The history behind military identification tags, commonly known as "dog tags," originated during the Civil War. The carnage was so great and bodies were so disfigured that they sometimes could not be identified (history tells us that 40% of all Civil War dead remain unknown). As a result, it became a practice for soldiers on both sides to pin a handkerchief or piece of paper with their names and addresses to their uniforms just before battle.
The history of American Civil War (1861-65) provided the first recorded incident of soldiers making an effort to ensure that their identification would be known should they be killed on the battlefield. Their identification tags methods varied, and all were taken on by the soldier's own initiative. In 1863, before the battle of Mines Run in northern Virginia, troops wrote their names and units on a paper tag and pinned them to their clothing. Many soldiers took great care in marking all of their personal belongings. Some troops made their own ID s out of wood, boring a hole in the end so that they could be worn on a string. Soldiers also fashioned coins by scraping one side smooth and engraving or stamping name and unit.
The first official advocacy of issuing a ID tag took place in 1899. Chaplain Charles C. Pierce recommended that a "identity disc" be included in the standard combat field kit, though the first official introduction didn't happen until December of 1906.The Army Regulations of 1913 made a identification tag mandatory. In July of 1916 a second tag was added, and by 1917 all combat troops wore aluminum discs on rope or chain. In February of 1918 the official introduction of Serial Numbers started. Next in the evolution of dog tags came what is known as the Navy/Marine style a more oblong shape with more uniform printing. First made of brass and then a "Monel" metal (a patented corrosion-resistant alloy of nickel and copper, melted with small amounts of iron and manganese) proved to be more corrosion resistant. In October of 1938 the start of tests for a new identification tags started, and by 1940 it was adopted.
In 1940, the Army introduced a “notched” rounded-end rectangular tag and is referred as the M1940 identification Tag. The new stainless steel tags were embossed with letters and numbers from a manual or electric machine that resembled an oversized typewriter. The dog tags were marked in the following manner: 1st Line - soldier’s full name, 2nd Line - his full seven or eight digit service number and date of any Tetanus injections (e.g., T42 or T41 42); an initial to indicate blood group. 3rd to 5th Lines - Address of next of kin and on the 5th line and to the right an initial indicating the soldier’s religion. In 1944 the next of kin details were discontinued because it was thought that they gave the enemy information. The seven or eight digits of the soldier’s identification number on the second line were broken down as: first two indicate an area within the states, second two town, and last four identify the soldier himself. During the later part of the war identification tags and chains used by the Army were issued as sets in small printed packets. Inside was one long chain, one small chain and two stainless steel tags. In 1943 the chain (chain-linked) with 1.5” extension was issued. The chain had flat links, not the later “bead” links. During World War II both the United States Navy and Marine Corps used a circular dog tag with similar stampings to the Army tags, giving name and number, religion and tetanus injection, but stamped either “USN” or “USMC”. Reservists had their tags marked “USNR” or “USMCR”. Army M1940 Identification Tags have been encountered with “USN” and “USMC” and are believed to have been replacements from U.S. Army stores.
By 1959, all branches of the armed forces adopted the rectangular tags that are still in use to this day. This tag is virtually the same as the M1940 Identification Tag, however, without the famous “notch”. The Tetanus vaccination date were discontinued and the serial numbers were changed to Social Security numbers by 1965. Though there are variations in the format, the basic information was still being embossed: Last and first names, social security number, branch of service (USA, USN, USMC, USCG, USAF, etc.), and initials for blood group and religion.
The history of American Civil War (1861-65) provided the first recorded incident of soldiers making an effort to ensure that their identification would be known should they be killed on the battlefield. Their identification tags methods varied, and all were taken on by the soldier's own initiative. In 1863, before the battle of Mines Run in northern Virginia, troops wrote their names and units on a paper tag and pinned them to their clothing. Many soldiers took great care in marking all of their personal belongings. Some troops made their own ID s out of wood, boring a hole in the end so that they could be worn on a string. Soldiers also fashioned coins by scraping one side smooth and engraving or stamping name and unit.
The first official advocacy of issuing a ID tag took place in 1899. Chaplain Charles C. Pierce recommended that a "identity disc" be included in the standard combat field kit, though the first official introduction didn't happen until December of 1906.The Army Regulations of 1913 made a identification tag mandatory. In July of 1916 a second tag was added, and by 1917 all combat troops wore aluminum discs on rope or chain. In February of 1918 the official introduction of Serial Numbers started. Next in the evolution of dog tags came what is known as the Navy/Marine style a more oblong shape with more uniform printing. First made of brass and then a "Monel" metal (a patented corrosion-resistant alloy of nickel and copper, melted with small amounts of iron and manganese) proved to be more corrosion resistant. In October of 1938 the start of tests for a new identification tags started, and by 1940 it was adopted.
