If you have been to the Romeo District Library Kezar Branch within this month, you may have seen our display honoring the military service of The Romeo Observer's last owner Melvin E. Bleich. He was in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He was in the 106th Infantry Division from 1942 to 1945 when he was wounded.
Plenty of unique items are in this display, which can be seen down below.
One of the objects not visible in this picture are Mel's dog tags.
For those who don't know, dog tags were identification tags worn by military personnel. They provide plenty information about the person who wore them and can help those doing genealogy research.
To begin with, dog tags from World War II always listed the person's name in the first line. In this case, it has M E Bleich, which is why we know that it's Mel's.
The second line consists of the Army serial number, tetanus date, and blood type.
According to the Soldier of Fortune website, an Army serial number is a unique 8-digit number that can reveal the following information about the solider in question:
- "From the first digits you can tell if they are enlisted, Warrant Officer, Commissioned Officer or a Flight officer,
- If they volunteered (Regular Army) or where in the National Guard or where a Draftee into the Army.
- Where they lived or joined up.
- Some Branch of Service also had there own specific layout like Nurses, Medical staff and the WAC'S."
The first digit of Mel's Army serial number is 3, which meant that he was a draftee into the Regular Army. In this case, Mel would have been called up to the draft board under the Selective Training and Service Act. The next one or two digits (depending on if the soldier was in the Corps or Army areas) indicated the location in which the solider enlisted. Since the second number is 6, that meant that one was from Illinois, Wisconsin, or Michigan with the headquarters being in Chicago. Mel was originally from Detroit, so this fits perfectly.
The remaining six numbers meant that Mel was in a Corps area as opposed to the Army one.
Looking more into the second line is T 43. This meant Mel got his tetanus shot in 1943. At the end is an O, which indicated that Mel had an O blood type.
Now, here's where it gets tricky. In the picture from above, the dog tag has two separate number 4s before the O, so it reads "4 4." But, in the one below, a 6 has been added, so it reads "4 46."
There's a possibility that Mel had addition tetanus shot in 1946, and the second dog tag was updated to reflect that, but none of this is certain. The first number 4 is uncertain. What we do know is that Mel was made a corporal at some point during his military career, so maybe it reflects that. It remains unclear. If you know someone who served or is currently in the military, ask them about that.
Now, let's end on something easy. The P in the lower right corner of the tag denotes that Mel was a Protestant. All religious preferences were located in that part of the dog tag.
In conclusion, from looking at Mel Bleich's dog tag, we can know his status in the military, where he was from, when he got his tetanus shot, his blood type, and his religion affiliation.
That's how you read dog tags! For more information, check out the Soldier of Fortune website.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
Images and sources courtesy of the Romeo Community Archives; Melvin E. and Joan D. Bleich Collection and Soldier of Fortune
