Megan Hecker April, 30, 2012

Final Project

Unique Identity

My chosen item of dress does not belong to only me, but to millions of Americans

who have demonstrated courage in the darkest of times. This item does not only represent

me, but my entire family, our memories of angst, our forms of support, and our

overwhelming pride. I have chosen to write about my brother’s dog tags, a very dear

possession of mine that represents many memories.

Captain Jeffrey James Hecker of the United States Marine Corps is my older

brother who is now a 26 year-old graduate student at Michigan State University earning

his MBA. Born in Wheaton, Illinois, he was the first child for my mother and father until

he kindly took on the role of big brother when my twin and I were born five years later.

My brother’s journey began as a young boy with his curiosity of history, particularly

focused on American wartimes. I grew up begging him to change the channel from

documentaries of the Vietnam War to much less important sitcoms. He engaged in action

figure battles with my twin Pat, where they took over most of the play space while

creating elaborate fight scenes. As Jeff matured, he grew aware of the fact that our armed

services was mostly made up of lower class citizens presented with few options in terms

of a career. He felt it was a duty to give back to a country that had provided him so much

opportunity and wealth. I had always suspected it was the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that

had inspired Jeff’s decision to join that Marines Corp. Though that did play a part, Jeff

had already decided previous to the attacks that this was his path.

When he graduated high school in 2003 and enrolled at Purdue University in

West Lafayette, Indiana, he formally joined the United States Marine Corps. During

college, he completed two summers of Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia

where he underwent tests of morale, intellect, and strength and graduated as an Officer in

Marine Corps in 2006. Upon college graduation in 2008, Jeffrey completed Basic training

school before commissioning into the Marine Corp on a four and half-year contract. It

was after basic training he received his first set of dog tags. He was then based at Camp

Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina where he moved to with his fiancé and current

wife, Kelsey.

Jeff took his first tour in 2008 to Anbar Province, Iraq where he was stationed on

Al Asad Airbase. At the time he was a Second Lieutenant and specialized in supply chain

and logistics, assisting convoys in delivering resources to other bases and platoons. About

half way through, Jeff was promoted and received his own platoon for the remainder of

the tour. This meant he was directing and overseeing his own platoon of about twenty

soldiers, while safely delivering supplies to designated areas. Overall, he went to Iraq at a

relatively “safe” point in the war and returned home six months later, was promoted to

First Lieutenant, and got married in the summer of 2009. A little over a year later in

2010, Jeff was sent on his second tour to Helmand Province in Afghanistan, at a base

called Camp Leatherneck. I remember this tour much more vividly because of this area’s

reputation as the epicenter of the war in Afghanistan. Jeff again was in charge his own

platoon and directed convoys across the desert. Improved explosive devices, or IED,

seemed to be much more of a threat during this second tour then the first. These are also

known as roadside bombs and are deployed in ways other then in conventional warfare.

They posed a large threat to convoys like my brothers, because they were undetectable

and detonated upon touch or remote control. I recall seeing news reports that number of

IED’s used in Afghanistan had increased remarkably, some hundreds of percent.

Thankfully, my brother only experienced one IED attack and returned home safely earlier

then planned. However, it was here my brother experienced extremely high levels of

stress, which took a physical toll. After he returned home he received the title of Captain

Jeffrey James Hecker. Afghanistan marked the end of my brother’s commitment to the

Marine Corps, which was a bittersweet moment but he has since begun a family with his

wife and is an active member in the Marine Corp Reserves.

As mentioned, my brother received his dog tags upon completion of Basic

Training in 2006. To him, these tags do not just represent military status, but are a highly

personal item for soldiers that hold a powerful history. When visiting Arlington National

Cemetery, one gets the opportunity of honoring the thousands of men and women who

lost their lives defending American soil. This cemetery also is home to the Tomb of the

Unknown Soldier, a resting place for the countless American soldiers were never

identified. In fact, 42% of Civil War dead still remain unidentified (Qmfound.com).

According to the website Dog Tag History, the Civil War provided the first recorded

incident of American soldiers making an effort to ensure their identities would be known

should they die on the battlefield (Dog Tag History.com). In 1863 before the battle of

Mine’s Run, soldiers pinned paper tags of their name and unit number to their uniforms

in case they were killed in battle. Some used paper to make their tags while others took

great care in crafting a personalized label made of wood and wore around the neck. The

tags popularized quickly and Harper’s Weekly magazine noticed the demand for product

and began advertising the tags, which were available by mail order. Originally made of

gold or silver, the tags still only showed names and unit numbers of soldiers. Some

private vendors followed troops created a more personal tag for soldiers. In 1899

Chaplain Charles C. Pierce was tasked to establish the Quartermaster Office of

Identification and recommended all soldiers wear an “identity disk” in the combat field to

answer the need for standard identification (Qmfound.com).

