Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Lighters could be customized with regimental cyphers and engravings, and were purchased by soldiers returning home as a memento of their military service in the specific theater of operation.

This is an incredible vintage genuine ZIPPO brand lighter that was manufactured in 1971. This lighter is engraved on both sides. The front reads as follows:

This is above the insignia of the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division, which was nicknamed "Angels".  Dong Ba Thin Base Camp was established on Highway 1 at Dong Ba Thin, 4 km northwest of Cam Ranh Base and 22 km south of Nha Trang in 1964. The base comprised several different adjacent facilities: Dong Ba Thin Airfield, a short asphalt runway army airfield; Dong Ba Thin Heliport (also known as Flanders Army Heliport) on the west side of the airfield and the Special Forces Camp.

The reverse side actually has two inscriptions:

The second inscription is far more cynical, showing clearly the feelings of the soldier who owned it:

Lighter appears to be in fully functional condition, though we have not added fluid. The underside of the lighter bears the ZIPPO logo and Bradford, PA and 3 hash marks or vertical lines which denotes the manufacture date as 1971.

A note on how to verify that this is an authentic VIETNAM era zippo lighter- To determine a ZIPPO's with correct date marks (before 1975) check the zippo date according to the dating card supplied by the zippo firm. For the years between 1966 and 1975 (Vietnam war ended in April 1975) the codes are: four vertical bars each side of the italicized zippo logo for 1966. Then the bars were removed alternatively first on the right and then on the left. So for 1967 four bars on the left and three on the right, three each side for 1968 and so one until 1973 last year with vertical bar coding. Lighters from 1973 have one bar on the left and nothing on the right. In 1974, the code marks turn to slashes; four slashes on each side of the italicized zippo logo and in 1975 only three slashes on the right part.

This particular lighter has two vertical bars on the left and one on the right of the ZIPPO logo meaning it was manufactured in 1971!