Dog Tags

bgrafsr said:
Have my tags from Air Force, '63 to '67. AF1569xxxx. Will never forget the number.
I never looked at my AP Shields number, nor the SN's of the Model 15 revolvers I carried. Same thing goes for the M2 Carbines and M-16s I carried.

Like Texas Star I had to turn in my AP Shield when I was discharged, along with my Field jacket:mad:. Often wondered if someone in Supply kept it for himself.

Several years ago I decided to find an original AP Shield to put in my shadow box. Found one but it cost me $400.00. Still glad I bought it.
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That turn in your fatigues and field jackets was a supply sergeant scam Army wide. They sold them to Army/Navy stores. I was so happy to get out I gave him all but my class A's and two pair of boots(one pair was my inspection boots) which I still have. I used the boots for hiking and found out quickly how much they sucked.
 
I have my dad's tags from WWII. They are attached to the 22 rifle my grandfather gave to my dad the day he came home. All items, including his Victory medal, are locked in a safe.
By the way, Feb 1, we will be celebrating the 90th birthday, of the guy the tags were issued to, along with his bride of 67 years, my mom.
 
max said:
I was July of 69 and only have SSN on mine. I wear them daily as I do not carry an id to the gym. I also wear them when I fly or travel. I was asked to turn my field jacket in when I was discharged. I balked and the supply guy said "Unless it was destroyed in combat." I told him it was destroyed in a mortar attack.
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Max:
When you fly do they ding the metal detector or do you take them off before going through it?
 
Texas Star said:
I had to return my night stick, too.


I've wondered what one of those obsolete AP badges might sell for. Thanks for posting that.


I like your use of the badge for your avatar.
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Had to turn in my night stick also. When I was in the Philippines I had my leather gear corfamed, along with my dress shoes.

It took me awhile to find the AP Shield too.
 
hoc9sw said:
I have my Uncle's from WWI. His name hand punched on a disk that was drilled for a piece of leather to wear on his wrist. My Dad's (WWII / Korean era) had the service number. Mine have SSN.
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Ive got my grandfathers Doughboy dog tag. It is a square piece of leather with a hole at the top-and all it has is a few digit number on it.
 
Mine are at the house, and I'm at the cabin, but I'll never forget my service number: 79*-9*-4* !!! I heard that some of you youngsters (Navy guys, I mean) have a "B" in front of your number, and that even younger folks had their SSN!!

Got dog tags in 1965. Got out in 1969, four years to the day, and no one ever took them back, because they told me I had to serve another two years in the "inactive reserve", whatever that was. I know that they took my green ID card, and issued me a red one, told me that if they called, I had to show up... and that I did not get a discharge until 1971! When I did get my discharge, it was mailed to me, and looked like it had been printed on newsprint, and the edge was perforated, like it had been torn out of a book of forms.

I'm not sure what I was supposed to be doing during those two years, but by the time they actually mailed my discharge, I was halfway through college.

I still treasure those dog tags, and thanks to Cyrano for starting this thread!!! Brought back a ton of memories...

Best Regards, Les
 
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I still have my tags and remember the number easily; but the most interesting dog tags in my life were my Pop's.

In about 1996 I was contacted by phone with a Belgian gentleman named Jean' Claude Feel'. His hobby was going to the WW II "Battle of the Bulge" battle site and have digs. Much the same I suppose, as many of us do at Civil War sites.

After some verification of my relation to Pop he said he had found a single dog tag, broken in two, in a fox hole or crater, and asked if I wanted it.
No idea how it came to be broken and separated from the other for sure, but Pop had some very harsh shrapnel wounds in his upper chest, and other places.
My Pop received a Purple Heart for wounds received during that battle, and of course I wanted the tags, at least to let my two sons have a bit of war history of their grandpa. He passed away in 88', in son's late teens /early 20's.
Just an additional note. Pop was evacuated medically, went through some serious surgeries, put in shape, and sent back to the battle front, where he, along with others were captured,Jan. 18th, 1945 and put in a P O W camp... Liberated from the camp Mar. 28th, 1945, by the 7th Armored Cav. and removed to a liberty Red Cross ship to recuperate.

Jean' Claude told me he had a small museum of WW II battle stuff, and perhaps I would send the tag back for his shrine, along with a picture of Pop in uniform if I had any. I searched through his family from the war times, but never found a pic in uniform, so after a few months I returned the tag; with appreciation.

I have since found a picture of Pop in uniform, (looks like an innocent child almost), but am no longer able to be in contact with the Belgian.
 
I recently found my dad's tag (only 1) that I think are Korean War vintage-long since thought stolen along with all of his other military-related stuff-cept for his Ike Jacket-and dress uniform jacket. Found it when looking for those cigar boxes I wanted the gimpy injun to have.,
 
I enlisted in 1969, and mine just have my service number, not my SSN. I have one on my key ring.

It's funny, but to this day I can easily recall my service number, but have trouble remembering to wear pants.
 
I've only got one left. 49 years ago somebody told me if you stuck your tag on your keychain and lost your keys if somebody found them and put them in a mailbox they would find their way back to you. Of course it's nonsense but because of that I still have one tag. That was the same guy who sold me the magic beans. I gave one to my kid when he was about 5, that one's long gone.
 
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The Army service number system was started by General Pershing during WW I. He copied it from the British and French who had similiar systems. He took SN 1 and his Sergent Major got RA 1. General officers got theirs next, in order of rank and seniority, and this was not accomplished without a lot of rancor and wrangling.
 
I got mine at Great Lakes Naval Training center back in 1964. Name, service number, blood type and religion. Seems over the years different branches of the armed forces varied what was stamped on them. And after all these years can still rattle off my service number. My honorable discharge paper looks like it was photo copied and just barely can't tell it from the photo copied ones I made up as spares. Also had to turn in my Navy ID card and was issued a red one. When I got the Honorable discharge and the ruptured duck I was instructed to hand it back in. Somehow it got lost right about that time. Still have that one and my Geneva Convention card and my shell back card. Gotta do a good search for my shellback certificate haven't seen it for sometime. Only have two souveniers from my naval service. Copy of the ship's plaque and an ashtray I made up from a fired 5"54 brass shell casing. Borrowed a set of ear muffs, asbestos gloves and a 32gal trash can and went on the port side forward where they were shooting the forward 5"54 gun mount. Used the asbestos gloves to pick up the hot shell casing and beat it back to the generator room to hacksaw the shell case down. One of the machinest's chucked it in a lathe and trimmed it and faced off the inside of the case. Spent a lot of 6 hour watches with the main engine lube oil pumps sanding and polishing it. I say 6 hour watches as out division was so short handed we didn't have enough bodies to stand a full watch schedule. Nobody was shipping over. In fact the last year I was in that was all I stood watches for either lube oil pumps of thrust block. I was offered $5600 to re enlist for 4 years. I turned it down. Found out from a buddy about two weeks after I left that I could sew the bird on as I made the first rating period. Funny as to how stuff sticks in your brain after 47 years. Frank
 
Was drafted in Dec 1965. Mine have service number (beginning with "US"), blood type and religion. Still remember my service number well.
 
USN here. Started with a 7-digit service number, eventually replaced by SSN. Never both.

Service numbers starting with B started in the mid to late sixties. The B was generally alleged to stand for "boot."
 
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