Vietnam Army Zippos

Zippos engraved in-field for Army GI's have the largest variety of personalized phrases and images.

1967 Zippo. General Westmoreland took command in Vietnam in June 1964 replacing Gen. Paul Harkins. He was instrumental in raising the level of US forces deployed in Vietnam and in developing the strategies implemented in the region. Westmoreland continuously requested for an increase in manpower in Vietnam and President Johnson, who had his own troubles at home, refused to send more troops and finally recalled Westmoreland after he successfully stopped the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive in 1968. He was replaced by General Creighton W. Abrams.

1968 Zippo that reads "Brave and Bold Chu Lai, Vietnam". The reverse reads - "Company 8, 5th Battalion 46th Infantry", the men of which were known as "The Professionals".

1971 Zippo engraved with the Airborne logo and an image of a GI walking with a boy. The reverse reads "Viet Nam 71-72 Dakto - Please! Don't Tell Me About Vietnam Because I Have Been There".

1960 Zippo that belonged to Chief Warrant Office (CW-2) Cockerall. Hunter Killer Teams in Vietnam consisted of AH-1G Cobra and one OH-6A Helicopter working together. It also reads "Pale Rider" and has an attached cross that reads "Blue Max - 25 Kills".

1971 factory-engraved Zippo for E Company 1/327th Infantry 101st Airborne Division with with a Combat Infantryman Badge. The reverse reads "Exterminators - Airborne" with the emblem of the 101st Screaming Eagle.

1968 Zippo 2nd for the Battalion (Mechanized) 47th Infantry Viet Nam. The reverse has the Panthers logo and slogan "Up Tight Ready to Fight".

1967 Green Berets Zippo reads "War Is Hell But Actual Combat is A Son of a Bitch" The case has been engraved with the emblem of the special forces "de oppressor" or To Free the Oppressed. The reverse reads "Dak Pek 1967"and "Capt. D. Horme A-13 Cmdg. Co - Sgt. Lee Matuga"

1964 Zippo engraved "Vietnam 63-65 Xuan Loc" with an attached emblem of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. The reverse reads "Though I Walk Through The Valley Shadow of Death I will fear no Evil For I'm the Evilest Son of a Bitch".

1972 Zippo with the engravings "Vietnam 72-73 Pleiku - Airborne Special Forces" and attached Army Special Forces emblem. The reverse reads "When I Die Bury Me Face Down So The Whole World Can Kiss My Ass".

1970 Zippo with the lid reading "SP 4 Taubler 1/9 Cav Head Hunters" referring to the 1st Battalion - 9th (Air) Cavalry Regiment. The case has an attached wings emblem engraved with "50 Kills" and "Coming in Hot".

1968 Zippo marked "Viet Nam 68-69 Khe San" and with an attached badge of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagle. The back reads "When I know I've already died I'll fear no war, no combat and no fighting because the God appears behind me".

1969 Zippo with "US Army 1969 Vietnam" and a badge with crossed pistols on the front. Te reverse reads "SP4 P. Avery New York City" and "Fish and pussy both slippery when wet..."

This 1967 Zippo is for Company D 16th Armor which provided anti-tank protection for the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

The 40th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon served in Vietnam using dogs to help sniff out the enemy and booby traps. The well trained K-9 dogs were also called "Man's best friend; VC's worst enemy". The factory-engraved Zippo is from 1967.

1968 Zippo with multiple engravings. The front reads "When I Die Bury Me Face Down So the Whole World Can Kiss My Ass" and has a logo for the United States Army Air Defense Center in Fort Bliss, Texas. The back lid reads "Nha-Trang Viet Nam" and the back case "5th Special Forces Group - 1st Special Forces Viet Nam 69-70" and has an engraving of a special forces beret.

This is a Universe Lighter with the engravings "MACV 68 Hue". The Military Assistance Command Vietnam had quarters in Hue. The attached badge is that of the 2nd Armored Division of the Army nicknamed Hell on Wheels.

This is a 1955 Zippo for "Big Dick" of the 82nd Airborne with a map of Vietnam on the reverse. It was not unusual for GI's to have their old Zippos engraved in-field.

"Let Me Win Your Heart and Mind or I'll Burn Your Hutch to the Ground" one one side and a peace sign with Vietnam 68-69 on the other was probably not engraved in-field. The Zippo is dated 1968.

Here is a 1968 Zippo with the logo of the 4th Infantry Division personalized for Jim Castelletti, RVN Mar 68-69.

1960 Zippo reading "US Army 1965-66 Tay Ninh Vietnam" with an attached US Army Major's leaf badge. The reverse reads "45th Surgical Hospital 13th Med. Gp.

1967 Zippo that reads "Operation Cedar Falls - Pvt Robert Allen Brooklyn, N.Y." The reverse engravings read "U.S. ARMY 1967 Thanh Dien Vietnam 1st Batt 2nd Inf. Div Charlies Shadow".

1968 Zippo with the lid reading "Co C 2d BN 5th Cav 1st Air Cav Div" and the case has a logo? that includes the words "Loyalty & Courage". The reverse is engraved with badges for the infantry and the 1st Cavalry.

1969 Zippo is engraved "173rd ABN BDE 69-70" for the 173rd Airborne Brigade and has an attached "US" badge. The reverse is engraved with a parachutist logo and a peace sign.

The lid of this 1968 Zippo is engraved with the parachutist and "Airborne" logos. The reverse is engraved "173rd Airborne Brigade Vietnam 1968 1969".

This is a 1961 Zippo for the US Army 23rd Infantry Division, Chu Lai Viet Nam. The lighter has an attached medical badge on the front and is engraved "23rd Medical Battalion 1967-68" with a map of Vietnam.

This 1968 Zippo has crude engravings of the emblem of the 1st Cavalry and images of four aces and "Stacked Deck" on one side, and a combat infantry badge and image of a smoking soldier on the other. "Stacked Deck" was the call name for Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry.

1969 Zippo engraved with wings and "To Phil From Bob 1969-1970 Viet Nam". The reverse reads "244th Delta Hawks" with the insignia of the 1st Aviation Brigade.

This 1967 Zippo has the insignia of the 1st Aviation Brigade, the largest Army combat command in Vietnam using helicopters to engage the enemy and support Army forces. The 1st AVN. BGD was active in the province of Tay Ninh. The engraving on the reverse reads: " Please! Don't Tell Me About Vietnam Because I Have Been There".

1958 Zippo. The lid reads "Junction City 173rd. and the case has a US Army parachutist badge and reads "Sky Soldier - Combat Jumper". Operation Junction City was conducted in February 1967 when some 845 "Sky Soldiers" from the 173d Airborne Brigade jumped into history by making the first United States combat parachute assault in the war against the enemy in South Vietnam - and the first such assault since the Korean War .

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the Blackhorse Regiment, used highly mobile tanks, ACAV’s, artillery and helicopters to engage the enemy on the roads and in the jungle. The Regiment was commanded by Colonel George S. Patton, son of the WWII General Patton. who coined the phrase "Find the Bastards, then Pile On". The Zippo is dated 1970.

670th Trans Co, or "Line Haul RVN" ran line haul convoys out of Cam Rahn Bay. The Zippo is dated 1968 and belonged to SP 4. Bornes, or "Mussle Man".

173rd Airborne Brigade, "Live by Chance Live by Choice Kill by Profession, The Professionals ". 173rd ABN BDE 67-70 on a 1974 Zippo. Probably engraved for a veteran after the war.