During World War I,
military service members began wearing two identification tags
–one remained attached to the body of the deceased while the second was used to mark the coffin or the grave site, often where they fought and died.
Military Dog Tag Information Outside of the United States
In detail, the information includes the wearer's surname, first initial, second initial, service number, blood type, religion, and branch. What is this? As you can see, the tag is
circular, flat, and has a hole on top
. It is typically made of stainless steel.
How can you tell if a military dog tag is real?
Check the order of the information on the dog tag. If your dog tag is an authentic U.S. military dog tag, the information should be in the following order:
last name, first name, middle initial, Social Security number, blood type, religion
.
The tags were first made of brass and later a corrosion-resistant alloy of nickel and copper. By the end of the war, all tags were made from
stainless steel
. They were suspended from the neck by a rope, a beaded chain or a stainless steel wire with a plastic cover.
Civilians can legally wear dog tags. Yet, attempting to use the dog tags for personal gain may be considered an act of stolen valor, which is a punishable offense.
Some veterans and active military members may consider it disrespectful, while others do not care
.
Why is a dog tag called a dog tag?
Allegedly, Hearst referred to them as “dog tags.” A more likely, simpler origin is that
the term came from World War II draftees who felt they were treated worse than dogs
; in protest, they began calling their identification tags “dog tags.”
How do you read a dog tag?
The last name is on the first line and the second line either has both of your initials, or your first name and middle initial
. For the third line, the Marines used service numbers which could be 5, 6, or 7 digits. Fourth line is USMC followed by gas mask size. The sizes are XS,S,M,L,XL.
Generally,
each soldier is allotted two dog tags
. One of them is worn at the neck as a chain and the other is kept inside the shoes of the soldier.
In World War II members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps wore Dog Tags of a different shape than the Army and Air Force. They were
oval shaped, had either one (P1917) or two (P1940) holes, and were engraved or etched rather than debossed or stamped
.
Today's identification tags identify vital information about the wearer:
name, Social Security number, blood type and religious preference
. During World War II there were only three religious categories that could be put on dog tags: P for Protestant, C for Catholic and H for Hebrew (Jewish).
Soldiers deploying to fight in the trenches of WWI were given two coin-like metal discs, each marked with their name.
They wore them into combat
and, if they were killed, one coin stayed on their remains. The other marked their coffin.
Because dog tags are issued to military members for identification purposes only,
there is no provision for getting replacement dog tags for former service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard
.
Bright RED Dog Tags
to help signal to emergency personnel that you have drug Allergies or Medical Conditions
.
Special Forces Dogtags ⚔ Black Dog Tags are used by Special Operations forces such as the Army Rangers, Navy Seals, Green Berets, Commandos, and Delta Force.
Black Dog Tags were mandated by a regulation on January 15, 1967 of the United States Army, Vietnam (USARV)
.
Currently British Forces dog tags feature
two 38mm 316 surgical stainless steel disks which are either laser etched or dot peen marked with the wearers details
. Laser etching gives a permanent black mark on the tags while dot peen marking uses a sharp point to mark out the text using a series of dots.
This was the standard-issue German military identification tag, often called a “dog tag”. The Erkennungsmarke was instituted and first issued in August of 1939 to all members of the German Wehrmacht. Thereafter,
the tag was issued to all soldiers shortly after they were first inducted into the Wehrmacht
.
- Write on a piece of paper where you found the tags, the date you found the tags, your full name and contact information.
- Place the letter and dog tags into an envelope.
- Seal the envelope and address it to the Secretary of Defense.
There's no specific protocol for what happens to dog tags after leaving the service, whether by discharge or death. Former service members do not have to return them to the military, but
they also can choose whether or not to keep them
. For the ones of fallen soldiers, there may or may not be a choice in what happens.
This order stated: Hereafter identification tags will be issued to all officers and enlisted men of the Marine Corps.
They will always be worn when engaged in field service, and at all other times they will either be worn, or kept in the possession of the owner
.
The official Dog Tag required the following information:
Name, Service Number, Date of Tetanus Inoculation, Blood Type, Person to Notify, Religion
. US Army Spec No. 34-18, dated 15 February 1939 called for production of a thin metal copper-nickel alloy identification tag (i.e. Monel).
What should I put on my dogs tag?
- Your Pet's Name—Kind of a no-brainer.
- Your Phone Number—Include a number you're likely to answer. …
- Your City— If room allows, include your entire address.
- Medical Needs— If applicable, adding the phrase “Needs Meds” can add a sense of urgency.
Learn more here. Because dog tags are made of metal, they cannot be destroyed in most paper shredders (and NEVER in high security/NSA listed paper shredders!). To destroy metal tags,
a special, more durable cutting head is required to both shred the tags thoroughly and protect the machine from damage
.
Those that were discarded years ago are frequently unearthed through the use of a metal detector. Regardless of its condition,
a buried, corroded or damaged dog license tag has value to a collector, especially if it is a rare specimen
.
What is the USMC Dog Tags format? Our replica USMC Dog Tags have Embossed (raised) text on a 2′′ x 11⁄8” dull stainless steel Dog Tag, rolled edge up, hole on left with the suggested regulation format: [Lastname] [First Initial].
