Army and military look never goes out of fashion, and it is currently experiencing its renaissance. Small accessories are an inseparable part of it, such as aviator-style sunglasses, paracord jewelry and watches, or also dog tags, which are worn as a necklace. They are available in various colors, and you can design them yourself with your data, favorite quote, as well as important dates from your life. However, do you know where they come from and how their dark past gradually turned into a bright future? So do not hesitate to read on…
Military use
From a military point of view, these are a specific type of identification marks worn by military personnel. They primarily serve to identify wounded or fallen soldiers. Specialist literature dates their official birth to the years 1851-1866, during the Taiping Rebellion. We could therefore easily say that, like many other things, dog tags were also invented in China. However, this claim does not quite hold up, since soldiers had been inventively marking themselves long before this moment.
Antiquity
Believe it or not, the oldest mention of objects similar to today's dog tags comes from ancient Greece, directly from Sparta. Before going into battle, the Spartans wrote or carved their names onto short sticks, which they tied to their left wrist. This type of mark was also used in Rome, where every legionary received a small lead disc with the name of the legion and his initials. It was attached to a leather cord, which the legionary tied around his neck.
Taiping Rebellion (1851-1866)
Soldiers of the imperial army as well as the rebels wore a very original tag made of wood. They attached it to their belt so that, in case of injury or death, they could be identified. It contained the soldier's name and age, the date of enlistment, as well as their unit and detachment.
American Civil War (1861-1865)
Immediately after the outbreak of the Civil War, it was clear that it would claim many victims. However, soldiers were willing to give their lives for a higher, noble cause. Every soldier knew he could fall in battle, so they tried to mark themselves properly. They pinned or sewed a piece of paper with their name and home address to the inside of their coats, or engraved this information into the soft buckle of their belt.
Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
A truly revolutionary solution in the development of dog tags was the model from the time of the Franco-Prussian War. During the Austro-Prussian War, a large number of soldiers died who could not be identified, so the government proceeded to introduce mandatory tags for military personnel. As a model, they chose the dog tags “Hundenmarken”, which were already being used in Berlin at that time. Every dog whose owner paid the appropriate dog tax had one on its collar. It is probably from this term that the Anglo-Saxon expression “dog tag” originates.
World War I (1914-1918)
The development of dog tags in the pre-war period and at the beginning of the war differed between Europe and America. The tag system replaced identification cards in British forces by order 287 of 1916. According to it, every soldier was required to receive two tags. The first, green in color, was attached on a cord around the neck and was meant to stay on the soldier's body for identification purposes. The second, red one, was attached to the first tag and served administrative purposes in case of death. In addition, sailors could also obtain optional bracelets made of stainless materials, since official tags might not withstand prolonged immersion in water. American forces introduced mandatory identification of their soldiers by order 204 of 1906. Every soldier was to have an identifier the size of a silver half-dollar of appropriate thickness, containing the soldier's name, rank and unit. This order was amended in 1916, and the number of tags per soldier was changed from 1 piece to 2.
Slovakia:
Every professional soldier receives, upon admission or appointment to temporary state service, a personal identification tag, i.e. two metal identification tags with a metal chain. The set consists of two tags with rubber edge protection and two chains. The tag is made of corrosion-resistant heat-resistant steel and has the following dimensions: length 50 mm, width 28 mm, thickness 1 mm, and the diameter of the hole for the chain is 6 mm. The tag has stamped on it (in uppercase block letters without diacritics) first name, surname, birth number and blood type of the soldier. Two chains, 120 mm and 670 mm in length, made of the same material as the tags themselves, are supplied with the tags.
Medical use
Information can save a life. Medicine follows this motto as well, which is why we find wide use of tags in this field. An injured person is often unconscious, and additional information about their health condition is essential for doctors. The best known are tags with the person's blood type and Rh factor, but we also find tags stating diagnoses such as cardiovascular diseases, epilepsy, diabetes, various forms of allergy, etc. This category also includes emergency tags, which contain contact information for a close person.
Fashion
The militaristic image has spread into wider fashion circles. On the market we find various types of tags, from the simplest ones to unique pieces decorated with diamonds. Unfortunately, you won't find million-dollar versions here, but classic tags are available to everyone in 3 color variants: gold, silver and black. To create a unique gift, all you need to do is choose a color, type in the text, and the custom-made tags will be on their way to you the very same day :-)
