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The U.S. Military was an early
customer of Zippo and became Zippo Manufacturing Co.'s exclusive customer
during World War II with a steel Zippo with a "black
crackle" finish. After the war, ability to personalize the Zippo led to its
adoption for use as commemoratives and souvenirs by US as well as foreign
military divisions and units. The Zippo lighters on this page include
examples of how Zippo lighters were engraved for various military and related
organizations. For more examples of military Zippos, see the
Army,
Navy,
Vietnam and other pages in the Zippo Gallery. |
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See
the World War II and
black crackle Zippos
HERE |
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1946-49 Zippo
which has been engraved with the image of a top hat and "Top Three Club - . Top
Three Club Ashiya Air Force Base, Kyushu Japan" during the US occupation of
Japan. |
1949-50 Zippo.
The front is engraved with maps of Korea
and Japan and "Far East Command
1948-49-50-51-52
Robert J.Tooley. The reverse
has an engraving of a
topless Japanese woman grooming herself. Elaborate Japanese designs on
Zippos and Japanese sterling
lighters for Zippo inserts were common during the
post WWII occupation. |
1952-53 Zippo
for . USS Consolation (AH-15), a hospital ship that served the wounded during
the Korean War and became the “First Hospital Ship to Receive Casualties
Directly by Helicopter”. |
1952-53 Zippo
with an attached badge with the logo of the First Allied Airborne Army. |
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1956 Zippo
engraved with the logo of the Strategic Air Command. The reverse has
been
personalized for "R. K. Hamilton Eighth Air Force Outstanding Crew April 1956". |
1957 Zippo for
the USS Sturgis commemorating its role in the "1957 Dewline Operation - Crossed
the Arctic Circle" The DEW line was a "DistanceEarly Warning"line of telecommunications stations across the Arctic to provide the earliest
possible warning of aircraft passing the polar route. |
1958 Zippo for USS Harder, a Tang Class submarine. Its
motto is "Hit 'Em Harder, Hit
'Em Again Harder".. |
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1959 Zippo for
the US Air Force Tactical Missile School
4504th
Missile Training Wing. |
1966 Zippo for
the 538th Ordnance Company which was stationed in South Korea. Note the Russian
Bear with the red star on lid. |
1966 Zippo.
The front reads "New
Britain Conn.
Mike & Linny". The reverse lid reads "USMC 63-66 -
Hawaii, Japan,
Okinawa,
Philippines, Hong Kong,
Vietnam". |
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1967 Zippo for
166th Transportation Detachment Cowboy Mainenance Support with an anvil and
helicopter wearing a cowboy hat.
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1968 Zippo with
the
logo of the 2nd
Surgical Hospital - Second to None. |
1969 Zippo for "Co D, 16th
Armor,
173rd Airborne Armor". The reverse reads "E Troop, 17th Cavalry,
Fighters
by Day, Lovers by Night, Drunkards
by Choice, The Airborne". The 173rd was the first major ground combat
unit of the United States Army to
serve in Vietnam. |
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1969 Zippo for 166th Ordnance
Company GM
DS (Guided Missile Direct Support) for Nike Hercules guided missile
systems with the image of a ferocious-looking bear. |
1972 Zippo
commemorating
American Veterans in World War II, Korea,
and Vietnam. |
1969 Zippo with an F-4 Phantom
of
the Air Force of Israel. The reverse reads "Yehuda Chen 1970
Lee Martin". |
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1972 Zippo
commemorating 25th Anniversary United States Air Force "Pride
in the Past - Faith in the Future". |
1974 Zippo with an attached
82nd
Airborne AA badge. |
1973 Zippo commemorating the
Mayaguez Rescue by the USS
Corral Sea CV 43. The rescue, sometimes
referred to as the last
battle of the Vietnam War, took
place on May 15, 1975
following
the capture of the merchant ship
SS Mayaguez along with 39
American
sailors by the Khmer
Rouge off Tang Island in Cambodia.
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1986 Venetian
pattern Zippo with attached crest
of the 504th Infantry Regiment with the
motto "Strike Hold". |
1993 Zippo. CAPLE (French
Foreign
Legion’s administrative company). |
1978 gold-plated slim Zippo
with
the logo of the US Coast Guard.
The reverse has an engine
turned
pattern. |
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See
more Zippos: Vietnam
War- Army
- Navy -
World War II -
Ernie Pyle -
USS Missouri Surrender
- Brown Water Navy -
Military
or go to the Gallery
Index |
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