Military Lighters - All eras all brands

[Cobra 6 Actual]

[yokota57]

US Army / Kuma Station (12th US Army Security Agency Field Station) Chitose, Japan 15 Nov 1956-30 Jun 1972. Japanese-made "Konwal Super".

[yokota57]

On 6/6/2023 at 6:28 PM, yokota57 said:

US Army / 3d Helicopter Company (Military District of Washington) Ft Belvoir, VA. I haven't found much info other than they may have been involved with transporting Eisenhower/Kennedy-era honchos and bigwigs around D.C. Were they involved with the Army's Executive Flight Detachment at Ft. B? ("Army One" VH-34A/B/D??) If anyone in "Forum-Land" has info it will be very much appreciated. Mint Japanese-made "Vulcan" His-Hers boxed set.

CH-21 support for the Presidential Executive Detachment has been confirmed. I still have not been able to locate photos of their CH-21s at Fort Belvoir.

[mtnman]

On 8/9/2023 at 8:18 PM, triplecanopy said:

want to ask everyone to be on the lookout for a lighter that I brought back from Vietnam. It was stolen or

 

TC I certainly will be on the lookout for that lighter, sounds like it was a beauty! What a splendid choice of symbols that you had engraved. Thanks for letting us know TC. 

[mtnman]

On 8/17/2023 at 3:28 PM, Thrifter_01 said:

1946 aluminum lighter attributed to a marine in Tientsin China. Rough and great

Thrifter that is nothing short of splendid my friend! What a unique find! Thanks so much for letting us enjoy it with you!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Here’s a Zippo that mtnman saw on eBay and brought to my attention:

 

 

It has the really cool unofficial Force Recon logo. But, the absence of a last name, rank, service number or location makes this lighter pretty much impossible to research. Although it sold for less than $20, it would be one to “pass” on unless you can somehow figure out who Rocky is.

[mtnman]

Guys, I figured out an effective way to overcome the fact that the forum tech support cannot fix this forum regarding the extremely useful tool for the collector which is immediate notification of when our brothers in collecting score a new piece and are ready to do the big reveal.

 

To get there quickly to check each day, and ascertain if new discoveries have been revealed, go to the Unofficial Awards section of the forum where they have put the personal equipment listings of Zippos and other lighters. Under Unofficial Awards, Go to military Lighters-all eras, all brands, click on the "page" listing as it is a hyperlink at the top of the listing of posts. A box will come up, type in the current last page which is 40 right now, and press enter. It will take you to page 40 or whatever the last page is at the time where the new lighters will be posted. If you are using Chrome on Android or any browser really, click on the upper right hand corner settings dots. There is an outline of a star on Chrome at the top of the list, click that star and it will fill in and at the bottom of the page you will get a notification of where the bookmark you just made is being saved in the bookmark section. If you press edit very quickly because it will disappear, it will bring up your bookmark tree hierarchy of folders created to hold bookmarks if you have any folders, otherwise all bookmarks will simply be listed together there. I created a "1Zippos" folder by clicking the plus sign which is add a folder.

 

The reason I put the number 1 in the title of the folder was because it will keep that folder at the top as it reads numbers first, then letters. So when I go to bookmarks and click that link, I go to page 40 and I will change that link with a new bookmark as we extend into new pages. It's not the same as getting the notifications that are so awesome, when my fellow Zippo/lighter collectors post but that's the best we can do. 

 

To find Zippos on this forum is difficult enough, it took me an hour of searching with no result, to finally just ask Cobra who was kind enough to take me through to the areas where we post.

 

I attempted to get a Zippo section established as Zippos cross all branches and several wars up to today but I was simply pointed to "Unofficial Awards"  as the place where lighters were posted, which was the whole point of why I was writing.

 

I tried once again, and sent in a treatise to make the case for the prolific interest in Zippo lighters and their non-zippo cousins such as Rocky, Vulcan, Prince etc regarding military use across all branches and across World War II, Korea and into their hayday of iconic recording of the lives of our men in little snippets of honor and remembrance, in Vietnam. I didn't get a response on the second one. So I've been trying to figure out the best way to immediately check if my brothers have posted another Zippo or other brand lighter in the UNOFFICIAL AWARDS SECTION, which does not accurately describe Zippo or any other lighter, but it seems to be a moot point in trying to improve it. Hope this helps guys. 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks for that helpful explanatory post, mtnman. Seems like an effective work-around. C6A

[yokota57]

Military Assistance Advisory Group Indo-China (1950-1955). "MAAG Officers Open Mess Saigon, Indo-China". Japanese-made "Wellington". 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

That is an absolute beauty, yokota57. Thanks for posting it!

[yokota57]

15 minutes ago, Cobra 6 Actual said:

That is an absolute beauty, yokota57. Thanks for posting it!

I'm glad you and all the other viewers can enjoy the history. My previously posted "MAAG Indo-China" lighter was from the Enlisted Mess. 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

[Cobra 6 Actual]

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Date code is for August 2004:

 

 

 

 

 

[yokota57]

1 hour ago, Cobra 6 Actual said:

Date code is for August 2004:

 

 

 

 

 

Ichi-Ban !!!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Not mine, just something I saw on the internet, but too funny:

 

[jmd62]

Ha!

[Thrifter_01]

Engraved for the Advanced Training Unit 402, US Naval Auxiliary Air Station Kingsville in 1957, believe they trained for Anti Submarine operations. Made by Vulcan.

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Here’s a pretty plain but useful lighter:

 

 

 

 

These were common in Vietnam. I have a plain one without the peace sign that I bought from the Ken Nolan mail order company and had shipped to me in Vietnam. Lighter fluid lasted a long time and the flint striker on the side “sparked” every time it was struck by the small metal piece in the middle of the wick.

[yokota57]

Military Assistance Advisory Group-Vietnam (1955-1964). "Saigon Commissioned Officers Mess (Open)". Well-worn Japanese-made " W Dragon". 

[mtnman]

On 9/25/2023 at 8:39 AM, Cobra 6 Actual said:

Date code is for August 2004:

 

 

That is a true beauty! 

 

 

 

[yokota57]

U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). Tan Son Nhut AB, RVN 1962-1973. Japanese-made "Coronet Rocky".

[yokota57]

US Army / Company B, 2d Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment (1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile). "Bravo Braves 1970". Japanese-made "Super Ace" with a period correct Zippo insert.

[jmd62]

1 hour ago, yokota57 said:

US Army / Company B, 2d Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment (1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile). "Bravo Braves 1970". Japanese-made "Super Ace" with a period correct Zippo insert.

Great looking lighter! I love that CIB on it too.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Yes, Yokota57, two beauties. And as jmd62 noted, it’s always nice to see a CIB on a lighter! Here’s a set I just picked up:

 

 

 

The maker is Penguin of Japan.