In October 1942, he became the first recipient of the United States Legion of Merit (Commander).

France awarded Bittencourt the Legion of Honor (Officer) for his wartime service, and Brazil awarded him the Order of Military Merit ( Ordem do Mérito Militar).

[1] In Brazil itself, where the military played a significant role in civilian infrastructure development and administration, the Lieutenant General with Brazilian Admiral Ary Parreiras led in a civilian capacity the Special Commission on Steel of Brazil’s Federal Technical and Financial Council.

Most significantly, in 1939 this commission created a controversy when it voted to make Brazil’s ore exports a state monopoly as a precondition to the nation’s founding of a state steelworks.

The government of Brazil did not ultimately follow the commission's recommendation.