Posted on Sep 20, 2017
Monument Guys: The History of Military I.D. Tags (S1, E5) | History
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The History Of Dog Tags – A Feature Of Warfare Since Before The First World War
By Lincoln Riddle
Dog tags have a simple purpose; they exist to identify people. The term “dog tag” is informal, but it is the nickname for those two pieces of non-corrosive metal hanging around military personnel’s necks.
It is possible to look back through history and find instances of something similar, but dog tags as we know them today did not come about until the mid-1800s.
As well as identifying people dog tags contain much more information than just a name. Over time, more and more information has been added to the tags, enabling them to be as helpful as possible.
History of Dog Tags
Roman Legionnaires had dog tags, called signaculum. They contained very basic information such as a person’s name and group. They were made of lead and had a leather rope attached for wearing around the neck.
The Chinese military started using them in the mid-1800s. However, soldiers in the United States fighting in the Civil War had to improvise to identify themselves on the battlefield. They wrote information such as their name and address on a piece of paper and then pinned it to the back of their jacket (on the inside of course). Some soldiers did not do this and instead opted to etch the info into their belts or knapsacks.
American businessmen spotted an opportunity. Recognizing there was a market for name tags within the military they advertised pins displaying a soldier’s name, rank, unit and military status. Usually, tags had a shield or an eagle on them, along with a phrase that represented war. For instance, one of the phrases used was “War for the Union.”
Just a few years after the American Civil War ended, tags were issued to the Prussian Army in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. These had a German nickname “Hundemarken” and were based on an identification system for dogs.
Military tags became commonplace. In 1906, the United States Army officially began providing them to personnel. In 1907, the British Army followed suit. British i.d. tags were made from aluminum, the same metal the United States used at the time. Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all retained the same basic identification discs until well into the 20th century.
1916 brought a change to dog tags. Both the United States and the British issued two dog tags. If a soldier died, one disc was removed to assist with recording the death. The other was left with the body for identification once it was removed from the battlefield. In an intense fight, if a soldier dies, medics can later retrieve the body; and know who they have. It has remained this way with more and more militaries adopting tags.
Tags
Every country has different tags, different ways they make them, different materials and even different info. Here are some interesting facts regarding dog tags:
-Several countries utilize dog tags that break in two, like Canada, Israel, and Denmark.
-The ball chain is the most commonly used necklace to support the tags. In the past, a string was used, and in some countries chains.
-Dog tags are mostly ovals or rectangles.
-Some countries put religious affiliation on dog tags.
During World War II, the Soviet Union did not issue dog tags. Instead, they opted for a cylinder with a piece of paper in it providing the details. They began issuing oval tags after the war ended. The tags Russia uses today, are very similar to those.
-The three most common things on dog tags are; name, blood type and serial number.
Different Usage
Dog tags have extended beyond the military, for use in other areas. For instance, dog tags have become a fashion accessory. Some businesses offer customers the opportunity to create their own personalized dog tags. They have also become a marketing item for some companies, with the person wearing the tag seeing the company name on the chain, over and over.
They are also used within the medical industry. A lot of info can be put on them regarding the patient, i.e. allergies, blood type, emergency contacts, etc. These are typically referred to as medical ID tags, but they are the same concept as dog tags.
Meat Tag
Meat tags and medical tattoos are one and the same. They include vital information about the person, just like a dog tag. Some military personnel have information tattooed on themselves, typically on their rib cage. These tattoos are inforally known as meat tags.
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/history-dog-tags.html
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc frank LTC (Join to see) @ ltc john LTC John Mohor @ maj william Maj William W. 'Bill' Price @ maj stephen LTC (Join to see) @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher Wright @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sgt david SGT (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski @ spc margaret SPC Margaret Higgins SCPO Morris Ramsey Alan K. Cynthia Croft
By Lincoln Riddle
Dog tags have a simple purpose; they exist to identify people. The term “dog tag” is informal, but it is the nickname for those two pieces of non-corrosive metal hanging around military personnel’s necks.
