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

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

Unknown.
6251st SPS

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.

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.

Evans, Dennis E.
BT, 632nd SPS
1969-1970

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

Schrater, Roger
CRB, 1967-1968

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. A few months later, the 35th APS replaced the 6252d APS (See below).

Da Nang

Dong Ha

Da Nang

Dong Ha

Da Nang

Dong Ha

Phan Rang
Tuy Hoa AB

Unknown.
Phan Rang AB,
823rd CSPS
1969

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

Unknown.
Phu Bai, Vietnam
1968-1969

Sipes, Michael L.
PC, 37th SPS,
Cobra Flight,
Team Leader, Charlie 10
1968-1969

Johnston, Dennis H.
Tuy Hoa, 31st SPS
1966-1967
LM 263

Here are 2 pictures of the Zippo I carried @ Tuy Hoa. The reason there are Military Police “crossed pistols” and USAF wings is because I was on town patrol the majority of time I was at Tuy Hoa. I was actually assigned TDY to the 18th MP Brigade, 504th MP Company, 2nd Platoon. I had the back side engraved and sent it to my Dad on his birthday. My Dad passed in 1976 and I dearly treasure this memento because of the bond we had. Thanks again Don, great job.

Unknown.
Thai' Police.
c.1970

Jonathan Faulkner
Nakhon Phanom RTAFB,
56th SPS
1974-1975

I bought this Zippo shortly after arriving at NKP. When I got back to the World, my Dad engraved it for me on his machine. It’s not straight and there’s a mark on the lid but he meant well. I used it for years until the weld on the lid broke. I sent it to Zippo for repairs and when I got it back, I retired it.

Ubon RTAFB