The ionic dog tag you know today stems of the Taiping revolt which took place in the 19th century. The Imperialists and the Taiping rebels could both be seeing sporting engraved wooden tags with each combatants age, unit, enlistment date, birthplace and of course, name.
By the time of the American Civil War, soldiers started pinning tags in the form of paper notes to the inside of their coats.
While others used the soft lead backing of their military-issued belt buckles as an opportunity to inscribe their address and name. Within time, the identification badge manufactures would reach the same discovery.
After realizing the market potential, they began to produce shaped pins that indicated branch of service, along with a stamping of the soldier’s unit, name and selectively, a list of their participation in battles.
From what was once wood, has since been change to brass and lead over time. Yet, that’s not all that has changed with dog tags aside from their corrosion resistant metal construction. Take for instance, today’s American military tags which can display blood type and even religious beliefs.
Now, if you’re not too familiar with them, you be curious to know why soldiers wear two at once. The first is to be collection from a deceased solider for notification. The second is to remain with the corpse when immediately recovery is not possible due to battlefield conditions.
With that said, take a look at these 30 dog tag tattoos for men and you’ll discover plenty of inspiration. From the classic around the neck designs to the more abstract memorial tribute ideas.