The identification tags were not made mandatory until 1913 when all combat

soldiers were required to wear the aluminum discs around their necks. Not until World

War II did the dog tags take on the oblong shape we recognize today. Today, standard

military tags contain five lines of a soldier’s information:

1. Last Name

2. First Name/ Middle Initial

3. Social Security Number

4. Blood type

5. Religion (optional)

The tags purpose is clear by its destination on the body, they are morbid devices

used to identify the dead. If a soldier is pronounced dead, it is a medic’s job to leave one

tag on the body and take the other one off to represent proof of the deceased. Along with

my brother, my grandfather served in the Marine Corps during World War II as a medic

who held the burden of identifying bodies. During the battle of Iwo Jima, my grandfather

was assigned the task of grave registry, which meant sorting through dead bodies to

collect their dog tags. Though I cannot fathom how hard that must have been, it goes to

show the utter importance of these devices as they draw the line between the known and

unknown.

Modern day dog tags are made with metal, aluminum, or stainless-steel material

to withstand weathering and high heat. The Army has recently developed and is testing a

new dog tag in a microchip form that holds 80% of a soldier’s medical and dental data

(Qmfound.com). To the average citizen a dog tag may just represent military status,

however they hold more relevance then that. To a soldier, “receiving it, hanging it around

the neck, and feeling it is at once a silent statement of commitment which individualizes

the human being within a huge and faceless organization” is how important the dog tag is

(Dog Tag History.com). Besides for military purpose, dog tags have made their way into

wider fashion circles since the 1960’s. In the sixties dog tags were worn as a symbol of

rebellion against the Vietnam and Cold war. Since then, military dog tags represent a

military look or fashion trend for many young people. Today, personalizing dog tags is

easy via the internet where anyone can engrave a name, logo, or sign onto a necklace.

Beyond dog tags, military inspired clothing has dominated widespread fashion for several

seasons. We see it in militaristic cut jackets, camouflage prints, and higher attention to

detail. Despite its many functions, dog tags still embody the original function of a unique

identification (Custom Military Dog Tags.com). Regardless of its purpose, dog tags have,

and always will, hold extreme value to soldiers as well as their family members.

For the first time since Jeff has been a member of the Marines, I am taking a

deeper look at my personal relationship with his military tags and understanding how

they have impacted my life. Jeff gave each member of my family a set of his dog tags

before leaving for Iraq in 2008. During his tour, I ritually gave the necklace a kiss and

said goodnight to Jeff who was thousands of miles away from me. It provided me a sense

of comfort despite my daily anxieties. His time away was difficult for my family, but we

reached out to our peers and friends for support.

These dog tags not only represent how proud I am of Jeff, but encompass my deep

admiration and respect for him as an older brother. It is difficult for me to verbalize my

feelings for him because I love him so much. He has been my mentor ever since I can

remember as well as my biggest supporter. As we grow in age, a mutual respect has

followed and we have become good friends as a result. I look up to his abilities to balance

being a student, a father, a husband, and a soldier all at once. I wish I could find a way to

give back to our country like he has. He has become the one I look towards for guidance

in a time of need and I hope I am the same for him. I am extremely grateful to be apart of

a family who continually shares so much love, care, and support for one another. To me,

my brother’s dog tags represent my family and the lengths we will go for one another.

Better understanding my brother’s military dog tags have made me realize the

very morbid and significant roles they have played in history of military and beyond. In

fashion they provide a way to be unique and in war they offer the ability to be

remembered. I am privileged to have military dog tags in my wardrobe and even more

honored that they are my brothers.

WORK CITED

"Dog Tags." Dog Tags. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.dogtaghistory.com/>.

"Military Dog Tags." Custom, Personalized, Military Dog Tags for Military and All

People. Web. 23 Apr. 2012.

<http://www.custommilitarydogtags.com/pages/Military-Dog-Tags.html>.

"Military-Dogtags." Military-Dogtags. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. <http://www.military-

dogtags.com/>.

"A Short History of Identification Tags." Army Quartermaster Foundation, Inc. US

Army Quartermaster Foundation, Dec. 1988. Web. 26 Apr. 2012.

<http://www.qmfound.com/short_history_of_identification_tags.htm>.

1889 dog tags.

Wooden dog tags.

The five lines of information found on a dog tag today.

My family at my brother’s commissioning.

My brother before his first tour to Iraq.