[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 97 (Thursday, June 12, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1211-E1212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         MAJOR CAESAR CITIVELLA HONORED WITH BULL SIMONS AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 12, 2008

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Retired 
Army MAJ Caesar J. Citivella, of St. Petersburg, Florida, for receiving 
the Bull Simons Award for a lifetime of Special Operations Forces 
achievements.
  The Bull Simons Award is given to those who have made significant 
contributions and demonstrated steadfast support for Special Operations 
Forces. Recipients must hold the highest ethical standards and embody 
the spirit, values, and skills of a special operations warrior. Major 
Citivella has demonstrated all of these.
  Starting in the Army, Major Citivella joined the Office of Strategic 
Services in 1943, where he parachuted behind enemy lines in France and 
Italy, earning him a Bronze Star as well as U.S. and foreign unit 
awards.
  Next, Major Citivella served with the 82nd Airborne Division and was 
one of the first pioneers selected for the Special Forces Department at 
the Psychological Warfare Center and School, where he wrote doctrine, 
tactics, techniques, procedure, lesson plans, and taught the first 
Special Forces classes. He then joined the 77th Special Forces Group, 
before transferring to the 10th Special Forces Group, where he helped 
run escape and evasion, and unconventional warfare exercises in Bad 
Tolz, Germany.
  In 1961 and '62 Major Citivella trained and organized irregular 
indigenous forces in South Vietnam. He retired from military service at 
Ft. Bragg on the 31st of August, 1964, joining the Central Intelligence 
Agency the next day.
  Major Citivella completed two tours of duty in Vietnam with the CIA 
and received accolades for the valuable intelligence he provided on 
enemy intentions. In 1976 Major Citivella became the CIA liaison 
officer to the Pentagon

[[Page E1212]]

for Special Operations. He provided key support for Operation Eagle 
Claw, America's military response to the Iran hostage crisis. Major 
Citivella retired from the CIA on August 31, 1983, and was awarded the 
CIA's Intelligence Medal of Merit.
  Major Citivella continues to be involved in the Special Operations 
community as an active member of the OSS Society and the Special Forces 
Association.
  Madam Speaker, Major Citivella represents the best our Nation has to 
offer. He continues to serve our Nation in and out of uniform to 
protect our freedom and liberty as he has for the past 65 years. Please 
join me in saying thank you to him for his actions and his lifetime of 
services.

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