Zippos and Lighters We Carried
Vietnam and Thailand
Compiled by: Don Poss
VSPA (© Copyright, 2008)


WARNING: Zippo and Lighter Graphics, Content and Language may not be suitable for viewing for all.

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
65-66

Paredes, Leonard D.
BH, 34th TFW - 3rd APS,
1965-1966

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
 
Bien Hoa c.1966

Unknown.
6251st SPS

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
 
Bien Hoa 66-67 Stuller, William A.
BH, 3rd APS, 3rd SPS
1966-1967
Life Member 358
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
Bien Hoa 68-69 Pollock, Michael L.
BH, 3rd SPS
1968-1969
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
   

Saw the request for lighters and scrounged around and found this one that I had received prior to leaving Bien Hoa Nov. 69. It's kind of scratched up but all it needs is lighter fluid and it's ready to go. Mike Pollock

           
Bien Hoa 69-69 R. Leiter
BH, 822nd CSPS
1969
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
Bien Hoa 70-71 Weber, William C.
BH, 3rd SPS; 6251st SPS
1970-1971
Life Member 146
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
67-68 Ralston, Anthony W.
BT, 632nd SPS
1967-1968
Life Member 31

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
68-69 Goldberg, Aaron Lew (Scotti)
BT, 632nd SPS
1968-1969
Life Member 150

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
 

At Binh Thuy we got a nice new fridge and stocked it with soda for the night flight and kept it chained closed. The soda cost $2.40 a case, and we were selling it for $.15. My Boss, MSgt Tomlinson also a member here of VSPA told me with the profits to buy zippos for everyone a month before they DEROS. I couldn't come up with how many I purchased but it had the QC patch, persons name and year of service and squadron name. I think it held 6 cases and we would stock it when we got off duty so it was ready for the next night. It was just the honor system and it worked. WE had this old cooler and were getting ice from the mess hall. Most of the guys refered soda over coffee as long as you would stay on the post a while and BS.

           
69-70 Levinson, Stanley D.
BT, 632nd SPS, 6255th ABS
1969-1970
Life Member 308

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
Binh Thuy 68-69 Hall, Steven J.
BT, 632nd SPS, A-Flight
1968-1969
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
 
I almost lost this lighter to a sneaky ARVN soldier. I was in a perimeter tower on the east side of Binh Thuy AB. I think it was Kilo 7Alpha. It was getting pretty dark and as usual the ARVN troops were being posted on the cement pillboxes along the perimeter road that were in front of our towers. One of the ARVN troops came up to the base of the tower and indicated that his lighter was out of fluid; he needed at light. I motioned for him to climb up. When he came up, he flicked his lighter, showing me it was out of fluid. "No sweat," I said and I gave him my lighter so he could light up. He pointed out to the fence line distracting me long enough to palm my lighter and exchanged it for his. He would have gotten away with it except I decided to have a cigarette myself and as I tried to light my Marlboro with his lighter, I got no flame, only sparks. He started to move toward the ladder just as I realized there was something fishy about this deal and it didn't have anything to do with Nouc Mam. Mine was easy to identify, even in the dark and the one I had in my hand wasn't mine. I grabbed him by the sleeve and growled, "Give me my lighter, you asshole." Even thought he didn't speak English, he knew he'd been caught and handed it back to me. I probably should have thrown his into the canal behind the tower, but I was so pissed I just told him to get down ... but I wasn't that nice about it.
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
66-67

Erdley, Howard T. (Tim)
CRB, 12th SPS
1966-1967

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
67-68

Schrater
CRB, 1967-1968

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
Cam Ranh Bay 67-68 Yelle, Keith P.
CRB, 12th SPS, Phantom Flight
1967-1968
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
64-65 Unknown.
23rd ABG/AP
Da Nang, 1965
http://www.vspa.com
   
           
Da Nang 1965 Unknown.
NCO/AIRMEN'S
OPEN MESS
6252nd Air Police
Da Nang, Vietnam
1965
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Da Nang 65-66 Poss, Don L.
DN, 23rd ABG/APS; 6252nd APS; 35th APS; 366th SPS K9
1965-1966
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
  In 1966, LTC Phillips gave every member of the 6252nd Security Police Squadron one of these lighters. LTC Phillips regularly called us the "6252nd Combat Air Police Squadron." He may have known about plans for Combat Security Police training, or not, but of course that title was later granted those future squadrons.
           
Da Nang


c.1968 Unknown.
Da Nang
Monkey Mountain Lounge
"The Wooly Boogers"
"Sorry'Bout That"
1968
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
Da Nang 69-70 Unknown.
Da Nang
1969-1970
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
Bottom & Side
           
Da Nang 71-72 Martin O'Donnell
15th APS, 366th CSG
1971-1972
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
 
Don,  Here are pics of my Zippo obtained at Da Nang, AB. I was an augmentee from the 15th APS, 366th Combat Support Group assigned to a "Peacemaker" around the end of "71", start of "72". Not a very good picture but it says "When I Die I'll go to Heaven because I've spent my time in Hell". Martin O'Donnell
           
Da Nang 72-72 LaTour, Gary M.
DN, 66th SPS,
6498th SPS
1972
Life Member 195

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
Here's a couple pictures of my zippo - never have used it since Danang. Gary
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
Dong HA 67-68 Lewicki, Frank
DET DH, 1/366th SPS;
DN, 366th SPS,
China Beach
Zippo: Viet Nam Hue 1967-1968 We are the Unwilling Led by the Unqualified doing the Unnecessary for the Ungrateful
Zippo: Viet Nam Hue 1967-1968 We are the Unwilling Led by the Unqualified doing the Unnecessary for the Ungrateful
 
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
67-68 Unknown.
Hue, Vietnam.
1967-1968
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
Nha Trang 66-68;
70-71
Piazza, William (Pete)
CRB, 12th APS; BH, 3rd SPS; PC, 12th SPS
1966-1968; 1970-1971
Life Member 141

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
67-68 Unknown.
Nha Trang.
1967-1968
http://www.vspa.com
   
           
Nha Trang 1968 Thompson, George B.
NT, 14th SPS.
1968-1969
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
    My Zippo lighter purchased at the Nha Trang AB BX  1968.
           
