We are creating collage to honor our grandfather who served in WWI. Photos: Collection of a soldier’s ID and a ‘dog tag’. See if you can locate your ancestors’ serial number or their ‘dog tags’. (301 indicates Panama 302 indicates Puerto Rico) 0 = When the first number is 3, the zero means he was drafted outside the U.S.9 = Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington.8 = Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.7 = Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming.5 = Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia.4 = Alabama, Florida, Georgia Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee.*1 = Connecticut Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

If you have a serial number for a member of the WAC, look at the number after the letter prefix. This narrows down where the person enlisted or was drafted. When you have an 8-digit serial number, the second number shows the Service Command. L = Commissioned officers of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC).

O (that’s the letter O, not a zero) = Male commissioned officers.

2 = Federally recognized National Guard.

1 = Enlisted in the Army (in other words, volunteered rather than drafted).

The first character gives us a lot of information. However, the following system began shortly before World War II. Another good source for additional information is this link on Army serial numbers. These numbers were also placed on the ‘dog tags’ – metal tags worn by all soldiers. See below the first couple of numbers / letters and what they referred to identification of a soldier. Instead, military personnel were identified by their social security number. Other changes would come about over the next few years but by July 1, 1969, service numbers were declared discontinued. New sets of numbers were used, mostly for those drafted during WW II. Pershing.īy 1942 those prefix letters were discontinued, just numbers used. Also in 1920 was when Army officers received serial numbers, with the letter “O”, the first being issued to General John J. After WW I in 1920, the Army introduced the first “service number prefix” which was intended to be a letter placed in front of the service number to provide additional information about the veteran. Imagine that was your ancestor and you have just learned that bit of information. The first Army personnel issued the first number was Master Sergeant Arthur Crean.

Other military branches (Navy, Marines) were still small enough not needing serial numbers. The first service numbers to be issued in February 1918 were only to Army enlisted personnel. Before that date the main method of identification of soldiers was by the ‘roster rolls’ or ‘muster rolls’, the listing of soldiers during a specific time period. Americans have been in numerous wars over the decades but it was not until February 12, 1918, that there was the introduction of US Army serial numbers (SNs).

Prada serial numbers 7 or 8 digits