Does any1 know what GIs are??

Question

i have a research paper due and i've been loking all over the internet and i cant find what this is. Does any1 also know where i can get the info on what information was contained on the dog tags these GIs wore during world war 2??

Answer 1

A lot of great answers.

Do a search on Smedley Darlington Butler
who was a
2 time recipient of the US Congressional Medal of Honor
USMC Major General(retired) Smedley Darlington Butler.
He has a base named after him.
Read about his views on war.

The Smedley Butler Society is dedicated to eliminating US military imperialism. ...
Welcome to. THE SMEDLEY BUTLER SOCIETY. dedicated to peace- anti-war- anti ...
http://www.warisaracket.org

Since I am a veteran of active duty US military, I write with pride.

Answer 2

GI was the abbreviation for Government Issue and became used as a term for the military personnel also since they were government property just like everything they wore and carried. The dog tags contained the information as outlined by Jerry BO: they do not and have never contained your date of Birth or your rank-Rank is part of the Geneva required information to be given in case you were captured but were no placed on dog tags-you would have to replace them ever time your rank changed so you leave it off:

Last Name, First Name Middle initial
Service Number
Branch of Service
Blood Type
Religious Preference

The myth about the notch is just that an urban legend-actually was a metal saving measure and used as a means to identify which one stayed with the body and which one was taken by the unit. Kept people from pulling two accidentally and leaving the body unidentified.

Answer 3

The term "GI" today refers to an american soldier. It is most commonly thought that term originally came from the same letters "G.I.", the abbreviation for "Government Issue" which were stamped on equipment issued to soldiers in WWI and WWII.

Dog tags in WWII contained about the same information that they contain today (except the blood type):
Last Name
First Name Middle Init.
Service Number (Social Security Number)
Blood Type
Religion

The one thing that has changed is that dog tags back then had a little notch cut out of the edge. I have heard people say that it was to open cans with, but this is not true. When a soldier died, the notch of one dog tag was placed in between the top two teeth of the deceased soldier and then jammed with a fist or hammer up into the gums so that it would not fall out and be lost and would accompany the body for identification purposes. Today, dog tags do nothave the notch. There are, and have always been however two dog tags: one to accompany the body and the other to be sent into higher headquarters for processing.

Answer 4

The information put on the dog tags coincided with that which an enemy was entitled to, under the terms of the Geneva Conventions, if one was captured: Name, rank, date of birth, blood type and religious preference.
One dog tag was also fashioned with a little notch at one end. It was a feature intended for a gruesome event. In case of death, the notch would be placed between the upper incisor teeth and the jaw would be closed by personnel from Graves Registration, so that identification would follow the mortal remains to their final resting place.

Answer 5

GI is government issue, They had your name, branch of service, blood type, etc, One thing no one answering your question brought up was if you look at dog tags closely they have a small indentation on each end, This was so that if your were killed in combat the Medic could take one of the two you wore and wedge it in between your teeth so you could be identified later. Hope this help with your paper, but please include your thanks to all who died and served in that war, to give you the life you have now. Semper Fi and God Bless

Answer 6

As mentioned GI stands for government issue.
It came to mean the American soldier who like other military "equipment "was "government issued".
They referred to themselves as GIs & would say things like " what do I know I'm just a GI."
Watch an old war movie.
The term moved into popular language & became an affectionate nickname for soldiers.
Best regards

Answer 7

Government Issue. Sorry, can't help you with the dog tags, but I would assume they haven't change much from today. Full name, service number, blood type, and religious preference.

Answer 8

GI stands for government issue. On dog tags, it had their name, rank, blood type and religion.

Answer 9

Not to be 100% correct but at the very least, full name and blood type.

Answer 10

Your name
Your serial number
Branch of service
Your blood type (medical)
Your religion (chaplin)
You were given two.
One went home with your personal belongings.
one stayed with the body to identify.