Shedding a light on the psyche of war: Zippo lighters from U.S. troops fighting in Vietnam give a unique insight into life under fire

Some show the fear of death and regret of leaving loved ones behind to fight on foreign soil, others hint at the hatred for both the enemy and the government that put them in harm's way... others still show a remarkable sense of humour.

A unique collection of 282 Zippo lighters from the Vietnam War era were recently put up as a single lot at Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The lot was the culmination of years of painstaking research by American artist Bradford Edwards, who picked up many of the distinctive lighters on site in the former war zone during the Nineties.



Poignant and poetic: A Zippo lighter from the Vietnam War era simply asks 'Why me', while another shows disillusionment and a poetic take on the pointlessness of war



While Zippos had been a valuable companion to U.S. servicemen since World War II, it became popular in the notorious and long-running Vietnam conflict to have the lighters engraved with personal messages - sometimes for loved ones they left behind, and sometimes for the individual who might find their body.

They were engraved in villages and cities where troops were stationed or on 'rest-and-recreation'. Servicemen could chose a popular phrase or have their own individual message marked on their lighter.

A popular message was the derivative of The Bible's Psalm 23, with one lighter reading: ' Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for I am the evilest son of a b**** in the jungle.'

Hatred and heroism: One lighter carries an insult to the enemy who finds the soldier's dead body, while another features a macho motto originally from the USAF 7th Bombardment Wing

Common or personal: The lighter, above left, features two 'stock' messages popular among servicemen, while the second features no comment but a more individual art design

EIGHT DECADES OF FIRE POWER

The metal, flip-top Zippo lighter was first manufactured by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1933. Originally made of brass, the lighters were made from stainless steel during World War II, as brass became a rare commodity. Zippos are able to stay lit in harsh weather, earning a 'windproof' reputation because of its design and rate of fuel delivery. As such, they became immediately popular within the armed forces.

While Zippo has never had an official contract with the U.S. military, the company's website states that Zippo almost exclusively produced lighters for frontline demand between 1941 and 1945. In Vietnam, raids to burn crops or strategic villages were named 'Zippo missions'. The Zippo has retained its flip-top metal case and fuel-flint-and-wick system over its 80-year history. The instantly recognisable 'clink' sound of an opening Zippo has featured in countless Hollywood films .



The record price paid for an individual lighter was during the 2007 75th anniversary celebrations, when the company sold a near mint 1933 model for $37,000.

Another regular sentiment was: ' We the unwilling led by the unqualified to kill the unfortunate die for the ungrateful.'

Over the years the lighters have become valuable collectibles, with individual examples selling on eBay for £200 or more. Edwards's collection had a starting price of between $30,000 to $50,000 and was passed in at auction.



Edwards, who used many of the lighters to illustrate the 2010 book Vietnam Zippos: American Soldiers’ Engravings and Stories 1965-1973 (with Sherry Buchanan, University of Chicago Press), said the objects were a fascinating insight into the minds an experiences of American servicemen.

Perhaps they are not as informative as war letters or diaries but they nonetheless are a permanent record of a particular place and time.

The majority of the servicemen in Vietnam had been drafted into service. Many would have harboured feelings of betrayal and hopelessness, and a deep longing for the lives and loves they had been forced to leave behind.



One lighter, chosen for the cover of Vietnam Zippos and adorned with a peace symbol, poignantly asks: 'Why me?'



Another, showing the defiance of a combat veteran and the seeming inevitability of his fate, reads: '35 kills if you are recovering my body f*** you.'

Yearning for loved ones: One paratrooper sends a message to his mother, while another writes a long note to his lover back home (although a mis-spelt 'read' shows the engraver was not paying too much attention)



Not all messages of love: One lighter 'flips the bird' from the port of Chu Lai, while another has a specific message for ANY young girl who might want to return the object

Constant companion: The Zippo was adopted by the U.S. military in World War II, but became a must-have item in Vietnam

When taken chronologically, the lighters' messages highlight a shifting mood among the combatants for the war they are fighting.

Pre-draft Zippos merely reflect the macho mottoes of war units, such as the famous 'Death From Above' (taken from the Latin 'Mors ab alto' motto of the USAF 7th Bombardment Wing - but expanded to refer to any airborne unit).

In these examples, the lighters were undoubtedly owned by career soldiers, who signed up for do their duty for their country and are proud of their service.

As the war goes on, and public opinion begins to turn against America's involvement in the war, soldiers seem to become disillusioned with their mission - writing such comments as 'One has never lived until he has almost died... life has a flavour the protected will never know', or 'When I die bury me face down so the world can kiss my ass'.

No matter what the situation, it is clear that many teenage servicemen still had one thing on their minds, as one lighter crudely reads : 'Girl if you want to f*** then smile when you give this lighter back.'

Humour and horror: The lighter on the left is one Marine's take on the important things in his life, while another serviceman shows there is very little to be gained out of war

A lighter note: Some servicemen decided that the best way to combat the stress of battle was with humour



Each lighter tells a story: The collection of lighters up for auction was used to illustrate Vietnam Zippos, by Sherry Buchanan and Bradford Edwards

The most powerful are the personal messages sent to loved ones back home, written perhaps as a final note if the owner paid the ultimate price in battle.

One simply reads 'To mom from a lonely paratrooper Tony', while another reads: 'Who ever may rend (sic) this may see that there is no other but one girl for me and her lovely name is Beverley Dennington I love her very very much.'



All photographs of lighters in this article come courtesy of Cowan's Auctions.



Disenchantment: The lighter above left is a direct reaction to growing opposition to the war, while the lighter above right is an adaptation of the U.S. military's 'Hearts and minds' campaign to win over the Vietnamese



Simple sentiments: One lighter warns that being shot 'is nature's way of telling you you've been ambushed', while another merely states 'Wayne + Patty'