Dog tags

[bigblackbravo]

Today our military uses two chains for a soldiers dog tags. One long one for his neck and a shorter one attached to the long one holding the second tag. Why is that? Why cant both tags be on the same chain? I've heard some say it is to replace the previous notched tags, but I dont see how that replaces them.

[39mto39g]

The small chain is easyer to attach to the boot, Sometimes , on some missions it might be advisable to attach the small one to the boot, Why you ask, Because , sometimes, thats all thats left.

Ron

[philly]

A team leader mentioned that the small chain is used for tagging the boot or big toe of our fallen. This is for identification purposes.

Additionally, the big one is supposed to have, if my memory serves me correctly, 365 silver beads representing 365 days a year. I never counted them so I'm not sure if it's true..

Would anyone know if this is true?

[David]

We just threaded the second one in our boot laces. Seems like an explosion strong enough to remove a foot would most likely remove the tag if it were on a chain.

[Tamaroa]

of them around our neck. I thought I lost mine 30 years ago. Then a couple of weeks ago, my sister handed me a set of dog tags. I looked at them and sure enough they were mine. Incredulous, I asked her where she found them.

It seems that my father who had been suffering from Alzheimers for many years carried them around with him. After he passed on, my mother and sister were going through his things and found my tags. He must have had them from a brief stay at home after I was discharged back in 71.

So he had them all these years and kept them with him. Kind of made me feel good that he cared. Well now I have mine back, plus Mom gave me his from his Navy days in WW2.

Bill

[1IDVET]

The idea behind 2 tags is that one stays with the fallen soldier, the one on the big chain, and the other is taken back for recording the death. This is only done if the trooper that is killed can't be evaced right away.

[Andy]

One tag around the neck, the other laced into the left boot. Don't know why the left boot but that's what we did. It was all about body identification after an explosion. Actually, it was all about the family back home. Being a KIA was bad, being an MIA who was no doubt dead was worst.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[DMZ-LT]

Us to Andy , left boot. Had a guy trapped in a track that had flipped over and burned for a day and a half. Found no dog tags only part of a burnt leg bone. My CO listed him as MIA - said that wasn't enough. I have thought of him more since I got burned.

[xgrunt]

One around the neck and one laced to a boot. I don't think we had a preference for which boot. :cl: