Dog Tags Styles and examples Part 1

[Teamski]

A while ago, I mentioned these tags on the Pinned Dog Tags discussion. They belonged to Pvt Richard C. Perry and were found by my brother while metal detecting in the Kaiserslautern area in Germany. He passed them onto me when we were both stationed at RAF Mildenhall in the late 1990's. Looking at them at the time, I wondered what the story was and why they were lost. Well, after researching them a bit, I found out that Richard Perry died of wounds on 19 April, 1945. With the location of where they were found, I figured that he might of belonged to the 80th ID, as that unit moved through the area in late March 1945. Well, I got his IDPF back today, after 3 months of waiting, and found out that he actually belonged to D Co, 7th IR, 3rd ID and died of wounds in Hallstadt, North of Nurnberg. The 3rd ID had been assaulting Nurnburg when he was wounded.

 

Richard C. Perry was born 4 April, 1925 and had just turned 20 when he passed on. He was originally from Manhatten and had a brother John and a sister Isabelle. His Mother Anna Perry requested that her son be buried at the Long Island Military Cemetary in Farmingdale, NY.

 

Now, how could his dogtags be found 100 miles West of Nurnburg? Well, I can answer that now. He was originally buried at Bensheim, Germany, just North of Mannheim. This is very close to the location my brother found the dogtags. He was subsequently moved to the military cemetary at St. Avold, France. So, somewhere in this movement, his tags were lost. That said, they were never included in with the documentation, so they must of been somewhere in his uniform.

 

Thanks for reading. It is sobering reminder of just how tragic war is. Now to find his family.....

 

-Ski

[Teamski]

The IDPF is quite a thick document. Here is the most important page, IMHO.

 

-Ski

[nkomo]

NOW that is an interesting story! Great detective work on your part. I always like when someone can put a real story with an artifact. Great job!!!

Arch

[ADMIN]

That's a powerful piece indeed.

[Wailuna]

I remember when you posted these tags back in May (link here). Good work getting the IDPF and the rest of Pvt. Perry's story.

[General Apathy]

Hi Ski, a moving story, just twenty ???? consider all the things that you have done since twenty, I certainly have been. War is Tragic.

 

Thanks for posting and taking the time and trouble to acquire all this info, good luck with any future research.

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

[teufelhunde.ret]

A moving story of a true American patriot.

[Mr-X]

Awesome research work Ski.

Well done

[oss.capt]

Wow very impressive story!

 

You did some great research work.

 

I like such identified items a lot, especially with a story like that!

[Skyligter]

WAC enlisted dogtag (if I'm correct).

[Wailuna]

...WAC enlisted dogtag (if I'm correct)...

Not a WAC tag. The name "Maurice" aside, WWII WAC enlisted serial numbers had the "A" prefix followed by a unique number set of just six digits. The prefix "AO" did not exist in WWII but the USAF did start using it for Air Force officers in 1949. This tag might have been for a USAF officer (issued in 1949) who was originally commissioned via Army OCS during WWII. The WWII Army officer prefix was "O" and OCS officers were assigned unique number sets of seven digits. If this hypothetical USAF officer did come over from the Army, he would have retained his Army serial number, updated with the "AO" prefix.

[fiveodeuce]

Here are some dog tags out of my collection. First a set of early Monel dog tags. I don't know anything about this soldier really except that he was in the Pacific.

[fiveodeuce]

second to early WWII brass tags

[fiveodeuce]

third a really nice early monel set of dog tags that belonged to a paratrooper in the 505th PIR 82nd Airborne. This trooper made all 4 jumps with the 505th during WWII.

James

[earlymb]

Hi all,

 

what information was stamped on Vietnam-era dogtags? In what configuration/lay-out? Did they use the black rubber silencers? What lenght were both the long and short ball chains? I want to have a set made for me for re-enactment but I want it to have the correct lay-out and information. Thanks!

 

Greetz

 

David

[Bluehawk]

Type depends totally on the year(s) and branch during VN, and to some extent how long the GI had been in service prior to onset of the war or his/her enlistment/commission... so, here's a good link to all kinds of dope on that...

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...t=0&start=0

[earlymb]

Thanks Bluehawk!

 

It would be for a 1st Cav trooper around 1968. Any more info is still welcome.

 

Greetz

 

David

[earlymb]

I found some good information here: http://www.mooremilitaria.com/dog_tags.htm

 

It may come in handy for any future requests.

 

Greetz

 

David

[Abn Inf]

Hi all,

 

what information was stamped on Vietnam-era dogtags? In what configuration/lay-out? Did they use the black rubber silencers? What lenght were both the long and short ball chains? I want to have a set made for me for re-enactment but I want it to have the correct lay-out and information. Thanks!

 

Greetz

 

David

 

I still have a set of dog tags from the 66/67 period. The 1968 Tags would be the same.

 

1st Line, Last Name

 

2nd Line, First Name and Middle Initial

 

3rd Line, SSAN

 

4th Line, Blood Type ( example O Pos, O Neg)

 

5th Line, Religious Preference

 

I use to just tape my dog tags.

 

I don't know what the exact length of dog tag chains were, I would say about 22/24 inches on the long chain, and 4 to 5 inches on the short chain.

[earlymb]

I still have a set of dog tags from the 66/67 period. The 1968 Tags would be the same.

 

1st Line, Last Name

 

2nd Line, First Name and Middle Initial

 

3rd Line, SSAN

 

4th Line, Blood Type ( example O Pos, O Neg)

 

5th Line, Religious Preference

 

I use to just tape my dog tags.

 

I don't know what the exact length of dog tag chains were, I would say about 22/24 inches on the long chain, and 4 to 5 inches on the short chain.

 

Thanks! I presume they aren't notched?

 

Greetz

 

David

[Bluehawk]

Thanks! I presume they aren't notched?

 

Greetz

 

David

I saw somewhere that some were and some weren't notched, and that this had to do with which branch to some extent, and when they ran out of notched blanks - more than anything else.

 

And, no - the notch had nothing to do with being put between the teeth and jamming the jaws together. It was used as a locator in the machine when imprinting the letters.

 

My 1963 issue tags followed the sequence Abn Inf showed... in the Air Force enlisted guys of that era also had the letters "AF" preceding their eight digit numerals. Use of the 9 digit, or Social Security Number, hadn't happened yet - in 1963.

[Lee Ragan]

... in the Air Force enlisted guys of that era also had the letters "AF" preceding their eight digit numerals. Use of the 9 digit, or Social Security Number, hadn't happened yet - in 1963.

I think it was 1969 that we all had to get new dog tags with the SSN instead of the of AF serial numbers. I still have one of each.

[Abn Inf]

Thanks! I presume they aren't notched?

 

Greetz

 

David

 

The Tags I had were not notched.

[Laury Allison]

Funny that this should come up. I used to make dog tags for members of my unit before I went on my last deployment.

 

Just this week I had a dog tag machine delivered to my house. My brother, who is working in Seoul, Korea, as a contractor bought this monster on Ebay. I haven't had a chance to uncrate it yet or find some blanks, but once I do, I should be able to crank out some dog tags for you guys!!!

 

Laury

[Bluehawk]

I think it was 1969 that we all had to get new dog tags with the SSN instead of the of AF serial numbers. I still have one of each.

Thanks Lee... and, I don't think mine had a notch. I had given them to my mother after service, so when she passed on my beloved sister made sure they went to the village landfill.