Base Year Submitted by
Back
Front
Phan Rang 66-66 Tillman, Michael A.
Phan Rang, 6258 CSG/AP, 366th AP/SPS, 35th SPS
1966
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
Phan Rang 68-70 Parsons, Thomas E.
Phan Rang AB, 35th SPS
1968-1970
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
69-70 Unknown.
Phan Rang
1969-1970
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Phan Rang 1969

Unknown.
Phan Rang AB,
823rd CSPS
1969

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Phan Rang 1969 (?) Gainok, Robert.
PR, 823rd CSPS;
PC, 823rd CSPS
1969
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Phan Rang 71-72

Donnelly, Thomas B.
Augmentee / 15th APS, 366th Combat Support Group, assigned to a "Peacemaker"
1971-1972

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
    Here is a pic of the back side of my Zippo obtained at Da Nang, AB. I was an augmentee from the 15th APS, 366th Combat Support Group assigned to a "Peacemaker" around the end of "71", start of "72". Not a very good picture but it says "when I die I'll go to heaven because I've spent my time in hell". I'll send the front side next. Martin O'Donnell
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
Phu Bai 64-65 Unknown.
Phu Bai, Vietnam
1964-1965
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
68-69

Unknown.
Phu Bai, Vietnam
1968-1969

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
     
Phu Bai 69-70 Unknown.
Phu Bai, Vietnam
1969-1970
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
Phu Cat 68-69 Davis, Douglas E.
PC, 37th SPS,
K9: Smoke 978X
1968-1969
Life Member 464
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
68-70 Galinac, John T.
Phu Cat, 37th SPS
1968-1970
Life Member 199

VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
67-68 Bradford.
Pleiku
1967-1968
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
Bottom
 
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
63-64 Palermo, Anthony J. (Tony)
TSN, 6220th APS
1963-1964
http://www.vspa.com
Air Police
Tan Son Nhut AB
Saigon, Vietnam
1963-1964
 
    Zippo was gift from my God Father on my departure for VN. I had it engraved in Saigon, December 1963, and used it well until 1970.  
           
1967 Unknown.
Tan Son Nhut,
Airmen's Open Mess
1967
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Tan Son Nhut 68-69 Smith, Edwin J. (Jack).
TSN, 377th SPS
1968-1969
http://www.vspa.com
http://www.vspa.com
 
   
I got there Dec 3 1968, I got the lighter in Jan 1969. There was a little shop right out side of the Main Gate at Tan Son Nhut. I got the lighter in the BX and had the shop engrave it for me. I carried it for years then I stopped smoking 16 years ago and put it away. My old lighter was a Storm King and it still works to this day. I had not thought of it till I read the post on lighter photo's Thanks for bringing it back to my old mind.    Jack
           
72-73 Bird, Gary L.
TSN, 377th SPS
1972-1973
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
 
           
c.1967 Unknown.
U.S. Embassy,
Saigon, Vietnam
1967
http://www.vspa.com
   
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
Vietnam 1968 Unknown.
Vietnam Map.
c.1968
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Base Year Submitted by
Front
Back
Thailand RTAFB 1970 Unknown.
Thailand RTAFB.
1970
http://www.vspa.com
   
           
Thailand 1970 Unknown.
Thailand RTAFB.
1970-1971
VSPA Zippo Lighters We Carried in Vietnam and Thailand
   
           
Korat RTAFB 69-70;
72-73
Worthen, David R. (Trashcan)
BH, 3rd SPS; KRT, 388th SPS
1969-1970; 1972-1973
http://www.vspa.com
http://www.vspa.com
 
           
Ubon RTAFB;
  Neal, Kenneth
UB, 8th SPS; UD, 432nd SPS K9.
K9: Max K000; Prince 563M,Rinny 53X4, Major 27M7
1968-1969; 1974-1975

http://www.vspa.com
 
           
70-71 Childers Jr., Ernest H.
UD, 432nd SPS K9,
K9: Duke X093
1970-1971
http://www.vspa.com
   
   

Sorry it took me awhile but I had to do some digging.  I had this made up on base at Udorn Thailand 1970 or 1971.  I gave them a book on "Peanuts" and they did the Snoopy.  I went to get the lighter and they wanted to keep my book....or course I said NO.  Don't ask me why I didnt have them put 432nd SPS, Udorn Thailand 1970-1971 somewhere on the lighter.  I have another lighter that I got at the NCO Club with a nice picture of Thailand and Udorn all over it...still looking and when I find it I'll send it along also. Ernie Childers

           
Udorn 68-69 Robert Harvey,
8th SPS, K9
Ubon 1968-1969
Robert Harvey, 8 SPS K-9 Ubon 1968 - 1969
           
           
     
           
 

http://www.vspa.com