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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 8, 2006 Since you asked Dog tags created during Civil War When did the United States’ armed services start issuing "dog tags?" Having served in the armed forces in the U.S. Army Air Corps for over five years, including during World War II, and never having been issued a dog tag, I’ve always wondered about that. — Walt H., Medford Dog tags were trotted out in the field of battle well before your time, Walt. However, all of us at SYA headquarters who have worn the metal military identification tag stamped with our name, serial number, blood type and religious preference are puzzled why you weren’t issued a pair. Sounds like a military SNAFU. Advertisement Dog tags were first created by Civil War soldiers when heavy casualties and grim battle conditions made making body identification difficult, according to the World Book Encyclopedia here at SYA Central. Until then, soldiers often printed their name and address on a handkerchief or a piece of paper and pinned it on their uniform before going into battle, the book explained. In fact, when the H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine which sank Feb. 17, 1864, was discovered in the silt of Charleston Bay in South Carolina in 1995 and later recovered, one of the early dog tags was found in the vessel. But it wasn’t until 1913 that Army regulations made dog tags mandatory. By 1917, all GIs wore the identification tags in the form of aluminum discs around their necks. In WWII, the discs were replaced with the oblong tags we know today. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to Since you asked ">[email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s