VIETNAM WAR ZIPPOS
The Zippos depicted on this page illustrate the variety of "themes" that exist within the world of 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.
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".
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.
1st Marine Division USMC logo on front, map of Vietnam on the reverse, a factory engraved 1966 Zippo
1967 Zippo. One side is 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".
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". While a genuine Zippo, the attachment and engravings are likely to have been done after the war.
In-field engraved 1968 Zippo belonging to Jack Treanton, USMC, who apparently served1967-69 in Khe Sanh, Dung Ha, Phu Bai, Quang Tri, An Hoa, Chu Lai and Da Nang
1962 Zippo engravedwith "S-CES Feb 66" on the lid and "124th Med Det (DS)" with a cadeus logo on the case. It was an optometry medical detachment
T1969 Zippo with a logo "Det 11 Portcall 619 TCS" referring to the 619th Tactical Control Squadron Detachment 11 based at Tan Son Nhut AB
1965 factory-engraved Zippo with the USMC logo and Danang, Vietnam.
1968 Zippo for L. Moore, Operations Officer, USMC, US Embassy, Saigon. "California Dreamin", San Jose, California
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.
1968 factory-engraved high-polish Zippo with the "Wooly Booger" logo of the620th 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
"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
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 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.
1967 Zippo. General Westmoreland took command in Vietnam in June 1964. 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 him after he successfully stopped the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive in 1968. He was replaced by General Creighton W. Abrams.
1972 Zippo reads "U.S.A.F. 1972 Bien , 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
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".
1975 slim factory engraved slim Zippo Viet-Nam Campaign US Marine Corps
1958 Zippo. The lid reads "Junction City 173rd. and the case has a US Army parachutist badge and reads "SkySoldier - 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
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
This is a 1955 Zippo for "Big Dick" of the 82nd Airborne with a map of Vietnam on the reverse. The 82nd Airborne was deployed in January 1968 in response to the Tet offensive to the Hue-Phu Bai area and was later moved to Saigon, then fought battles in the Mekong Delta, the Iron Triangle and along the Cambodian border until its return to the US in December 1969
1960 Zipporeading "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.
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
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". While a genuine Zippo, the attachment and engravings are likely to have been done after the war.
1967 Zippo has the insignia ofthe 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"
1969 Zippo for 173 Airborne, 16th Armor, Co D. 17th Cavalry, E Troop and "Fighters by Day Lover by Night Drunkards by Choice" engraved on the reverse
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"
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"
The lid of this 1968 Zippo is engraved with the parachutist and "Airborne" logos. Thereverse is engraved"173rd Airborne Brigade Vietnam 1968 1969"
The lid of this 1968 Zippo is engraved with the parachutist and "Airborne" logos. The reverse is engraved "173rd Airborne Brigade Vietnam 1968 1969"
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.
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"
"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
1968 Zippo marked "Viet Nam68-69 Khe San" and with anattached 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"
1968 Zippo 2nd for the Battalion (Mechanized) 47th Infantry Viet Nam. The reverse has the Panthers logo and slogan "Up Tight Ready to Fight"
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
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"
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..."
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
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
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
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
1971 Zippo with lid reading "SP4
Taubler 1/9 Cav. - Head Hunters ".
The case reads "Coming in Hot" and
has an attached badge "50 kills".
The 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry served in combat operations in Vietnam from
1965 to 1971 and participated in such pivotal battles as the Ia Drang
Valley, Khe Sahn, Binh Dinh, and QuangTri. During that period, the 1/9 Cav. earned the reputation as one of the finest
combat units in Vietnam responsible for half of all enemy soldiers killed
by the 1st Cav. during the war. It was
for this reason that the battalion
earned its current nickname
"The Headhunters
1971 factory-engraved Zippofor 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
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"
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". While a genuine Zippo, the attachment and engravings are likely to have been done after the war.
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.
This is a 1953 hand-painted Town & Country Trout Zippo which was many years later engraved with "USN Saigon 1967" and with a map of Vietnam on the back. It was not unusual for the the servicemen to bring their own Zippos to Vietnam and have them engraved "in-field". This is one of the oldest Vietnam War Zippos
1966 slim Zippo forUSS Dahlgren DLG-12, a guided missile destroyer
USS Richard S. Edwards DD 950 destroyer on a 1967 Zippo
1968 Zippo for USS Benewah, APB-35, a BrigadeCommand Ship which served as the Flagship for River Assault Flotilla One in the Mekong Delta
1968 Zippo with the name Gusti F. Saxberg on the lid and the and the Vietnam emblem for the battleship USS New Jersey BB 62 on the case
1968 Zippo, presentation lighter by Vice Admiral E.(Elmo) R. Zumwalt, Jr. Commander of US Naval Forces in Vietnam. Zumwalt conceived the"Brown-Water Navy," He is also remembered as the man who introduced the use of "Agent Orange" the powerful chemical defoliant to strip away the jungle growth concealing the enemy. The toxic substances became the source of illnesses for many Veterans, including Zumwalt's own son
1968 USS Du Pont DD 941 (Destroyer), "South Vietnam Cruise 1968-69". The reverse has the emblem of the "Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club", the name given to the 7th Fleet ships participating in the carrier operations off the coast of Vietnam
1968 Zippo for the USS Corry DD 817 destroyer's 1968-69 Vietnam Cruise with the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club emblem on the back
1968 slim Zippo for USS Forrestal CVA 59, an aircraft carrier. While on tour in 1967, a missile was fired accidentally, causing a tragic fire which killed 134 service men and destroying numerous aircraft.
