Questions about Army Dog Tags

[fzzyferret]

I have two US dog tags that belonged to my father-in-law dad.  He was in the Army and then supposed in the CIA. We have his passports where one shows him at working for the US Government. My problem is that these don't look like the other dog tags that I can find. Any information about these would be appreciated. 

thanks

Michael

[varebelrose]

"Dog tags" can be issued by the military, but most are custom private purchase items. You can go to any surplus store and have them made up, with anything you want on them.

[pburn]

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@varebelrose wrote:

"Dog tags" can be issued by the military, but most are custom private purchase items. You can go to any surplus store and have them made up, with anything you want on them.

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Okay, here's a story for you:

Growing up in the '50s, I lived about 50 miles from what was considered to be Ground Zero in the case of a nuclear attack. My family all wore dog tags for identification purposes--just in case. I just dug out mine--I have my mom's and my dad's and my own. Either my sister has her tags or my parents didn't bother to get any for her, since I was the favorite.

The ones I'm looking at have our names, dates of birth, next of kin, and home address.

Not to minimize the ill effects at all, but young people had to live with the pandemic for maybe two year and there was an uproar about the psychological impact (and rightly so). Growing up under the threat of nuclear war (duck and cover drills, bomb shelters, civil defense shelters, air raid siren drills, family plans in case of attack, etc.) lasted from the '50s well into the mid- to late-'60s.

[coolections]

Why do you want to know?

[fzzyferret]

I was wondering why the tags don't have the same numbers and to me the numbers don't look like a real dog tag number. There doesn't seem to be enough numbers.  Did some tags have fewer numbers?

[craft-stash]

Queston Police?

[coolections]

@craft-stash   Where is your answer to the OP. Or do you have a question?

[dirk12955]

"Age 40"

Obsolete on his birthday.

Whatever he's doing it's only for a year.

[richard1rst]

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@fzzyferret wrote:

I have two US dog tags that belonged to my father-in-law dad.  He was in the Army and then supposed in the CIA. We have his passports where one shows him at working for the US Government. My problem is that these don't look like the other dog tags that I can find. Any information about these would be appreciated. 

thanks

Michael

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If it is any help. when I was in the Army (late 50's) our dog tags contained name, serial number (8 digits) and blood type (in case of a battle wound for the medics). They did not contain age (as that would obviously change year to year). Based on the memory of my own, I would say these are not real army issued.

[dirk12955]

Employee ID renewable yearly.

[coolections]

Was in the military 40 years ago and can tell you it is fake. @richard1rst  is correct. They would have to change the tag every year.

[a_c_green]

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@fzzyferret wrote:

My problem is that these don't look like the other dog tags that I can find.

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Those look like vanity dog tags, made to order as gifts or whatever. There are plenty of companies on the Internet offering similar ones, your choice.

The "AGE 40" one in particular makes no sense, since a date of birth might be relevant, but stating an age doesn't indicate whether the wearer is aged 40 + 1 day or 40 + 364 days. It might be that someone gave him that as a 40th-birthday gag gift.

[kensgiftshop]

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@pburn wrote:

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@varebelrose wrote:

"Dog tags" can be issued by the military, but most are custom private purchase items. You can go to any surplus store and have them made up, with anything you want on them.

---

Okay, here's a story for you:

Growing up in the '50s, I lived about 50 miles from what was considered to be Ground Zero in the case of a nuclear attack. My family all wore dog tags for identification purposes--just in case. I just dug out mine--I have my mom's and my dad's and my own. Either my sister has her tags or my parents didn't bother to get any for her, since I was the favorite.

The ones I'm looking at have our names, dates of birth, next of kin, and home address.

Not to minimize the ill effects at all, but young people had to live with the pandemic for maybe two year and there was an uproar about the psychological impact (and rightly so). Growing up under the threat of nuclear war (duck and cover drills, bomb shelters, civil defense shelters, air raid siren drills, family plans in case of attack, etc.) lasted from the '50s well into the mid- to late-'60s.

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My Dad was in the Army in the 60s and early 70s and I remember wearing them and going through those drills at the different schools we went to.

[m60driver]

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@coolections wrote:

Was in the military 40 years ago and can tell you it is fake. 

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They are not fake, they are just not military issued dog tags.

[michellemybell]

Harold probably went to Vietnam as a civilian when he was 40. PP=Pasport Number. I thought I saw these tags on eBay. I have tags of civilians who went to Vietnam with passport numbers. Almost all this civilians had some kind of work with the government.