Why Is There a Slot in a Military Metal Dog Tag?
The evolution of military ID tags led to a rectangular shape that was officially adopted in 1940, and the term "dog tag" became popular to describe them. The slot on these tags is most often referred as "the notch." It appears on one side of tags manufactured from the 1940s to the early 1970s. Military history and trivia buffs have long debated why the notch exists.
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Dog Tags with "The Notch"
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The "notch" was created out of necessity to accommodate a machine-the Addressograph Model 70, manufactured by the Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation. The Addressograph Model 70 was a clunky, heavy, hard to maneuver piece of equipment that looked like a pistol.
Function
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The notch allowed medics to properly position the tag on the Addressograph so they could imprint identification information from the dog tag onto military paperwork.
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Myths and Rumors
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Most myths and legends about the notch center around the use of putting dog tags inside the mouths of dead soldiers.
Some believed the notch was there to use the soldier's front teeth to hold the dog tag in place. In cases where rigamortis had set in, myths spread that the notch helped the soldier who discovered the body to maneuver the dog tag into place. Some even believed the notch helped the mouth stay open to allow toxic gases to escape so medical forces responsible for retrieving bodies wouldn't risk contamination.
Here's one more for the rumor mill. Because the Addressograph Model 70 looked like a gun, some medics used it in extreme situations to ward off enemies.
The End of the Notch
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ID tags issued after the Vietnam War do not have the notch. The military discontinued using the Addressograph machines, so there was no further need for the notch. The dog tag term is also out. The military prefers to call them "I.D. tags" to be more "politically correct" and disassociate such an important item from derogatory analogies.
High Tech Tags
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Military ID tags are going high tech. As of 2010, designs are in development that will include microchips that can hold identification information and up to 80 percent of a soldier's medical and dental data.
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References
- Photo Credit dog tags image by pearlguy from Fotolia.com
