[RylanG]

Hi Guys,, just picked up this at a flea market. I thought it was neat so I grabbed it. Anyone out there can id the logo?

Thanks!

 

[Mike]

Don't know the insignia, but this is typical of GI souvenier lighters sold by the jillions forever.
Most engraved rather than stamped like this one, though.

 

[AirCommando]

By logo I assume you mean the wings. They are US Air Force Command Pilot wings. It takes lots of hours to earn those. The animal looks like a cat to me!

 

[Sarge]

Yep something like 3000 hrs?
Neat lighter, anything on the other side? Is it a zippo?
Sarge

 

[RylanG]

Thank you for the info.!

Here is a pic of the back. The casing is sterling silver and it does not have a manufacturer stamp. The inside parts are zippo brand.

Yep something like 3000 hrs?
Neat lighter, anything on the other side? Is it a zippo?
Sarge

 

[AirCommando]

They were very popular during the Vietnam war. All kinds of designs were available, or you could have one custom made. Wish I still had mine! Had one with the Laotian 3-headed elephant on one side, can't remember what was on the other, another design, but not advertising a jewelry store!

AC

 

[AirCommando]

I found mine!

On Ebay! I was looking for one since I found this thread, and lo and behold, I found and won this one. It is exactly like the one I had. These are made by hand, one at a time, and each one is unique. The seller bought this one from a garage sale in a small town near Pensacola, Florida. When I got back from SEA in 1967, I gave mine to a buddy at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Coincidence or fate, I sure think it is the one I had! These are too unique to have a number of them made exactly the same.
Granted, that was 40 years ago, but I remember I bought it because it was so different than the others.

 

[Timberlord]

Would RylanG's lighter be for a FlyingTiger pilot ?

 

[wyliecoyote]

Possibly the first zippo in this thread was from a Tiger meet, Post Viet Nam? Not sure when all U.S. units left Thailand.

It could be for a squadron that has a tiger in the logo. This lighter is newer than WWII, time of the Flying Tigers in China. Both lighters are very nice.

I was in Okinawa in 2000. A couple of the shops I went into had display cases of Viet Nam era zippos from G.I.'s that were given to girlfriends, dozens & dozens.

 

[Mike]

Congrats on finding yours or at least a replacement.
All the VN ones I saw were just engraved.
They were sold by small concessions next to PXs or "downtown."
About 5 bucks or so and ryou could get anything imaginable on them.
I lost mine within a yea back in the world.

 

[Sarge]

I've not only still got mine, but also the slim line one I had done for the wife. Took it away from her when we split up.
These are both Zippo's, I bought them at the PX in Nha Trang and took them to a vietnamese guy in town & had them engraved.
Guess I should take some photos of them. Both have different sayings on one side and CIB, US & VN jump wings with dates I was awarded them on the other.
I have started picking these up in the past 4 or 5 years at flea markets, gun shows or where ever else I find them. Not often, but occasionally one shows up. Think I've got 8 or 10.
Sarge

 

[Sarge]

Well, finaly got some photos, also of a couple of my other VN lighters. Boy getting good photos of these shinny SOBs is a bitch!

The first 3 are of my 2 lighters, the next 3 are of a lighter that the kid said had been given to his dad by the general whose info was written inside the box lid. The last is not a zippo and is - I think? - a bit unusual for a VN era engraved lighter, but possibly the hair farce base PXs had a different selection of lighters?
I've got 2 or 3 more somewhere.
Sarge