Posted on 09/24/2002 11:50:08 PM PDT by Snow Bunny
Dog Tags Arlington National Cemetary is not the only resting place for "Unknown Soldiers." Countless American soldiers have died defending our way of life throughout the history of this great nation; many of their graves are marked with a single word,"unknown." The American Civil War (1861-1865) provided the first recorded incident of American soldiers making an effort to ensure that their identities would be known should they be killed on the battlefield. 42% of all Civil War dead remain unknown. Their methods varied, and all were taken on by the soldier's own initiative. In 1863, before the battle of Mine's Run in northern Virginia, troops wrote their names and units on paper tags and pinned them to their clothing. Many soldiers took great care in marking all of their personal belongings. Some troops made their own id tags out of wood, boring a hole in an end so that they could be worn on a string. The commercial sector saw the demand for an identificatuion method and provided products. Harpers Weekly Magazine advertised "Soldier's Pins" which could be mail ordered. Made of silver or gold, these pins were inscribed with an individual's name and unit designation. Private vendors who followed troops also offered id tags for sale just prior to battles. Soldiers also fashioned tags out of coins by scraping one side smooth and engaving or stamping name and unit.
Despite the fact that fear of being listed amoung the unknowns was a real concern among the rank and file, no reference to an official issue of identification tags by the Federal Government exists from the Civil War. The first official advocacy of issuing id tags 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 of one tag 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 of tag (as seen above) 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, melded 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.
By the early 70's the "notch" was removed to the present day tag. The United States Armed Forces is currently developing and testing a new tag , which will hold 80% of a soldiers medical and dentail records on a mircochip known by several names: The Individually Carried Record, Meditag, The Tactical Medical Coordination System and Personal Information Carriers (PIC). It is not intended to replace the present tag, but rather to augment it as part of the "paperless battlefield" concept.
Tags from Other Countries
Dog Tag Chains There have been several different types of chains used during the evolution of the U.S. dog tag, every thing from shoe laces to the current ball chain.
The Military has come a long way from |
Happy WEDNESDAY!
At sea aboard USS Essex, Sept. 23, 2002 Bathed in the blue light of the helicopter direction center aboard USS Essex (LHD 2), an Air Traffic Controller monitors the AN/SPN-43 Precision Approach Radar during flight operations off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. The AN/SPN-43 is the Navy's marshalling air traffic control (ATC) radar system used on all aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships for vectoring aircraft into final approach. Essex is underway with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) participating in a Special Operations Capable Exercise (SOCEX). SOCEX is designed to certify that Special Operations Capable Teams are capable of executing several diverse missions from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts to full-scale combat operation. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Gary B. Granger. [020923-N-8590G-001] Sept. 23, 2002
I hope everyone enjoys the thread today.
Hope you have a grand day, tomkow!*HUGS*
Happy Anniversary, MoJo!
Glad you guys had a good time, Bunny. Hope to see you later.
Next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be...
Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children -- last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it--hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."
------------ Pay Attention --------------
The math teacher saw that little Johnny wasn't paying attention in class. She called on him and said, Johnny! What are 3, 24, 38 and 44?"
Little Johnny quickly replied, "NBC, MTV, HBO, and the Cartoon Network
-------- Top 10 Things Only Women Understand -----
1. Cats' facial expressions.
2. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors.
3. Why bean sprouts aren't just weeds.
4. Fat clothes.
5. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time.
6. The difference between beige, off-white, and eggshell.
7. Cutting your bangs to make them grow.
8. Eyelash curlers.
9. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made.
10. Other women.
That is an understatement!!LOL!
I find every OTHER year works best! LOL!
The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Clinton." The Marine again told the man, "Sir, Mr. Clinton is no longer president and no longer resides here." The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.
The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U. S. Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Clinton." The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Clinton; I've told you already that Mr. Clinton is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?"
The old man looked at the Marine, smiled, and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it." The Marine snapped to attention, saluted and said, "See you tomorrow, Sir.
This is for those of you who like Burka Man's bathing habits:
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