Lost lighter returned to veteran
Mark Anthony Krofek doesn’t remember where he lost his Zippo cigarette lighter in Vietnam, but he knows where it is today according to the Dominion Post;
Krofek, a Purple Heart recipient, lost the lighter in 1967 during the year and a half he served overseas as an Army infantryman in the Vietnam War.
The front of the lighter lists his name, Mark A. Krofek, and his unit information — C Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry and 4th Infantry Division.
Somehow his lighter ended up in a collection of Zippos in Texas until a woman located him on Facebook and offered the lighter to him.
Thanks to Andy11M for the link.
Category: Who knows
Great story. The woman who returned the Zippo did not wish to be ID’ed. Hat tip to her. As for Krofek, yes, I checked. He’s on the roster for the unit (Warriors) that is inscribed on the Zippo. Welcome back.
The lady indeed deserves respect, even if given anonymously. Helluva nice thing for her to do.
Here-Here.
12th Infantry. Did time with them (1st Bn) at Carson in the mid eighties. Only regiment to have five active battalions deployed to Vietnam.
When the Army went “Regimental” again in 1988/89(?), our sister battalion in the 1st Brigade of the 4th ID, 1/10 Infantry “Golden Rifles” became 2/12 Infantry, “White Warriors.” The 1st Bn had always been known as the “Red Warriors.” Have no idea what the 3rd and 4th Battalions in Germany were nicknamed.
CONUS to USAREUR Regiment swap-outs. Another of those concepts from the Good Idea Fairy that flopped.
hey, 1/12 Red Warriors, I was at Carson 93-94 with C co Renegades 1/12, then Uncle Sam sent my ass to Korea.
Nice article. Kudos to the folks in Texas. Reminds me of a Peaches and Herb tune.
My Vietnam lighter is long gone. Stolen (not saying some zoomie puke did it) from our table at the NCO Club at Bitburg AB in 1974.
Nice lighter, only three years old. Army enlisted Flight Wings on top, Black Widow Spider/Phu Bai on bottom.
If anybody out there happens to come across it, I’m the man to get in contact with.
8th RRFS PhuBai2may69 to 15dec70.
Frank
Welcome Aboard. You’re like beautiful North Phu Bai veteran number five or six here on TAH.
Myself, C 101 AHB (Black Widows), mid July 71 till shutdown in February 72.
Claw……My Zippo was stolen also. Bunker line guard, still remember the guy who took it. Member of my own squad. It had a picture of Snoopy lying on his dog house, saying fuck it just fuck it!
What a journey that lighter was on
Years ago, Zippo built an advertising campaign around its ironclad lifetime warranty. One ad I vaguely remember was where a sport diver had recovered a Zippo from a sunken U.S. destroyer off Guadalcanal or wherever. Despite it being encrusted with barnacles, and having been in salt water for a couple of decades, the diver sent the lighter back to Zippo for repair. It turned out it was also engraved with the name of a sailor who had survived, and was returned to him fixed and functional.
Over the many years that I smoked, I sent my Zippo (purchased while in boot camp) back several times. It was always repaired for no cost other than postage. With all the folks that have quit smoking (me included) I wonder if the company is hurting.
Zippo has a second life as “prepper kit”. Even out of fuel, the “flint” sparker is useful for starting fires.
OC: I’m thinking they must be. I’ve got six Zippos around here, a few inscribed. They mean a lot to me.
One of them, and I have NO idea where I got it, is covered in some sort of fireproof fuzzy material. ISYN. I think Zippo has probably made 10000 different styles/inscriptions/unit lighters.
How does he know the lighter didn’t belong to someone else with the same name?
These stories restore my faith in humanity…just a genuine feel good story.
Lily: I did a net search. There is one Mark Anthony Krofek in the U.S. Krofek is an unusual name. I searched just by last name and there are fewer than 30. This Mark Anthony Krofek currently lives in Morgantown, WV. I’m glad this man got back what he lost in that hell hole.