Can someone tell me what this is?

[Simonsza1]

I’m posting this here figuring there may be more old timers in this section. This was my grandfather’s. He was born in 1908 I believe and died in 1975. Not sure where or when this was in his life but would love it if someone could tell me what it is or from. Thanks all!

 

[hlee]

I’m m going with a WW1 dog tag.

 

[JMGlasgow]

WW1 dogs tags.

 

[Simonsza1]

Oh man so cool! I knew one of you all would know.

 

[Aftermath]

Of course, unless he was able to enlist at age 10, this is a post WW1 dog tag.

 

[hlee]

Of course, unless he was able to enlist at age 10, this is a post WW1 dog tag.

While it belonged to the grandfather, it was not stated that it was issued to the grandfather.

Dog tags were not issued between the wars. And by WW2, the shape and information listed had materially changed. That is a WW1 dig tag, just not necessarily grampa’s WW1 dog tag…

It seems that the Navy didn’t issue interwar ID tags, but the army and Marines may have. The article is ambiguous on this point. Either way, the object has the styling of a WW1 (or possibly interwar) Army or Marine ID tag.

Dog Tag History: How the Tradition & Nickname Started

Do you know when the dog tag tradition started and why they're called that? Learn the history here.

www.defense.gov

Edit… When I was a kid, I had “dog tags” made for me while I was on a Boy Scout camping trip at Fort Hood. If this IS grampa’s “dog tag,” and the birth year is correct, perhaps he did something similar.

 

[Simonsza1]

I have a call in to my mom to get more information.

 

[Simonsza1]

Okay so I spoke to my mother. She’s old and her memory at times is wishy washy but here’s what I got. He was born on 8/1/1902 she said she only remembers him telling her he was in the cavalry and she also said he had a bullet wound she remembered him saying was from the war. She said his father was a Methodist preacher in Ohio and he ran away from home young. Her thought was maybe he lied about his age and joined the army to get away from his father. That’s her best guess of if and how he was in ww1. I had previously asked her what the tag was and she had no clue. I’ve asked several people over the years and no one ever knew. I was reorganizing some stuff yesterday and thought the dudes on the hide would know! So if he caught the tail end of the war it must have been as a 16-17 year old. I don’t know but it’s cool to finally know what that means.

 

[Simonsza1]

Edit… When I was a kid, I had “dog tags” made for me while I was on a Boy Scout camping trip at Fort Hood. If this IS grampa’s “dog tag,” and the birth year is correct, perhaps he did something similar.

I was in young marines all through my childhood and also had dog tags when I was probably a 7 year old. Susie’s surplus in Clearwater fl made them!

 

[Longshot231]

I was special. My dog tags are red.

 

[Aftermath]

I was special. My dog tags are red.

 

[roostercogburn98]

I was special. My dog tags are red.

Even those are outdated. They don’t use a SSN anymore, all your DoD ID number now.

 

[packratt]

Appearance wise, from a quick search, WWI and probably a few years after.