Vietnam War Year 1968 Zippo Slim Lighter SAIGON 68 - 69 US Army 25th INFANTRY Div.
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:144197 | Modified Item: No |
| Country of Manufacture: United States |
Up for your collection is a vintage genuine Year 1968 polished chrome Zippo slim lighter, featuring inscribed SAIGON 68-69 and a US Army 25th INFANTRY Division logo in the front. Inscription in the back reads: WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE OVERCOMES THE LOVE OF POWER THE WORLD WILL KNOW PEACE. This original Zippo lighter has a solid hinge and spring cam with good snap, the top and bottom line up nicely. Matched Zippo insert sparks with a clear flint tube, f...lint wheel turns properly...in excellent working condition. Pictures show details of this rare item which has normal scratches. FREE domestic shipping.
During Vietnam war, the US 25th Infantry Division sent 100 helicopter door-gunners to the Republic of Vietnam in early 1963. By mid 1965, 2, 200 men of the Tropic Lightning Division were involved in Vietnam. The division was again ordered to contribute combat forces in December of that year. In response to a MACV request, the division deployed 4, 000 3rd Brigade infantrymen and 9, 000 tons of equipment from Hawaii in 25 days to the Northwest sector of South Vietnam to firmly establish a fortified enclave from which the division could operate. Operation Blue Light was the largest and longest airlift of personnel and cargo into a combat zone in military history. The Brigade deployed its first soldiers from Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, to the central highlands at Pleiku. These men arrived in Vietnam 24 December 1965. By mid-January, the deployment operation was complete - giving combat planners in Vietnam a favorable balance of power. The division was heavily engaged from April 1966 until 1972 throughout the area of operations in Southeast Asia. During this period, Tropic Lightning soldiers fought in some of the toughest battles of the war. During the Tet offensives of 1968 and 1969, Tropic Lightning soldiers were instrumental in defending the besieged city of Saigon. Due to its success in fending off that attack, the 25th Infantry Division spent most of 1970 more involved in the Vietnamization Program than in actual combat. From May through June 1970, Tropic Lightning soldiers participated in Allied thrusts deep into enemy sanctuaries located in Cambodia. In these Incursion operations, the division units confiscated thousands of tons of supplies and hundreds of weapons. This operation crippled the Cambodian-based efforts against American units. Following its return from Cambodia to South Vietnam, the division resumed its place in the Vietnamization Program. The war was winding down. By late December 1970, elements of the 25th Infantry Division were able to begin redeployment to Schofield Barracks. Second Brigade was the last element of the Tropic Lightning Division to depart Vietnam. It arrived at Schofield Barracks in the early days of May 1971. During the war in Vietnam, 22 Medals of Honor were awarded to Tropic Lightning soldiers. The Division is also known to have written the United States Playing Card Company to request hundreds of decks containing only the Ace of Spades. In Vietnam, the Ace of Spades were used as psychological warfare. The Viet Cong were highly superstitious and highly frightened by this Ace because it predicted death and suffering.
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