I Will Not Be Unknown: Dog Tags
Ginger Cucolo
Chapter Outline
Introduction Personal introduction and images of author’s family member’s Dog Tags
Chapter 1 History of the Dog Tag in America
History and evolution of the ID tag, storytelling format
Early identification markers, tokens, discs, and tags
20-30 Archival media, photographs, artwork
Interviews with scholars and historians
Chapter 2 In Life and in Death
Importance of the Dog Tag in graves registration and mortuary services
in combat
Use and handling of the Dog Tags by Joint Personnel Effects Center (the
place where all personal items of those killed in action are taken to
be cleaned and prepared for the family member)
Traditions of Dog Tags (i.e. hanging tags at Memorial Ceremony)
15-20 Images
Chapter 3 Personal Meaning of Dog Tags
Discussion of current symbol of the Dog Tag to the individual Service
Member
Excerpts of interviews with service members, veterans, and family
members for significance of Dog Tag (vignettes, anecdotes,
personal stories) (Categorized under service eras)
30-40 Images of personal Dog Tags and Dog Tag use (e.g., extra
items Service Members hang on their chains)
Chapter 4 Dog Tags and their use in Popular Culture
10-20 Images of Dog Tags of famous personnel; other images
Discussion of Dog Tags as icons of service
Miscellaneous (e.g., dolls, cartoons, marketing gimmicks,
commercialization of jewelry and trinkets, and images.)
Chapter 5 Urban myths and Truths
Stories about Dog Tags that are not true, but have been passed on as truth
Unusual Stories related to Dog Tags
Chapter 6 The Dog Tag Today: Military use of Identification Tags
Soldier Readiness Processing and preparing for War; Receipt of the
Dog Tag
Current regulations governing their use in layman’s terms
Images, archival media
Future of Personal Identification, technology and other means
Vignettes
Development of allowed and forbidden information;
Chapter 7 Foreign countries usage of Identification tags
Foreign countries’ approach to personal identification
Discussion of impact of American Dog Tags overseas
10-15 Images of foreign country Dog Tags
Footnotes
Appendix