Death From Above

Courtesy of AmericanEthnography.com:

Few objects have the status of a twentieth century consumer icon. The Zippo lighter is one such object and it also happened to be in the pockets of most soldiers who served in Vietnam. A symbol of American toughness and reliability, the Zippo was the lighter of choice for the GI fighting in a distant tropical land. The military has favored the Zippo since it was introduced in the early thirties. It can withstand significant amount of punishment and work with a wide variety of fuels—the perfect source of fire in the battlefield. The basic chrome-plated brass-hinged rectangle was an instant success with the American public, especially with men, as it embodied machine age machismo.

“The Zippo was almost like basic issue in Vietnam,” Warren, a rifleman from Macon, Georgia remembers. “They were always around, like a pack of matches, and used for a thousand purposes. It seemed like everyone had one. No one thought of them as anything special—use ‘em and lose ‘em.” It has been so closely associated with the military that many people still think that the Zippo is actually manufactured by the U.S. government.

“Death From Above” is the motto associated with the airborne infantry, specifically the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division [apparently an Air Assault division that only retained the name Airborne because they were in World War II]. The phrase has turned up in countless places, from Flaming Carrot Comics (where it is painted on the Mystery Men’s gunship) to the movie version of Starship Troopers (whose mobile infantry heroes have the slogan tattooed on their arms).

Now the motto has become commercialized.

Bell & Ross revealed their new Limited Edition BR 01 Airborne watch today at Basel World, which incorporates the traditional BR01 square design and a skull image – an icon used liberally today in contemporary art and design. The jowl-bearing skull references the US Airborne motto “Death from Above” used to remind brave military paratroopers of their power and vulnerability during combat in World War II, and has since become a symbol of bravery in the prospect of death. The timepiece is a tribute to the men who continue fight to defend their country, but with its contemporary look and hip incorporation of the ever-popular skull iconography you’ll be sure to see more than military-buffs sporting this watch.