

Troopmates would take the tag worn around the neck, leaving the other tag in the shoe. Originally, one tag was stored inside one of the soldier’s shoes. If a soldier is killed in action, his fellow soldiers are supposed to remove one of the tags and leave the other with the body. Soldiers receive two tags for identification purposes. By World War II, the dog tags resembled the current shape of a rounded rectangle. The US Navy started requiring service members to wear dog tags in 1917. The original US Army dog tags were the size of a half-dollar coin and attached to a cord or chain worn around the neck. He recommended that all soldiers wear circular disks to identify those that were severely injured or killed. Pierce oversaw the Army’s morgue in the Philippines. The creation of dog tags for US soldiers was proposed by Army Chaplain Charles Pierce. The Spartans wrote their names on strings that they tied to their wrists. While US soldiers started wearing dog tags in 1906, the use of identification tags started with the Spartan Army during the Roman Empire. Soldiers first started wearing ID tags in 1 9 06, several years after the end of the Spanish-American war. When Did Soldiers Start Wearing Dog Tags? Members of the military are not required to wear their dog tags outside of combat situations. Veterans and active members of the military rarely wear their dog tags in public. However, everyone has personal opinions on the matter.Ī civilian is unlikely to go unnoticed by former and current members of the military when wearing dog tags. A civilian wearing dog tags may be considered comparable to civilians wearing combat fatigues, flag patches or saluting a soldier. Some military personnel may find it offensive for civilians to wear dog tags. Is It Disrespectful for Civilians to Wear Dog Tags? Some veterans and active military members may consider it disrespectful, while others do not care.

Yet, attempting to use the dog tags for personal gain may be considered an act of stolen valor, which is a punishable offense. What Information Does a Dog Tag Include?Ĭivilians can legally wear dog tags.When Did Soldiers Start Wearing Dog Tags?.Is It Disrespectful for Civilians to Wear Dog Tags?.
