Vietnam Zippo factory engraved on the front with the insignia of Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11) «The Red Rippers» featuring the squadron crest with a red lightning bolt and the text «THE RED RIPPERS» above and «VF-11» below. The reverse depicts a U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom II fighter in flight – the aircraft type flown by VF-11 during the Vietnam War, conducting carrier based air-to-air and air-to-ground missions in support of U.S. Navy operations.
Fighter Squadron 11 deployed to the Vietnam War as part of Carrier Air Wing 6 aboard USS Forrestal in 1967, flying the F-4B Phantom II. Their time in the combat zone was limited – the 1967 cruise was cut short after the devastating fire aboard Forrestal on July 29, 1967, which killed 134 sailors and forced the carrier to withdraw from operations.
