Statues, symbols pay tribute to
Army special operations heritage

by Sgt. 1st Class Jason B. Baker
USASFC PAO

	photos courtesy of USASOC PAO The Meadows statue stands in honor of legendary special operations Soldier Maj. Richard “Dick” Meadows at the leading edge of the Meadows Memorial Parade Field, just outside the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Headquarters. The statue is one of three showing the history and heritage of the special operations community at Fort Bragg.

Many on Fort Bragg are familiar with the symbol of the airborne community — the World War II paratrooper statue known as “Iron Mike.”

The special operations community also has several statuary tributes to its Soldiers at Fort Bragg. The Special Warfare Memorial statue, commonly called the “Green Beret” statue and “Bronze Bruce,” sits on the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Memorial Plaza. Originally conceived and intended to honor America’s Special Forces Soldiers serving in Vietnam, it was the first Vietnam War monument erected in the United States. While continuing to represent Army Special Forces, the statue now represents all Army special operations Soldiers.

Created in 1968 by sculptor Donald De Lue, and dedicated in 1969, the statue depicts a Vietnam-era Special Forces noncommissioned officer and represents his dual role as a peacekeeper and a warrior. In his right hand he holds his M-16 rifle at the ready, finger outside of the trigger guard, while offering an extended open hand to those in need. His boot atop a rock crushes the head of a serpent representing tyranny and oppression, illustrative of Special Forces’ motto “De Oppresso Liber,” Latin for “to free the oppressed.”

There are two other Fort Bragg statues memorializing special operations history. These two memorials, both cast in bronze, preserve the memory of two Special Forces’ trailblazing leaders, who continue to serve as role models for current special operations Soldiers.

The Col. Arthur D. “Bull” Simons statue was dedicated in 1999. It is the centerpiece of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare plaza where graduates of the Special Forces Qualification Course don their green berets for the first time.

Simons served as a company commander of the 6th Ranger Battalion in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, he had a short break in service, before being recalled to active duty to serve in several special operations assignments. Some of his assignments included deputy commander and chief of staff of the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center, commander of a Mobile Training Team in Laos from 1961 to 1962, and the first commander of the 8th Special Forces Group. Simons is best remembered as the commander of Operation Ivory Coast, or the Son Tay prison raid, to free American prisoners of war in North Vietnam.

The other statue is dedicated to Maj. Richard “Dick” Meadows. After serving as a combat infantryman in Korea, he joined Special Forces in 1953. Meadows was a highly respected team leader in the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group and is also known for his planning and leadership during the Son Tay raid.

Meadows was a key member in Operation Eagle Claw, better known as the Iran hostage rescue mission, which ultimately led to the establishment of today’s special operations forces. His statue stands on the east side of the USASOC parade field.

To learn more about the symbols and meaning of military patches and insignias the U.S. Army’s Institute of Heraldry Web site is a great resource. Also visiting local military museums offers a unique insight into military history about Army Special Operations units.

(Editor’s note: This is part two of a four part series highlighting the United States Army Special Operations Command.)