It is possible to look back through history and find instances of something similar, but dog tags as we know them today did not come about until the mid-1800s.
As well as identifying people dog tags contain much more information than just a name. Over time, more and more information has been added to the tags, enabling them to be as helpful as possible.
History of Dog Tags
Roman Legionnaires had dog tags, called signaculum. They contained very basic information such as a person’s name and group. They were made of lead and had a leather rope attached for wearing around the neck.
The Chinese military started using them in the mid-1800s. However, soldiers in the United States fighting in the Civil War had to improvise to identify themselves on the battlefield. They wrote information such as their name and address on a piece of paper and then pinned it to the back of their jacket (on the inside of course). Some soldiers did not do this and instead opted to etch the info into their belts or knapsacks.
American businessmen spotted an opportunity. Recognizing there was a market for name tags within the military they advertised pins displaying a soldier’s name, rank, unit and military status. Usually, tags had a shield or an eagle on them, along with a phrase that represented war. For instance, one of the phrases used was “War for the Union.”
Just a few years after the American Civil War ended, tags were issued to the Prussian Army in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. These had a German nickname “Hundemarken” and were based on an identification system for dogs.
Military tags became commonplace. In 1906, the United States Army officially began providing them to personnel. In 1907, the British Army followed suit. British i.d. tags were made from aluminum, the same metal the United States used at the time. Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all retained the same basic identification discs until well into the 20th century.
1916 brought a change to dog tags. Both the United States and the British issued two dog tags. If a soldier died, one disc was removed to assist with recording the death. The other was left with the body for identification once it was removed from the battlefield. In an intense fight, if a soldier dies, medics can later retrieve the body; and know who they have. It has remained this way with more and more militaries adopting tags.
Tags
Every country has different tags, different ways they make them, different materials and even different info. Here are some interesting facts regarding dog tags:
-Several countries utilize dog tags that break in two, like Canada, Israel, and Denmark.
-The ball chain is the most commonly used necklace to support the tags. In the past, a string was used, and in some countries chains.
-Dog tags are mostly ovals or rectangles.
-Some countries put religious affiliation on dog tags.
During World War II, the Soviet Union did not issue dog tags. Instead, they opted for a cylinder with a piece of paper in it providing the details. They began issuing oval tags after the war ended. The tags Russia uses today, are very similar to those.
-The three most common things on dog tags are; name, blood type and serial number.
Different Usage
Dog tags have extended beyond the military, for use in other areas. For instance, dog tags have become a fashion accessory. Some businesses offer customers the opportunity to create their own personalized dog tags. They have also become a marketing item for some companies, with the person wearing the tag seeing the company name on the chain, over and over.
They are also used within the medical industry. A lot of info can be put on them regarding the patient, i.e. allergies, blood type, emergency contacts, etc. These are typically referred to as medical ID tags, but they are the same concept as dog tags.
Meat Tag
Meat tags and medical tattoos are one and the same. They include vital information about the person, just like a dog tag. Some military personnel have information tattooed on themselves, typically on their rib cage. These tattoos are inforally known as meat tags.
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/history-dog-tags.html
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ ltc frank LTC (Join to see) @ ltc john LTC John Mohor @ maj william Maj William W. 'Bill' Price @ maj stephen LTC (Join to see) @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ smsgt doc SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. @ sra christopher SrA Christopher Wright @ msg andrew MSG Andrew White @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sgt david SGT (Join to see) @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski @ spc margaret SPC Margaret Higgins SCPO Morris Ramsey Alan K. Cynthia Croft
Military History
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 12
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SGT John " Mac " McConnell, these are my father's dog tags from his time in the Navy during WWII. They were issued to him some time in July, 1943. Here's a legend for the info indented on the metal blank:
First name
Middle name
Last name
Serial number (I obscured it)
Date of last tetanus shot
Branch of service, Blood type.
The dog tag used is the Navy P1940 model. Although Jack Curlee was an officer (LTJG), the information included is the type for enlisted personnel, as he started as a seaman apprentice in the V-12 program. Also, there is no religious preference shown which is of note as it was standard to do so, and my father was very religious.
