VINTAGE 1971 SLIM ZIPPO LIGHTER USS CONYNGHAM DDG 17 US NAVY VIETNAM ERA

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VINTAGE 1971 SLIM ZIPPO LIGHTER USS CONYNGHAM DDG 17 US NAVY VIETNAM ERA:
$39.00

Up for sale this Vietnam era US Naval 1971 slim line Zippo lighter from the USSConyngham(DDG-17) the lighter is in good working condition showing normal wear but no abuse! buyer to pay actual shipping costs.Thanks for looking!, This is an exerpt from Wikipedia about the USS Conyngham DDG-17: The third ship named for CaptainGustavus ConynghamUSN (1744–1819), was aCharles F. Adams-classguided missile armeddestroyerin theUnited States Navy.

Conynghamwas laid down by theNew York Shipbuilding CorporationatCamdeninNew Jerseyon 1 May 1961, launched on 19 May 1962 by Mrs. Carl B. Albert, wife of Representative Albert ofOklahoma,House Majority Leaderand commissioned on 13 June 1963, Commander Edwin P. Smith in command

Conynghamwas one of a few warships with shamrocks on her stacks (USSCoral Sea(CV-43),USSThe Sullivans(DD-537)and others for example).[citation needed]During her 27 years of commissioned service,Conynghamlived up to her motto,Ready to Serve. Her presence exerted a powerful influence during times of crisis and helped maintain peace as a component of NATO seapower throughout the Cold War period.Conynghammade 15 Mediterranean deployments—three to the Persian Gulf, seven to Northern Europe, and 11 deployments to the Caribbean. She distinguished herself during crises in Cyprus (1964, 1974); provided air cover for planes evacuating Americans from an insurrection in Amman, Jordan (1970); took part in contingency operations during the Arab-Israeli Yom-Kippur War (1973); was the escort combatant during the evacuation of Americans from Beirut, Lebanon (1976); and conducted Black Sea Freedom of Navigation operations (1979).[citation needed]

During the 1980s,Conynghamcontinued to support United States foreign policy when she served off the coast of Libya (1982); was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for providing naval gunfire support of Marines stationed in, and off the coast of, Beirut, Lebanon (1983) and monitored maritime traffic off the coast of Nicaragua (1983). She sailed with theUSSAmerica(CV-66)Battle Group in support of U. S. intervention forces in Grenada (1983). While deployed to the Caribbean in 1986,Conynghamwas credited with four drug interdictions and was awarded the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal.[citation needed]

Conynghamcontinued superior performance as she escorted U. S. Flagged merchant shipping through the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War in 1987 inOperation Earnest Will. During that deployment she sortied from Bahrain on short notice and provided assistance toUSSStark(FFG-31)after she was hit by two anti-ship missiles launched by an Iraqi F-1 Mirage.Conynghamwas awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her efforts in assisting the crippled ship. In 1988,Conynghamcontinue theGus Can Dotradition during her deployments to the Fjords of Norway and Northern Europe.[citation needed]

A 16-year-old girl fromCork,Irelandstowed away aboardConynghamin July 1988 during the 10-day return voyage to Norfolk. Four sailors pleaded guilty to assisting her with the highest sentence being 70 days in the brig for hiding an illegal alien and aiding entry to the United States.[2]She was returned to Ireland[3][4]at which point she reported she was held against her will, drugged and sexually abused while on board.[5]No charges were filed with regard to claims of drugs and sexual abuse.[2]

Conynghamcompleted her fifteenth Mediterranean deployment and received her fourth Battle Efficiency \"E\" in 1989 while part of theUSSTheodore Roosevelt(CVN-71)battlegroup.[citation needed]

Mainspace fire

Conynghamsuffered a severe fire on 8 May 1990, while conducting pre-deployment operations off the Virginia coast. A major fuel oil fire erupted from the ship\'s Forward Fire Room into the ship\'s superstructure, isolating the crew forward and aft, requiring an all-hands effort to extinguish it. The ship had just completed a maintenance availability and a fuel oil strainer had not been assembled properly by a contractor and not inspected to verify assembly by ships company. The result was that the assembly failed catastrophically and started a fuel oil fire that raged for twenty-three hours, caused an officer to die, 18 other sailors to be injured and the ship to be decommissioned shortly assistance during the incident.[6]

Fate

Conynghamwas decommissioned on 20 October 1990, stricken from theNaval Vessel Registeron 31 May 1991 and sold for scrap on 15 April 1994.Conynghamwas \"broken up \" in the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina in 1995