History
The SOWF was founded in 1980 following the failed attempt to rescue American hostages being held in Iran. The doomed mission was plagued with problems from the start, but it ended in disaster when a helicopter and C-130 gunship collided in the desert of Iran, at a location now referred to as "Desert One," killing eight military personnel and severely incapacitating another. The fallen warriors left behind 17 children. The survivors took it on themselves to provide college educations for the children of their fallen comrades.
The foundation began as the Col. Arthur D. "Bull" Simons Scholarship Fund. It was named in honor of the Army Green Beret, Bull Simons, who repeatedly risked his life on rescue missions.
Following creation of the United States Special Operations Command, and as casualties mounted from actions such as Operations Urgent Fury (Grenada), Just Cause (Panama), Desert Storm (Kuwait and Iraq), and Restore Hope (Somalia), the Bull Simons Fund gradually expanded its outreach program to encompass all Special Operations Forces. Thus, in 1995 the Family Liaison Action Group (established to support the families of the 53 Iranian hostages) and the Spectre (Air Force gunship) Association Scholarship Fund merged to form the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. In 1998 the foundation extended the scholarship and financial aid counseling to also include training fatalities since the inception of the foundation in 1980. This action immediately added 205 children who were now eligible for college funding.
Read more about this topic: Special Operations Warrior Foundation
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