|
|
Vietnam Zippos
Vietnam War Zippos represent a varied and popular category for collectors for military memorabilia collectors as well as for Zippo fans. There are Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard Vietnam Zippos, as well as Zippos for the RVN, Australian and other services. A subset of Vietnam War Navy Zippos are Riverine or so-called Brown-Water Navy Zippos. There are different types of Vietnam engravings which are not necessarily mutually exclusive: (1) Zippo factory engraved; (2) engraved "in-field" during the War; (3) engraved by Veterans after the the war as personal souvenirs, and (4) engraved in more recent times to be sold as "in-field" Vietnam Zippos to unsuspecting collectors. There are also fakes, meaning lighters that closely resemble genuine Zippos that collectors should watch out for. The Zippos depicted on this and the following pages illustrate the variety of "themes" that exist within the world of Vietnam Zippos.
1962 Zippo engraved with "S-CES Feb 66" on the lid and "124th Med Det (DS)" with a cadeus logo on the case.
1967 Zippo. One side engraved To Pop, Merry Christmas, from John, '67. The other side apparently engraved in-field "Freedom for those who fought, it has a special flavor the protected will never know". 1968 Zippo for L. Moore, Operations Officer, USMC, US Embassy, Saigon. "California Dreamin", San Jose, California. 1965 Zippo engraved in-field, with a map of Vietnam on one side and "LE Dunbar, 2116168, USMC, Chu Lai, Danang, Viet-Nam" on the other. 1968 factory-engraved Zippo for USGC Yakutat WHEC 380 of Coast Guard Squadron Three, a high-endurance cutter which eventually was turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy. "I Came Here and Left Behind a Nice Family and a Wonderful Girl Whom I Love, But Someday I Will Go Home", dedicated to Judy Lemmings from Da Nang, Viet Nam. The Zippo is from 1968. 1965 factory-engraved Zippo with the USMC logo and Danang, Vietnam. In-field 1968 Zippo belonging to Jack Treanton, USMC, who apparently served 1967-69 in Khe Sanh, Dung Ha, Phu Bai, Quang Tri, An Hoa, Chu Lai and Da Nang.
1967 Zippo for "Troop E, 17th Cavalry Viet Nam" with attached badge for the Black Knights VMFA-314 . The back reads "Vietnam 67-68 Hue Killing for Peace Was Like Fucking For Virginity"
1968 factory-engraved high-polish Zippo with the "Wooly Booger" logo of the 620th Tactical Control Squadron of the US Air Force and its motto "Mountain of Vigilance". The reverse reads "Monkey Mountain Vietnam" which is located near Da Nang.
1975 slim factory-engraved slim Zippo Viet-Nam Campaign US Marine Corps.
1st Marine Division logo with map of Vietnam on the reverse, a factory engraved 1966 Zippo
See more Zippos: Army - Navy - World War II - Ernie Pyle - USS Missouri Surrender - Brown Water Navy - Military or go to the Gallery Index
1972 Zippo reads "U.S.A.F. 1972 Bien Hoa, Vn C.S.T." (Combat Survival Training) and depicts a nude girl in a cocktail glass. The reverse says "Remember Kent State" and has a map of Vietnam.
1969 Zippo reads "U.S. Air Force 1969
Vietnam - Bien Hoa 822nd Combat Security Police - CSP" and the back
"Guardians of the Big Birds Nest…A 1C (Airman First Class) R. Leiter" has a
map of Vietnam.
This 1966 Zippo says "Vietnam 66-67 Da Nang US Marine Corps " and barely visible in the naval crest lightly engraved reads "Smokey '66". The back side reads "Yea Though I Walk Through The Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no Evil For I am the Evilest Son of a Bitch in the Valley" Also lightly engraved on the back is the name "Danny".
This 1969 Zippo with Snoopy's "Good Grief Another Mission" is for Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 13th Marines, which fought intense battles in Khe Sanh in 1968.
This 1969 factory-engraved Zippo has the logo of PORTCALL Control and Reporting Post Detachment 11, 619th Tactical Control Squadron, a USAF radar site based at Hon Tre Island, Vietnam.
|
