| ymore | | | | years, the wearing of dog tags has found its way |
| In today’s modern world there’s | | | | into the fashions favored by the younger generation |
| hardly anyone who is not familiar with the pair of | | | | through a style first termed as military chic. |
| silver, oval metal tags worn by soldiers and | | | | Originally, they were worn as a part of a |
| servicemen both now and in eras past. The | | | | pseudo-style of military uniform by teens and college |
| common, familiar name for theses identification tags | | | | students wishing to put forward a tough or militaristic |
| is dog tag because of their resemblance to | | | | image, dog tags have since gained prominence in |
| the actual licensing disks worn by dogs (Recently, the | | | | broader fashion circles, also becoming popular with |
| army stopped calling the tags "Dog tags" and | | | | celebrities like movie or rock stars and athletes. The |
| adopted the more civilized moniker "I.D tags". It | | | | tags can be engraved with a person's personal |
| has been suggested that some enlisted trainees in | | | | details, sentiments for a loved one, their beliefs or |
| the 1990s complained that the term "dog tag" was | | | | tastes, a favorite quote, or may bear the name and |
| offensive, but this reasoning has never been | | | | or logo of a popular band or performer. Like its |
| confirmed.). While there are several dog tag | | | | military cousin, for the longest time identification tags |
| formats extant around the world, it’s the US | | | | used to aid in finding lost pets were all stamped or |
| Army dog tags form that we are most familiar | | | | embossed on metal blanks which were more or less |
| with. They list the surname, given name, social | | | | limited to a finite amount of information proscribed |
| security number (originally service number), blood | | | | by the size of the embossed letters used on the |
| type and religion - stamped on small oval pieces of | | | | tags by the machines employed for stamping. In |
| metal that are worn on a metal chain around the | | | | recent years, new materials like silicone, colored |
| neck. The U.S. Army was the first branch to | | | | metals and plastics and methods of machine or laser |
| authorize identification tags in War Department | | | | engraving have given birth to a cornucopia of fun, |
| General Order No. 204, dated December 20, 1906. | | | | new shapes, colors, and methods of engraving for |
| The Army altered its regulations on July 6, 1916, and | | | | the new materials which have rendered the old |
| now all soldiers are issued two ID tags -- one to | | | | stamped tags obsolete. Gone is the day of the boxy, |
| remain with the body and the other to go to the | | | | sometimes unevenly spaced letters borne on a silver |
| individual responsible for the burial for record-keeping | | | | or gold-colored metal blank which was only available in |
| purposes. After WWII, the US Navy Department | | | | limited-sized round or oval shapes. In addition to a |
| adopted the same dog tags used by the US Army | | | | varied palate of colors like red, green, orange, purple, |
| and Air Force, which led to a single size and shape to | | | | or even reflective choices like a holographic silver, |
| become the American standard of today. | | | | tags now come shaped like hearts, paw prints, dog |
| During World War II, dog tags were first worn by | | | | or cat faces, and dog houses. It’s even |
| civilians when soldiers often gave them to loved ones | | | | possible to find shapes like a skull and crossbones, |
| before deployment or when dating, very much like | | | | dog bones, suitcases, stars, t-shirts and the Liberty |
| the high school or college tradition of giving a girlfriend | | | | Bell. Now, anyone can buy personalized id dog tags |
| one's letterman jacket or school ring to wear. Also, | | | | and can include any type of custom message or |
| in the 1950s, at the height of fears about a possible | | | | design. New laser engraved custom dog tags |
| nuclear war with the USSR, it is rumored that all New | | | | engrave in a frosty white for a great eye-catching |
| York City public school pupils were issued dog tags to | | | | contrast of colors. Modern dog tags or I. D. |
| identify them in the event of war. In recent | | | | |