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1966 USMC Vietnam Scout Dog platoon ZIPPO


Bob Hudson
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Picked this up today in a but that included a box with everything from a rabbit's foot to old EGA's to cufflinks to lighters, including a few ZIPPOS.

 

This one is a 1966-dated ZIPPO with the USMC emblem on one side and on the other side a 1966 Vietnamese 5 dong coin, and above the coin is engraved the name "JIM," a service number and "1ST SCOUT DOGS," which would have been the Marines 1st scout dog platoon stationed - I believe - at Danang.

 

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On grunt.com Bob Wilder, a former CO of the 1st Scout Dogs, wrote:

 

"...I was the platoon commander for the First Marine Scout Dog Platoon. This was the first time the Marines used scout dogs since WWII. We trained at Ft. Benning and we (36 Marines and 30 Marine Scout Dogs) went to Danang RVN on three C-130's stopping along the way at El Toro, Hawaii, Guam, Wake Is., and the Philippines. We set up a base camp near Danang (Ammo Dump & 9th Motors) at the base of a hill. These Marine Scout Dogs and their Marine handlers have been credited with helping to avoid 10,000 additional casualties."

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I did find the name of a Marine scout dog handler who was in Vietnam in 1966 and has the same first name as on the lighter. That first scout dog platoon was only 30 Marines, so this may be him. The lighter has his service numeber, but of course the online USMC muster rolls don't go past 1958 so there's nothing in there.

 

The listing for him shows his service with the scout dog platoon beginning 1 Jan 1966 and that jibes with the unit being sent to Vietnam in Feb. 66.

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Very nice pick up Bob. Real Vietnam engraved lighters are hard to come by and a dog one to boot. Thanks for showing.

Mitch

 

I got this from a woman who is cleaning out a house she inherited in Twentynine Palms: her uncle was a career Marine who died in 1993: this was not his, but we know it was made a long time ago.

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