I still have (somewhere) my original dog tags, issued to me at the reception station at Fort Jackson, SC in November, 1969. LTC (Join to see) LTC Stephen F. Maj Marty Hogan COL Mikel J. Burroughs SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT Robert George SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth LTC (Join to see)
First name
Middle name
Last name
Serial number (I obscured it)
Date of last tetanus shot
Branch of service, Blood type.
The dog tag used is the Navy P1940 model. Although Jack Curlee was an officer (LTJG), the information included is the type for enlisted personnel, as he started as a seaman apprentice in the V-12 program. Also, there is no religious preference shown which is of note as it was standard to do so, and my father was very religious.
I still have (somewhere) my original dog tags, issued to me at the reception station at Fort Jackson, SC in November, 1969. LTC (Join to see) LTC Stephen F. Maj Marty Hogan COL Mikel J. Burroughs SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT Robert George SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth LTC (Join to see)
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PO2 Richard C.
I have one of my originals from 1966 (my grandson has the other), and two sets of my father's Army tags from WWII. His originals (Type 2) are brass with full name, serial #, T42 43 A (tetanus/tetanus toxoid/blood type), his mother's name and address and P for Protestant. The others (Type 3) are steel with name, serial #, tetanus, blood type, P. I have no idea why he had 2 sets. I didn't find them until after he died. Mine has my original serial # before they changed to using SSN.
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LTC Stephen C.
Cynthia Croft, my father's ship landed on Biak Island (near the northern coast of Papua) sometime in June, 1945. That was as close to Australia as he ever got. He did trade for this Australian one pound note however. At the time, it was worth about $3.22 USD.
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Thanks SGT John " Mac " McConnell for sharing a reminder about military identification tags which have been nicknamed dog tags. We were issued two for the primary purpose of identification in death. When we were killed, one tag would be placed between our teeth [if our head was intact]. The other tag would be taken by our buddy to a collection point.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has been long doing wonderful wok to locate, identify and return the remains of fallen service members. ID tags have frequently been used to help identify the remains.
I keep a set of my identification tags on my key chain as a reminder of my military service and also in the event I am killed they can be used to identify me [wallets tend to be stolen all too often].
Thanks for mentioning me LTC Stephen C. and COL Mikel J. Burroughs
FYI Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSgt (Join to see) SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT John " Mac " McConnell SGT Robert George SP5 Robert Ruck SCPO Morris RamseyCPL Eric Escasio SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright SPC Margaret Higgins Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has been long doing wonderful wok to locate, identify and return the remains of fallen service members. ID tags have frequently been used to help identify the remains.
I keep a set of my identification tags on my key chain as a reminder of my military service and also in the event I am killed they can be used to identify me [wallets tend to be stolen all too often].
Thanks for mentioning me LTC Stephen C. and COL Mikel J. Burroughs
FYI Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Capt Christopher Mueller Capt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSgt (Join to see) SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT John " Mac " McConnell SGT Robert George SP5 Robert Ruck SCPO Morris RamseyCPL Eric Escasio SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright SPC Margaret Higgins Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM
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SGT Charles H. Hawes
I still have a couple sets of mine. I always had a dog tag laced into each boot and one sewn to my flight vest. Never knew how a crash would turn out. Now they are locked away in my safe with all my military keepsakes.
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SGT John " Mac " McConnell
Thanks again my friend for such a great addition. On another note LTC Stephen F. . I got to learn how to use the stamping machine to make lost tags for our company.
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LTC Stephen F.
SGT John " Mac " McConnell - that is great news. I am glad you "got to learn how to use the stamping machine to make lost tags for our company."
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I met my Wife's great grandfather in the late 1980's, he was a British solider that fought in the trenches in France during WWI. He still had his leather dog tags 70 or so years later. He also had some great stories. He was also an air marshal in London during the Blitz/Battle of Britain. He owned a smoke and candy store (nice combination back in the day).
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