Full Metal Jackets: Zippo Lighters of the Vietnam War

During the Vietnam war, just like WW2 and Korea before it, a vital piece of equipment issued to every GI was the ever hardy and faithful Zippo lighter. Originally manufactured in 1933 by the Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, the lighter became famous for its ability to stay lit in inclement weather, its ‘windproof’ reputation made it a must have piece of kit for the American military. Used for lighting cigarettes, heating food, reading letters from home, or setting fire to huts of the enemy, Zippo lighters were used so frequently in Search & Destroy missions that GIs came to refer to them as "Zippo Missions". These lighters became a memento of their time in the Jungle, something they would carry with them always.

Although troops had carried Zippos in previous conflicts, it was during Vietnam that they really took on a new meaning troops would have their lighters decorated with humorous, lewd or sometimes religious messages. They were able to have this done by local street vendors where they could choose from a range of pre-set messages or create their own.

In 2012, the largest ever collection of these lighters came up at auction, commanding a final sum in excess of $35,000. The collection had been compiled by American artist Bradford Edwards over several years in the 1990s, on-site in Vietnam. In recent years, Vietnam has evolved into a more modern and tourist friendly destination, leading to an explosion in fake mementos, especially replica Zippo lighters. According to Edwards, there are no real Zippos left in Vietnam now. It has recently been suggested that over 95% of Zippos being sold in the markets of Ho Chi Minh City and Ebay are poor quality fakes.

Here's a section of Zippos from the auction: