What is the history of “Dog Tags” being used in the military?
I will use a naval history source. The answer applies across all military branches. The use of the name “dog tags” goes back to WWI. The actual use of id tags goes back to the Civil War. See below: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq70-1.htm DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY — NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER 805 KIDDER BREESE SE — WASHINGTON NAVY YARD WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060 Personal Identification Tags or “Dog Tags” The purchasing of unofficial identification tags goes back to the Civil War. In the Navy, official identification tags, nicknamed “dog tags,” go back to World War I. They were first prescribed by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels in General Order No. 294 of 12 May 1917. These first tags were oval, of Monel metal (a patented corrosion-resistant alloy of nickel and copper, with small amounts of iron and manganese), 1.25 inches wide and 1.
