The traditional Military Dog Tag is fast becoming the “thing” to have in America. Of course, our military has used these identification devices for many years. Each soldier is still issued one when he goes into battle. It contains his name, rank, and serial number. After a serviceman returns back to civilian life, his army dog tags become a precious reminder to him of his younger days in spent in the service of his country.
For some reason, in recent years, army dog tags have caught on as a very popular thing to have. Pop culture idols wear them. Rock stars wear them. Men and women alike seem to favor these things as the personal piece of jewelry of choice. They are exchanged between lovers, much like we used to give a “friendship” ring or a “steady” ring.
Not all Military dog tags are perfect replicas of original dog tags. Far from it. Now, to be sure, many people like the rustic and romantic look of a cheap thin piece of tin stamped with their name and other graphics on it. But more and more, the trend is to depart from the “army” style and go more with a stylish brushed aluminum, silver, or gold-plated dog tag. The army should have a fit.
Maybe the reason these items are so popular is because they convey a sense of belonging and attachment. A traditional army dog tag shows that you belong to a group, and that you have an attachment, and what that attachment is. Well, so it is with the modern civilian dog tags. When you wear your boyfriend’s dog tags, you have a sense of belonging to him. When you give a dog tag to your girl, or vice versa, you are saying, “I belong to you,” and “You belong to me”.
Just like the nation uses the army dog tags to recognize one of their own soldiers, so a mother or a grandparent might use army dog tags to help someone recognize a lost child. It is a great idea. Maybe even medical information, stating “diabetic,” might be etched on the backside of an army dog tag to help in a time of emergency.