Readers of my homeless shelter piece last month might remember that I was carrying a Zippo lighter that night. I was carrying one — and mentioned it in the piece — because I’m a collector.
I collect them for a lot of reasons. Many of my pieces are 1940s to 1970s pieces with iconic or local advertising. Some of them are commemorative of life events or family heirlooms. Some of them are pieces that have been entrusted to me for various reasons. Whatever the reason, Zippos always seem to make their way to me.
My Grandpa Bob is always on the lookout for lighters for me, and he happened upon one last week without a lot of background. It had been found years ago on the side of a highway by a friend of his who worked for the county.
There were a few dents in the silver case, but it was in decent condition — a handsome piece professionally inscribed with a name: “J.A. Lary,” with a single line underneath. On the reverse, a hand-carved griffin — a creature with a lion’s body and an eagle’s head, wings and talons — with “BANGKOK” underneath, along the bottom edge of the case.
It gave me chills. I immediately suspected this Zippo was more than just a mere lighter … it had all the makings of a Vietnam era veterans lighter.
The markings on the bottom confirmed a timeline — manufactured in 1966.
Zippos associated with the Vietnam War are known to be highly collectible. In fact, I own a coffee table book dedicated to Vietnam War Zippos and their associated messages, artwork and stories. It’s not uncommon for certain pieces to sell online or at auction for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Soldiers often inscribed messages to loved ones on Zippo lighter cases, or shared raw feelings or perspectives about the war and society, or chose artwork that commemorated chapters of their service.
As I considered all this information, I began thinking about all the ways I might attempt to locate a “J.A. Lary” who served around 1966 or later. But without a military branch to narrow it down, what was the likelihood I could find a plausible match?
I called Chip Duncan at the local Veterans Memorial Museum just to see if he happened to recognize the name. He didn’t, but we did find a hit in an old phone book record in the Seattle area. I also reached out to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Vietnam Veterans of America organizations to see if they had any contacts. All those turned up dead ends.
That’s when I started eyeing the griffin etched on the one side of the case … what if it was a military unit mascot? Their badge or insignia?
Quick research revealed that two military units used a griffin specifically in their insignia. And, as it turned out, one of those units had been stationed in — you guessed it — Bangkok, Thailand: The United States Air Force’s 367th Training Support Squadron had been stationed at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield.
So I turned to the National Archives online database. I did a search within the Vietnam War Air Force archives for “J. A. Lary” and, after digging through some records, I found a “LARY” listed in a 1970 “sortie” (mission) record as “OPERATION SUPPORTED,” which makes sense if he served with what is termed as a “training support squadron” — they provided training and support instruction for the B-52 Stratofortress fleet stationed at U-Tapao.
What are the chances that a Zippo lighter with a griffin and the last name “Lary” and wasn’t associated with a guy who served with a unit with a griffin mascot stationed in Bangkok, just like the Zippo case said? Seemed like a good hunch.
I filed a FOIA request with the federal government for any records on “J.A. Lary.” I’ll just have to wait to see if anything comes back on that request.
I did find a Jeffery A. Lary in Pierce County, who passed away in 1993 at the age of 49. That would have put him born around 1944, and in 1970 at the time of the sortie record, would put him at 26 years old … if, in fact, he was the J.A. Lary that served in Bangkok.
But, even if that is the case, it could be a dead end. Jeffrey Lary’s wife preceded him in death at age 41 in 1998. They are listed in a family tree online as having only one child — a daughter — who is listed as only having lived a single day. When I contacted the owner of that family tree online, she was unable to give me any specific information about Jeffrey. It was too distant of a relation.
So, I’m writing about it here, too, as a last-ditch effort, in case anyone reading remembers a “J.A. Lary” from around this region. It’s a special piece that should be with a veteran’s loved ones — not locked away in an unrelated person’s home collection.
Ultimately, if I am unable to locate a family member — or a veteran who served in the 367th with Lary — I’ll likely ask the Veteran Memorial Museum in Chehalis to take custody of the piece.
I don’t want “J.A. Lary” to be forgotten … and, it’s the mission of the Veterans Memorial Museum that “they shall not be forgotten.”
Even if this Zippo never truly makes it home, its owner will never be forgotten.
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Keep the mylar blankets coming! Men’s winter gloves have also been requested by several area homeless shelters. You can also send those in to The Chronicle to be distributed to local nonprofits, just like the mylar blankets.
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Brittany Voie is a columnist for The Chronicle. She lives south of Chehalis with her husband and two young sons. She welcomes correspondence from the community at voiedevelopment@comcast.net.
