Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (5th SFG (A), 5th Group) is one of the most decorated active duty United States Army Special Forces groups. The 5th SFG (A) saw extensive action in the Vietnam War and played a pivotal role in the early months of Operation Enduring Freedom. 5th Group is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counterproliferation of weapon of mass destruction, and security force assistance.

This is a gorgeous example of a 5th Special Forces Presentation Stiletto Dagger made in the style of the famous British Fairbairn-Sykes paratrooper knives. The stiletto is etched on the side of the blade with:

5TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP
VIETNAM

The 5th Special Forces Group flash insignia is also etched onto the underside of the crossguard. There are several variations of this knife. The best ones, like this one, were made by Japan Sword Company. There are other versions that were made in Thailand and Okinawa. The knives were generally issued to the soldiers on their return from Vietnam.  Some of the other versions have the 5th SF crest soldered onto the handle, the handle on those knives is also shorter and less graceful.

This example is textbook for these Special Forces presented examples, and is stamped on the top of the crossguard JAPAN / SWORD. There is some very minor chipping to the plating along the edge of the blade. Otherwise it is in fantastic shape.

The knives were given to the troops after a tour "in-country," It is a very well built knife whose only drawback is the nickel or chrome plating on the blade. The sheath is absent.

A gorgeous Special Forces presentation knife, ready for further research and display.

Dimensions:
Blade Length: 6 3/4”
Handle Length: 4 3/4”
Total Length: 11 5/8”

The 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy began activating special forces units, including 5th Special Forces Group, to fight the growing Viet Cong insurgency. The 5th SFG was first deployed as a battlefield advisory group for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). In 1964, the Group hired Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian producers to make fatigues, boonie hats, and other items of Tigerstripe fabric. By February 1965, the war was in full swing and the Group was deployed as a mainstay battle force using unconventional and conventional warfare.

From 1961 to 1963, the group wore a black flash bordered in white, designed primarily to provide visibility against the Green Beret. The group's personnel in Vietnam adopted a variant flash, which added diagonal yellow stripe with three narrow red over-stripes to the existing black background and white border. This version was worn from 1963 to 1970. These colors symbolize the 1st and 7th SFG soldiers who served under 5th SFG during the Vietnam War. From 1970 to 1985, the variant flash was adopted by the entire Group, rather than just those serving in Vietnam. The unit's flash reverted to the plain black version on 16 January 1985. On 23 March 2016, the 5th Special Forces Group once more changed over to the Vietnam-era flash.

The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was unique in the Vietnam War for its heavy usage of watercraft, particularly Hurricane Aircat airboats. It launched a wide-ranging campaign against Viet Cong forces in the Mekong Delta in July 1967. Conducted with the South Vietnamese Army, civilian irregulars, and the U.S. Navy and Air Force, the campaign was built around the use of some 400 watercraft, including 84 airboats, as well as helicopters, Navy warships, and civilian vessels. The extensive naval operations required an overhaul in tactics to allow the 5th Special Forces Group to best employ the speed and firepower of the Aircat airboats. When used with armed helicopters, Patrol Air Cushion Vehicle hovercraft, and support from Air Force reconnaissance planes, Navy river patrol boats, and artillery, these watercraft enabled "telling victories over the Viet Cong" and turned the flood season into a tactical advantage for the United States. The use of watercraft, increases in troop strength, and introduction of other tactics—deploying more soldiers to Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) bases, distributing improved handbooks to commissioned and non-commissioned officers, etc.— allowed the 5th Special Warfare Group to take the fight to the enemy, capturing large swaths of territory in the Delta, making the 50 percent of the territory and CIDG bases that were previously too overrun with Viet Cong to enter safe enough to operate in, and mounting operations and establishing CIDG bases deep in Viet Cong territory. These gains were not without cost, however: 55 Special Forces and 1,654 Vietnamese were killed during 1967, as well as an estimated 7,000 Viet Cong.