A genuine 1974 dated slim Zippo lighter for the U.S.S. Forrestal (CVA-59), the lighter has engraved on the front an image of the ship and the text 'U.S.S. Forrestal CVA-59’. It features the manufacturers machine stamped base that shows the correct period Zippo logo and date markings along with the trademark logo, on the base of the lighter either side of the Zippo logo are four forward slash lines and on the other side another four forward slash lines, this indicates the Zippo lighter was made in 1974. The lighter mechanism also features machine stamped Zippo markings and fits nicely in the case and appears to be in working order, it comes supplied with its original packing box and instructions.

USS Forrestal (CVA-59) was a supercarrier named after the first United States Secretary of Defense James Forrestal. Commissioned in 1955, she was the United States first completed supercarrier, and was the lead ship of her class. In June 1967, Forrestal, under the command of Captain John Kingsman Beling, departed Norfolk for duty in waters off Vietnam. Once in the Gulf of Tonkin, Forrestal began four days of sorties. The planes of Attack Carrier Air Wing 17 flew about 150 missions against targets in North Vietnam from the ship