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
.
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
.
- 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.
In World War II, identification tags started to look more like today’s standard-issue dog tags. They were metal and rectangular, with a notch in a lower corner. The soldier’s information was imprinted on the metal tag. That notch was used
to align the metal plate on the machine that embossed the information
.
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).
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.
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
.
What does C mean on a dog tag?
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).
Military dog tag information includes
the wearer’s name, blood type, social security number (SSN), and religious preference
. Previously, for “religious preference”, soldiers could only put “Protestant”, “Catholic”, “Hebrew”.
Visit the National Archives website in order to complete a form requesting an individual’s service record
. The National Archives website states that a service member or her next of kin can use dog tags in order to obtain the service record.
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
.
The U.S. Army changed regulations on July 6, 1916, so that all soldiers were issued two tags:
one to stay with the body and the other to go to the person in charge of the burial for record-keeping purposes
.
What is the Air Force Dog Tags format? Our replica Air Force 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:
[Last Name], [First Name] [Initial] [First Name] [Initial]
.
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
.
How do you decode 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.
Why were 4 different Dog Tag formats used in WWII? Recognizing that the world was heading to war in 1939 the US Army wanted a better system to identify their soldiers. Up until then the Dog Tags used during and since WW1 were variations on
a round tag made of aluminum and then later Monel, a metal alloy
.
They also included a “T” for those who had a tetanus vaccination, but by the 1950s that, too, was eliminated. During
World War II
, Navy tags no longer included the fingerprint. By the war’s end, they also included the second chain that the Army had implemented decades before.
(1) Soldiers will wear ID tags at all times when in a field environment, while traveling in aircraft, and when outside the continental United States. (2)
Personnel will wear ID tags around the neck, except when safety considerations apply
(such as during physical training).
Why do soldiers wear their uniforms in public?
Soldiers wear uniforms
to increase identification with their fellow soldiers and their mission
. Their uniforms also provide important protection and, sometimes, camouflage to help them do their jobs.
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
.
- Line 1: Surname and initial (maximum 15 letters or spaces).
- Line 2: Officer rank. …
- Line 3: Religion (maximum 4 letters). …
- Line 4: Army number (maximum 8 numbers/letters).
In the Navy, official identification tags, nicknamed “dog tags,” go back to World War I. They were first prescribed by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels in General Order No. 294 of
12 May 1917
.
