What do Marine dog tags say?

“Officers – full name and rank at date of issue; enlisted men – full name and date of first enlistment in the Marine Corps.

What do military dog tags say?

Today's identification tags identify vital information about the wearer: name, Social Security number, blood type and religious preference. During World War II there were only three religious categories that could be put on dog tags: P for Protestant, C for Catholic and H for Hebrew (Jewish).

How do you read a USMC dog tag?

The last name is on the first line and the second line either has both of your initials, or your first name and middle initial. For the third line, the Marines used service numbers which could be 5, 6, or 7 digits. Fourth line is USMC followed by gas mask size. The sizes are XS,S,M,L,XL.

What does it mean when a Marine gives you his dog tags?

What does it mean when a Marine gives you his dog tags? The main purpose of the military dog tags is to identify soldiers that are wounded or killed while they are in action.

Does the Marine Corps still issue dog tags?

1975-2015 USMC

This was eventually replaced in 2015 with the DoD ID number (EDIPI) (which we offer as Modern Issue Dog Tags).

What are dog tags

Why do Marines wear two dog tags?

Why two dog tags? The first tag was to remain with the body, while the second was for burial service record keeping. Like all things military, it is likely the military figured out the need for two dog tags amidst operations.

What happens if a Marine loses his dog tags?

If you are currently serving in the military and need a replacement set, you can get them issued at no cost. Contact your personnel unit and they can issue them to you or tell you where you can get a set issued.

What does a black dog tag mean?

Black Dog Tags are used by Special Operations forces such as the Army Rangers, Navy Seals, Green Berets, Commandos, and Delta Force. Black Dog Tags were mandated by a regulation on January 15, 1967 of the United States Army, Vietnam (USARV).

What does a USMC dog tag look like?

What is the USMC Dog Tags format? Our replica USMC Dog Tags have Embossed (raised) text on a 2" x 1⅛" dull stainless steel Dog Tag, rolled edge up, hole on left with the suggested regulation format: [Lastname] [First Initial].

Can Marines wear dog tags in civilian attire?

Civilians can legally wear dog tags. Yet, attempting to use the dog tags for personal gain may be considered an act of stolen valor, which is a punishable offense. Some veterans and active military members may consider it disrespectful, while others do not care.

How do you tell if someone is a Marine or not?

Verification of Military Service

Please use the Defense Manpower Data Center's (DMDC) Military Verification service to verify if someone is in the military. The website will tell you if the person is currently serving in the military. The site is available 24-hours a day.

What does POS mean on a dog tag?

123-45-6789–Social Security Number. O POS or A–Blood Type. CATHOLIC or C–Religion.

What information is on a dog tag?

The two essential details required by law to include on your dog's tag are your name and address.

Does the military still put SSN on dog tags?

By 1969, the Army began to transition from serial numbers to Social Security numbers. That lasted about 45 years until 2015, when the Army began removing Social Security numbers from the tags and replacing them with each soldier's Defense Department identification number.

What did WWII Marine dog tags look like?

In World War II members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps wore Dog Tags of a different shape than the Army and Air Force. They were oval shaped, had either one (P1917) or two (P1940) holes, and were engraved or etched rather than debossed or stamped.

Why do soldiers bite dog tags?

Common belief held that a medic would take one of the fallen soldier's tags and put it in his mouth, using the notch to line up the tag with his front teeth. Then, the medic or doctor would kick his jaw shut over the tag to ensure it stayed in place, according to the myth.

How many dog tags do Marines get?

Every military personnel gets issued two dog tags, one with a short chain and one with a long chain. The reasons for having those different chain lengths is significant. After a soldier is killed in battle, fellow soldiers or officers can use the two tags to mark the body.

What does T55 mean on a dog tag?

1950-1953 Korea. 1 LASTNAME, FIRST M. 2 Service # 3 Tetanus Date (T55) Blood Type.

What does T43 mean on dog tag?

Dog Tags from WWII up until the Korean war included the year that a tetanus toxid vaccination shot was administered, in the format of T## where the ## represents the year i.e. T43. The subsequent vaccination booster shot usually followed one year later at which point it would also be added to the tag.

Why are SSN on dog tags?

Social Security Number (SSN)

This choice would have simplified record keeping as the numbers already existed and were unique to each individual. During the Vietnam War there was a transition period where some soldiers were issued dog tags with both the Service Number and the Social Security Number on the same tag.

What do red dog tags mean?

What is a red dog tag? A red dog tag is a dog tag that's been colored red to symbolize that the wearer has an underlying medical condition. For this reason, they are often called red medical warning dog tags. They are the same design and shape as normal dog tags, but with a different purpose.

What do they do with dog tags when a soldier dies?

Each metallic piece carries the soldier's name, branch of service, blood type, religion and service number. If the solider is killed, one of the tags is removed for official records. The other remains with the dead soldier's body to help with identification by burial units.

Is it disrespectful to wear someone else's dog tags?

They may wear the tags to remember and honor their family members. Civilians may also purchase fake dog tags. Fake tags are available with personalized inscriptions. Unlike wearing dog tags that belonged to a loved one, wearing fake dog tags is likely to be considered disrespectful.

Does every branch of the military get dog tags?

In 1917, when the U.S. Navy required all their sailors wear dog tags, the War Department finally mandated that all American combat troops have dog tags.

When did the military stop using dog tags?

The change was mandated in 2007, but it has taken the military this long to replace the Social Security number with the 10-digit idea number through a number of systems, Klemowski said.