Here is a 1969 high-polish Zippo with the engraving of USS Repose on the
outline of Vietnam. The hospital ship, known as "The Angel of the Orient" served in Vietnam from 1966-70
1969 slim Zippo that reads"Navy 1969 Vietnam" with the emblem ofUSS Franklin D. Roosevelt. The reverse reads "TF 115" or Task Force 115 or Operation Market Time, the effort to block the flow of arms and supplies into South Vietnam
1969 Zippofor the Naval Support Activity Detachment in Binh Thuy
1970 Zippofor the Naval Support Activity Detachment in Dong Tam
1970 Zippo with the logo for CBMU 302
(Naval Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit) Vietnam with 70-71-72 engraved on the lid. They were known as "Seabees". The reverse (not shown)is engraved with the name David R. Symons
1972 Zippo engraved with "CWO-3 Brown to Ha-Si Co Tet 73". This may signify "From Chief Warrant Officer 3Brown to Corporal Co, Christmas 1973"
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.
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
1962 Zippo engraved "United States Navy Viet Nam - River Assault Squadron 13". It has a map of Vietnam on the back
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 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"
This 1968 River Division 535 Zippo
has had the boat number 731 engraved
A 1968 River Section 512 factory-engraved Zippo
This 1968 Zippo is for Coastal Division 12 which operated "Swift" boats, or PCF's, from DaNang
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
This factory engraved 1968 Zippo is for River Section 542 based in Nha Be
Another factory engraved 1968 Zippo is for River Section 543 also based in Nha Be
This is a two-sided factory-engraved 1968 Zippo for River Section 535 PBR Force Vietnam
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 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"
1968 Zippo for Coastal Division 11 with Snoopy the "Numbah One Watchdog". The reverse has an image of a Swift boat
1969 Zippo for the USS Askari which provided repair and other support servicesfor the Riverine forces in the Mekong Delta
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
Helatkltron-3, or "Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three" were known as the"Seawolves" which supported PBR's by Air. The Zippo is dated 1970
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. The Zippo is dated 1969
1970 Zippo that reads "River Assault Division 151, Monitor 6 Viet Nam 1970" with the image of a monitor, or river gun boat
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
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"
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 for River Division 553 with a graphic of the PBR on the fron and the squadron logo on the back
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
Here is a 1970 River Section 594 two-sided factory-engraved Zippo with the words "Last in Vietnam"
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
The main US Allies during the Vietnam War were South Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, and New Zealand. The Allied soldiers enjoyed their Zippo lighters too.
1958 Zippo with an attached Catholic cross badge and "Republic of Vietnam - 1965" engraved on the lid. The reverse case is engraved with a parachute and leopard logo, while the lidis engraved with "Capt. Thanh Tra Co"
1963 Zippo with cross and map. Captain Nguyen Van Dung of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Map names the then capitals of North and South Vietnam, and Hue, the
ancient capital
1967 Zippo. Captain Thanh C. Nguyen of the South Viet Nam War College Staff. Tong Thong, or "President" Nguyen Van Thieu fled Vietnam when Saigon was collapsing in 1975 and ended up settling in the U.S. where he died in 1991
Colorful two-sided factory-engraved 1970 Zippo for an RVN Riverine Unit followingthe Vietnamization of the Brown-Water Navy
1963 Zippo reads "Ho. Tong Ham Chi-Linh - PCE-11" and has the image of a ship
US and RVN Allies in Vietnam included Australian armed forces. This is a 1966 Zippo for R.A.A.F., or Royal Australian
Air Force in Vietnam
The Turtle logo and "106 FD Battery - Tardus et Definitus Vietnam 67-68"
is for the Royal Australian Army 106th Field Battery. The Zippo is dated 1967
1968 Zippo presentation lighter from President Nguyen Van Thieu -Republic of Vietnam
The "RMK-BRJ" was a joint venture
consisting of Raymond International,
Morrison Knudson, Brown & Root, and JA Jones Construction which had an exclusive right to build in Vietnam. It built all of the sea ports, military bases, roads, and airfields in Vietnam, from the demilitarized Zone to the Mekong Delta. The Zippo is from 1969
See also MILITARY, WORLD WAR II, MISSOURI SURRENDER and NAVY Zippo Pages