What is on a military dog tag?
Today’s identification tags identify vital information about the wearer: name, Social Security number, blood type and religious preference. … “No Religious Preference” and “None” were eventually added; today many faith groups and broad denominations are available, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces.
Every military personnel gets issued two dog tags, one with a short chain and one with a long chain. The reasons for having those different chain lengths is significant. After a soldier is killed in battle, fellow soldiers or officers can use the two tags to mark the body.
The black dog tag was first used by the military personnel. … It is similar to dog tags which are placed on dogs to be able to identify them, if they get lost or killed. Importance of the black dog tag. These tags play a very significant role in the military because they help in identifying wounded or dead soldiers.
But it wouldn’t be put in the mouth of the deceased. Instead, it was used as a toe tag. In the Vietnam era, combat troops started to lace their second tag in their boots, the way United States Marines wear them today.
Origins of the “Dog Tag” Nickname
According to the Army Historical Foundation, the term “dog tag” was first coined by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. In 1936, Hearst wanted to undermine support for President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal. He had heard the newly formed Social Security Administration was considering giving out nameplates for personal identification. According to the SSA, Hearst referred to them as “dog tags” similar to those used in the military.
Other rumored origins of the nickname include World War II draftees calling them dog tags because they claimed they were treated like dogs. Another rumor said it was because the tags looked similar to the metal tag on a dogs collar.
Regardless of where the nickname started, the concept of an identification tag originated long before that.
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