I was going through some of my dads stuff this holiday weekend. His keys, billfold, and glasses were still on the table where he always put them. He died a couple years ago.
Inside his key case he had his Navy Dog tag. He was in the Navy from 1947-57, and Air Force 57-1972. Johnson sent him to Viet Nam in 66. Retiring as a Master Sergeant. His last duty assignment was First Sergeant at an Air Base. It was his Navy tags he carried. He always had better memories of being in the Navy serving as a Radioman.
Pretty amazing that after 50 years he still had his Navy dog tag.
Veterans, You still got yours? You still carry it or keep it handy?
Well I’m still in the Guard so its not surprising that I still have them. Hardly wear them (don’t tell anyone). Over the years I have lost so many, got new ones, then found the old ones that it won’t surprise me if some get found long after I’m dead.
I have no idea where mine are now. It has been probably 15 years since I last saw them. Which would be 10 years from my seperation date. Was thinking about them recently, I wish I still had them.
Still got 'em, been out since 1996. Still have my class A uniform (OK, and my dufflebag full of all my gear), too, even though there is no way in hell I’ll ever fit into it again. I have no idea why I keep this stuff. I was only in for 4 years and never left town on deployment. I have readily discarded other momentos which ought to have more sentimental value, by my military gear remains somehow sacred.
Yep. I retired in 1997. I recently saw them and they were a little green with corrosion. I’d had them in plastic covers to keep them from clanging around. Sweat must have gotten in there.
My dad is pretty freaked out that his Vietnam tags have been lost. They got lost within the past 20 years, somewhere in our house. I feel bad for him - I’m pretty sure he wants to be buried with them.
I’m pretty sure I haven’t gotten rid of them. That’s not something I would have done on purpose. However, it’s not like I use them every day, so I’d probably have to spend some serious time looking for them. I’ve still got one of my A-bags and one set of BDUs and my class A uniform.
I have a couple on my key ring, in addition to a few sets in storage somewhere. It’s nice because I don’t like real key chains, and this way if I get in a wreck, they know who I am and what my blood type is. I’m not very sentimental about my time in the Army, so it’s not pride or anything that keeps me holding on to them. Nostalgia, maybe, but mostly just practicality.
This is interesting, because besides a couple of sets I got from the Army, most of my dog tags came from the local army surplus store which would print whatever I wanted on there. I usually put “no religion” because “atheist” is not my religion, while the official dog tags put “no pref”, as in “no religious preference”. I disagreed with that too, because I DO have a religious preference, and it is “none”.
That was the deal. I was stationed in Sicily, and they had their own “Stamper” for dog tags. I knew the guy in personnel who handled it, and he stamped them for me.
Before they received the stamper, we had to have them sent from HQ, which was on mainland Italy, and only had the option for “No Pref”.
I also have a pair somewhere that says “Vegetarian” for religious preference.
My late husband’s dog tags are in my jewelry box. He was in Viet Nam 1966-67, and was medically retired from the Army in 1972. I also have a peso that he carried in his pocket for luck the whole time. He hung it on a chain when we got married so I could wear it.
I’ve still got one. It was issued to me in 77. I used to keep it on my keychain, but the hole got worn and I was afraid of losing it. So it’s in one of my “whatever” boxes.
I lost my original ones wayyyyyy back in Vietnam in 1968. The chain must have broken and they fell off. They had my original pre-SSN service number on them. Fast forward to about 7-8 years ago when I get an email from somebody or other saying they saw my name on a found dog tags website. I checked, and sure enough, there it was. Seems some people who have visited Vietnam long after the war have found these for sale in flea markets, and brought them back to the US. I contacted them and they sent it to me, free of charge. Weird.
