Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. If you watch a movie and see troops lighting up a cigarette, you’ll probably notice that Zippo in their hand. Search-and-destroy missions in the Vietnam War were often referred to as “Zippo missions.” There’s simply no denying the fact that American troops have long had an intimate relationship with Zippos.

The American Zippo Manufacturing Company was founded in the 1930s, but when World War II started, the company ceased all production for consumer markets altogether and instead manufactured lighters exclusively for troops being sent to war. Millions of them were carried by troops and, no matter what, they knew they could rely on their trusty, metal lighter to spark their cigarette during a long day of warfighting.

Zippos took on a different function during the Vietnam War. Aside from reliably lighting cigarettes, they were used to light flamethrower tanks when the built-in, electrical igniter didn’t work. They were also used as mirrors to shave, to heat up popcorn, and the list goes on.

In fact, Zippos became synonymous with Vietnam War operations as troops would raze villages with lighters on seek-and-destroy missions. But Zippos weren’t just for burning things down — they actually became a kind of cultural timepiece, and this one is a perfect example of that.

Many lighters featured tragic, humorous, aggressive, patriotic, or rebellious slogans like this one. This example features RDS / VIET NAM / 67 68 engraved on one side with the other side having a hilarious bit of soldier culture, a Peanuts character who is pregnant with a speech bubble reading GOD DAMN YOU CHARLIE BROWN. 

Dating zippos could be tricky, especially if the bottoms of them are quite worn which most of the time they are. Luckily enough this one still has the bottom markings visible! The markings on the bottom are:

BRADFORD PA
I I I I ZIPPO I I I

The exact combination of slashes indicate 1967 manufacture.

The lighter is no longer functional but could likely be made to work again. Comes ready for further research and display.