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Article: MEET THE CHAIN GANG; (1) They used to be the preserve of the armed forces, but now even A-list stars won't leave home without a set of dog tags jangling around their neck (2) LOOK WHO'S GOT ONE TOO...DOG TAGS.
- Article from:
- The Mail on Sunday (London, England)
- Article date:
- December 17, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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IT'S A DOG TAG'S LIFE- Although the concept of using dog tags to identify the dead in battle dates back to ancient Sparta, it was the American Civil War that made them a modern military item.
While some soldiers pinned paper notes with their name and address to the backs of their coats,others went a step further and stencilled their ID on knapsacks or in the soft lead backing of their beltbuckle.
From July 1916, all US soldiers were issued with two tags: one to stay with the body and the other to be detached for record-keeping.
The British Army uses the same system, marking surname, initials, service number, date of birth, blood group and religion on each tag.
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