| Identification tags have been a part of the military | | | | continued to be made of Monel metal, 1.25 by 1.5 |
| for a very long time. The first unofficial (i.e. not | | | | inches, but were now perforated at each end. The |
| issued by the government) identification tags were | | | | face of each tag was to bear the individual's name; |
| used in the Civil War. Many soldiers feared that if | | | | officer rank or enlisted service number; blood type; if |
| they were killed, they would be buried in an unknown | | | | vaccinated for tetanus, the letter "T" with date in |
| soldier grave - a fate that happened to more than | | | | numerals (e.g., 8/40); and service (USN, USMC, USNR, |
| 40% of the Civil War casualties. These early | | | | USMCR). A right index fingerprint was etched on the |
| identification tags were mostly paper and used to | | | | reverse. |
| mark all a soldier's belongings. Some more skilled | | | | As World War II went on, the military prescribed the |
| soldiers made tags out of wood and worn around | | | | use of a second tag, individually suspended by a |
| the neck. | | | | short length of chain so that one tag could be |
| The value of these identification tags caught on like | | | | removed "on death or capture, leaving the other in |
| wildfire amongst the military rank and file but it | | | | place." Dimensions remained the same, but the tag |
| wasn't until World War I that "dog tags" became an | | | | was to be of "corrosion-resisting material" - 17 |
| official part of a soldier's uniform. | | | | percent chromed steel, perforated at each end, and |
| The first dog tags were oval, of Monel metal, 1.25 | | | | the etched fingerprint was omitted. Markings |
| inches wide and 1.5 inches long. Perforated at one | | | | consisted of name; officer file number, or enlisted |
| end, a single tag was to be worn around the neck on | | | | service number; blood type; date of tetanus |
| Monel wire "encased in a cotton sleeve." One side of | | | | inoculation; service; and religion, if desired by the |
| the tag bore an etched print of the right index finger. | | | | service member: Catholic (C), Protestant (P), or |
| The other side was stamped "U.S.N." and etched with | | | | "Hebrew" (H). When a service member was buried, |
| the individual's personal information. Officers' tags | | | | ashore or at sea, one tag was to be left with the |
| bore initials and surname; rank; and date of | | | | body and the other sent to BuPers "as soon as |
| appointment, in numerals denoting month, day and | | | | practicable under the circumstances." |
| year (e.g., 1.5.16). Enlisted tags bore initials and | | | | Post-World War II tags were worn on a bead chain, |
| surname, with date of enlistment and date of birth, in | | | | with attached short loop for the second tag. They |
| numerals as on officers' tags. | | | | bore name (surname, followed by initials); service |
| After WWI, the requirement for dog tags fell out of | | | | number; service; blood type; and religion, if desired by |
| favor and did not come back into mandatory use | | | | the individual. |
| until the onset of World War II. The new tags | | | | |