USNA Class of 1941, Commander Simonds was a decorated veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was the Commanding Officer of Attack Squadron 145 (702) and the pilot of an AD-4L Skyraider dive bomber aboard the carrier USS KEARSARGE (CVA-33). On October 16, 1952, his plane crashed on takeoff. He could not get himself free from his parachute and drowned. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on October 17, 1953. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.