Title
Preview
Location
DS559.5 G54 2003
Description
Zippo Lighter: This lighter is typical of those carried by U.S. military personnel during service in the Vietnam War. There hundreds of thousands sold for that souvenir purpose and there are that many in existence still today. The GI would have the lighter engraved with all manner of images, doggerel poetry, initials, and sayings (often obscene.) Similar lighters and customs were followed in the Second World War, the Korean War and Vietnam as well current wars. This particular lighter belonged to William J. Glanzmann, a graduate of La Salle College, who served in the 125th Signal Battalion of 25th Infantry Division in Cu Chi during 1968-1969. Glanzmann returned home safely and donated his lighter to the Imaginative Representations of the Vietnam War Collection.