In 1940, the Army introduced a “notched” rounded-end rectangular tag and is referred as the M1940 identification Tag. The new stainless steel tags were embossed with letters and numbers from a manual or electric machine that resembled an oversized typewriter. The dog tags were marked in the following manner: 1st Line - soldier’s full name, 2nd Line - his full seven or eight digit service number and date of any Tetanus injections (e.g., T42 or T41 42); an initial to indicate blood group. 3rd to 5th Lines - Address of next of kin and on the 5th line and to the right an initial indicating the soldier’s religion. In 1944 the next of kin details were discontinued because it was thought that they gave the enemy information. The seven or eight digits of the soldier’s identification number on the second line were broken down as: first two indicate an area within the states, second two town, and last four identify the soldier himself. During the later part of the war identification tags and chains used by the Army were issued as sets in small printed packets. Inside was one long chain, one small chain and two stainless steel tags. In 1943 the chain (chain-linked) with 1.5” extension was issued. The chain had flat links, not the later “bead” links. During World War II both the United States Navy and Marine Corps used a circular dog tag with similar stampings to the Army tags, giving name and number, religion and tetanus injection, but stamped either “USN” or “USMC”. Reservists had their tags marked “USNR” or “USMCR”. Army M1940 Identification Tags have been encountered with “USN” and “USMC” and are believed to have been replacements from U.S. Army stores.
By 1959, all branches of the armed forces adopted the rectangular tags that are still in use to this day. This tag is virtually the same as the M1940 Identification Tag, however, without the famous “notch”. The Tetanus vaccination date were discontinued and the serial numbers were changed to Social Security numbers by 1965. Though there are variations in the format, the basic information was still being embossed: Last and first names, social security number, branch of service (USA, USN, USMC, USCG, USAF, etc.), and initials for blood group and religion.
How long is an official military dog tag chain?
Standard US military dog tags are issued with one 2.5 mm, 24-inch neck chain and one 2.5 mm, 4-inch duplicate chain. The secondary chain and duplicate tag are recovered if needed. The primary chain and tag remain with the soldier at all times.
Ball chain may be upgraded to 3 mm diameter by individual soldiers. Chains smaller than 2.5 mm and larger than 3 mm are not generally authorized due to the risk of breakage/loss or inability to recover the duplicate tag from larger chains.
Dog tag ball chains were once thought to have been clipped to length to help captured soldiers count time in the event they were captured. The large chain was counted to 365 ball links, and the small chain was counted to 52 ball links. A soldier could then bite or break off one link from the large chain each day and remove one link from the small chain each week. This accounted for one year of time before the cycle consumed the chain completely. No verified comparison between the standard 24" and 4" chain lengths and number of "beads" per length has been performed. The typical length of 365/52 however, is adequate for mounting and wearing standard I.D. tags. This however is not true as a U.S. Air Force 210 bead chain is 27.5" long (which hangs in the middle of ones chest). A 365 bead chain is approximately 47.25", which hangs down too far on the average person.
Standard US military dog tags are issued with one 2.5 mm, 24-inch neck chain and one 2.5 mm, 4-inch duplicate chain. The secondary chain and duplicate tag are recovered if needed. The primary chain and tag remain with the soldier at all times.
Ball chain may be upgraded to 3 mm diameter by individual soldiers. Chains smaller than 2.5 mm and larger than 3 mm are not generally authorized due to the risk of breakage/loss or inability to recover the duplicate tag from larger chains.
Dog tag ball chains were once thought to have been clipped to length to help captured soldiers count time in the event they were captured. The large chain was counted to 365 ball links, and the small chain was counted to 52 ball links. A soldier could then bite or break off one link from the large chain each day and remove one link from the small chain each week. This accounted for one year of time before the cycle consumed the chain completely. No verified comparison between the standard 24" and 4" chain lengths and number of "beads" per length has been performed. The typical length of 365/52 however, is adequate for mounting and wearing standard I.D. tags. This however is not true as a U.S. Air Force 210 bead chain is 27.5" long (which hangs in the middle of ones chest). A 365 bead chain is approximately 47.25", which hangs down too far on the average person.