Vietnam Brown Water Navy Zippos

The “Brown-Water" Navy combined Coastal and Riverine Operations to stop the enemy's re-supply of arms from Cambodia by sea and river. It involved destroyers, escorts and minesweepers along with Cost Guard cutters and low draft boats and PBR's patrolling the Mekong Delta. They averaged 85 firefights per month and almost one third of the sailors were killed or wounded. The Riverene Operations were Vietnamized in 1970.

1967 Zippo. The lid is engraved with "HA(L)-3" (Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron - 3) with responsibility for providing Task Force 116 with aerial fire support, observation , and medical evacuation). The reverse is engraved "Seawolves" and "John R. Weil ADJ-3 999-27-82".

1968 high-polish Zippo with a factory engraved logo for Swift 1 Coastal Squadron. The reverse read "Cam Ranh Bay Viet-Nam 67-68" and has a map of Vietnam.

1968 Zippo for Coastal Division 11 with Snoopy the "Numbah One Watchdog". The reverse has an image of a Swift boat.

This factory-engraved images on 1970 slim Zippo for the 535 River Division have apparently been coated with a lacquer to keep the paint from chipping off.

1970 Zippo that reads "River Assault Division 151, Monitor 6 Viet Nam 1970" with the image of a monitor, or river gun boat.

1970 Zippo with factory-engraved image of a PBR and logo of the River Patrol Group 54, the command of which was turned over to the Vietnamese Navy in 1970. The reverse reads "Naval Advisory Group - River Patrol Group 54 Viet-Nam 1970".

1969 Zippo with the emblem of the US Navy Delta Dragons "The Best". The reverse is engraved with a PBR and "River Div 531 Vietnam."

1968 Zippo with the engravings "P. Dawson Ens. U.S.N.R. River Division 554" and a PBR on the front and one on the reverse that reads "River Section 511 PBR Force Vietnam".

1969 Zippo for the USS Askari which provided repair and other support services for the Riverine forces in the Mekong Delta,

USS Hunterdon was an LST (Landing Ship Tank) that supported the PBRs in "Game Warden", the name given to the operation to stop the flow of communist supplies along the coast of South Vietnam. Its history can be found HERE. The Zippo is dated 1969.

The "Checkmate" logo is for Coastal Squadron Three, a squadron of Gun Boats established at Cam Ranh Bay in 1968. The Zippo is dated 1970, a year after the squadron was moved to San Diego.

This 1968 Zippo is for Coastal Division 12 which operated "Swift" boats, or PCF's, from DaNang.

Helatkltron-3, or "Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three" were known as the "Seawolves" which supported PBR's by Air. The Zippo is dated 1970.

The River Assault Flotilla One (RivFlotOne) operated ships for providing command facilities and communications, resupply, repairs, housing and food for both Army and Navy personnel of the Joint Mobile Riverine Force. This 1967 Zippo has also been engraved with a US Navy logo and the name of J. O'Brien on the reverse.

This 1968 River Division 535 Zippo has had the boat number, 731 engraved.

This 1970 Zippo has a PBR for River Division 554 on one side and for Section 511 on the other. The authenticity of the engraving is questionable.

This two-sided 1969 Zippo is for River Division 553.

This factory engraved 1968 Zippo to the left is from River Section 542. The Zippo on the right is from Section 543. Both were based in Nha Be.

Here is a 1970 River Section 594 two-sided factory-engraved Zippo with the words "Last in Vietnam".

A 1968 River Section 512 factory-engraved Zippo.

Here is a two-sided factory-engraved 1968 Zippo for River Section 535.

Sea Float was a floating naval support base which supported PBR's and other sea as well as aircraft. It was turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy and renamed Tran Hung Dao III. The Zippo is from 1969.

1962 Zippo engraved "United States Navy Viet Nam - River Assault Squadron 13". It has a map of Vietnam on the back.

Vulcan brand lighter marked "Cambodia" and an attached badge for USS Hunterdon County Game Warden. The back reads "Vietnam - AGP 838 USS Hunterdon County Game Warden" and has a line drawing of the ship.

1968 Zippo with the lid reading "C. Valentino Ens. Dallas, Tx" and the case engraved with the logo of YRBM16, a Repair, Berthing and Messing Barge, or tender for the PBR's. The back reads "Viet-Nam 1969-1970".