Results of Cold War Dog Tag Stories

[Mary Ludwick <ludwick@swbell.net>]

To recap: I inquired if anyone else had worn dog tags (military style
with ID info) during the 50s-60s.  Several replied that they too had
been issued these tags for ID if/when the bomb was dropped on the US.
The following states were mentioned as areas in which the school
purchased these tags for students to wear: Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, NY
City, Indiana, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Carolina, Wisconsin.
   Two persons responded with memory of disk with name only on these.
It think this was just a fashion as were ID bracelets.  I did not
include these in my tally.
   The dog tags had name, address, parents name and religious
affiliation.  They were rectangular.
   A couple of people wrote to tell me how much they laughed at the
story/idea.  While it is somewhat amusing, for me it was very serious
then.  We lived near Houston, Tx. and we were often reminded that the
shipping port and oil refineries would be major targets.  I was bussed
to a school 15 miles from home for HS (my rural home town was too small
for a HS).  The Cuban Missle Crisis day was terrifying for me.  We were
called into an assembly and the principal informed everyone of the
danger; then we were sent back to classes.  I mentally tried to devise a
safe route home (one where I could dart from bridge to bridge or ditch
culbert to ditch culbert).  I soon realized that there would be no way
for me to get home safely and it  was a useless excercise.  In later
years I realized that if it had happened, I  really wouldn't be around
to worry about hiding from radiation!
   The really amusing thing is that I never remember doing the duck and
cover drill!  Surely we MUST have done that if we were wearing tags
etc.!
......In stating this, I feel OLD.  How my life has changed.  For years
I was terrified "The Russians will get us," and now, I have visited
Russia, picniced with Russian friends at a major battle site, and hosted
Russian kids in my home..I much prefer NOW than then!

   HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!
--
Mary Ludwick   ludwick@swbell.net (home)
ludwickm@lewisville.isd.tenet.edu (school)
Librarian, Owen Elem.,The Colony, Texas
Lewisville ISD(north of Dallas)   K-5

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