from the neck of the Marine is in all cases interred with the body. The duplicate tag attached is removed at the time of burial and turned over to the surgeon or person in charge of the burial. A record of the same, together with the cause and date of death are made and reported to the commanding officer.

The tags are prescribed as part of the uniform and when not worn as directed, they are habitually kept in the owner's possession. When they are not worn, the identification tags are considered part of the individual's equipment and they are inspected regularly. Tags for officers are issued upon first reporting to active duty and tags for individuals enlisting are stamped and issued at the recruit depots.

Source of information :

Historyand Museums Divisions, HSMC

26 April 1982

Headquarters USMC

History and Museums Division

Marine Corps Historical Center

Washington, DC 20374-5040

U.S. Army Personal ID " Dog Tags "

Note: At the time this article was
written the term Graves Registration was used for what is now call
Mortuary Affairs.

The Civil War provided the first recorded incident of American soldiers making an effort to ensure that their identities would be known should they die on the battlefield. Their methods were varied, and all were taken on a soldier's own initiative. In 1863, prior to the battle of Mine's Run in northern Virginia, General Meade's troops wrote their names and unit designations on paper tags and pinned them to their clothing. Many soldiers took great care to mark all their personal belongings. Some troops fashioned their own "ID" (identification)