Lighter

1969

Place madeBradford, Pennsylvania, United States

Metal

Overall: 2 3/16 × 1 3/8 × 1/2 in. (5.5 × 3.5 × 1.2 cm)

Gift of John R. Monsky

2015.45.57

Lightweight, durable Zippo lighters, manufactured in Pennsylvania, were readily available to the 2.5 million Americans who went to war in Vietnam. Covered in a soft chrome plate, the Zippo’s surface was easy to engrave, providing a canvas for individual expression. Enterprising South Vietnamese, equipped with basic tools, could do a good business by supplying U.S. troops with Zippos engraved with stock slogans and imagery: military vehicles, weapons, unit insignia, and maps of Vietnam were all popular. Servicemen also had Zippos embellished with designs and wording of their choice. The assortment of ready-made and custom engravings found on the cigarette lighters offer a glimpse into the thoughts, humor, and bravado of Americans who served during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s.

MarkingsOn bottom, "BRADFORD, PA./ ||| ZIPPO ® ||". On insert, "FOR BEST RESULTS/ USE ZIPPO/ FLINTS AND FLUID/ ZIPPO MFG. CO BRADFORD, PA./ MADE IN ZIPPO ® U.S.A./ PAT. 2517191".

ClassificationsSMOKING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

DescriptionOn recto: "VIETNAM/60 - 70/ DGD/ When I Die Bury/ Me/ Face Down So/ The Whole World/ CAN Kiss My Ass".

Object NameLighter