Original Item: One of a Kind This is a unique piece which would certainly will out a display on Special Forces of Vietnam War militaria! This large plaque was just found outside Fort Bragg, North Carolina (Home of the U.S. Special Forces), having been found at an estate of a retired Special Forces trooper.

This plaque is quite possibly one of the most 1960’s looking pieces of militaria we have ever had! The board itself is a piece of fiberboard with an artificial woodgrain applied. Both the official and unofficial Special Forces insignias are featured on the plaque; The official being the “De Oppresso Liber” Distinctive Unit Insignia, and the unofficial being the Green Beret resting atop a Fairbairn Sykes Commando Dagger. The insignia appears to be a large custom made decal. It should be noted, the Green Beret is flocked, giving the beret a fuzzy appearance (and fuzzy to the touch)! On the top of the plaque is a cast figure of a Special Forces Trooper, fully loaded with a Lightweight Rucksack, full Combat Gear, M-16A1, and a Green Beret! On the reverse of the plaque is the retailers name who originally sold the plaque; The Trophy House in Fayetteville, North Carolina (fight outside the gates of Ft. Bragg).

The plaque on the bottom of the reads as follows:

Paul Moody CW3
from the
Officers & NCO’s of
Co. A 3rd Special Forces
on your
departure this date
November 1966

We have not conducted any additional research on Warrant Officer Moody, leaving this as a wonderful opportunity to do some further investigation. The plaque measures 16"W x 19"H.

This is an interesting piece, and would look fantastic in a war room of Vietnam memorabilia! Ready for display!

The 3rd Special Forces Group In Vietnam:
3rd Group was first activated on 5 December 1963 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The four colors of the quadrants of 3rd Group's beret flash are derived from the flashes of the pre-existing SF units from which 3rd Group's members were initially drawn (hence its original motto: "From the Rest Comes the Best"). These colors are: yellow (1st SFG (A)), red (7th SFG (A)), black (5th SFG (A)), and white (Special Forces Training Group (A)). 3rd Group was originally oriented towards the Middle East and Africa during the 1960s. The unit trained the armed forces of Mali, Iraq, Ethiopia, the Congo, and Jordan – in addition to supporting the Gemini 6 and 7 space launches in 1965. 3rd Group also worked with the 5th SFG(A) in Vietnam. In 1966, 3rd Group transferred assumed control of the 403rd Army Security Agency Special Operations Detachment and the 19th PSYOP Company over to 5th Group. With the "Vietnamization" of the conflict, the 3rd SFG(A) was inactivated in 1969 and its members were transferred back to the other Special Forces Groups. One 3rd group officer who stayed on in South Vietnam—Major George W. Petrie—was first man on the ground in the Son Tay Raid (1970) and subsequently helped plan the Saigon evacuation (30 April 1975), becoming the last SF soldier to leave the country.