SPRINGVILLE, N.Y. – A Zippo lighter and the power of social media is bringing together two military families, one of which is from right here in Western New York.
Years ago, Jason Jaskula's father stumbled upon something near Springville.
"They pulled over for just some car troubles and found something on the ground. It was a lighter, a Zippo lighter,” Jaskula said.
But not just any lighter. This lighter was inscribed with a map of Vietnam and the initials "D.L. Kelley." Zippo has a documented history of manufacturing lighters for the military. Throughout the years, finding its owner proved unsuccessful.
But in the digital age, Jason recently posted the Vietnam War-era lighter on Facebook.
"From there, 24 hours later, we got contact with the squadron that he was in, and they said that his son was living out in Arkansas,” Jaskula said. “His son contacted us and sent us a whole story on his father, with Agent Orange and his birth defects, and was so ecstatic to get his lighter back from his dad.”
The initials, it turns out, stand for L.Cpl. Daniel Kelley, a U.S. Marine stationed in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970.
His son Josh Kelley is alive and living in Arkansas. Josh suffered birth defects as a result of his father's exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, and both of his parents have since passed. The discovered memento was welcomed news.
A written message to Jason from Josh says, “Jason, this is definitely my dad’s Zippo and I would love to have it back.”
"To get it back to him, something that he didn't even know he was missing. That was cool. You know, this was something his dad had, and he no longer has his dad,” Jaskula said, reflecting on the unique experience.
Jason is a veteran who served in Iraq. He founded the annual K.I.A. Memorial Roadmarch, which takes place every August at Chestnut Ridge Park and honors fallen soldiers. Jaskula would like to return the lighter to Josh in person at this year’s race and give Josh the honor of starting the march.
"If it was my father or even my son, if there was something that I had from Iraq, I would absolutely want them to have something get returned to the family,” Jaskula said. “I mean, it's an important thing…I can only imagine the things that that Zippo would say if it could talk."