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We’re all familiar with the iconic Zippo lighter, originally manufactured in Pennsylvania, they’ve been a stable of popular culture since 1933. The reason their popularity continues to live on, is that they were designed to be “windproof” and as such made the ideal must-have accessory for anyone battling the elements. One of the biggest consumers of Zippo lighters during the 1960′s and 1970′s were those in the US military. Battle hardened soldiers who needed the naked flame to warm hands, light cigarettes or fuses and create fire.
Due to their sleek yet rugged design, soldiers would engrave messages & slogans on them, taking their trusted Zippo into battle on a daily basis in the dense jungles of Vietnam. Collector Bradford Edwards has spent the preceding years amassing a wide range of personalised Zippo lighters from the Vietnam war. The insignia’s, quotes and even political slogans engraved onto the side of each lighter, serve as small pieces of history,encapsulating the mood , views and outlook of those soldiers whom they accompanied into battle.
