Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent near mint example of a Green Beret worn by a member of the 46th Special Forces Company (Airborne) which served in Thailand supporting the War in Vietnam from 1967-1974. The beret features a beautifully hand-embroidered incountry made 46th Company Flash, with a D-22 marked Special Forces Distinctive Unit Insignia pinned on.

The 46th supported the Thai military with advisory roles and counter-insurgency training. Assisting in the training and supervision roles of the Thai Special Forces, Thai Army, National Police, and Border Security Forces prepare for operations in Vietnam. In addition, the members of the 46th Special Forces company also established the Thai Ranger School. During their tenure in Thailand, the 46th Company’s Designation was changed from 46th Special Forces Compant (Airborne) to United States Special Forces, Thailand.

The Beret:

The enamel pin on the flash features the intersecting dagger representing the V-42 dagger issued to each member of the force. The encircling scroll which arches at the base bears the Special Forces motto, "DE OPPRESSO LIBER" which is translated from Latin as "To Free the Oppressed." The reverse is marked as M-22.

The Flash is hand embroidered and an excellent example of a locally made piece of insignia. The flash features a black background, bordered in yellow, with the national colors

The Beret is a Canadian-made Fleur De Lis Brand, identical to the early issue SF Berets used before the United States Army contracted to have their own berets made. Canadian Berets like this are not uncommon, as they were a private purchase item, similar to berets made by Bancroft, Denmark’s Finest, etc. All markings are still present on the inside of the beret, and still easily read:

GENUINE
Fluer de Lis
AUGUST
1973 6 ¾
BERET GREEN
(illegible)

The condition is excellent and comes more than ready to display!

46th Special Forces Company (Airborne) History:

One of the more exotic assignments for Special Forces Soldiers during the Vietnam War was 46th Company in Thailand. This small unit conducted a variety of missions during the conflict in Indochina.

46th Company was deployed to assist the Thai military in resisting Communist guerrilla activity along the Laotian border, among the hill tribes in the north, and in the south on the Malay Peninsula.

Origins of 46th Company. The company was originally organized from personnel of 7th SFGA and reactivated as Company D (Augmented), 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in April 1966 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Between the activation and deployment the company underwent pre-mission training. In October of 1966 the unit deployed to Thailand where an SFOB was established at Camp Pawai, Lopburi, Thailand. On April 15, 1967 the unit was redesignated 46th Special Forces Company (Airborne), 1st Special Forces.

Basing. In 1968 the company was headquartered southeast of Lopburi at Camp Pawai. In 1971 the company relocated to the Royal Thai Army (RTA) Special Warfare Center at Fort Narai, Lopburi. (There are different dates mentioned for this relocation; one suggests the move was in December 1967).

Mission. The 46th Company conducted specialized Special Forces training at the Royal Thai Army (RTA) Special Warfare Center.

Training. Many different Thai military and police units were trained by the 46th.Some of the units trained were the Thai Special Forces cadre and the Border Patrol Police. In addition, in the early 1970s the 46th trained units of the Cambodia military to include FANK Special Forces units. The Thai Ranger School was founded by 46th Company.
Deactivation. The unit departed Thailand in April 1974 and became part of 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, Washington. Other sources say the company was deactivated on March 31, 1972. Still another source says the company was deactivated on April 1, 1970 and it was reactivated as United States Army Special Forces, Thailand.

http://www.46thsfca.org/Reed%20Cadillic%20Johnson