, as well as the children of all Medal of Honor Recipients.
Eligibility evolved to reflect the realities of service and sacrifice. In 1998, SOWF expanded support to include the children of Special Operations Personnel who died in training. In 2013, eligibility expanded to include all Line of Duty deaths. In 2020, SOWF further expanded its education program to include the children of active-duty Special Operations Personnel whose spouse has died, as well as the children of all Medal of Honor Recipients.
As the Foundation matured, its focus evolved beyond college scholarships alone to prioritize student success from cradle to career. Today, SOWF provides comprehensive education support. More than four decades after its founding, SOWF continues to honor the promise made in 1980—standing beside Special Operations and Medal of Honor families and ensuring that sacrifice is met with opportunity, stability, and hope for generations to come.
A Message From Former SOWF President
Colonel John T. Carney Jr USAF, Retired
John Carney was involved in Operation Eagle Claw and tells the story of how Special Operations Warrior Foundation initially started being proactive to find the surviving children of fallen special forces operators.
