Unkown (to me) SF Flash

[steeve555]

Trying to identify flash to left of 1st group flash.

[Tonomachi]

I don't think that flash every existed.  As you know the unit crest is for the 77th Special Forces Group which was one of two early special forces groups formed circa 1952.  The 77th SF Group did not have their own flash to my knowledge.  Photographs of early 77th SF Grp soldiers wearing green berets show them wearing their blue with yellow border and yellow diagonal bend oval and paratrooper wing as their beret insignia.  This oval was their very own oval initially but eventually authorized for wear as a generic special forces oval by all groups in 1953.  Some SF Grps did not wear this oval as they adopted their own (3rd, 10th, 11th and 20th) which according to my reference ended in 1993.  So I think this flash represents this oval worn by the 77th SF Grp between 1952 through 1960 as their beret insignia.   In 1960 the 77th SF Grp became the 7th SF Grp and adopted the all red beret flash.  

[easterneagle87]

Am I assuming too much, but interesting they didn't include the JFK Special Warfare Center flash.  

[rtd_sf_eng]

Also, the 8th Group flash did not have a border.  The 5th's first flash was either black or very dark blue, depending on individual who wore the flash and I knew people who wore both.ds  When the 10th started wearing the flash, some were made of pool table cloth. 

 

Larry

[steeve555]

19 minutes ago, rtd_sf_eng said:

Also, the 8th Group flash did not have a border.  The 5th's first flash was either black or very dark blue, depending on individual who wore the flash and I knew people who wore both.ds  When the 10th started wearing the flash, some were made of pool table cloth. 

 

Larry

Isn't there like 3 5TH Group flashes?

[rtd_sf_eng]

Actually, there were 4 5th Group flashes that have been designed.  The first was a solid black or very dark blue, then a white border to represent personnel from Training Group, next came the addition of red and yellow.  The colors were added to reflect the use of personnel from the 1st and 7th Group, in the form of the South Vietnamese flag.  The last design was around 1986 or 87 when the 5th Group Commander decided to remove the red and yellow 'flag' and have only the white border.  At the time I was the Company Operations Sergeant for A Company and I had about 4 or 5 bundles of the white border flash from the 1960s.  So, I gave out two flashes to those students who were assigned to the 5th.

 

Larry