United States. A 5Th Special Forces Group Flag Sent To Vietnam And Later Given To ‘Colonel’ Martha Raye In 1971

A large green silk flag, surrounded on three side with a white border and white tassels, the fourth side with a double lined ‘sleeve’ section for pole attachment, the obverse center features an embroidered eagle with outspread wings, clutching a number of arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other, in the center of the eagle is a V42 Stiletto (a specific fighting knife issued during in the 1940s to the First Special Service Force), above the eagle’s head is a banner presenting the motto DE OPPESSO LIBER, in the middle above the eagle’s head is two crossed arrows representative of special forces underlined in a black and white embroidered line, below the eagle is a banner embroidered FIRST SPECIAL FORCES, an encircled 5 is present in the top right corner representing the 5th group, measuring 125cm (w) x 89cm (h) with the tassels measuring 6cm around three sides, a small leather tab present in the opening for the pole the reverse mirrors the obverse and is therefore legible from both sides, the reverse presents several small dark stains on the right side near the olive branch, tassels are slightly miscoloured, wear to cluster of arrows on both sides, very minor stains on obverse bottom right and top left corners. A truly unique piece of history in extremely fine condition.

Provenance: This flag is believed to have travelled to Vietnam with the 5th group and remained there until 1971. Upon the unit returning home to Fort Bragg, a ceremony took place in which this flag was given to Martha Raye for her service to the Special Forces. It remained in her Bel Air Home following her death, until her husband Mark Harris began renovations on the house after the earthquake in 1994. Harris offered it to the contractor who in turn provided it to a well-known militaria dealer.

Footnote:

The 5th Special Forces Group Battalion

The 5th SGF (A) traces its lineage to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 1st Special Service Force, a combined Canadian-American organization which was constituted on July 5, 1942. The 1st Special Service Force was an elite American-Canadian commando unit in the Second World War, under the command of the United States Fifth Army. The unit was established in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison in Montana. The Force was also referred to as ‘The Devil’s Brigade’ or ‘The Black Devils’ and fought in the Aleutian Islands, Italy and southern France prior to being disbanded in 1944.

The 5th Group was constituted on April 15, 1960, concurrently consolidated with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion (activated 1 September 1943). The consolidated unit was redesignated Headquarter and Headquarters company, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. In 1961, President Kennedy visited the units and personally approved the Special Force’s Green Beret.

The 5th Special Forces Group was activated in 1961 and was first deployed as a battlefield advisory group for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. By February 1965, it was deployed as a mainstay battle force once the war was seeing full action. Known for heavy use of watercraft and therefore turning flood season into a tactical advantage, the 5th SFG launched a wide-ranging campaign against Viet Cong forces in July 1967. The 5th SFG was able to take the fight to the enemy by employing numerous techniques including distributing handbooks, increasing troop strength and deploying more soldiers to the CIDG (Civilian Irregular Defense Group). They captured large areas of territory making them safe to operate in. However, this came at the cost of 55 Special Forces and 1,654 Vietnamese were killed in 1967, along with an estimated 7,000 Viet Cong.

The 5th SFG encountered public scrutiny following the “Green Beret Affair” in July 1969, following the killing and cover up of a suspected double agent. The case was closed in September of the same year after the CIA refused to make its personnel available as witnesses.

In April 1970, the 5th SFG began reducing its personnel in Vietnam. By March 1971, the entire unit and colours were returned to Fort Bragg. A total of 16 soldiers in the 5th SFG were awarded the Medal of Honour for their actions during the Vietnam war, making the 5th Group the most decorated unit for its size in that conflict. The colours remained at Fort Bragg until June 10 where they were cased and relocated, to be uncased 6 days later. Many soldiers in the unit continued to conduct intelligence operations in Southeast Asia until the end of the war in 1975.

The 5th SFG contributed to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s, where they conducted foreign internal defense operations, special reconnaissance, direct action, and combat search and rescue missions. The unit has since operated in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. On October 1, 2004, the unit was redesignated as the 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Regiment.

Martha Raye

Martha Raye Martha Raye was an American comic and actress, born in 1916 as “Margaret Teresa Yvonne Reed.” She pursued an acting career from a young age, joining Broadway in 1934 and quickly became Paramount’s favourite soubrette. Her first feature file was “Rhythm on the Range” with Bing Crosby, and the last few years of the 1930s would see her featured as a cast member on the CBS show “The Lifebuoy Program.”

During the Second World War, she joined three other actresses to form a United Service Organizations (USO) troupe, to perform for soldiers across Europe, the South Pacific and North Africa. She travelled and performed for G.I’s in the Korean in the early 1950s and in Vietnam from 1965-1973. She endured the same conditions and worked tirelessly, not only in entertainment, but she also worked in medivac units in Vietnam, picking up wounded soldiers and assisting in field hospital. For her efforts and service, Raye was given several honorary military designations, including the honorary ranks of lieutenant colonel in the US army and colonel in the U.S Marine Corps, along with the cherished Green Beret by President Lyndon Johnson.

In 1993, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. The Citation reads:

“A talented performer whose career spans the better part of a century, Martha Raye has delighted audiences and uplifted spirits around the globe. She brought her tremendous comedic and musical skills to her work in film, stage, and television, helping to shape American entertainment. The great courage, kindness, and patriotism she showed in her many tours during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War earned her the nickname 'Colonel Maggie'. The American people honor Martha Raye, a woman who has tirelessly used her gifts to benefit the lives of her fellow Americans.”

Raye passed away after severe health complications (including poor circulation which resulted in the loss of both legs, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease) in October 1994, at the age of 78. She is the only woman buried at Fort Bragg, NC. Her burial was met with military honours in the Post Cemetery and her film legacy is captured by her many accolades in films and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.